Author: Rob Jones

3 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors make it count

The batter hits a flare to shallow right field. Second base goes back, and back, but can’t get it and the ball drops. The runner digs for second but the right fielder makes a perfect throw, and the shortstop is waiting to apply the tag. And that is how the Raptors won their first game of the season.

But there was so much more involved in the four and a half hours leading up to that moment, and so much more in the three months and the ten games since the season started. A 37-23 victory over the Tonbridge Bobcats capped off a process of battling, and learning, and wrestling the game of baseball to a point where the Raptors could win, and win well.

Glen Downer at bat — Glen Downer smashes another shot into the Tonbridge outfield

The game started with two relatively tight innings. The visiting Raptors showed patience at the plate, with Arnold Longboy and Duncan Hoyle each taking a walk, and scoring a run on steals and pass balls. The Bobcats did manage a scatter of early hits against Ken Pike, but then either struck out or were dealt with by the defense. After two innings, it was 8-6 to the home side.

Then the Raptors put themselves on the right side of a “big inning” for once. All season, a single meltdown had undone good work by the Herts rookies. Now, they took their bats and pummelled the game into the shape they wanted it. Right fielder Will Belbin led off with a hit and eventually scored twice in the inning. Arnie Longboy took two of his six walks to score two of his seven runs on the day, the highest total on the team. And newly recruited slugger Glen Downer began a series of towering hits which menaced the Bobcats all day. The Raptors batted around twice and scored 13 runs.

Tonbridge had little reply, getting just two hits off Pike in the next inning, and tacking on just a few runs each time to their total. There were pitching changes and conferences, but it all became academic once the Herts bats opened up again in the fifth inning. The rookies had shown both patience and confidence at the plate, an ideal combination. After using early walks to manufacture runs, there were now big hits too. Shortstop Theo Scheepers got two doubles in the inning, while Rob Jones got his third and fourth hits and catcher Oz Kemal scored his fourth run.

The Raptors reliever on the mound now was Jose Morillo, a graduate of the Herts Little League. He blew away the first batter he saw, and persevered through the heat and the pressure heaped on him to finish off the game. Tonbridge put up their best score in the final inning, with Shaun Dary even getting a home run to make his 4-for-5 figures look more gaudy. But all the time the game was ebbing away from them, with Herts defending a commanding lead and giving up runs to secure outs.

In the end there was that flare to right field, and the throw from Belbin to Scheepers, and the celebrations. On a baking hot day in Kent this had been a strong team performance to secure the deserved victory. The manager-of-record for the season, Ken Pike, scored five runs to go with his four strikeouts to help his own cause and secure the big W. John Kjorstad, who has taken over game-day duties, even managed to come off the DL and take part with a hit. There were still fielding errors and baserunning misadventures, because this is still British single-A baseball. But there was relief and delight for the Raptors to break their duck and take the win. Credit goes to the Tonbridge Bobcats who have also had a long and tough season against more powerful teams — they played this game in a tremendous spirit and battled right to the end with a lot of heart.

Arnold Longboy — Outfielder-catcher Arnie Longboy scored a team-leading 7 runs on the day

The rest of the Herts club extended congratulations to the rookies for their win. At some point in the season, both the Falcons and the Hawks had found themselves looking longingly at the Win column, and in time, they both managed to put some numbers in it. This weekend, they both played hard and took games to extra innings, but were ultimately denied. The Hawks lost 18-2 but then 12-11 to the Latin Boys in the AA-division. By the end of the day, the travelling Hawks had only eight players so the result was even more creditable. The Falcons went down 9-5 to the Essex Arrows in their first game before taking them to extras in a tighter second half of the double-header. Falcons scored five to surge ahead in the fourth inning, but were pegged back and then could not hang on to a one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh. After a scoreless eighth, Essex snatched the win 9-8 after nine.

25 July 2011 by Rob Jones

Within a whisker

Theo Scheepers had to fight off some nasty pitches from former Herts player, the legendary Paul Raybould

This was a proper game of baseball, with twists and turns and big hits and injuries, and a dramatic walk-off hit. Sadly for Herts, it ended in defeat. But this was the closest the Raptors had come to the big W this year.

