Category: Falcons

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons vs Mets Build-up: Osborn and Azcuy chasing records ahead of Sunday’s clash

As we build-up for Herts Falcons’ biggest game of the season so far on Sunday at the London Mets it is time to bring you up to date with the record-chasers. On opening day pitcher Matt Gilbert overtook Cody Cain to become the National Baseball League’s (NBL) career strikeouts leader. He has been continuing to add to that total over the last few weeks of the NBL season and is now on 414, but suddenly we have a race. Gilbert is being chased by another Falcons pitcher.

Mike Osborn started the season with 384 career strikeouts accumulated over 17 years playing in the NBL. He started his NBL career with the London Warriors (1998-2004) moving on to the Richmond Flames (2006-2011) and then with the Herts Falcons which he joined in 2012. He struck out 9 batters in a strong outing against the South London Pirates on 17 May and added 5 more against the Essex Arrows and the Bracknell Blazers. He is currently on 398, 16 strikeouts behind Matt Gilbert so it will be interesting to see how this race will develop over the next few weeks.

Michael Osborn is very close to another major milestone. He ended the 2014 season within 35 regular-season plate appearances of the 1000 mark. Only Alan Bloomfield has more than 1000 recorded plate appearances in modern British baseball history. He has had 4 plate appearances so far this season.

Maikel Azcuy hit his 34th and 35th career home runs against the Pirates and the Southampton Mustangs on Opening Day which put him level with the NBL career home run leader, Simon Pole. He followed this up with a home run at Finsbury Park against the London Metros, however this was a BBF Cup game so would not count towards his NBL career total. He has been hitting the ball hard with 10 more hits since then, 5 of which were doubles. Azcuy will be back at Finsbury Park this Sunday as the Falcons look to end the unbeaten run of the London Mets. A home run in this doubleheader would be special on many levels.

The game starts at 12pm at Finsbury Park. Herts fans travelling by car are advised that there will be a marathon at Finsbury Park and they should contact us to receive a copy of a letter from Haringey Council which permits them to enter the area and park their car.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons vs Mets Build-up: Rivalry resumes this Sunday

The Herts Falcons travel to the London Mets this Sunday. It’s the game we have been waiting for since the start of the season. It’s first versus second in British baseball’s top league.

The Falcons suffered heavy defeats last Sunday against Bracknell. They have a chance to redeem themselves this Sunday at Finsbury Park. The London Mets are sitting comfortably in first place, with eight wins and no losses. Bracknell and Southampton came close to ending their unbeaten run but the Mets seem to have the ability to come back regardless of how many runs they trail by and how late in the game it is.

So far this season the Mets have had the best defence while the Falcons have had the best offence.  Who will end up on top on Sunday, defence or offence?

The Mets-Falcons rivalry has been building up over the last few years on and off the field. Many would argue that the competition between the two teams has been one of the main reasons for the incredible growth and development of facilities which the two clubs have achieved in a short period of time. Long may this rivalry continue.

The game starts at 12pm at Finsbury Park. Herts fans travelling by car are advised that there will be a marathon at Finsbury Park and they should contact us to receive a copy of a letter from Haringey Council which permits them to enter the area and park their car.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Blazers bring down high-flying Falcons in NBL title race.

Edwin Alcantara hit one of two Herts home runs in game one, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Bracknell Blazers 10 Herts Falcons 6 (Box Scores)

Herts Falcons suffered a heavy defeat at home against the Bracknell Blazers. The visitors stunned Herts by taking the lead early in the first game of the doubleheader and never relinquished it. Despite the best efforts of pitchers Mike Osborn and Robbie Almanzar, it seemed like nothing could stop the surging Blazers. Home runs by Edwin Alcantara, his second of the season, and Jose Sosa, also his second, were not enough to bring Herts back in the game which finished 10-6.

Bracknell Blazers 11 Herts Falcons 1 (Box Scores)

Bracknell’s onslaught continued in the second game this time against Falcons starting pitcher Jose Sosa. They took the lead again and never looked back. Their second win of the day was even more emphatic ending with a score of 11-1. After the game Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, felt that “we have to tip our caps to our opponents and congratulate them on a well deserved win”.

When the news of the final scores started to circulate on the internet, British baseball fans would have been stunned to see the score lines. Before the games Bracknell had 2 wins and 6 losses compared to Herts Falcons’ 5 wins and 1 loss, so based on this, the scores would be seen as a major upset, but a closer inspection would have shown that Bracknell had declared their championship ambitions with their impressive performance at the unbeaten London Mets a week ago which was overshadowed only by their 9-run collapse in the final inning which cost them the game.

