Author: Rob Jones

Monarchs reign over Raptors

For five innings, the box score was ticking over steadily as the Herts Raptors took on the Cambridge Monarchs on a gloomy but humid Coldham’s Common. The numbers show two teams who were evenly matched, writes Rob Jones.

Then, for the first time, the visiting batters put up a zero in their top half of the sixth inning. And then Cambridge come back to bite them, big time.

Arnie Longboy keeps an eye on Paul Barton

But let’s start at the beginning. The Raptors had struggled to piece together a team for this trip to Cambridge, with injuries, family crises and the start of the summer holidays all taking their toll. But with a little help from the Monarchs, they got the men they needed.

Shortstop Rob Jones scored the first run of the game, talking a walk, stealing a base, and advancing on a pass ball before he was driven in by first baseman John Kjorstad.

The next batch of runs, which came in the second inning, were similarly manufactured. Joseph Osborne Brade with the walk, then the wild pitch, before he was driven in by Matt Jackson. A steal and a single, then Kjorstad in turn brought him home.

So far, so good.

Ben Sinclair ended the inning by flying out to a fielder just inches from the home run fence. Perhaps Herts’ inability to get “a big hit” stopped them capitalising on their own good work at the plate.

In the field, they did good work to keep the Monarchs in check. Second baseman James Emblow made an unassisted double play in the first inning, taking a catch then swiftly stepping on his bag for another out. Left fielder Osborne-Brade cut down a runner trying to go home on a hit to the outfield in the second, with catcher Arnie Longboy standing strong to secure the out at the plate.

So the lead changed hands in the early innings, but it was always nip and tuck. A 4-3 Herts lead became a 6-5 deficit and then after five innings it was tied 8-8.

Then…. well, it’s hard to put a finger on what happened next. Paul Barton, who had pitched out of trouble thus far, perhaps lived too dangerously this time. A difficult catch went down, then one or two easier ones.

Monarchs’ reliever

And hits just found holes. Arnie Longboy moved from behind the plate to pitch, as fine rain started to sweep across the field. He closed it down, but only after Cambridge had scored their ninth run of the inning and gone ahead 17-8.

Herts then had the opportunity to hit back. But the task had been made harder by the Monarchs flame-throwing reliever, who had racked up strikeouts once he settled in on the mound. The Raptors did make some good contact, and worked more walks. But they could score only two, leaving the Monarchs needing three runs for a mercy win.

Longboy induced a pop-up for the first out, but Herts could not hold back the river. With the infield drawn in, a single up the middle struck the winning blow. It ended 20-10 and moved the Raptors to 5-6 on the season.

 

A new tribute – The Kal Cup

Herts Baseball Club is very proud to announce a new event on the sporting calendar this summer — The Kal Cup.

This will be a special tournament to remember our friend and team-mate Kal Dimitrov, and to celebrate the values of friendship and fair play he brought to our sport. It will take place at our Grovehill home in Hemel Hempstead over the weekend of August 12th-13th.

Herts will enter three teams — including one of veterans who played alongside Kal — and invites all Single-A level sides to enter for a weekend of fast-moving, knockout baseball.

The format will start out as a series of single-inning games for every team — a format successfully used in Herts’ own intra-club competition in the autumn. It means that every inning is like the ninth, with all the drama and strategy that entails.

But if you lose, there’s another game coming just a few minutes later!

As teams progress to semi-finals and a final, the games will stretch to three and finally six innings. The aim is to have everybody playing as much baseball as possible over the weekend, and competing against friends old and new.

Kal Dimitrov was a key figure at Herts Baseball Club for over a decade and helped build it to the force it is today. He died suddenly during a league game in 2015, a moment which shocked the Herts baseball family but also the whole British baseball community.

He had been a player, coach, umpire, manager and mentor for several teams. In 2015, he was the joint manager of the Herts Raptors in the Single-A division.

That is why the club has chosen to focus this tournament on Single-A teams. And, indeed, on anyone taking part in baseball below the expert level! Kal’s legacy was about love for the game, and for the way it brought people together, and that is what we want to mark.