The Raptors actually played two games against the Old Timers on Sunday, July 24th, one the scheduled game and one a make-up from a rained out fixture earlier in the year. There was no hint of rain this time — in fact Grovehill was even quite warm in the sunshine. It was the second game which was the classic, but the first one almost matched it.

On the mound, Andrew Slater was taking on the former Herts legend Paul Raybould, and the early exchanges were tight. The visiting Old Timers put up 3, then were shut down in the second inning. The home side squeezed in 1 run in the first, but smashed 4 to take the lead. The big moment came when, leading off the fourth for the Raptors, John Kjorstad deposited a pitch way over the left field fence for a spectacular home run. The side’s first homer of the year helped them establish a 9-8 lead.

But as has been the frustrating pattern this season, a big inning undid a lot of the good work. A handful of walks but also a string of tight singles helped the Old Timers bat around. They scored 12 runs and buried the game. Little League star Jose Morillo came in to pitch and closed out the inning, but there was no way back. The final score was 27-9, not a reflection of how tight the first half of the game had been. Slater and Chris Deacon each scored two runs, while Senna Ashida got on base 3 out of the 4 times he came to the plate.

Rob Jones began the second game on the mound, his debut as a starter. Two walks from the first three batters showed a little tension, but the Raptors defense did its job to get the lower order hitters and hold the Old Timers — now the home side — to 6 runs. By the top of the third it was 9-3 to the Old Timers but rather than be downcast the Raptors fought back. Kjorstad got two hits in the inning, and Theo Scheepers started his sparkling game with a hit and a run. After three innings, it was tied 10-10.

Raptors chose this unfortunate moment to go down 1-2-3, giving the Old Timers a chance to surge ahead. Scheepers had taken over on the mound and also took time to settle in. Raybould got the veterans started with a walk and two steals before scoring. The next three batters also scored, but then the defense stepped up. Ken Pike fielded a fly ball at third; Chris Deacon juggled a ground ball and made the out at first; then Pike finished it all with a neat play of a ground ball.

Old Timers reliever Tony Smyth — Old Timers releiver Tony Smyth

Herts stayed focused and re-took the lead, only for the Old Timers to tie it again with a single run. That meant it was 15-15 going into the top of the seventh and final inning. It started promisingly. Kjorstad reached with a single, Senna Ashida followed with another walk. Two men on, nobody out. But things can change fast in baseball, and as Jose Morillo struck out, Kjorstad tried to steal third. Not only was he gunned down but he sprained his ankle on the play and is doubtful for the remaining games. Now it was two down and advantage to the Old Timers. Jones got aboard again, but had no escape when Andrew Slater’s ground ball was neatly fielded by the shortstop and he was forced at second.

Herts had to have a clean inning if they were to take the game to extra innings.But the first batter reached on a single and was gifted second by an overthrow. Once the Old Timers’ clean-up hitter worked a walk, the signs were ominous. And, indeed, a single through the left side of the infield brought home the winning run.

It was deflating for a Herts team which had worked so hard and made so many good plays. But the Old Timers are the total opposite of the Raptors. They are veterans who maybe don’t run so fast any more, but have played the game for years, and made only one mental mistake in the entire game. Herts are young, mainly rookies with potential and rough edges, and they can take confidence for the next game.

8 July 2011 by Rob Jones

Hawks take two

AA-league South, July 3rd 2011

Another week and another win for the Herts Hawks, who are finally seeing good work pay off with victories. Joint manager and spiritual leader Greg Bochan returned for the trip to Brentwood Stags, and was delighted to see that once again his players had brought their best game.

In both halves of a double-header, the Hawks jumped out to an early lead. In the first game, they then exploded for 6 runs in the third inning to put it beyond reach of the Stags. Perrie Sherman ended it in the fifth inning, hitting a sacrifice fly to secure a mercy rule victory 12-2.