It has become customary in sport to declare a major crisis when a team suffers a heavy defeat. Will this setback have a long-term negative effect on the Herts Falcons or will it prove to be the catalyst which will spur the team on in the race for the NBL title? Fans will not have to wait long to get answers to these questions as the Falcons travel to their biggest rivals, the unbeaten London Mets, this Sunday, 7 June. This clash between two of the biggest baseball clubs in Britain is a must-see event.

Herts Hawks 12 Tonbridge 11 (Final after 10 innings)

The other Herts team in action at the weekend was the Herts Hawks. They travelled to Tonbridge in an eagerly awaited clash between two of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the Single-A League. It proved to be a pitchers’ duel between Nic Goetz and Gareth Nutt who both pitched complete games. Tonbridge held a commanding 9-5 lead in the fifth inning, but the Hawks gradually found a way back into the game. Most of their rallies started with two outs and no runners on base. Sony Lama’s double with two outs drove in two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game at 9-9 and take it into extra innings. The Hawks took the lead with two more runs in the 10th inning and held on for a dramatic 12-11 win stranding the tying run on second base.

The Hawks host the Essex Archers this Sunday. The Herts Eagles are also at home where they will face the Essex Redbacks.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors continue search for first win after defeat in Guildford

The Herts Raptors came agonisingly close to their first win of the season. In a slugfest away at the Guildford Mavericks they went down by a score of 25-24. Paul Barton was very effective on the mound giving Herts a 7-1 run after 2 innings. Guildford came back thanks to a combination of good hitting and several defensive errors. Daniel Bennett (pictured right) had an outstanding game offensively and defensively. He was involved in everything including 9 catches in left field which 38% of the total outs for the whole team on the day. Similar to last week’s battle in Brighton, the Raptors fought back in the final inning driving 5 runs home, but the tying run was stranded at second base for a second consecutive week. This was their fourth loss in a row, but they are still within reach of the playoffs if they can turn these one-run losses into wins.

The other three Herts teams had no games during the Bank Holiday Weekend, but there are several crucial games coming up for the Herts Falcons in the National Baseball League. Next Sunday, 31 May, they will host the Bracknell Blazers. The doubleheader starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The Falcons need to win both games if they are to maintain the pressure on the unbeaten London Mets whom they will face on 7 June away from home in the biggest game of the season so far.

In the Single-A league the Herts Hawks will travel to Tonbridge. Both teams have 100% records so far, so something has to give.

The action is also heating up in the youth leagues. A total of 10 games were played over the three days of the Bank Holiday weekend across four age groups. This included games at the club’s new West Hendon Ballpark in North West London. Herts teams in the U19, U15 and U12 age groups will go into the Little League UK Qualifier next month where the winners will progress through to the European qualifiers for a chance to play in the Little League World Series in the USA shown across the world to millions of TV viewers. It is not to late to join the Herts teams for this prestigious event. Contact us for more details about giving baseball a try.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons breathing down Mets necks

 

A win for starting pitcher Robbie Almanzar in Game One (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons picked up two wins on Sunday against the South London Pirates which keeps the pressure on the current leaders, London Mets, who are one game ahead.

The Falcons conceded 15 runs in their season-opening game against the South London Pirates to win narrowly 16-15. This time around there was no late-inning drama. Both wins were secured comfortably with final scores of 18-4 and 15-1. Jose Sosa has been outstanding on the mound this season, but manager Lee Manning decided to give his arm some rest and instead the starting pitchers were Robbie Almanzar in the first game and Mike Osborn in the second. Both were outstanding. Osborn struck out 9 Pirates over 4 innings. Almanzar also pitched 4 innings striking out 4 with allowing no earned runs. In fact the starters and relievers, Jose Sosa and Matt Gilbert, allowed only 1 earned run over the two games. The step up by the pitching staff comes at a perfect time as the team prepares for several crucial games including the big clash with the Mets.

Andy Cornish hit his first home run of the season (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Offensively the team continues to terrorize opponents with a team batting average of .356 and slugging average of .579. There was no home run from record-chasing, Maikel Azcuy, but the number of Falcons players with a home run to their name this season has increased to seven with Andy Cornish and Jose Sosa being added to the list on Sunday. Moises Vasquez came close to being the eighth home run hitter when his shot bounced off the top railing of the home run wall.