He had also been instrumental in developing the youth leagues which have now flourished at Herts. The Under-17 Red Kites will therefore enter a team in this tournament.

The Raptors will be there, the current Herts Single-A team. And so will “Kal’s Knights” — made up of former players who played with Kal over the years.

Herts would love to have teams from across the country come and help us celebrate our friend.

The club’s Communications Director, Rob Jones, said: “I have nothing but wonderful memories of Kal. His character, humour and spirit lifted every baseball occasion.”

“We want to pay a tribute to him — and I know many people across the British game want the same. A weekend of baseball will be a great chance to show what Kal was all about.”

The entry fee is £100 per team, with Herts providing balls, umpires and all the necessary facilities. There will be food, drinks and merchandise available from our expert concessions team.

Please contact us at hertsbaseball.com for more information and to enter the tournament. We can be found on Facebook and as @hertsbaseball on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Raptors best Bobcats, back to winning ways

The last time the Raptors faced Tonbridge in a BBF game it was the famous playoff victory of 2016. Some faces have changed since then, and the main aim for Herts this time around was to break a frustrating losing streak.

Confidence was high as the two teams met at Grovehill on Sunday, with the arrival of veteran John Kjorstad on the Herts roster off-setting the absence of some of this year’s new stars.

Raptors manager, Paul Barton, got the start on the mound on a day which saw sporadic rain showers break up the weeks of sunshine. It was a solid opening, with the visitors scoring just two.

John Kjorstad in hitting action

The Herts bats replied by scoring three to take the lead, and the offense would be the saviour many times in this game. Not once were Herts held scoreless, and that would be crucial to the result.

After Tonbridge were shut out in the next couple of innings, the Raptors built a promising looking 8-2 lead. Ken Pike had himself a day in many ways, and his triple to lead off the third was just one part of that. He went 3-for-4 with the bat, driving in three.

In his role as catcher, he was also part of a double play and threw out two runners — both pretty rare plays in Single-A. Second baseman Arnold Longboy did an admirable job applying the tags on the two steals, while Paul Auchterlounie’s sharp fielding as relief pitcher helped to turn two.

But let’s get back to the top of the fifth inning, where it started to go sour for the Raptors. Barton’s pitching had perhaps not been at its sharpest, and he was starting to lose his battle with the tight strike zone.

Tonbridge were happy to take advantage and work walks. They scored eight runs in what felt like an interminable fifth inning, to roar back and take the lead 13-12.

When it was all over, Herts had given away an astonishing 30 base-on-balls. But it was that sort of day. The Bobcats walked 14 — and once Paul Barton handed over the ball to his relievers, they also had trouble throwing consistent strikes.

One Tonbridge hitter swung the bat just once all day, but scored four runs. So it wasn’t an entirely duff strategy.

However, it was Ken Pike who ultimately got the win as pitcher (see, I told you he had a day). Because, yes, win is what the Raptors did.

Archive photo of Ken Pike in base-running action but we’re sure that’s how he’d like to be shown

They struck back with 10 runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to take a commanding lead which they would not surrender. Pike hit a double, and stole home. John Kjorstad drove in four as he went 4-for-5 on the day. Third baseman Tom Carson hit a pair of doubles, while Auchterlounie hit a triple.

Tonbridge did not give up without a fight, though, and narrowed the gap each inning. The feeling in the Herts dugout remained tense.

But on a day when pitching was not the dominant force, the Raptors were happy that they won the contest for number of hits — 23, compared with 15.

They even managed to end with a defensive flourish, shutting out Tonbridge in the top of the ninth to complete a 32-26 victory. The losing streak was broken. Complete with a forfeit from a previous week, the Herts side now move to 4-5 as they head into the last third of the season.

The Herts Falcons had a tougher time of it in their National League (NBL) double-header away to the London Capitals.

They travelled with a strong young side, and the first game was tied 1-1 going into the fourth inning with Ian Sales getting the RBI. Then a London home run opened the floodgates and they ran out 9-1 winners, with Herts unable to wake up their bats.

Game 2 also saw a close start – with the score 5-all in the fifth. Tyler Badenhorst and Zack Longboy shared the pitching duties,while Moises Vazquez drove in three. Again, London piled on, though, and secured a 14-6 victory.