In the second game, it was the fourth inning which was the big run-fest. Five came across and although Brentwood managed to take this one the full distance, they never threatened. It ended 12-3.

Nick Russell was a master on the pitching mound once again. He pitched nine innings over the two games, allowing just four runs. Jim Arnott had a great game with the bat, finding a gap in the field every time he came to the plate, and he also picked off a runner at second to end the second game.

The Hawks now have four wins under their belt, and are on a three-game winning streak. On this form, their remaining schedule does not look daunting. Instead it offers a good chance to push for a highly creditable .500 record — or even better.

The Herts Falcons were taking part in the National League’s second special event of the season, facing the London Mets at Richmond. It was a tough day for Herts’ top team, with base-running errors costing them dear in an otherwise decent performance. The Mets rolled to an 11-1 victory, with Darrin Ward taking the loss.

The Falcons now stand with a 2-12 record for the season. Coach Lee Manning is taking the positives though: “I think we are definitely getting stronger and I believe we are very close to getting a couple of wins. We had problems baserunning and that cost us runs. It was not a great day for us.”

Their next opponents are the Mildenhall Bulldogs, who have had struggles of their own this year, so the Falcons will be looking to get back on track.

1 July 2011 by Rob Jones

The Hawks strike back

Richmond Dragons 16-21 Herts Hawks — Sunday 26th June, Connare Field

Another hard-earned victory is in the bank for the Herts Hawks. After last week’s epic struggles which ended in defeat, this week the Hawks came out on the winning side of another see-saw battle. They travelled to Richmond to face the Dragons, who came from behind to win when they visited Grovehill earlier in the year.

This time Herts set out their stall from the very start. Ilya Dimitrov got aboard with a walk, and then stole both second and third bases. He was finally driven home by Hunter Devine. That one run was the difference at the end of the first inning, and Hawks would never fall behind.

Matt Johnston at bat — Matt Johnston was an offensive powerhouse for the Hawks

Dimitrov and Devine would keep up their contributions in the field, too. The Herts infield was widely praised for keeping Richmond in check, and Devine and the veteran first baseman Jeff Witter turned two double plays. Witter also made a diving catch, as the Hawks list of heroes grew ever longer.

In fact there were just ten Herts players to go round, and one of them got injured, so on a baking hot day they all knew there was no choice but to stick with it and bring their A-game. Last week’s MVP Andrew Slater once again was a towering presence, while Ilya Dimitrov complemented his speed with two doubles to centre field and four runs. Matt Johnston also racked up impressive offensive figures on the day, hitting.500 and getting 3 RBI’s. Team-mates said he was “on fire” on the base paths.

This is not to say that Richmond rolled over. These two clubs have a long history of tough battles, and this game remained tight throughout. The visitors led 8-7 after five innings. The Dragons tied it up at the bottom of the seventh, after holding the Hawks scoreless for the first time.

But the Herts pitching did its job. Nick Russell, who pitched his full nine innings last week, was the starter again this time and kept Richmond off balance. His stuff was said to be electric. Jim Arnott, last year’s phenom in the Raptors, replaced him late in the game and kept the Richmond bats in check. Herts pitchers were charged with a total of only 6 walks but 9 strikeouts, and excellent ratio.

It was 16-14 going into the final inning, and everything was on the line. Herts chose this moment to match their biggest inning of the game, putting five runs on the board to build a vital cushion. Richmond were able to pull back two runs, but it was never going to be enough. The Hawks ran out 21-16 winners.

This had been another fine team performance. Even those who did not have gaudy stats contributed an enormous amount – outfielder Dave Hamilton picked up 5 walks with his patience at the plate, while the reassuring presence behind the dish, Kal Dimitrov, gunned down a runner at second to end an inning.

The team’s managers, Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish, could not be in Richmond to witness the latest Hawks victory, but they were blown away by what their team had done. They even joked that maybe they should stay away more often.

