Category: Hawks

by AspiDimitrov

ADVENTURES OF THE HERTS HAWKS

In their last fixture of July, Herts Hawks went to north London for a second game against Sidewinders.  And, sadly, it was the second time that an eight-man Sidewinders team was able to comfortably defeat the Herts boys.  Greg Bochan took to the mound and threw the entire game. Sidewinders, however, were up to the task of facing the crafty veteran and were able to consistently hit well — twenty one in total, including an inside-the-park home run, in order to tally up twenty runs in just seven innings. Some defensive miscues behind the pitcher didn’t help – Rob Jones put down two catches in the outfield, and normally reliable players misplayed a couple of balls.

 

Offensively things were slightly better for the Hawks. After a slow start they were able to take advantage of nine walks and five hits to at least put up six runs of their own. Kal Dimitrov, Tim Elkins and Arnold Longboy all drove in a run each, Jones finally redeemed himself with an RBI double, and Simon Langton also contributed to the offense with two hits and a pair of runs. It was nowhere near enough, but hey, it was a sunny Sunday, and at least nobody fell down the rabbit hole lurking in centre field.

 

Next up on August 1st was a visit to the Thames Valley Bisons. With several players either away (it was holiday season, after all) or playing with the Eagles in AAA, it was always going to be difficult for the Hawks. The team had to call up a few Raptors just to be able to field a team. Not surprisingly the game was over in seven innings when the ten run slaughter rule came into effect.

 

Thames Valley did all the damage in the first four innings. Fifteen hits, to go with 12 walks and seven errors, allowed them to score 21 runs against Hawks pitchers Jeff Witter and Mark Hoffman, who split the pitching between them. On a more positive note, the Hawks were able to keep Thames Valley from scoring for the rest of the game; however the damage had already been done.

 

Offensively the Hawks could not answer Thames Valley’s surge and were only able to attain two hits and two walks all game. Witter and Tim Elkins were the sole providers of any offense for Herts, with a hit each. After seven innings the Hawks were unable to score any runs allowing for a very one sided final score of ThamesValley 21, Herts Hawks 0. It was another disappointment but the Hawks were unbowed.

 

On Sunday August 8th the Hawks played a double header against a very determined Bears team from Windsor. The Hawks bats started Game One like a house on fire, scoring eight runs in the first three innings, including a six run explosion in the second.  GB international star, Liam Green, was the stand out performer with three hits and three RBI’s, closely followed by Greg Bochan who had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI’s.  Bochan was also the starting pitcher, and he went six innings before handing over to Green. Their combined effort was excellent and the game was tied at eight apiece going into the fifth inning. But the pitchers could not hold them – and the Bears would press on scoring eleven runs to run away with it. Hawks were restricted to just one more run and they went down 18-8.

 

Game Two saw another young talent, Perrie Sherman, take to the hill for the first three innings, before being replaced by Simon Langton for an inning and then veteran Jeff Witter who finished the game off. With the Hawks defence only committing one error all game Windsor had to earn their runs – but unfortunately they did just that! Eleven hits and ten walks helped them rack up 18 runs. The Hawks did show some response to Windsor’s offense with ten hits of their own, but could not make them count. After six innings, the Hawks had only scored eight runs which would not be enough for the game to continue and the ten run slaughter rule came into effect. Liam Green was again the standout player with the bat, with three hits and five RBI’s. Liam’s performance was backed up by Perrie Sherman, Simon Langton and Jeff Witter who each picked up a hit and an RBI.

 

On this occasion, special thanks went to Witter and to Bochan who both volunteered to umpire a game each which was much appreciated by all. It had often been a struggle to muster a team, and then the games had been a further struggle, but the Hawks kept their spirits up and their season was to have a triumphant climax.

