Category: Falcons

23 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Q&A: Ryan Bird – Herts Falcons #60

As we count down to the 2012 National Baseball Championships we are running a series of question and answer sessions with members of the Herts Falcons and Herts Hawks teams who will be going for silverware this Bank Holiday weekend.

1. Name: Ryan Bird

2. Nationality (if dual nationality enter both): South African

3. Age: 29

4. Position(s): Catch / Pitch / 1B

5. Height:1.83cm

6. Weight: 104kg

7. Bats (right/left/switch): Left

8. Throws (right/left): Left

9. Previous appearances in the NBCs (year and which team and league i.e. NBL, AAA, AA etc.):2008 – 2011 Richmond Flames

10. What is your preferred song to go up to bat with:

11. Favourite baseball movie: Major League

12. Favourite MLB team: Yanks

13. Favourite MLB player: Derek Jeter

14. For or against the Designated Hitter rule: For

15. Should Barry Bonds’ home run record have an asterisk next to it: No

16. What was the largest audience you have performed to (sports or other), when and what event: InterProvincial Tournament South Africa 2005 1500

17. Who is the most undervalued player in the team:

18. Who is the prankster in the team: Lee Manning

19. What is your pre-game routine during the 24 hours before first pitch, any superstitions, etc.: None

20. Your favourite pre-game meal: None

21. Predictions for this weekend’s Championship: National vs Falcons Final

22. Key to our success this weekend in 3 words: Pitching, no errors.

23 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Q&A: Kevin Niedringhaus – Herts Falcons #22

1. Name: Kevin Niedringhaus

2. Nationality (if dual nationality enter both):American

3. Age: 25

4. Position(s): IF/OF/C

5. Height: 5’8″

6. Weight: 175 lbs

7. Bats (right/left/switch): R

8. Throws (right/left): R

9. Previous appearances in the NBCs (year and which team and league i.e. NBL, AAA, AA etc.): 2010, 2011 Richmond Flames

10. What is your preferred song to go up to bat with: Kashmir, Led Zeppelin

11. Favourite baseball movie: Major League

12. Favourite MLB team: Atlanta Braves

13. Favourite MLB player: Brian McCann

14. For or against the Designated Hitter rule: AGAINST!

15. Should Barry Bonds’ home run record have an asterisk next to it: No

16. What was the largest audience you have performed to (sports or other), when and what event: 1997 South Carolina Little League State Championship

17. Who is the most undervalued player in the team: Phil Clark

18. Who is the prankster in the team: Dave House

19. What is your pre-game routine during the 24 hours before first pitch, any superstitions, etc.: A beer to relax the night before, a coffee to start the day of

20. Your favourite pre-game meal: Full English Breakfast

21. Predictions for this weekend’s Championship: HERTS!

22. Key to our success this weekend in 3 words: relax, defense, fun

22 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Q&A: Robbie Unsell – Herts Falcons #2

1. Name: Robbie Unsell

2. Nationality (if dual nationality enter both): American

3. Age: 26

4. Position(s): SS, 2B, P, C, CF

5. Height: 5’8″

6. Weight: 160

7. Bats (right/left/switch): right

8. Throws (right/left): right

9. Previous appearances in the NBCs (year and which team and league i.e. NBL, AAA, AA etc.): NBL ’10 and ’11 with Richmond Flames

10. What is your preferred song to go up to bat with: Till I Collapse – Eminem

11. Favourite baseball movie: The Sandlot or The Natural

12. Favourite MLB team: World Series Champs St. Louis Cardinals

13. Favourite MLB player: Yadier Molina

14. For or against the Designated Hitter rule: Against, let the pitchers hit!

15. Should Barry Bonds’ home run record have an asterisk next to it: No, unfortunately steroids are a part of baseball history. MLB didn’t implement a penalised-based policy against performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) until 2005, and as a result less blame should reside on the players. Bonds wasn’t the only player using PEDs, he was just the best. He was a participant in a broken system and an asterisk does nothing to fix that. Most baseball fans understand the context of the ‘steroid’ era and already view Bonds’ home run record, and other records broken during that time, in light of that context as evidenced by recent Hall of Fame voting for Mark McGwire. An asterisk doesn’t solve the problem of a failed PED policy, or lack thereof. It’s only an attempt to rewrite history based on past mistakes.