25 June 2011 by Rob Jones

A ball in the hand

If you want evidence of how hard this game is, look no further than the fact that I managed to pitch two scoreless innings for the Raptors last Sunday. Think about it. The Southampton Mustangs, unbeaten so far this season and powering through the Single-A league, were faced with my medium-paced unwavering strikes, and they still couldn’t get a run. Sure, they could hit the thing. But putting a round bat on a round ball and depositing it in a space where no fielder was standing? That’s much harder.

A proper pitcher in action — The Hawks' Nick Russell, a proper pitcher in action

I doff my cap to Theo, who comfortably hauled in two fly balls to centre field, and to Zach, who was equally sure-handed with a pop-up to second base. I also thank myself for improving on the fielding performance I turned in when I pitched against Guildford. This time two hits came my way. I caught the first one, a pop-up in foul ground. Then when a batter mis-hit a dribbler just a couple of feet in front of the plate I picked it up cleanly, cycled through my potential plays in my head until I found the right one, and threw to first for the out.

My experience of pitching was once again a complete blast. In the absence of our usual starters, stand-in manager Arnie very sensibly went for an open-house approach — anyone who wanted to have a go was invited. Arnie himself pitched the first three innings, before giving way to Theo, and then me. Theo throws a harder and heavier ball than me, and it moves more, but I guess I got luckier with the fielding!

I felt a little more comfortable on the mound this time around, and heeded my own advice to try to mix it up a little bit. Any Southampton batters reading this might laugh (please do it quietly) but there was a curve in there somewhere. It felt good to have a pristine match ball in my hand, with proper seams so you could feel what you were doing. I need to throw all my pitches with a bit more conviction, but you can’t beat the feeling of getting up there on the mound and getting results. If I ever hit a home run I will let you know how it compares, but so far pitching a scoreless inning is a winner!

I recorded a less welcome first for the season by striking out in my first at-bat. It had to happen sometime, especially since I started this article by saying how difficult it is to get a hit. At least it was a swinging strikeout on a full count. Southampton’s pitcher is not overpowering but the ball has some zip on it, and a little bit of slide, and he is pretty accurate. I think he gave up 6 walks in the end, but he struck out 6 of the first 8 batters and you can’t really argue with that. I got a single later, and a couple of walks to nudge up my averages, but we need to string together some more good at-bats to get runs against teams like this.

This was an odd game for the Raptors, as we stood little real chance of winning. But it was all played in a pretty relaxed atmosphere and I think we had fun. Jose and Zach, two of our talents for the future, selflessly took turns as the umpire and did a fine job. They also ribbed each other mercilessly about it. Everyone had a good crack at the game, with some good hits and good catches. Don’t get me wrong — we all want to win! I look forward to the blog when that happens.

23 June 2011 by Rob Jones

Drama in Defeat at Herts

Vince Lombardi was right — winning isn’t everything. But he was wrong when he said it was the only thing. Two of the Herts baseball teams showed that an enormous amount can be gained from commitment, and heart, and even from just having fun. Herts did everything except win, but still had a lot to show for their day.

The Hawks and the Raptors were both in action Grovehill on Sunday 19th June, and the AA side was involved in two titanic battles against the Essex Redbacks II. Both teams have struggled to get results this season, and this was an evenly-matched contest. The first game was always close, and ended 12-8 to the visitors, with Nick Russell taking the tough loss.

Kal and Paul — Kal Dimitrov greets Paul Auchterlounie after his sac fly

The second game looked as if it was going to be a disappointing blowout. The Redbacks scored ten runs in the first inning, and led 16-4 at one point. By their own admission, they had visions of a mercy rule victory. But the fourth inning suddenly saw the Hawks offense blossom. Andrew Slater got things going with a hit. Ilya Dimitrov stepped up behind him and slapped a confident line drive to right field, before speeding round to second base. He challenged the defense and won, taking third before scoring. Ali Hall and Ralph Bartholomew got aboard, too, and Essex seemed not only rattled but overwhelmed.

As for Herts, they seemed to well up with self-belief. Matt Johnston, whose playing time has been cut by a move away from the area, burst out of a batting slump to notch a hit, one of two on the day. Paul Auchterlounie clouted a textbook sacrifice-fly to bring home Kal Dimitrov, and when the Redbacks finally managed to get Andrew Slater out, he still brought in a run when he grounded out. By the end of the day he had got on base 7 out of 8 times and was acclaimed as the MVP.