 

The Herts Hawks ended the season with a double header against the Brentwood Stags and put in two impressive performances to claim a pair of well earned victories. Game one saw that man Bochan pitch a complete game, giving up just one run on two hits to collect his second win of the season. An errorless defence along, with Bochan’s nine strikeouts, were able to hold the Stags to just one run in seven innings. The Hawks offense was more than up to the challenge of Brentwood’s pitchers. With a combined fifteen hits over the course of seven innings the Hawks were able to score nine runs. Takeshi Ashida joined the middle of the lineup and with Witter and Bochan they combined for seven hits and seven RBI’s between them. The impressive display all round by the Hawks was rewarded with 9-1 victory.

 

In game two the Hawks picked up from where they left off. They jumped out to an eight run lead in the first and would add on another five by the end of the game. Every player contributed with at least one hit each, resulting in a total of nineteen hits and thirteen runs. Unfortunately, Brentwood’s bats started to come alive in game two against Jeff Witter. The offensive surge by the Stags meant that the game was always close and six runs in the final three innings meant that they were just two runs shy of the Hawks with one out to go. Fittingly, Greg Bochan returned to the mound to get the final out and the game was over with the Hawks emerging 13-11 winners.

by AspiDimitrov

BUY ME SOME PEANUTS…

Herts Baseball correspondent, Rob Jones, looks back at last weekend’s celebration of British baseball

It was yet another piece of history for Herts baseball — the first ever National Baseball Championships to be held at Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Has any  sort of national championships ever been held in Hemel? I honestly don’t know, but I have to confess to a frisson of excitement as I first pulled up at the venue on Saturday to see crowds, tents and people stretching across the playing fields. This was baseball coming to our home. And here are some of the sights, sounds and smells …

First of all — there was great baseball. There were home runs a-plenty. Most of the action I saw was on the Grove, our oldest field, and balls kept plopping over the fence from the new diamond with regularity. The purist might not love it, but the long ball has helped give the game its vigour in the past decade, and it’s fun to see at the British amateur level. There were games which lived up to the occasion. The clash between Bracknell and London for a place in the NBL final was truly epic, going ten innings before the then-defending champions were able to inch ahead and claim a place in the final. The MK Bucks and Guildford Mavericks were locked at 3-3 going into the final inning of the single-A final, before the Bucks pulled clear. There was great pitching — for example, from Richmond’s Cody Cain, who claimed MVP honours with 12 strikeouts in the NBL final — and great fielding, including a sliding catch I saw Herts’ own Mahendra Prasad make in the shallow outfield.

Richmond Knights’ John Irving looking for his helmet after what could have been an embarassing blooper

Of course, things do not always go smoothly for even the best baseball players. A Richmond Knights base-runner nearly suffered an embarrassing moment as his side took on Leicester for the AA title. He was poised on second base when a team-mate struck out. Everyone thought it was the final out of the inning and started for the dugouts — including the runner, who was almost at third base when the catcher suddenly realised in fact there were only two outs. He seized on the ball, and the runner swivelled, losing his helmet in the process and frantically diving back to second. Fortunately for him the second baseman had also thought the inning was over, so he was not there to claim the strangest put-out of his career!

  

MK Bucks ace pitcher Tom Lloyd retrieving his cap

All these games had proper umpires, but it did not seem to prevent arguments about calls, or about the rules. The balk, for example, is a strange thing. Sometimes it can be really obvious. But once you get beyond those few cases, it seems remarkably subjective. The Eagles’ Louis Hare — who pitched tremendously in two games — was called for a balk in the decisive match-up against the Oxford Kings. It sparked much heated debate. The umpire explained to me that he had not stepped clearly enough towards first base, and was therefore deceiving the runner. But players insisted it was a move Hare had used all season with no problems, and being called for it meant Oxford were able to steal freely. During his game, the MK Bucks pitcher Tommy Lloyd knocked his own cap off during his motion. This, too, sparked a debate — mostly good natured — about whether that should be called a balk. What could be more distracting to the batter than a flying object right in his line of sight? But can a pitcher really deliberately knock off his own hat, and still deliver a pitch? It was a trademark “trick” of the once-notorious Yankees pitcher and diarist, Jim Bouton. Lloyd got the benefit of the doubt. And retrieved his hat.

