Category: Eagles

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Tough draw for Herts teams in the BBF Cup First Round

This article first appeared on britishbaseball.org

The BBF has announced further details and first round draws for their new knock-out Cup competitions in 2015 – competitions they hope will add interest to the season and draw fans from different areas to watch games between teams that don’t normally play against each other.

The 2015 BBF Cup will be played as two separate competitions – one in the South for NBL and Triple-A South teams and one in the Midlands and the North for Triple-A and Double-A teams in those regions.

All Cup games will be played over nine innings.

BBF CUP: SOUTH

NBL and Triple-A teams from the South will compete in a knock-out competition held over three rounds followed by a final. Round 1 will be held on Sunday 26 April, and the draw has created the following match-ups:

Herts Falcons at London Metros (11.00 am)

Oxford Kings at London Mammoth (2.30 pm)

Bracknell Blazers at Herts Eagles (1.00 pm)

South London Pirates at Richmond Knights (12.00 pm)

Brighton Bulldogs at Essex Redbacks (12.00 pm)

Quarter-finals will be held on Sunday 21 June when the winners of the first-round matches will then be joined by the top three NBL teams from last season: the champions Essex Arrows plus the London Mets and Southampton Mustangs. Semi-finals will be held on Sunday 9 August, when the quarter-final winners will battle for a place in the BBF Southern Cup final. The final itself will be played on Sunday 20 September, though the venue is still to be decided.

BBF CUP: CENTRAL & NORTH

Meanwhile, a parallel knock-out Cup competition will be held in the Central and North regions, with each club submitting one team into the contest. The first two rounds of play will split into regional pools to minimise travel requirements before the competition hots up at the quarter-final stage with inter-pool play. Teams will be seeded based on league positions last season, with the first round effectively being a wild card match-up between the four lowest-ranked clubs from the North before the remaining teams join in the subsequent rounds. This first round will take place on Sunday 12 April with the following games:

Harrogate Tigers at Bolton Robots of Doom (12.00 pm)

Oldham North Stars at Manchester A’s (12.00 pm)

The winners of these two fixtures will then join Cartmel Valley, Liverpool Trojans, Hull Scorpions, Halton Jaguars, Newton Aycliffe Spartans and Sheffield Bladerunners in the second round scheduled for Sunday 3 May. In the Central pool, second round match-ups featuring Birmingham Bandits, Leicester Blue Sox, Long Eaton Storm, Milton Keynes Bucks, Northants Centurions and Stourbridge Titans will also be scheduled for Sunday 3 May. The reigning Triple-A Champions Cambridge Royals will get a bye in this round and enter at the quarter-final stage. The quarter-finals, to be played on Sunday 23 May, will be an open draw, but each fixture will incorporate a Central v North match-up. Two of the quarter-finals will be hosted by Central teams and two will be hosted by North teams. The winners of each quarter-final will progress to a finals weekend on 6-7 June.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

The Ward Dynasty

Gary Ward (right) working with Maikel Azcuy in Spring Training this month

Herts Baseball Club has just added a second member of the Ward family. British baseball legend Darrin Ward has been a fan-favourite for many years. He is preparing for his eighth season as a Herts player. Herts fans can now look forward to seeing his nephew, Gary Ward, in a Herts jersey.

So far in his career he has played for the Croydon Pirates and the Kent Mariners in the BBF Leagues progressing from Single-A to Triple-A.

He has also played in the British University Baseball Leagues for the University of East Anglia with whom he won the 2009 University Fall Cup, held at Grovehill Ballpark (pictured above, front row first from right to left).

Gary is only 24 and it will be interesting to see how he will progress over the next few seasons. He has looked very good so far in Spring Training and as a switch-hitter he will give Herts coaches extra options to deploy against opponents this season.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Difficult opponents for Eagles, Hawks and Raptors on Opening Day

The British Baseball Federation has published the games schedules for the three minor league tiers below the National Baseball League.

TRIPLE-A LEAGUE

The Herts Eagles will face some familiar opponents in the Triple-A League. The only change from last year’s lineup is the promotion of the London Mammoths from Double-A after their triumphant year. Hove Tuesday have been re-branded as the Brighton Baseball Club, with the Brighton Bulldogs retaining their Triple-A spot. The division will adopt a 24-game schedule, with each team playing home and away doubleheaders.

The Eagles will open the season with a very difficult home doubleheader versus the 2014 runners-up, London Metros. The game will start at 1pm immediately after the first game in the NBL Opener between the Herts Falcons and the South London Pirates.

Newly appointed Herts Eagles managers, Arnie Longboy and Jake Caress, will be keen to find out the playoff qualification process as the team goes into the season with one more year of baseball under their belt and in a more upbeat mood compared to 2014.