16. What was the largest audience you have performed to (sports or other), when and what event: ’08 National Amateur Baseball Federation College Division World Series Semifinal

17. Who is the most undervalued player in the team: Kimi Saionji

18. Who is the prankster in the team: Jordan Farkas

19. What is your pre-game routine during the 24 hours before first pitch, any superstitions, etc.: Relax and not think about the game

20. Your favourite pre-game meal: Cheerios

21. Predictions for this weekend’s Championship: Hert’s Falcons in 3 games!

22. Key to our success this weekend in 3 words: Pitching and defense

22 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Q&A: Dave Tretheway – Herts Falcons #80

As we countdown to the 2012 National Baseball Championships we are running a series of question and answer sessions with members of the Herts Falcons and Herts Hawks teams who will be going for silverware this bank Holiday weekend.

1. Name: David Tretheway

2. Nationality (if dual nationality enter both): South African

3. Age: 29

4. Position(s): outfield

5. Height:1m70 (5ft7)

6. Weight: 80

7. Bats (right/left/switch): left

8. Throws (right/left): left

9. Previous appearances in the NBCs (year and which team and league i.e. NBL, AAA, AA etc.): 0

10. What is your preferred song to go up to bat with: anything

11. Favourite baseball movie: dont have one

12. Favourite MLB team: Yankees

13. Favourite MLB player: Derek Jeter

14. For or against the Designated Hitter rule: for

15. Should Barry Bonds’ home run record have an asterisk next to it: NO!

17. Who is the most undervalued player in the team: team manager

18. Who is the prankster in the team: Lee Manning

19. What is your pre-game routine during the 24 hours before first pitch, any superstitions, etc.: eat Percy pigs and a can of Monster before the game

20. Your favourite pre-game meal: Percy pigs

21. Predictions for this weekend’s Championship: Falcons

22. Key to our success this weekend in 3 words: SMASH THE BALL!

22 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Q&A: Phil Clark – Herts Falcons #72

As we countdown to the 2012 National Baseball Championships we are running a series of question and answer sessions with members of the Herts Falcons and Herts Hawks teams who will be going for silverware this bank Holiday weekend.

1. Name: Phil Clark

2. Nationality (if dual nationality enter both): American / Australian

3. Age: 33

4. Position(s): Utility

5. Height: 180cm

6. Weight: (enough)

7. Bats (right/left/switch): Left

8. Throws (right/left): Right

9. Previous appearances in the NBCs (year and which team and league i.e. NBL, AAA, AA etc.): Windsor Bears 2004 (2nd), Brighton 2005 (2nd), Mets 2008 (won), Mets 2009 (missed due to my wedding), Mets 2010 (3rd)

10. What is your preferred song to go up to bat with: AC/DC – Thunder

11. Favourite baseball movie: The Rookie

12. Favourite MLB team: Red Sox

13. Favourite MLB player: Pass

14. For or against the Designated Hitter rule: For

15. Should Barry Bonds’ home run record have an asterisk next to it: Yes

16. What was the largest audience you have performed to (sports or other), when and what event: Can’t recall. No more than a 1,000 people

17. Who is the most undervalued player in the team: NO one is undervalued, we’ve all positively contributed to the team in different ways – some on the field, a the plate or on the bench

18. Who is the prankster in the team: Jordan / Crazy Dave

19. What is your pre-game routine during the 24 hours before first pitch, any superstitions, etc.: Not really… just the old wives tale and try to avoid sex

20. Your favourite pre-game meal: Food

21. Predictions for this weekend’s Championship: Easy – Herts. But in all honesty, every team has a chance. We are all equally weighted in terms of ability and skill level. It’s a very hard one to call this year, as there is no clear favourite.

22. Key to our success this weekend in 3 words: Teamwork, fundamentals, focus.

22 August 201222 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

In search of the 1969 Champions – Watford Sun Rockets

In yesterday’s fantastic article Joe Gray gave us a historical context of the upcoming National Baseball Championships and specifically with regard to the top-tier level that is the National Baseball League (click to view full article).