Herts Eagles Manager, Lee Manning, in discussion with umpires

There was passion on display, and the questionable calls led to the most vivid displays of it — ejections. Bracknell’s manager Rob Rance was ejected from a game for arguing calls with the home plate umpire. He said that the incident had perhaps put “fire in the belly” of his team. But when the Herts Eagles manager, Lee Manning, was ejected in their semi-final against Oxford Kings, it had the opposite effect. In discussions about a controversial interference call, Manning was tossed for apparently asking one too many questions, even though the often combative manager had seemed calm and reasonable. Both teams left the field while the discussions continued and the Eagles rhythm was clearly disrupted. They scored no more runs, gave up several, and made mistakes on the bases. I have great respect for what umpires and refs try to do, but there’s no denying that controversial calls can turn a game.

The Herts fans on the egde of their seats during the AAA League semi-final clash versus Oxford

The big stars of the weekend were the fans and families who turned out to add a buzz to the event. People had come along with tents, garden chairs, and video cameras. There were grandparents, little leaguers, toddlers and babes in arms. My own two boys, who have always shown scant interest in baseball, enjoyed their time at the NBC. After some prompting they shouted “Come on Jon”, and “Go Eagles”, and waved our home-made sponge finger. And when they had finished that, they ran around chasing footballs and baseballs and toy Transfomers, and having a fine time.

Enjoying the hot dogs at Grovehill Ballpark

If I am talking about the overall atmosphere, I have to address the crowning glory of the weekend — the food! The ubiquitous hot dogs were enormous, tasty, sensibly priced and happily devoured by my own two kids. And they were supplemented by a more exotic sandwich — pulled pork. When I first saw this on the adverts for the event I wondered what on earth it was all about and had to Google the answer. When I finally got to eat one for my Sunday lunch it all made sense! A masterpiece of rich meat and tangy sauce which made my weekend experience even better. Compliments to the chefs.

Baseball, like so much that is good in life, is about more than just the result. It is about the endeavour, the humour, the colours and sounds, and the drama. There was plenty of that this weekend. While the club was certainly disappointed not to end up with a team claiming a title, it should be proud of the way it hosted a national event. It was so good I would be happy to come back next year … but there had better be pulled pork!

by AspiDimitrov

RICHMOND ARE 2010 CHAMPIONS. EAGLES PICK UP BRONZE IN THE AAA-LEAGUE

This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

RICHMOND FLAMES ARE NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS FOR 2010
by BSUK Special Correspondent Simon Fitzjohn
 
 
Richmond Flames won their first national title since 2006 when they defeated Bracknell Blazers in the final at the National Baseball Championships played at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead over the weekend of September 4-5.
 
The London Mets and Southampton Mustangs, the other National League teams to qualify for the Championships, had bowed out earlier in the weekend.
 
Aside from the main NBL action, there were three other National Championship titles up for grabs, with the Oxford Kings taking AAA honours, the Richmond Knights earning the AA title and the MK Bucks winning the Single A championship.

 
Herts Baseball Club hosted the 2010 National Baseball Championships at their picturesque two-diamond venue in Hemel Hempstead (photo by www.hp2photographic.com)

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE
SATURDAY
It was a day of surprises as the Richmond Flames, who finished third in the National Baseball League regular season standings, advanced straight to Sunday's final by dumping both the London Mets and Bracknell Blazers.
 
Both Bracknell and the Mets eased past Southampton on Saturday, eliminating the Mustangs in the process and setting up a winner-takes-all semi-final showdown on Sunday.

 
The NBC got off to an entertaining start as Richmond disposed of Bracknell by a score of 6-3. The Flames jumped out to an early lead, and with a strong pitching display from Ryan Bird, held on despite a Bracknell rally. Cody Cain clubbed a home run for Richmond, and Michael Osborn slapped a two-run single to pace their offence. For the Blazers, Reiniel Martinez was the tough-luck loser, giving up four runs in six innings of work, while Henry Collins singled in their only earned run.
 