SINGLE-A LEAGUE

The BBF’s Single-A League will be contested across three evenly-sized pools consisting of five teams each. Teams will play each other once, with a balance of home and away fixtures.

Herts will be represented by two teams in the Single-A League this year. The Herts Hawks find themselves in a division with Brentwood Bucks, Essex Archers and Forest Glade Redbacks and Haverhill Blackjacks. The Herts Raptors are in a division with the Old Timers, London Marauders, Richmond Dukes and Bracknell Inferno.

The Hawks will start their season on the road against the 2014 Single-A national runners-up Haverhill Blackjacks. This would be the first ever meeting between the two teams.

The Raptors will have to wait an extra week for their season opener at home against Tonbridge on 19 April. This may work in their favour as newly appointed joint-managers Rob Jones and Kal Dimitrov will have an extra week to prepare the team.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

4 teams will fly the Herts flag in the BBF senior leagues in 2015

Herts Baseball Club has revealed that it will be entering four teams in the 2015 British Baseball Federation adult leagues, same as last year, but the allocation of those teams is different from previous years.

As expected, the Herts Falcons will play in the National Baseball League, Britain’s top league tier. The Herts Eagles will continue in the Triple-A League (second tier), same as last year. The big change comes for the club’s third team, the Herts Hawks. They will submit their application to enter the Single-A League (fourth tier). The Hawks made their league debut in 2005. That was in the Double-A league (third tier). They remained members of the Double-A League every season between 2005 and 2014. 2015 will be the first season that the Hawks enter a league other than the Double-A. The club’s fourth team the Herts Raptors will submit its entry to the Single-A League (fourth tier), a league it has played in ever since its inception in 2008.

This allocation of Herts teams is similar to the very successful 2012 season when the club had one team in the NBL, one in Double-A and two in Single-A.

Of course all of these, with the exception of the Herts Falcons’ entry in the NBL, are subject to approval from the BBF. Last year the BBF rejected the Herts Raptors’ application to move from the Single-A to the Double-A league. This was a major surprise as they were offered the alternative choice of playing in the Triple-A, which is higher class than the Double-A, so it was not clear why they would be eligible to play in the Triple-A but not the Double-A league.

If the club’s 2015 entries are approved we can look forward to a Herts derby between the Raptors and the Hawks in the Single-A. In the club’s history there have been only three seasons when two Herts teams have competed in the same league. In 2007 the Falcons and Hawks were both in the Double-A. In 2012 and 2013 the Eagles and Raptors came head-to-head in the Single-A league.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Managerial duo to lead Herts Eagles into 2015

Jake Caress (left) and Arnie Longboy (right) will hope to turn Herts Eagles’ fortunes around in 2015 (photo by Paul Holdrick)

At its Annual General Meeting Herts Baseball Club announced that Carlos Casal will be stepping down as manager of the Herts Eagles.  In his place the club has appointed two co-managers – Arnie Longboy and Jake Caress.

Longboy is a long-standing member of the club who has managed the Herts Raptors in the Single-A League, the Herts Hawks in the Double-A League and now he makes the step up to the Triple-A League with the Eagles.

Jake Caress is a product of the Herts youth programme.  He has grown through the ranks playing for the club’s Under-14, Under-17, Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A teams.  His progress has not gone unnoticed and this summer he was a member of the Great Britain Under-19 National Team which had a successful qualifying campaign in Croatia winning promotion to Pool A for the European Championships next year. In the last two seasons Caress was the manager of the Herts Cardinals in the BBF Under-14 League. He led the Cardinals to a bronze medal finish in this year’s U14 National Baseball Championships.

The Herts Eagles had a difficult 2014 season in the Triple-A League.  They finished last in the standings with a record of 2 wins and 14 losses (W-L% .125).  Can the new managerial team improve the team’s record in 2015?

by Herts Baseball News Editor

2014 Herts MVPs announced

The 2014 Most Valuable Player awards for the Herts adult and youth baseball teams were presented on Sunday at the club’s annual general meeting.

Abel Salas was voted Herts Falcons 2014 MVP. This came as no surprise given that a few weeks ago his outstanding season was recognised by awarding him all three MVP awards in the whole of the National Baseball League, including Most Valuable Batter, Most Valuable Pitcher, Most Valuable Two-Way Player. He also won the 2014 NBL Home Run title which he shared with Essex Arrows’ Maikel Azcuy who will be wearing the Herts Falcons uniform in 2015.

The Herts Eagles MVP award went to Takaya Miki. He joined the club one month into the season after a move from the Essex Redbacks, but quickly established himself in the team. He rounded off an excellent season with a leaping catch at the wall in the Hunlock Series Final which was later nominated as one of the plays of the season.