As the article mentioned, if the Falcons manage to win the NBL Championship, it would be only the second time that Hertfordshire would boast a national champion team. The first was back in 1969, when the Watford Sun-Rockets upset the Liverpool Trojans in an 11-inning final played at Harvey Haddon Stadium in Nottingham.

Herts Baseball Club is now in a mad rush to try to find members or descendants of the Watford Sun-Rockets from the 1969 season and it is asking all its supporters or any British baseball fans to help them in this search.

If you know anyone who may be connected with the Watford Sun-Rockets or anyone who may have any leads which may help this effort please contact Herts Baseball Club.

Project COBB’s Joe Gray has published an article about the 1969 Watford vs Liverpool final and this may help us get the search started. Click this link to open a separate PDF file (1969 National Final details are on page 2)

MICHAEL OSBORN

The article also listed several players who are going into this weekend’s NBCs looking to make ther mark in British baseball history. herts Falcons’ Michael Osborn is one of them. If the Falcons emerge victorious from the weekend then Michael Osborn (formerly of the London Warriors and Richmond Flames) would become only the 12th player in British baseball history with at least four national titles. This would certainly be great reward for his dedicated career, which spans back to the late 1990s.

21 August 201223 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2012 national champions to be decided this weekend in Herts

(the start times of the NBL and A League games shown in red in this article were updated on 23 August 2012 to reflect the changes announced by the BBF)

British baseball fans are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the National Baseball Championships (NBC) this weekend. Year-after-year the NBC never seems to disappoint. By the end of the Bank Holiday Weekend we will know the identity of the champions in the four British baseball leagues. But before that we will be going through the emotions and excitement of at least 13 baseball games with enormous implications riding on every single one of them.

After Sunday’s playoff games, we now know the names of the 14 teams which will be heading to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead in the hope of making history.

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE (NBL)

The reigning champions, Harlow Nationals, booked their place in the NBC several weeks ago and they did it in style by finishing top of the NBL standings after winning one of the games in the doubleheader against the Herts Falcons on Sunday, which was enough to stay top. The Falcons stayed in second place as a result and go into the NBC as the second seed team. Southampton also secured an automatic entry finishing third and they going into the weekend with the wind in their sails after an impressive sweep away at the champions two weeks ago.

The final NBC place was taken by the London Mets who won the wild card battle with the Lakenheath Diamondbacks at Finsbury Park on Sunday.

NBL Schedule

Saturday, August 25

12:00, Game 1: Harlow Nationals vs London Mets

15:00, Game 2: Herts Falcons vs Southampton Mustangs

Sunday, August 26

10:00, Game 3: Winner Game1 vs Winner Game2

13:30, Game 4: Loser Game1 vs Loser Game2 (loser will be eliminated)

17:00, Game 5: Loser Game3 vs Winner Game4 (loser will be eliminated)

Monday, August 27

11:00 Game 6: Winner Game3 vs Winner Game5

14:30 Game 7: same as above (will be played if Winner of Game3 loses Game6)

AAA LEAGUE

The Liverpool Trojans return to Grovehill Ballpark for a third year in a row aiming to defend their AAA crown. They have had an almost perfect season so far with a record of 26-2 in the regular season and they secured their place in the Semi-Finals last weekend with a win against the Menwith Patriots. Joining them in the Semi-Finals are the three best AAA teams from the South. Last year’s losing finalists Oxford Kings will be looking for revenge. The ever-growing Redbacks organisation will be represented this weekend by their first team who finished first in their AAA division. Completing the AAA semi-final lineup are the Cambridge Royals who entered the AAA League for the first time this year.

AAA Schedule

Sunday, August 26

10:00, (Semi-Final) Liverpool Trojans vs Cambridge Royals

17:00, (Semi-Final) Essex Redbacks vs Oxford Kings

Monday, August 27

14:00, (Final) Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2

AA LEAGUE

The AA League is the third-tier of the British Baseball Leagues but it is the largest and perhaps the most unpredictable. We started with 25 AA teams, divided into the North, Midlands and South divisions, and after a regular season and two weeks of playoffs we are down to 4. The Nottingham Rebels and the Milton Keynes Bucks are both from the Midlands division and they overcame the two best AA teams from the North to book their Semi-Final places. Joining them are the two best AA teams from the Southern Division. Last year the Poole Piranhas lost in the semi-finals against the eventual winners, the Latin Boys. They are back again this year and they will face the MK Bucks. The last team to book their place in the AA semi-finals is the Herts Hawks. They ended the Guildford Mavericks’ 17-game unbeaten run on Sunday to eliminate them and this meant that for the first time in history two teams representing Herts Baseball Club will appear in the NBC.