There was no such surprise in Game Two, as the London Mets cruised past the underdog Mustangs by 8-2. Southampton actually took the lead in the top of the second inning thanks to a Ben Davis RBI, but that merely stunned the league leaders into action. With Alberto Casciello, Dan Williams and Alex Pike all contributing two RBIs each, London moved into a 7-2 lead after three innings and never looked back. Reid Wilson pitched the first known top-tier postseason no-hitter (according to the GBBSA archives dating back to 1994), which was a complete game win for the Mets.  Mustangs pitchers Chuck Truelson, Lee Ralph and Dave Wrigley each had two innings of work, and each were hit around by the mighty London offense.  Wilson's no-hitter was achieved despite throwing nine walks!
 
In the second round of Saturday games the Flames tangled with the Mets, with London expected to move to the final by disposing of Richmond. But the Flames jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, and with Michael Osborn pitching a gem they continued to keep the Mets at bay. Carlos Manchino went 3-for-4 for Richmond, launching a home run in the process as the Flames kept picking away at London starter Bryan Anderson. The Flames scored runs in five of the seven innings to earn a fully-deserved 8-2 verdict.

 

  
Cody Cain was the 2010 National League MVP, striking out 12 in his complete-game victory over Bracknell (photo by www.event-photos.co.uk)

 With Richmond and London having advanced, the final game of Saturday was a do-or-die struggle as Bracknell clashed with Southampton with the losers set for an early exit. The game began as a pitching duel between Matt Maitland and Gary Davison and was tied at 1-1 after four innings. But Bracknell broke through late on, scoring six runs in the final innings thanks to home runs from Mike Trask, Ryan Trask and Matt Maitland as they finally prevailed by a score of 7-3. 
photo by www.event-photos.co.uk
SUNDAY
The NBL's top two sides as far as the league standings were concerned opened Sunday's action as Bracknell and London met with a final spot open for the winner and a hasty exit for the loser.

And befitting the occasion, the teams produced a thrilling contest, which required ten innings to find a victor.

The Blazers got off to a fast start, scoring two runs in the top of the first, thanks in part to a Mike Trask triple that drove in Leo Nogami. But the Mets responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, with a two-run throwing error from Ryan Trask aiding their cause.

Both sides began to settle down after that, but Ryan Trask got Bracknell back on the board in the top of the third with a two-run blast, only for the Mets to respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, pitcher Jason Roberts stroking an RBI double.

Back and forth the game went, with Jason Roberts and Henry Collins matching each other pitch for pitch. And once again the Blazers hauled themselves level at 6-6 in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs triggered by Ed Jeffrey's RBI double.

And it was Jeffrey at it again in the top of the seventh, beating out an RBI single on a bang-bang play at first base to put Bracknell ahead by a score of 7-6.

So Bracknell had the lead, but Henry Collins couldn't close out the game and Jonathon Cramman lifted a sacrifice fly to the outfield to score Dan Williams with the tying run.

On to extra innings it went, with both pitchers continuing to produce the goods on the mound.

It was the tenth inning before there was any further scoring and it was Ed Jeffrey once more, smashing a solo home run to deep centre field to take the score to 8-7 in Bracknell's favour.

This time Collins was able to hold the lead, striking out the Mets' Will Lintern to end the game.

Bracknell coach Rob Rance – ejected mid-game for arguing with the home plate umpire – said: “We certainly did it the hard way. But to be honest I do not think these guys know any other way. We were a little bit flat and I got a little bit upset, but I hope my ejection put a bit of fire in their belly.

“There are no real words to describe what Henry did on the mound for us,” Rance continued. “He is a real machine and he pulled us through when we needed it.”

Alex Pike, the dejected London Mets coach, said: “It is bitterly disappointing to not even make the final, but the fact that we went down fighting takes away some of the bitterness. We really wanted it today and I think that performance showed it. We had opportunities, but we left far too many people on base and that killed us.