Herts fans also had an unexpected surprise on Sunday when two-time NBL Most Valuable Player, Ryan Bird (pictured right), made the trip from the USA for his first game for the Falcons since 6 April 2014. He picked up where he left batting 2-for-3 (2B, RBI).

View box scores of Game One

View box scores of Game Two

The Herts Falcons next game is at home against the Bracknell Blazers on 31 May. It is expected to be a difficult game. On Sunday the Blazers showed how dangerous they can be when they came close to beating the table-topping Mets.

In the other leagues, the Herts Eagles were involved in a closely-fought game with the Essex Redbacks. They lost the first game 6-4, but bounced back to win the second 4-2. This pushes them up one place into sixth position in the Triple-A League standings. In the Single-A League the Herts Raptors loaded the bases in the final inning against the Brighton Redhawks which put the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run on first base, but their late rally ended there with the score 18-20. They are the only Herts team in action next Sunday, 24 May, as they go on the road again searching for their first win of the season this time against the Guildford Mavericks.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

VIDEO: Conner Brown at the MLB European Academy Try Outs

.

For a second consecutive year, Herts Baseball Club was represented at the MLB European Academy Try Outs.  This year Herts Falcons and Great Britain Under-17 National Team catcher, Conner Brown, was invited. He made his Herts Falcons debut in June 2013 at the age of 15 and he has been one of the most improved members of the team over the last three years. His performances for the Great Britain Under-17 National team have also contributed to this invitation.

Conner Brown will be taking part in next week’s segment of the Academy which will be held in Toulouse, France. This is only the second time that a Herts player has been invited. 12 months ago Tom Armstrong and Jamie Gregory represented Herts at the MLB European Academy try outs.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

4 home runs help Herts teams pick up wins in Essex

 

On Sunday the Herts Falcons emphasised their intent to battle for the title this season. They won the first and lost the second game in their doubleheader away at the Essex Arrows. Last year they lost all three meetings with the reigning national champions. This season the team seems to have the self-belief that they can beat any of their opponents, home or away.

Jose Sosa was the winning pitcher for the Falcons in game one which finished 15-6, although it was the 11 Herts runs in the final inning which give the false impression of a one-sided game. The second game was just as close. On this occasion the Arrows scored six runs in the late innings to secure a 12-6 win.

Click here to view game one Box Scores
Click here to view game two Box Scores

Maikel Azcuy had three hits over the two games – two doubles and a single – so fans will have to wait a bit longer for his record-breaking 36th NBL career home run. While the focus was on Azcuy, two other Herts players are starting to add some real power to the line-up. In the first game Joel Vallejo hit a towering home run which went over 400 feet. In the second game it was Edwin Alcantara who went deep with a home run of his own and had a total of three hits over the two games.

The Falcons are now second in the NBL standings, one game behind the London Mets who remain the only unbeaten team in the league after their two wins against the South London Pirates. Next for the Falcons is a home game against the revamped Pirates who are proving to be a major player in the playoff race. The game starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

 

In the Triple-A League the Eagles suffered two heart-breaking losses against the Oxford Kings. Their next game is away at the Essex Redbacks where they will need to win to stay with the rest of the playoff-chasing pack. In the Single-A League the Herts Hawks are still unbeaten after they won their fourth game of the season away at the Forest Glade Redbacks. Ken Pike and Ilya Dimitrov hit a home run each in that game.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Hawks extend unbeaten run. Raptors’ game suspended after just 5 minutes.

Hawks catcher Paul Auchterlounie enhanced his reputation as a killer of base-stealers

While Herts teams in the top two leagues rested over the Bank Holiday weekend, the Herts Hawks continued their unbeaten start of the season in the Single-A League. Their opponents were the Richmond Dukes who were also unbeaten going into Sunday’s game. The Hawks won it convincingly 34-10. Andrew Slater was the winning pitcher for the Hawks, his third win of the season. There was some controversy in the final inning. The new rule which regulates plays at home plate has been causing confusion in Major League Baseball and it seems to have done the same in the BBF Single-A League. A Hawks runner was adjudged to have slid home illegally making contact with the pitcher who was covering the base. Judging by this incident managers and officials will be referring to their rulebooks frequently this season, but unlike their MLB counterparts they will not have video replays at their disposal.