AA Schedule

Saturday, August 25

12:00, (Semi-Final) MK Bucks vs Poole Piranhas

16:00, (Semi-Final) Nottingham Rebels vs Herts Hawks

Sunday, August 26

13:30, (Final) Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2

A-LEAGUE

The only team still unbeaten this year is Hove Tuesday. They entered the British Leagues for the first time this year and they have steam-rolled everything that comes their way. They will face the Leicester Blue Sox in the Final, a team representing a club which has made tremendous strides over the last few years developing both their adult and youth baseball programmes at apace which very other baseball organisations can match. Both teams will be eager for silverware.

A Schedule

Monday, August 27

11:00, (Final) Hove Tuesday vs Leicester Blue Sox

A CELEBRATION OF BRITISH BASEBALL

The NBC is a unique opportunity for fans of baseball and those who are new to the sport to get close to the action and witness the crowning of the 2012 Champions. Of course it would not be a true baseball celebration without good food. A variety of traditional baseball food and drinks will be on offer.

Venue: Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead (click here for venue address and other details)

Car Park: available at the venue free of charge

15 August 201215 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons face-off with Nationals in a battle for the NBL pennant

Can the Falcons overtake the Nationals at the top of the NBL standings and clinch the pennant. The two teeams face-off at Grovehill Ballpark this Sunday in a repeat of the fiery encounter earlier this season. (photo by Jim Garnett, British Baseball Magazine, click image to view more)

With the surprising two wins by the Southampton Mustangs against the Harlow Nationals last Sunday, the race to win the National Baseball League (NBL) pennant is back on. A week earlier the Herts Falcons thought that their loss against the Lakenheath Diamondbacks would mean that they would not be able to catch the reigning champions from Harlow, but Southampton’s heroics last Sunday mean that the Falcons are just one-and-a-half games back with two games remaining.

These two final regular season games are this Sunday, 19 August, and it is a head-to-head battle between the top two teams in the standings, Harlow and Herts. If they are to leap over the Nationals, Herts will need to win both games of the doubleheader. The Falcons have already secured second place in the final regular season standings regardless of what will happen on Sunday and this is the highest league position in the club’s history. But it would be an even greater achievement if Lee Manning’s men can clinch top spot.

These two games were rescheduled after a rain storm earlier in the season resulted in the game being suspended just after an inning. We are awaiting confirmation whether or not the game will resume form the point at which it was halted, or whether the inning played earlier in the year will be disregarded.

The games were originally scheduled to be played at Harlow, but the teams have decided to stage them at Grovehill Ballpark. The Harlow Nationals will still be the designated home team in the two games. The first pitch is at 12pm.

15 August 201215 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2012 Championship-deciding games will be held at Grovehill Ballpark in Herts

Cody Cain and Mike Osborn with the NBL Championship trophy back in 2010. Who will lift it on 27 August at Grovehill Ballpark?

The British Baseball Federation has announced that the 2012 National Baseball Championships (NBC), which is the showpiece event in the British baseball calendar, will be staged at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

The event will feature the games which will decide the Champions in all four British Baseball senior leagues. In a change from previous seasons, the event will be held over three days during the August Bank Holiday weekend on 25, 26 and 27 August 2012 with 13 games to be played in the different leagues, or perhaps even 14 games, if a game 7 is required to decide the NBL Champion.

Grovehill Ballpark is the home of Herts Baseball Club. It is considered to be the premier baseball venue in the United Kingdom with two purpose-built baseball diamonds. This is the third consecutive year that the NBCs will be held in Herts. Similar to last year the GB National Teams programme will be running the event and funds raised will go towards funding the GB Programme.

Since last year’s NBC an additional £17,000 has been invested into upgrading Grovehill Ballpark thanks to a £10,000 grant from BSUK’s capital facility funding from Sport England and additional £7,000 raised by Herts Baseball Club through various fundraising projects. Both diamonds are now fully enclosed and feature four fully enclosed team dugouts, for the home and visiting teams on each of the two diamonds.