“Obviously we came here thinking we could win,” Pike added, “but baseball is a funny game and today showed how unpredictable it can be.”
photo by www.event-photos.co.uk

THE FINAL
So after two days of thrilling action, the Flames met the Blazers in the final, with Cody Cain and Brendan Cunliffe facing off on the mound.
 
Bracknell were looking to secure back-to-back titles, while Richmond were seeking their first championship since 2006.
 
Richmond had a great chance to take an early lead when Cain launched a deep fly ball in the bottom of the first inning, but Bracknell centre fielder Mike Traskmade a superb throw to the plate to nail Rob Unsell.
 
Both sides were relying on strong pitching and defence, with Cain and Cunliffe keeping the scoreboard blank through the first two innings.
 
But a succession of walks allowed the Flames to load the bases in the third, and Ryan Bird laced a two-RBI single to give Richmond the lead.
 
The Blazers immediately ate into that deficit when Ryan Trask doubled home Mike Trask in the fourth inning.
 
The Flames were growing in confidence, though, and they opened up a 4-1 lead with a succession of hits in the bottom of the fourth. With Cody Cain in dominant mood, Bracknell were struggling to get anything going and their exertions earlier in the day seemed to be taking their toll.
 
Richmond moved further ahead as pinch-hitter Chris Cook singled home Grant Delzoppo in the fifth inning, and a wild pitch allowed Richmond to tack on another.
 
With the light fading, the Blazers were unable to make any further impression on the scoreboard, while the Flames helped themselves to four more runs in the sixth inning to run out 10-1 winners.
 
Cody Cain claimed MVP honours after a dominating pitching display that saw him register 12 strikeouts.
 
Victorious coach Grant Delzoppo said: “It feels great. London and Bracknell have been the form teams all year so to come through as underdogs was great. We hit form at the right time and doing well on Saturday gave us that extra rest which was important.
 
“We have some older guys here,” Delzoppo continued, “and I think that experience pulled us through. We had some great pitching, especially from Cody, and we are absolutely delighted to be back on top.”
 
Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “I think the London game pretty much killed us and the final was a game too far. We were carrying a couple of injuries and that really hurt us.
 

 “But we should not be too disappointed,” Rance concluded. “We have had the best regular season in our history and if we had come through again and did what we did last year it would have been amazing.” 
photo by www.event-photos.co.uk
AAA LEAGUE
SATURDAY
 
The Liverpool Trojans made themselves the team to beat with two wins on Saturday based on fundamentally sound baseball, easing past both the Herts Eagles and Oxford Kings with a combination of strong pitching and timely hitting.
 
The Kings and Eagles were also to advance to Sunday's sudden-death showdown after both sides saw off the Bracknell Inferno.
 
In the first game of the day, Martin Godsall pitched a beauty for the Trojans as they dispatched the Herts Eagles 4-0. Godsall tossed seven shutout innings, giving up just two hits.
 
To his credit, Darrin Ward also pitched well for the Eagles, allowing just four hits and two earned runs.
 
Having scored a run in the first, the third inning proved decisive as Liverpool tacked on two runs to open up what proved to be a match-winning lead. Harry Wrenproved to be the offensive difference as far as the Trojans were concerned, claiming two RBIs with a single and a sacrifice fly.
 
Game Two was the exact opposite, a run-fest, as Oxford squeezed by Bracknell 11-10.
 
The Kings broke out to a 6-2 lead early on, feasting on Leigh Coke's pitching.
But the Inferno kept chipping away, with Shayne Wagner going 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs.
 
Bracknell struck four times in the top of the sixth inning, chasing Oxford starter Masaharu Egawa, and when the Inferno added a run in the top of the seventh inning, they actually had the lead.
 
But there was one final twist, as Oxford scored twice in the bottom of the frame for a thrilling win.
 
Oxford were obviously drained by their efforts in that encounter, and they came unstuck in slipping to a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in the next game.
 
Once again Martin Godsall produced the goods on the mound, but this time he was matched by Chris Oates, with the score tied at 2-2 after six innings.
 