 

Rough ride for Raptors on road trip

After a solid start to the season at Grovehill, the Herts Raptors took their season on the road in the past two weeks, writes Rob Jones. They were disappointed by the results, coming up short on long trips to Kent and to Norfolk.

This Sunday saw a visit to the Norwich Iceni, who are playing their first season in the BBF leagues. The team was undefeated so far in Single-A, and clearly posed a strong challenge.

Paul Barton scores for Herts in Norwich (pic: Norwich Iceni)

A few Raptors players made the trip a day early, to settle in and sample the Norwich nightlife. Some Iceni players graciously helped them do that, and clearly a fine time was had by all. So what would Sunday bring?

Herts set themselves up well in the first inning, with runners on the corners and one out. But slick handling of an infield grounder meant the runner on third got tagged out, and a fly-out ended the threat.

The second inning was a similar picture – good contact but no runs. Steve Patmore got the first of two hits on the day before being stranded on the bases, and Giuseppe Basilea’s giant drive was caught on the warning track.

But Herts were holding their own defensively. Norwich scored only one run in the first. Matt Jackson made an astonishing running catch in centre field.

In the second, an unassisted double play from third baseman Ben Sinclair limited the damage with the bases loaded. He snared a hard hit liner and stepped on the bag. Again, Norwich scored only one.

As the game went on, second baseman James Emblow and first baseman Basilea were the defensive stars for the Raptors. They combined for a series of crucial plays.

Giuseppe Basilea at bat (pic: Norwich Iceni)

But, come the third inning, Herts could not hold back their hosts any more. The Iceni put 12 runs on the board with booming hits to the outfield. In fact, even their infield mishits did not hurt them, as they were always half a step faster than the Herts infield.

For Norwich, Adam Ray went 4-for-4 with a double, while Tom Thornhill drove in 3.

It ended in a mercy rule victory for Norwich, 16-1. Manager and starting pitcher Paul Barton scored the only Herts run of the game, driven in by Steve Patmore.

A week earlier in Kent, a somewhat depleted Raptors squad had made a good start against the Mariners. The two teams had met in the Herts Spring League, with the Raptors coming off best on that occasion.

Kent were 1-2 going into this game — including a loss to the Norwich Iceni – and the teams appeared evenly matched.

Raptors capitalised on a series of first inning walks issued by the Mariners starting pitcher. Catcher Rob Jones got the first hit, driving in 2 runs, and in all the Raptors scored 6 to jump out in front.

But the Mariners came back strongly, tying the game up by the end of the third. Jose Valero was their offensive powerhouse on the day, going 4-for-6, with 3 RBIs. David Ratcliff hit a double and got the win in relief.

Kent’s David Ratcliff in Herts Spring League action

After the see-saw opening innings, the game did settle down into an even and quality contest. It went all nine innings before Kent claimed a 19-13 win, and the score for the final five innings was a tight 6-4.

Left fielder Michael Johnson got 3 RBIs for Herts, while Darren Butterworth went 3-for-5 with the bat as well as striking out two in his pitching debut. James Emblow and Giuseppe Basilea could again be pleased with their performance in the field.

Acting manager for the day, Rob Jones, doffed his cap to Kent. “It all came together for them today, and we just couldn’t pull it back. Some of our guys did great work though, and that helps us a lot going forward.”

The road trip drops the Raptors back to 2-4 on the season so far. They return to Grovehill this weekend to take on the Cambridge Royals.

All smiles (pic: Kent Mariners)

 

Herts Hawks leave Redhawks blue

The Herts Hawks had a stand in manager for the day, their young catcher Hunter Devine, but the change did not disrupt their continuing unbeaten run.

The Hawks went charging out of the blocks in their AA-league game at home against the Brighton Redhawks, scoring 14 runs before the first inning was over. They went through the line-up twice.

Winning Hawks pitcher and manager

Devine ended the day 4-4 with the bat, while Gilberto Medina’s 3 hits drove in 5 runs. He came close to two more home runs (to add to one from the previous week), but hit the top of the fence both times.

The pitching win went to Ernie Ayala. It’s his second of the year, in his second start.