However, all offensive explosions come to an end, and with the lead cut to four the Hawks now took their fielding positions. Essex were not cowed by their experience in the fourth, and they battled back. Runners got aboard as Nick Russell’s extraordinary arm finally began to fall off. Slater helped limit the damage, throwing his body in the line of fire to tag a runner at third. Ilya Dimitrov made athletic saves at first base, and the sky high morale looked as if it could carry Herts all the way. That man Slater came in as relief pitcher in the sixth, and registered back to back strikeouts, and later a scoreless seventh. The tying run for Herts came to the plate in the nail biting finale — but it was not to be. The game ended 25-22, but it was clear to all involved that this had been a great team effort and a great performance.

Matt in motion — Matt Jonhston swipes third

Earlier on Grovehill’s other diamond, the Herts Raptors had an experience which was similar in many ways, and yet utterly different. They faced one of the league leaders in Single-A, the Southampton Mustangs. The Raptors were fielding a patchwork team, because the game had been rescheduled at the last minute, and so they had little hope of beating their powerful visitors. The final result of 21-3 was definitive. And yet the Raptors played with verve and tenacity.

The first inning was unusually quick for a Raptors game. Three of the Herts batters struck out, with no runs scoring, but then when spot-starter Arnie Longboy took the mound he also limited the Mustangs to just one run. Shortstop Liam Green secured all three outs, flashing both leather and his impressive arm.

Longboy’s honeymoon ended quickly. In the second inning a series of walks and doubles helped Southampton score 8 more runs. Arnie did help his own cause in the third inning with a triple to left field, bringing in Rob Jones from first base. He then scored himself on a single by Theo Scheepers. The Raptors loaded the bases, but by then there were 2 outs, and the Mustang’s Dave Wrigley struck out Jose Morillo to end the threat.

With Southampton 12-2 ahead and cruising after three innings there was little hope of a rally, but Herts kept fighting. Jones scored another run on another Longboy hit — and the pitcher/manager ended the day going 3-4 with the bat. Senna Ashida, who had not played at all this season due to college commitments, reached base every time he came up to bat, and also put away a fly ball in left field.

Raptors had a satisfying end to the game by putting up donuts in the sixth and seventh innings. Excellent defense backed up the second relief pitcher of the day, Rob Jones — Zach Longboy and Theo Scheepers made solid catches, and the pitcher handled two of the plays himself. Everybody would have preferred a win, but this was a fine effort against a formidable opponent.

26 May 2011 by Rob Jones

Name: Jones, Class: A – midseason report card

After playing in four games in a row, I am now taking a brief break from baseball in order to go to work. So it seems a good time to quickly take stock of the season so far. Raptors have had ups and downs, and in that sense I guess I have mirrored their progress.

It’s rare, even unprecedented, for me to play in four ballgames in a row, as my shift pattern at work only normally allows me an absolute maximum of three. Playing between two night shifts, and also using up annual leave just so I could play, led to this remarkable streak. There’s dedication for you. This has dashed my usual excuse of not playing often enough, but I’ll think of a new one soon.

It’s probably also worth mentioning how the weather allowed four games in four weeks, which was welcome. The last two were pretty damned windy, but anything other than a rainout is a good thing in the UK. Let’s hope a good Spring lasts into a good summer.

Taken to the cleaners — I like to think of it as the superhero outfit, waiting for the next call...

This week we took on the London Marauders, a team we had great fun playing two years ago in some high-scoring, see-saw games. (Last year was probably fun, too, but I missed those games so I can’t comment) Starting at shortstop, I got to catch a couple of high pop-ups. There were two outs at second, one where I fed Chris and he made a throw to first for a double play which really should have been given; the second where I took the feed but could not get the ball out of my glove. I remember another ground ball which I fielded and made the throw to first but Will could not hang on, and another where I muffed the pickup then compounded the error by making a rash throw wide of first base and gifting the runner second base. Dopy.