The Herts Falcons have already booked their place in the National Baseball League bracket of the NBC. The Herts Hawks will be hoping to join them in the AA League bracket. To do this they will need to overcome the Guildford Mavericks this Sunday.

A total of 18 teams will go into playoff battle along with the Hawks this Sunday, 19 August. The schedule is shown below. The 9 winners will secure a place in the NBCs.

(A) London Marauders @ Hove Tuesday, 12:00, Pavilion Field, Brighton

(A) Birmingham Maple Leafs @ Leicester Blue Sox, 12:00, Leicester

(AA) Herts Hawks @ Guildford Mavericks, 12:00, Broadwater School, Guildford

(AA) Sidewinders @ Poole Piranhas, 12:00, Poole

(AA) Milton Keynes Bucks @ Sheffield Bladerunners, 12:00, Sheffield

(AA) Harrogate Tigers @ Nottingham Rebels, 12:00, Nottingham

(AAA) Menwith Hill Patriots @ Liverpool Trojans 12:00, Liverpool

(AAA) Bristol Badgers @ Cambridge Royals, 12:00, Grovehill Ballpark, Herts

(NBL) Lakenheath Diamondbacks @ London Mets, 12:00, Finsbury Park

11 August 201211 August 2012 by Herts Baseball News Editor

The drama of the postseason is about to begin and all 8 Herts teams will play a part

Kimiyoshi Saionji (number 55) celebrating a home run for the Falcons

2012 is turning out to be one of the most exciting in Herts Baseball Club’s history. We are about to go into the most thrilling part of the 2012 baseball season and Herts teams will be right in the thick of all the action. Four Herts teams have qualified for the postseason playoffs to decide the national champions in the various senior and youth leagues, which is a club record.

Right from the start of the season the Falcons set out to capture the NBL trophy currently held by the Harlow Nationals. They are currently in second place in the NBL and in a good position going into the postseason.

The Herts Hawks clinched a place in the AA Playoffs and tomorrow they begin their postseason campaign with an elimination game at home versus Southampton.

Herts supporters in the visitors' end at the 2010 Under-14 National Championships Final which finished Herts 2 London 1

The Herts U17 and U14 teams also reached the playoffs in their respective leagues. They are eagerly awaiting the announcement by the BBF which will confirm their opponents in the playoffs.

The Herts Eagles and the Herts Raptors put up one hell of a fight in the Single-A League but just missed out on the playoffs. Both teams had a winning season (win-loss % of .500 or above) which is an astonishing performance compared to the previous few seasons for Herts in the A-League. They may be out of the postseason but they too can look forward to the Hunlock Series in September and October, which is arguably the most enjoyable event of the baseball season for everyone connected with Herts.

Here is a run-down of the events not to be missed in August, September and October.

DATE	EVENT	HERTS TEAM(S) INVOLVED	VENUE
Aug 12	AA Playoffs	Herts Hawks vs Southampton	Grovehill Ballpark
Aug 19	AA Playoffs	Winner of Herts Hawks and Southampton rogress	TBC
Aug 25-27	Natioal Baseball Championships (Senior Leagues)	Herts Falcons (confirmed) Herts Hawks (subject to outcome of Playoffs)	Awaiting announcement from BBF
Sep 8	U17 and U14 Playoffs	Herts U17 (confirmed) Herts U14 (confirmed)	Awaiting announcement from BBF
Sep 15-16	Natioal Baseball Championships (U17 and U14 Leagues)	Herts U17 (subject to outcome of Playoffs) Herts U14 (subject to outcome of Playoffs)	Awaiting announcement from BBF
Sep 22	Herts Futures Tournament	All Herts youth teams will play in the largest youth baseball tournament on the British Baseball calendar, hosted by Herts	Grovehill Ballpark
Sep 16, 23, 30, Oct 7, Oct 14	Hunlock Series	All Herts adult and U17 team players drafted into teams live on the Herts TV Channel to battle it out for the Hunclock Series over 4 weekends.	Grovehill Ballpark

* – depends on Herts U17 progress in the Playoffs.