Hawks won 20-4 in five innings. They have now won 23 games in a row. Their next opponent is the East London Latin Boys, who have an unbeaten 7-0 record and lead the AA-league.

Continued offensive fireworks for Moises Velazquez of the Herts Falcons in the National Baseball League (NBL) gave them a great start away to the Brighton Jets.

His 2-run home run helped Herts lead 3-2 until the bottom of the fourth inning. But then young pitcher Tyler Badenhorst, who had been turning in a great performance, lost some of his control and the Jets pounced.

They piled up runs, including a walk-off grand slam homer, and won 15-4. Brighton also won the second game 15-5.

The Falcons showed off some impressive defense, with catches in centre-field from Jamie Warren and John Blose. But overall they were left rueing too many defensive errors.

The Herts Raptors were facing a tough challenge at home to the powerful London Musketeers in Single-A but they, too, took an early 3-2 lead.

Tom Carson at bat

Again, a grand slam home run turned things upside down and the visitors surged out to a 9-3 lead in the third inning.

But Herts fought back. Good defense prevented hits turning into runs. Shortstop Rob Jones made a diving stop to haul in a hit up the middle and secure an out, while rookie first baseman Will Pettitt made a superb sliding catch in foul ground.

The offense was powered by Tom Carson, driving in 6 runs with 6 hits. Ken Pike, playing his first game since an emergency appendectomy barely a fortnight ago, went 4-for-4 with the bat and stole 6 bases.

Herts took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, 15-13.

But another London homer struck the decisive blow in the next frame and although the Raptors rallied they ultimately went down 29-22.

Stand-in manager for the day Rob Jones was impressed: “The guys can take a lot of pride in that game. Scoring 22 runs against two excellent pitchers is brilliant work, and they gave everything in the field as well.”

Raptors are now 2-2 on the season and after a week off will travel to the Kent Mariners.

 

Raptors rally over Old Timers, as Herts do monster mash

It was a weekend of offensive fireworks for the Herts teams, perhaps inspired by the surprise arrival of some Spring sunshine. Five home runs and three wins were put in the bank.

Let’s start in Single-A, and start with a question. When was a Herts Raptors batter last given an intentional walk? And if you can answer that one, here’s another — when was the last time a Raptors batter was intentionally walked twice in the same game?

It was a fitting reward for a dominant offensive display by Ben Sinclair in Sunday’s home game against the Old Timers. His first at-bat produced an inside-the-park home run, the second a triple.

Before the third he mused about whether to aim for the cycle, and it was suggested that two home runs would look better on the write-up. It seems that Sinclair was listening, as he hit another inside-the-parker.

He reached on an error on his fourth plate appearance, but hit the ball hard so the Old Timers did not pitch to him again.

Michael Johnson, one of the top performers with the bat

This all suggests a rosy picture for the Raptors’ day in the sun at Grovehill, but actually they had started the game poorly. The Old Timers hadn’t managed to get a full team to the field, but the players they did have struck hard in the first two innings.

A handful of Herts defensive errors, and too much pressing at the plate, combined to give the visitors a 7-1 lead after two innings. The Old Timers were looking to make their experience pay.

Sinclair drove in three of the first four runs for the home team, but as the game went on more of the young Herts talent settled down and started to deliver, too.

Centre-fielder Michael Johnson went 4-for-6 with three RBIs, and was just a home run short of the cycle. The story was pretty much the same for Tom Carson, making his first ever appearance as catcher, whose four hits included a single, double and triple.

Veteran Arnie Longboy was doing sterling work on the pitching mound. A day after he played for Herts first ever softball team, the Buzzards, in their maiden competition, he threw over a hundred pitches for the Raptors.

He struck out four and walked only three before handing the ball over to Ben Sinclair for the final innings. Longboy helped his own case with four hits, and stayed in the game after an injury as the home side was also pretty short on players.

With improved defense, the Raptors made their superior numbers pay — and perhaps their youth, too. They scored runs in bunches in the second half of the game.

It ended 21-14 to the home side and the Raptors now move to 2-1 on the season.