Greg Bochan has been an unsung hero of Herts Baseball Club for many years being a major contributor in numerous departments and one of the best loved members at the club. On Sunday his on-field contribution was recognised as he was voted 2014 Herts Hawks MVP. His consistent performances at third base and on the mound combined with him being one of the most dangerous hitters on the Hawks roster made it a very easy choice for members when they cast their votes.

There was a very close race in the Herts Raptors MVP poll. It went right down to the wire. At the end the MVP award went to Michael Cresswell. 2014 was his third season with the club and he has been taking his game up a notch every year. This year he proved to be a key player offensively, defensively and on the mound for the Raptors. For the Herts Raptors coaching staff, Michael Cresswell was always one of the first players in the lineup.

The MVP race in the club’s Under-17 team, the Herts Harriers, proved to be just as close. Only one vote divided the top candidates and the MVP award went to pitcher Zack Longboy. He may have missed a large proportion of the U17 season due to his commitments in the American Varsity League and the GB Under-17 National Team, but there can be no doubt about the progress which he has made to become one of the top young prospects at Herts and in Great Britain as a whole. He was recording wins with more or less every one of his starts this season in the U17 league, Varsity League, Little League Europe Qualifier, GB U17 Team, Herts Hawks (BBF Double-A League), Herts Eagles (BBF Triple-A League) and even made a winning debut with Herts Falcons in the NBL, Britain’s top league.

The Herts U14 programme had a difficult year as part of its restructuring process, but managed to put together a team which surprised everyone by eliminating Brentwood Bucks, Essex Redbacks and London Sports in the bronze medal game. One player in particular stood out and he was voted 2014 Herts Cardinals MVP. Mikey Sylvester maintained a 0.00 ERA throughout the U17 National Championships with an opponent’s batting average of just .061 and 23 strikeouts per 9 innings which is unheard of. His offensive numbers were just as good – batting average of .900, slugging average 1.600, 1 HR and 8 RBI.

In the Herts Under-12 programme the MVP was awarded to Aaron Witter. There was little doubt about the identity of the winner as Aaron Witter made a real impression not only with Herts fans but with coaches from other clubs and the Great Britain national Team programme. On Sunday, Aaron could not pick up his MVP trophy during the club’s annual general meeting as he was attending the GB under-17 National Team tryouts. This is his first ever tryout with GB and he will face very tough competition as he has just turned 12 years of age, but it will be exciting for Herts fans to follow his progress in the coming years.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Draft is at 8pm Thursday, 28 August

We are counting down to the 2014 Hunlock Series Draft which will take place this Thursday, 28 August at 8:00pm. This year the Draft will not be televised but, with social media challenging TV as a media platform, coverage of this year’s Draft will be via Facebook. It will enable participants to interact more easily as the managers make their picks. For more details follow Herts Baseball Club on facebook.

Four teams enter this year’s competition and the managerial appointments have just been announced.

Ken Pike has previously won the Series and he is back in the managerial seat. He has teamed up with Glen Downer as the co-managers of the Red Roosters.

The Blue Dogs will be managed by two players who will be making their managerial debuts. Charlie Day and Manny Banson played for the Herts Raptors during the regular season. The Hunlock Series will give them the opportunity of seeing what life is like as a manager and it will be interesting to see if they can outsmart their more experienced counterparts.

Black Widows won the Series 12 months ago. They will be managed by Colin Whitton, who is a member of the Herts Harriers (U17) coaching staff and of course is also the manager of the Bracknell Blazers who came so close to reaching the National Baseball League playoffs this season. Colin’s son, Dan, who plays for the Herts Harriers in the U17 League, the Blazers in the NBL and also for the GB U17 National Team, is among the players who will be drafted on Thursday Night. Will Colin manage to pick Dan or will one of the other teams snatch him ahead of his father.

White Lightning will be managed by Sony Lama. He has played for the Herts Raptors, Hawks and Eagles in the Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A leagues and will go into the Draft with good all-round knowledge of the capabilities of most of the players in the Draft.

Fans will see some new faces in the Hunlock Series this year who have joined the club in the last few weeks, so there will be an element of surprise in Thursday’s Draft. Some of them may be new to Herts fans but they are not new to the game. The Hunlock Series could be a glimpse at some of the new players who will be wearing the Herts uniform for the first time in 2015.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players have started registering for the 2014 Hunlock Series

The 2014 BBF league season is about to reach its conclusion,  but the best part of the season for everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club is yet to come.

Every year, just when the MLB season enters its most exciting stage, players come to Grovehill Ballpark for a competition in memory of Herts Baseball Club’s number 36, the late Kyle Hunlock.

This is the eighth year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 only two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. Herts Baseball Club has been growing rapidly since then and the number of teams in the Series has been increasing every year. As players sign up over the next few days we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

NEW FORMAT

This year’s competition will be played over 3 weeks. The opening games will be played on Sunday, 7 September.  The second round of games will take place on 21 September with the final round scheduled for 28 September.  Sunday, 5 October has been reserved in the event of rain or other rescheduling requirements.