As in their previous game, a run in the final inning was to prove decisive, but this time it counted against the Kings as the Trojans moved into Sunday's final.
 
The battle of the losing sides saw the Herts Eagles face the Bracknell Inferno, with elimination the price for the defeated team.
 
Both sides struck early, with the score 3-2 to the Eagles after three innings.  Pitchers Louis Hare and Connor Vernon then began to trade zeros as both offences were shut down.
 
But with the scores still tight, relief pitcher Shayne Wagner was victimised to the tune of four runs as the Eagles eventually eased home 8-2.
 
Louis Hare and Jon Lewys were the batting stars for Herts, going 2-for-3 and 2-for-4 respectively.
 
 
SUNDAY
Herts met Oxford in the semi-final showdown, and the Eagles looked on their way to victory when they broke out to an early 5-1 lead, thanks in the main to Darrin Ward's two RBIs.
 
But the Kings piled on the pressure in the middle innings, with Masaharu Egawa, Jorge Pinto Machadoand Chris Oates all starring at the plate. Egawa was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Pinto Machado 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Oates contributed two sacrifice flies as Oxford stormed back to earn an 8-5 win, eliminating Herts in the process.
 
The Kings moved on to face the Liverpool Trojans in the final, with Chris Oates and Rob Vondy on the mound for their respective sides.
 
Oxford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning, only for Paul Smith to reply with a two-RBI single.
 
But the Kings broke things open in the fourth inning, scoring 11 runs in an amazing outburst before limiting the Trojans to one run in reply to earn a 13-3 mercy-rule triumph.
 
John Lebreglio was the big hitter for Oxford, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Masaharu Egawa claimed the MVP prize.

 
photo by www.hp2photographic.com
AA LEAGUE
The Leicester Blue Sox tangled with the Richmond Knights in an incredible struggle in the AA League final on Sunday afternoon.
 
Richmond struck early, scoring three times in the bottom of the first inning off Sox pitcher Shannon Henry. But Leicester responded with a mammoth second inning, producing 10 runs and chasing Knights starter Dan Lally.
 
And the runs kept coming, with Leicester tacking on another five to move 15-5 ahead after five innings. There was even the possibility of a mercy-rule finish, but Richmond chipped away with three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to stay in the contest.
 
Back came the Blue Sox, with Ken Chapman launching a long home run to left field in the eighth inning.
 
And though the Knights added a further three runs in the bottom of that frame, Adam Brown's RBI single padded the Leicester lead to five.
 
Into the ninth and, and Richmond were far from finished. They scored twice and then, with reliever Richard Hu struggling with his command, Nick Osborne smashed a three-run home run to tie the score.
 
So the game went to extra innings and the Blue Sox immediately jumped back in front, bringing home two runs in the top of the tenth.
 
But, amazingly, the Knights came back again and Nick Osborne's two-RBI double in the bottom of the tenth secured a 20-19 triumph for Richmond.
 
Unsurprisingly, Osborne's five RBIs earned him the MVP title.

 
photo by www.event-photos.co.uk
SINGLE-A LEAGUE
The MK Bucks and Guildford Mavericks served up a thriller in Sunday's Single A League final.
 
The two sides matched each other step for step over the first six innings, with the score tied at 3-3 going into the seventh.
 
But after Guildford starter Kevin Zanes departed, reliever Matt Bruce coughed up seven runs in the ninth inning.
 
Ben Alexander laced three RBIs and Jim Kerr added another two, making a winner out of pitcher Tom Lloyd as the Bucks eventually romped to a 10-3 win to claim the title.

 Fittingly, Tom Lloyd was to claim MVP honours for his efforts on the mound.
 

BOX SCORES

For complete box scores from the 2010 National Baseball Championships, please visit:

National Baseball League

http://www.gamechanger.io/g/bbf_nbc_nbl

AAA
http://www.gamechanger.io/g/bbf_nbc_aaa

AA
by AspiDimitrov

BBF NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS TO PROVIDE LIVE SCOREBOARD VIA GAMECHANGER

 The 2010 National Baseball Championships are set to get underway at Grovehill Ballpark, home of the Herts Baseball Club, Saturday morning at 9.30am.  The BBF has announced that all games will be 'simul-cast' live on the internet via GameChanger.