Rob Jones, the stand-in manager for the day, paid tribute to the performance: “It was great to see the team come back from a bad start. Instead of getting down, they had confidence in their abilities and turned things around.”

Up in the AA-league, the Herts Hawks were stretching out their year-long winning streak to 22 games. Gilberto Medina hit the team’s first home run of 2017 to help them to a 22-6 win at the Guildford Mavericks.

Gilberto Medina struck a big blow for the Hawks

 

The Hawks’ joint manager, Greg Bochan, was back on the mound for the first time since the epic Single-A final at Farnham Park last year. On his return from a knee injury, he pitched a complete game and took the win.

The Herts Falcons of the National Baseball League were playing at home at Grovehill, hosting the London Capitals. A home run from Moises Velazquez was the big blast early in the first game to give Herts the lead.

It was tied at two apiece by the bottom of the fourth inning, when the Falcons scored six to blow it open. It ended 9-4. Young South African phenom Tyler Badenhorst got the win, with Darren Meintjes getting the save.

Cris Hiche drove a no-doubter over the fence at the start of game 2 of the double-header. But the Capitals came back, and a 2-run homer from their Ben Mercal in the top of the fifth gave them the lead.

The Falcons fought hard but came up short in this one, losing 7-5. They are now 3-6 on the year, and travel to Brighton next.

Raptors burn Inferno to spark their season

Herts Raptors 25-14 Bracknell Inferno, April 23rd 2017 – by Rob Jones

This victory by the Raptors, on the Opening Day of the Single-A season, was the perfect illustration of old and new working together.

One of the crucial runs to seal the deal in the bottom of the seventh inning was scored by Darren Butterworth, who had never played a league baseball game before. And he was driven in by Arnie Longboy, who’s been with the club for nigh on a decade.

Substitute catcher Brad Charalambous at bat

Somewhere neatly between the two categories is the fact that the actual winning run was scored by Arnie’s daughter Theo, a European champion at softball with the GB team, but new to baseball.

The Raptors had started slowly in the sporadic sunshine at Grovehill, with Bracknell’s hard-throwing pitcher Bruce Webb getting the best of the early exchanges.  He racked up three strikeouts and just one walk in the first inning.

But catcher Paul Auchterlounie got the first Herts hit in the second inning, and scored the first run. He ended the day 2-for-2 with a walk.

Third-baseman Tom Carson — another debutant in the Raptors lineup — closely followed him, and outfielder Joseph Osborne-Brade hit a double.

The Raptors kept their lead as the game wore on — 7-4 after three, 15-9 after five — but could never blow it open. Bracknell kept hitting against both starting pitcher Paul Barton, and reliever Longboy. And the two defenses were pretty even.

The top of the Herts order kept on walking and scoring steadily, with Matt Jackson and Rob Jones having 7 of each between them.

First baseman Giuseppe Basilea – making the step up from under-17 baseball – had perhaps the standout defensive play for Herts, in the top of the sixth. He caught a sinking line drive and immediately saw a chance to double off the Bracknell runner at second who had strayed too far.

Giuseppe Basilea at first base

He actually threw to third, but it didn’t matter. Because that was followed by the second-best defensive play as Ben Sinclair — yep, you guessed it, another rookie — quickly made a strong and accurate throw to second to nab the runner.

Bracknell had stayed close until the late innings, when Webb had tired and the fresh new Herts recruits came in to help stretch the lead. The Raptors scored 5 in the bottom of the sixth and needed 4 in the bottom of the seventh to secure a walk-off via the mercy rule.

Longboy Sr. duly delivered with a hit to right field, and the team celebrated. Both Bracknell and Herts had turned in strong performances to start their 2017, and are looking forward to what’s ahead.

Buzzards: the new face of Herts softball

The logo can now be revealed for Herts’ new slowpitch softball programme, which is introducing the Buzzards to the British sporting scene.

The first session will take place at 10 am this Sunday, 12th February, at the excellent facilities at John F. Kennedy Catholic School in Hemel Hempstead.

The invitation is open to everyone wanting to give the sport a try — baseball players, their families, or completely new faces looking for something different. These first taster sessions are free of charge.