I then switched to the outfield, where nothing of note happened. The Marauders decided to stop hitting big fly balls, no matter how much I willed them to. I did manage to misfield all three balls which came my way because of bad bounces on the rock hard outfield, which was rather annoying, but had little effect on the runners or the score.

At the plate…. well, the first two-thirds of the game were OK. A pop-up off the end of the bat clearly was not good, but that was followed by a walk and lots of stealing, and then a decent hit into the outfield which scored a run. The problem was that next time up, with runners on base, I popped up the ball in exactly the same way as I had in my first at-bat, and in the same way I had when I started the day’s BP. It might’ve been an idea to carry over the good swing into the game, instead of returning to the rubbish one.

So for the first half of the report card, let’s look at this season’s batting. I’m going to grant myself a B-. I’ve left the precise figures in my other trousers, but on the plus side I know I have an on-base percentage of about .583 and not a single strikeout so far. Since I have been batting high up the order, and often leading off either in fact or in effect, I would count that as a good stat. The down side is that I calculate my actual batting average at about .285, which is not so impressive. My last three outs, from the last two games, have been those useless pop ups which suggest something needs tweaking in the swing.

On the fielding side, I am going to generously grant myself a B+. There have been more bona fide errors than I would like – I can think of three or four, including throwing the ball away against Marauders, as detailed above. But for most of the games I have been really pleased (and maybe slightly surprised) with my handling of ground balls, which is key to any “change” to the infield. I have also caught every pop-up that came my way, so it’s good to secure all the easy stuff. Instead I have been let down by throws to first. They have been maybe a fraction late — or probably, more precisely, they have not been thrown hard enough and fast enough. That is something I must work on. Of course, I also bump up my rating just for getting the double play against Guildford, which I may well talk about for the rest of my life!

Since I made a pitching appearance for the second time in two years, I suppose I should provide a report card on that too. I think I will give myself a C. This inning was not as effective as the one I threw against Southampton last year, where at least I retired three batters. As I said in a previous week, I think I gave in to the demand of throwing strikes, and limited myself as a result. My overall career ERA must be astronomical, but I am thinking about “feel” rather than statistics.

I can assure you that the experience has not put me off returning to the mound — rather, it has shown me things to work on and improve. If I had to get up and do it again this week I would have a smile on my face. And I think that is the key in all aspects of the game.

The final word should really about my team, rather than about me. It’s not my place to assess the Raptors, but I actually think their report card would look pretty good. There has been great spirit in the team and in three games we have put together good rallies rather than folding in the face of adversity. There have been some really fine plays and performances. We all know we can do better, and there have been rookie mistakes, but that’s because we’re mostly rookies!

Everyone wants to work on their game and improve, and I hope that’s the point I have been making here in focussing on my own performance. When I next pull on the uniform, in about a month’s time, I hope I’m better and we can be better together.

24 May 2011 by Rob Jones

HERTS SIDES BLOWN AWAY

The strong winds blowing across Grovehill ballpark on Sunday did nobody any favours, but the Herts baseball teams seemed to suffer the most.

Ball, glove, hat The Herts Raptors faced their most evenly matched opponent of the year so far in the London Marauders, but the wind quickly played a part. Starting pitcher Phil Gover found his curve ball hanging in the breeze, and the outfielders were outfoxed by a series of huge fly balls.

Six runs scored in the first inning before balls kept on the infield secured the outs. Chris Deacon — returning from injury — made smart plays to retire runners at second base, though the Raptors never quite achieved the double play they were after.

Eight more runs crossed in the second before Raptors could answer back, and by the middle of the fourth the visitors lead was 27-6. Then, at last, the home team’s bats came alive. Hustle and bold hitting got results, Will Belbin and Oz Kemal picked up RBI’s, and the Raptors put 10 runs on the board.

This dramatic comeback included the strangest hit of the day. A mis-hit dribbler went back to the London pitcher, but it got him in the shins and bounced away – after two overthrows the batter was safe at third base and all the runners had scored. Sadly, such good fortune was not to last. In the end, Marauders had too much batting power for the Herts side and ran out 37-19 victors.