To follow the action, use the league hubs below.

Follow live postseason match-ups on GameChanger™:

National League Championships:
http://www.gamechanger.io/g/bbf_nbc_nbl

AAA Championships:
http://www.gamechanger.io/g/bbf_nbc_aaa

AA Final:
http://www.gamechanger.io/g/bbf_nbc_aa

A Final:http://www.gamechanger.io/g/bbf_nbc_a

  

by AspiDimitrov

BBC RADIO 5 LIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2010 NBC

Fans of British baseball can tune in to BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday morning during the Weekend Breakfast programme presented by Rachel Burden and Phil Williams for a look back at the games played on Saturday and  a preview of the final games of the 2010 National Baseball Championships on Sunday. 

 

The show will feature Matt Smith, who is the founder and editor of  www.baseballgb.co.uk , an online publication which is well-known by fans of baseball in the UK.  The programme starts at 6:00am and ends at 8:30am.  The NBC segment is scheduled around 7am.

 

Later on Sunday, Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd will report the scores from the NBC games as they come in on Sunday evening, during the regular MLB coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.  This week's MLB game is the Texas Rangers at the Minesotta Twins.  programme starts at 7pm. 

by AspiDimitrov

BRITISH BASEBALL SEASON REACHES ITS CLIMAX THIS WEEKEND

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 Sunday evening 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 14 baseball games with enormous implications riding on every single one of them.

After Saturday’s playoff games, we now know the names of the 12 teams which will be heading to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead in the hope of making history.

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE (NBL)

The London Mets and the Bracknell Blazers already booked their places by virtue of taking the top two spots in the regular season standings. Richmond and Southampton joined them in the NBC after their playoff wins against Croydon and Mildenhall, respectively. For more on last week’s NBL playoffs read Simon Fitzjohn’s playoff roundup.

Bracknell Blazers will open the NBC on Saturday at 9:30am against the Richmond Flames on the new diamond at Grovehill Ballpark, followed by the Mets and Mustangs at 12:00pm.

AAA-LEAGUE

The last team to book their place in the AAA NBC were the Herts Eagles after their 14-3 playoff win against the Bracknell Inferno. Darrin Ward pitched a complete game for the win. He was supported by a solid Herts offence which included a 3-run home run by Mahendra Prasad, his second of the year. The Eagles may be seen as the underdogs in the AAA Championship, but they will have the advantage of playing at their home field and in front of the loyal Herts baseball fans.

The other teams in the AAA race are the Liverpool Trojans and the Oxford Kings who finished top of the AAA (North) and AAA (South) divisions, respectively. The Menwith Hill Patriots earned a place in the NBC, but due to their team’s obligations at the airbase, they have withdrawn from the Championships. The Bracknell Inferno will take their place in the AAA NBC as both the Manchester A’s and Halton Jaguars were unable to take the slot due to insufficient time to organise their trip.

AA-LEAGUE

After two weeks of exciting playoff action, we are down to the two best British teams in the AA League. One of them is Leicester after they produced yet another epic one-run win against the Birmingham Maple Leafs. Shannon Henry picked up the win and Richard Hu came in to close the game for the save and a 10-9 win. In the AA Final they will meet the Richmond Knights, who extended their incredible winning streak to 19 after a 11-4 win against the Poole Piranhas.

A-LEAGUE

MK Bucks are through to the A-League Final after a 7-0 win against the Humber Pilots. Pitchers Tom Lloyd and Tom McVay combined for a 2-hit shutout. Starter Lloyd threw 6 innings, recording 9 strikeouts and retiring 8 batters in a row at one point. McVay came in for the last three innings to close the game and he also contributed with the bat going 2-4 with a double, triple and 3 RBI. Last week we reported on Bucks slugger, Barnes, having to miss out on the NBC due to an assignment in Afghanistan. We can now confirm that Barnes will be available for the NBC having been granted extended leave to take part in this weekend’s title decider. The Bucks will meet the Guildford Mavericks after they ended the Chelmsford Clippers incredible postseason. There were no upsets this time as the Mavericks won convincingly 25-7.