The Buzzards will start as a fun, recreational team playing in selected tournaments and friendlies with local teams as it develops and finds its feet. The expectation is that they will either join a local league or be able to start their own by 2018.

Softball is a social and enjoyable game that’s easy to learn and play, even for people who are not “athletes” or don’t have much experience of team sports. The fact that men and women play together in the same team and on an equal level gives the sport a social buzz.

This team has been created by some Herts parents at a loose end after guiding their kids through the youth programme, and by veterans needing a different pace of game.

But don’t imagine that this is just a game for the old folks!

Herts has a great pedigree in softball, as the former youth players Theo Longboy and Marianna Casal won the U-19 European Softball Championship with the GB team in 2016.

The Buzzards may not recreate the GB success just yet, but the more players we can get having fun, the better the results will be!

The Buzzards shirt

All equipment will be provided this Sunday – you just need comfortable sporting clothes, water, and your enthusiasm!

For more information on the Buzzards please contact http://hertsbaseball.com/contact-us/

 

Watch and Learn, Herts baseball

When my father was a young man, he could sometimes listen to crackly radio commentary of Major League baseball games which would leak from the stations broadcasting on US air bases in Cambridgeshire, writes Rob Jones.

When I was a student, I could watch one televised game each week in the middle of the night on Channel Five.

Now, professional US baseball is far easier to come by. Five’s famous coverage may have gone, but you can find ESPN on your satellite TV easily enough. And I am one of many people who subscribe online to the truly excellent service of MLB.TV.

While it’s not easy to get to watch games in the States, it’s easier and cheaper than it was in my father’s day! Many more Herts players are getting the chance to watch the real deal.

Herts’ Josh Jones at an LA Dodgers game

It’s all massively entertaining. But what can we as lowly British amateurs actually learn from watching these games? Even while sitting in the bleachers or in our armchairs, how can we improve?

The head coach of the GB national baseball team, Liam Carroll, thinks there is a lot that every baseball player can pick up:

“Find as many things you can copy to make you better, your team better!”

And that goes for people filling all sorts of different roles in British baseball: “Look how the dugout is set up at the field; learn how the base coaches position themselves; see what players high five each other for besides wins, home runs and web gems.”

Bruce Bochy photobombs James Dullea

Several Herts players took the chance during the past season to visit professional games and stadiums in the United States, and watch the game played at high levels.

Youth pitcher James Dullea took in not only a Giants-Nationals game — which saw Madison Bumgarner pitch a 2-hit complete game in a 1-0 loss — but also a Charleston Riverdogs Minor League game.

His father Bruce, a former Falcons manager, said it had been a great trip but also educational for young James.

“He noticed that even though some of the minor league guys threw harder than Bumgarner,” said Bruce, “no one could pitch like him.”

Josh Jones of the Under 13s took his Herts cap proudly to an LA Dodgers game; club veteran Paul Auchterlounie and his family took in the Trop in Tampa Bay.

Here’s one of Liam Carroll’s tips to follow when you are at a game:

“Watch the player who plays your position. Follow his every move. Then do the same for the other team’s guy.

What’s the same? What’s different? Who did you prefer to watch? Was there anything you loved? Anything you hated?  What do you need to change to be more like them?”

 

The Auchterlounies in Florida

And there are extra elements you appreciate when you are there, and things are not hidden from you by commercial breaks: “Watch them play catch at every opportunity – between innings, after outs, before the game – and appreciate how well they take care of the baseball.”

But for those confined to these shores, watching on TV and online works, too.

MLB will give you a highlight reel every day on the website, and they will often be breathtaking. Home runs that seem to fly on forever. Fiery pitching which makes you wince. Outfielders getting airborne to make diving grabs.

But on the Herts Twitter feed during the playoffs, we tried to pick out some different things. Instead of plays that you watch and think “How does he do that??”, we wanted plays that would make you think “Hey, I could do that!!”

For example, there were some smart aggressive base-running plays in Toronto’s two series, against Texas and against Cleveland. Any baseball player can choose to run the base paths intelligently.

We loved the Cubs’ Javier Baez starting a double-play against the Dodgers by letting a catchable ball drop and letting LA run themselves into trouble. “Next level instincts” said the commentator — but it simply proved that the game isn’t just about stronger or faster, but about playing smarter.