The Herts Raptors faced another Richmond team, the Richmond Squires. They got off to a difficult start conceding four runs in the top of the first inning at which point a heavy downpour flooded Grovehill Ballpark within minutes. The officials declared the game suspended so the two teams will have to meet again later in the year to complete the game with the score 4-0 in the top of the first inning with one out. Time will tell whether or not nature’s intervention will work in favour of the Herts Raptors.

Next Sunday, 10 May, all eyes will be on the National Baseball League (NBL) game between the Herts Falcons and the reigning NBL champions, Essex Arrows. The Falcons (2-0) find themselves tied at the top of the standings with the London Mets (2-0). Essex Arrows (2-2) are third and they can overtake the Falcons if they win both games of the doubleheader. First game starts at 12pm at Town Mead Ballpark in Waltham Abbey.

The Herts Eagles are also in action. They will play at home against the Oxford Kings. Two wins in this doubleheader could see them leap from seventh to third place in the Triple-A League standings. The Herts Hawks will travel to the Forest Glade Redbacks looking to extend their unbeaten start of the season. Before that the Herts Harriers will host the London Mets in the Under-19 baseball league on Saturday.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Conner Brown invited to MLB European Baseball Academy Try Outs


Herts Falcons and Great Britain Under-17 National Team catcher, Conner Brown, has been invited to this year’s Major League Baseball European Academy Try Outs. He made his Herts Falcons debut in June 2013 at the age of 15 and he has been one of the most improved members of the team over the last three years. His performances for the Great Britain Under-17 National team have also contributed to this invitation.

The MLB European Baseball Academy was created to provide training for European, New Zealand and African baseball prospects by former major leaguers. It also provides a central scouting location during the weeks it is open and over two dozen Academy alumni have signed contracts with MLB teams.

In 2011, Alex Liddi became the first Academy product to be called up to the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners. Donald Lutz was the second, making it in 2013 with the Cincinnati Reds. Instructors have included Barry Larkin, Lee Smith, Art Howe, Wally Joyner, Bruce Hurst, John McLaren, Steve Finley, Craig Shipley and Dale Murphy.

Through July 2013, over 50 Academy alumni had been signed by MLB organizations. So far there have been no British players who have gone on to sign contracts with MLB teams from the Academy, but the signs are that MLB is beginning to recognise the talented players playing in Britain, which is a boost for players in this country.

Conner Brown will be taking part in next week’s segment of the Academy which will be held in Toulouse, France. This is only the second time that a Herts player has been invited. 12 months ago Tom Armstrong and Jamie Gregory represented Herts at the try outs.

Herts fans should rest assured that he will be back in time for Herts Falcons’ next league game on Sunday, 10 May 2015, at the reigning champions, Essex Arrows. However, he will miss the U19 league games on Monday, 4 May.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Eagles eliminated but Falcons will carry Herts flag in the next round of the BBF Cup

Another home run for Maikel Azcuy, this time in the BBF Cup (photo by Paul Holdrick)

BBF Cup (1st Round), Herts Falcons 15 London Metros 9

The Herts Falcons are through to the second round of the BBF Cup after a 15-9 win over the London Metros, however the score line does not tell the whole story of the game. The Londoners led for most of the game. The Falcons recovered to tie it 8-8 going into the final inning and ultimately secured the win driving in 7 more runs in that ninth inning, but they knew that they were involved in a real battle. Pitcher Jose Sosa was awarded the win for the Falcons. Record-chasing Maikel Azcuy hit another home run, but this was a BBF Cup game and will not count towards his NBL career home run tally which stands at 35. He needs one more to overtake record-holder Simon Pole. The Falcons are also starting to see power from other members of the team. On Opening day it was John Blose. This time it was Yvan Pena who hit his first home run for Herts.

BBF Cup (1st Round), Bracknell Blazers 10 Herts Eagles 3

The Herts Eagles were the underdogs in their BBF Cup first round game against Bracknell Blazers, a team playing one league tier above them. They had to face GB pitcher Jordan Edmonds which made the likelihood of a giant-killing even more improbable. Despite losing 10-3, the Eagles had one of their better performances of the season so far which will boost team spirit as they turn their attention to the race for the Triple-A League playoffs.

NEXT WEEKEND

Both the Falcons and Eagles will have a rest this coming Bank Holiday weekend, but there is a Herts-versus-Richmond double bill on Sunday, May 3, as the Herts Hawks meet the Richmond Dukes at 10:30am while the Herts Raptors will play against the Richmond Squires immediately after that at around 2:30pm. Both games are at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.