At least Herts did put an exclamation mark at the end of the game, as Little League graduate Zach Longboy pitched a 1-2-3 inning in his senior debut on the mound.

The other Herts teams also endured tough days. The Hawks led 6-5 after three innings, and were only narrowly behind after four. But they then suffered a bad inning which has been the hallmark of Herts losses this year. Guildford Mavericks scored 7, and then shut out their hosts to win 21-8.

One bad inning also undid the National League Falcons, at home to the Mildenhall Bulldogs. Ace Darrin Ward was on the mound in the first game but an explosion of 13 runs in the top of the third pretty much settled the matter. Nic Goetz pitched the second game, which went the full seven innings but still ended in defeat for Herts, this time 11-1. Manager Lee Manning said too many mistakes had cost the Falcons in the first match-up, but he was pleased with a better all round defensive performance in the second. “We were just out-hit”, he concluded simply.

19 May 2011 by Rob Jones

Royals Rout Raptors

Cambridge Royals 23-3 Herts Raptors, May 15th 2011

The weather was cold and blustery, and the Royals had already demolished the Raptors once this season. But 11 players made the drive to Cambridge with spirits high. The Herts team had realistic expectations, but the main thing they want to do is play their best.

The first inning perhaps set the tone in that the Raptors fought well but were overmatched. An accurate sidearm pitcher got leadoff phenom Zach Longboy out on a line drive. Rob Jones then coaxed his customary walk, and had steals of second nullified by foul balls as Ali Hall battled hard at the plate. Hall was alert enough to run when the catcher dropped his third strike, but an equally alert Cambridge bench had him called out because first base had been occupied. Jones was stranded on third as the next man up grounded out. What could have been first and third with one out was turned around by the Royals’ years of experience.

Arnie Longboy — Longboy Snr scored two of the three Raptors runs

With bats in their hand, they put that experience to good use. Over the first three innings they racked up runs with hits and walks, and took a commanding lead. The Raptors’ starting pitcher, manager Ken Pike, put in a solid performance but the strong wind and a tiny strike zone made life difficult. The defense had good moments to back him up, with Will Belbin hauling in a scorching line drive for one impressive out, but overall this was one-way traffic.

As the game progressed, the Longboy double act made the biggest impression for Herts. It was father Arnie who scored two of the three Herts runs — the first of them almost completely manufactured from a walk, a steal and overthrows. He has had a succession of good hits stolen by opposing defenses this season, and finally made one count with his second run. Zach battled against the strong wind to make two excellent catches in left field, and was praised by the Cambridge bench for his excellent technique.

There were also cameos by new acquisition Theo Scheepers, who came on as shortstop and made good plays including a smart tag with an added dance, and by lefty relief pitcher Phil Gover. He hit the strike zone more consistently than in the previous week’s outing against Guildford, and fielded his position excellently to help keep the Raptors battling.

This was another tough lesson for the Herts rookie team. Of their four defeats, two have been at the hands of a league-leading Cambridge team who can boast veterans with expertise, and power in both pitching and hitting. The host team was generous in its praise for the graduates of the Herts Little league, and for the team spirit of the Raptors. But Ken Pike’s men are itching for a straight fight with a rival team. Maybe it can come this week…

19 May 2011 by Rob Jones

Five things in two weeks

There’s plenty to muse on today, as it’s been a busy and tough couple of weeks for the Herts Raptors. Before I do that, I have to clear up a couple of points for recent converts to the joys of this blog. First, the long-forgotten purpose of the title “Going Through the Change”. It’s not actually meant as a glimpse of my deepest biological secrets — it’s about switching from years of outfield play to become an infielder! Since that first change happened, I have also been drafted as a pitcher and an umpire, so there have been plenty of changes to keep up the theme.