One of our favourite of these plays was actually from 2015, so New York Mets fans might want to look away now.  Eric Hosmer tying it up for the Kansas City Royals with that mad dash home.

hosmer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hYry9F2QRM

But was it really so “mad”?

The Royals were behind in the game, but were ahead in the Series. The pressure was all on the Mets to hang on to a one-run lead and get the win.

So while Hosmer might’ve been a goat had he been thrown out, he had everything to gain, and New York had everything to lose. So he had calculated risk and reward.

Kansas knew that David Wright was not gunning throws to first, but was throwing softly, because of his broken down body. That gave Hosmer more time. The fact that Wright had fielded a ball which was headed for Wilmer Flores meant there was nobody there to hold Hosmer on.

All of this stuff, situational stuff, stuff that you acquire by having your head in the game, helped Kansas win a World Series. And it is stuff that you can genuinely emulate on a British baseball field, even if you can’t hit a 95mph heater.

Let’s give a last word to GB Baseball Head Coach Liam Carroll:

“Watch the players’ routines; watch their positioning. Watch the communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Remember things that can make your club better, and British baseball better!”

So now is your chance to get ready for the 2017 season with some serious sitting down and watching! Sign up for MLB.TV, or a satellite deal if you’d prefer. Revisit all the clips on the MLB website if you want to hang on to your cash.

And if you want to splash a little extra cash, book your trip to the States. If you’ve already got that booked, then look to see if you can add a bit of baseball to it.

MLB games are pretty easy to get into — each team plays 162 a year, after all! And don’t forget the Minor Leagues, which offer you another chance to get close to the action.

And then be ready to put it all into action next month, when Herts pre-season training begins.

 

Brown in the pink: Falcons MVP

It’s hard to imagine a more action-packed baseball year than the one which Conner Brown enjoyed in 2016. But he has capped it all by being voted the MVP of the Herts National Baseball League (NBL) side, the Falcons.

The Falcons finished with a 6-24 record in what was always going to be a rebuilding year. But Conner’s maturing was perhaps the greatest high point for a side built on youth.

According to BBF statistics, the starting catcher ended with a slash line of .386/.460/.591 — leading the team’s regular players. He’s a pretty formidable catcher, too.

But it wasn’t just about numbers and performance. At a young age, Conner has shown leadership on his team, and has been an integral part of the wider club.

Players on the Single-A Raptors have learned a lot from him, and he was not only first draft choice for the post-season Hunlock Series, but a regular player too. Top talent doesn’t always do that.

It’s hard to imagine how he fitted any of it in.

Conner Brown was one of the only British young players selected to the European All Star roster for the MLB Spring Academies Tournament which took place in Barcelona in March.

Next he went on to captain the Great Britain U18’s at the European Junior Championship in Gijon in July. The team achieved its best-ever result, to stay in their group.

Then on to the MLB Elite camp in Germany. Here, Conner worked with coaches including the Hall of Famer, Barry Larkin, and the World Series-winner, Steve Finley.

Want one more milestone? OK. The man from the Falcons was the youngest player on the GB Senior Team at the European Championship in the Netherlands in September.

Conner was even nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. Of course, that honour pales into insignificance next to a Herts MVP Award but, hey, we don’t like to brag….

Conner Brown catching in the Herts Hunlock Series

The Falcons year was very much about building on the talented youth which has been developed by Herts over recent years. Carlos Casal, Brodie Caress, and Zack Longboy were all chosen for the GB national team development programme this year.

These guys made great contributions for Herts. Zack picked up his first complete game pitching win in the NBL with a victory over the London Capitals at Grovehill, and went 5-6 at the plate that day.

Tyler Badenhorst made his pitching debut in the road trip to the Capitals in July, as did promising rookie Matt Corran. Will Zucker, who pitched in the Single-A playoffs a few years ago and is now tearing it up in university baseball, kept working with Herts too.

The Falcons manager Lee Manning also worked hard this year helping to oversee the youngest Herts group, the Under-8s. So the focus remains on youth, and nurturing more talent like Conner Brown.