After its successful introduction in 2012 we will see the return of “The 9th Inning Weekend” where games are decided over one inning only. This format recreates the tension and drama of the ninth inning. Can the teams manufacture the all important go-ahead run? Can they deliver the walk-off hits? Can the pitchers and defence execute with the game on the line?

Aspi Dimitrov, Hunlock Series Commissioner, said: “The 9th Inning Weekend was very exciting in 2012. Last year it was wiped out by the weather and we know everyone was looking forward to it, so it is back this year.” Dimitrov added: “The pressure of the ninth inning comes once a day for MLB managers. Let’s see how the team managers and players will handle it when every inning is the ninth inning.”

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the 2014 Hunlock Series managers will select their teams during a live Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will minor league players perform alongside NBL players?

Over the years we have seen how decisions made during the draft can shape the outcome of the Series before a pitch has been thrown. The managers will have to make carefully calculated decisions if they are to put together a team which can compete for the Hunlock Series title, otherwise they face miserable few weeks.

With all of the club’s managers and coaching staff monitoring these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity to make a claim on the big stage in the coming weeks of the Hunlock Series.

PLAYERS LOOKING TO REGISTER AHEAD OF THE DRAFT

Herts players are currently signing up ahead of the draft. New players and players from other clubs can also sign up by contacting Herts Baseball Club.

There has already been interest from non-Herts players located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at players who could be wearing the Herts jersey in 2015.

To be eligible for selection during the live draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by 7pm on Wednesday, 27 August. If you miss this deadline, don’t worry. Players would still be eligible to take part but would be added to teams as free agents. Players who wish to register for the 2014 Hunlock Series should contact Herts Baseball Club. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2014.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Next two Herts Eagles series postponed due to GB team tour of USA

The Triple-A League games MK Bucks at Herts Eagles on 3 Aug and Herts Eagles at Richmond Knights on 10 Aug have been postponed due to the Great Britain U17 National Team tour of the USA on the basis of the BBF League rule protecting teams when 3 or more of their players receive international call-up.

With ten Herts players and coaches currently in Florida with the GB team the Herts Eagles appear to be affected the most out of the four Herts teams.  With the Triple-A playoffs commencing on 24 August these games would need to be rescheduled before then, however it is uncertain whether this would be possible as the Eagles are scheduled to play Hove Tuesday on the last remaining Sunday, August 17. If the games cannot be rescheduled, it is expected that they would be left unplayed and the “games behind” column will determine the standings.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Injury-hit Falcons looking to take leaf out of Tony Pulis’ book this Sunday

The Herts Falcons are going into the weekend’s NBL games with the odds stacked firmly against them. Their roster has been severely weakened after the injuries sustained last Sunday in the games against Bracknell. Cris Hiche is one of the league’s leading batters with a batting average of .778, 1 home run, and he is expected to be out for 6 weeks. It would take a miraculous recovery for pitcher Abel Salas to be fit in time for Sunday’s games. There is also doubt about Mike Osborn’s fitness after his collision with Hiche and foot injury sustained earlier this year.

On the other hand the Arrows are buoyant after a winter which brought a number of high profile reinforcements turning them into a major contender for the title. Their starting pitchers Richard Chesterton and Lance Louw have picked up two wins each so far this season and are among the leaders in ERA, with 2.14 and 2.33, respectively. Over the years we have been used to seeing the Arrows in their traditional black and white uniforms. This Sunday, we will see them in their brand new orange jerseys mildly resembling the Brighton Buccaneers of the early 2000s.

Can Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, do a “Tony Pulis” and come up with a winning formula against the odds?

The game starts at 1pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

There will also be two other matchups. Triple-A League favourites Hove Tuesday (0-0) will be making the trip from the South coast to face the Herts Eagles (1-3). The Kent Mariners (1-2) will also be in town in a Single-A League game against the Herts Raptors (0-2) who will be looking for their first win of the season. The start times for these two games needed to be adjusted in order fit all 5 games. If all parties are in agreement the Eagles will start their doubleheader at 10am while the Raptors will play the Mariners as soon as the Triple-A games end, which is estimated to be at around 3pm. The Herts Hawks (4-4) are on the road this Sunday. They will face the Richmond Dragons (4-2), a direct rival in the race to the playoffs.

Before all of that, the Herts youth teams will be in action on Saturday. The Herts Harriers will appear in an international tournament. Their opponents will be the American Varsity League teams, ACS Cobham, and AS Paris (France). The games will be played at ACS Cobham, which is just a few minutes away from Chelsea Football Club’s training ground. At the same time in Hemel Hempstead the Herts Under-12 League games resume. Several new players are expected to make their U12 league debuts having joined the club after last Saturday’s open day.