Will Belbin looks to drive in Arnie Longboy

For those of you who are concerned that I beat myself up in public about my mistakes, don’t worry – my indefatigable ego will always be convinced that I have a talent for the game, even if it’s a struggle to find it sometimes. Also, I like to think of this blog as a sharing exercise for other small-time ball players who wish they could turn it on like the MLB guys they see on TV. Finally, I need only ask – would you prefer it if I spent all my time telling you how fanastic I was?!

So, on to this week’s blend of boasting, hand-wringing and acute observation. Here are five things which we have either learnt, or been reminded of, in the past two weeks.

1. You’ve gotta throw a curve. I made my first pitching appearance of the season against Guildford. And it was a good reminder that pitching is really tough, and we should not underestimate the task facing our starters every week. We have given up a lot of walks, and my appearance was an attempt to throw strikes and stop the bleeding of runs. The first bit went fine, as I walked only one of the 9 batters I faced. But it didn’t really stop the runs, as I didn’t get a single out. After a few days mulling, I decided I really should’ve thrown a curve ball in there somewhere. I was focussed on throwing strikes, the main thing we needed at that point of the game. But I’m not sure I threw a curve at all, and that allows the batter to just wait for the meaty one in the zone.When the hits came, we missed at least three chances to get the final out we needed. I was one of those misplaying a ball, so I share guilt at not helping the pitcher out of his hole.

2. The double play is the pitcher’s best friend. In eight years playing this game, I don’t think I have ever turned a successful double play. So, chalk up another new experience. It happened in the third inning against Guildford. The first batter was on base with a walk, and when the second guy up hit a sinking liner to short I was just able to catch it, then throw to first base where the runner had taken off, and secure the simple double play. The next batter flied out, and the inning was clean. The double play is such a punch to the guts of an offense. I can think of an occasion in each of the last two years when the same sort of double play has been turned against us, but overall it’s pretty rare at our level. And it is nice to have members of the opposing team come over to you to say “nice play”. That’s what so-called recreational sport should be about.

Oz Kemal at bat — Rookie Oz Kemal on the end of high heat from the Royals

3. Single A can mean different things to different people. Now, this is not meant as a grumble as such. But members of the Raptors, the Herts development team, could be forgiven for wondering when they are ever going to play another set of comparable rookies. Each member of this week’s starting line-up against the Cambridge Royals had an average of approximately 1.4 prior years of baseball experience. And that figure is only so high because I have played for 8 years – 4 players had no previous taste of adult baseball. The Royals had ex-GB players and plenty of experienced guys. I had an odd empty feeling on Sunday evening, as if I hadn’t really been in a game, and I wonder if that’s because we never really laid a finger on Cambridge. It’s hard to keep your head up in mismatches, but Herts Raptors showed great spirit against Guildford, where we had a proper chance to compete.

4. Ball first, play second. My most annoying error of choice in each of the past two games has been failing to cleanly pick up a ball which was, essentially, just laying on the ground. The first was the dribbling comebacker which could have made my pitching numbers look a whole lot better, the second was when playing second base at Cambridge. On both occasions I was caught in two minds about which play to make, and so I muffed picking up the ball, and failed to make any play. Cardinal sin. Know your play, be decisive. And make sure you have got the ball before you try to do anything with it!

5. We look good! Every week you have to admire just how cool the Herts players look, with their white uniforms and now a growing range of extra branded gear. It’s still pretty obvious that whoever chose white doesn’t do their own washing, but I accept they made a good choice nonetheless. We win the style battle every week. The only other team that I think comes close is the Milton Keynes Bucks, I like their grey outfits (so would my washing machine). But somehow Herts manage to look better even than, say, Sidewinders who play in the same colours. So let’s take that victory on to the field before we even start!

PS. Having banged on about how rare double plays are, I later remembered that we turned one against Cambridge as well. One out, runners on second and third, and the batter flied out to Ken in centre field. The guy at second tagged up and took off but then found the runner at third stationary, so he had to turn back. Ken made a strong throw to second and we (I think it was me) tagged the guy out. I still stand by the fact that double plays are relatively rare in single-A (the San Francisco Giants ground into 3 in every game!) but I’m pleased to know that the Herts Raptors are turning some.