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 2010 Champions. Of course it would not be a true baseball celebration without good food. A variety of food and drinks will be on offer including BBQ Beef and Pulled-Pork Sandwiches (pictured right), Gourmet Sausages, Homemade Coleslaw, Old Fashioned Lemonade and more. A commemorative NBC programme will be available. First 200 fans will receive the programme free of charge, so get there early.

SCHEDULE

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

Saturday, 4 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 1

Game 1

Richmond Flames

@

Bracknell Blazers

7 innings

12:00

Diamond 1

Game 2

Southampton

@

London Mets

7 innings

14:30

Diamond 1

Game 3

Game 1 Winner

@

Game 2 Winner

7 innings

17:00

Diamond 1

Game 4

Game 1 Loser

@

Game 2 Loser

7 innings

Sunday, 5 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 1

Game 5

Game 4 Winner

@

Game 3 Loser

7 innings

15:30

Diamond 1

Final

Game 5 Winner

@

Game 3 Winner

7 innings

AAA League

Saturday, 4 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 2

Game 1

Herts Eagles

@

Liverpool Trojans

7 innings

12:00

Diamond 2

Game 2

Bracknell Inferno

@

Oxford Kings

7 innings

14:30

Diamond 2

Game 3

Game 1 Winner

@

Game 2 Winner

7 innings

17:00

Diamond 2

Game 4

Game 1 Loser

@

Game 2 Loser

7 innings

Sunday, 5 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 2

Game 5

Game 4 Winner

@

Game 3 Loser

7 innings

15:30

Diamond 2

Final

Game 5 Winner

@

Game 3 Winner

7 innings

AA League

Sunday, 5 September 2010

12:00

Diamond 1

Final

Leicester Blue Sox

@

Richmond Knights

9 innings

Single-A League

Sunday, 5 September 2010

12:00

Diamond 2

Final

MK Bucks

@

Guildford Mavericks

9 innings

Note: Start times may be pushed back if earlier games overrun. The BBF reserves the right to make alterations to the schedule if there is a change in circumstances (e.g. rain delay etc.).

VENUE DETAILS

The event will be held at Herts Baseball Club, Grovehill Park, Washington Avenue, Hemel Hempstead

Hertfordshire HP2 6NH (click for map and directions).

by AspiDimitrov

AUDIO: BBC RADIO 5 LIVE SX PREVIEWS THE 2010 NBC COMING TO HERTS THIS WEEKEND

British Baseball legends Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd took time to preview the 2010 National Baseball Championships during the Sunday evening coverage of the New York Yankees vs the Chicago White Sox on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. The preview included a guest appearance by Rob Rance whose Bracknell Blazers will look to defend their 2009 title when they go out onto Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead on Saturday, 4 September, in the opening game of the NBCs.

by AspiDimitrov

BRITISH BASEBALL BUZZING WITH EXCITEMENT AS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DRAW NEARER

This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

The British Baseball postseason is underway and the sense of anticipation and excitement around the country can hardly be contained. After five months and 521 games in the British baseball leagues, the best teams in the country are now battling in the playoffs to book a place in the National Baseball Championships (NBC) which will take place on the weekend of 4 and 5 September to decide the 2010 champions. 
Bad News Bird – 2009 MVP Ryan Bird is back in form and this can only be bad news for Richmond’s opponents in the postseason (photo by www.event-photos.co.uk)

NBL PLAYOFFS

Mildenhall advanced to the postseason with two wins against direct rivals Herts Falcons on the final day of the regular season. This sets up an intriguing playoff line-up in Britain’s top baseball league.

Both NBL playoff games will be played at Richmond’s Connare Field this Saturday. First up is the clash between Mildenhall and Southampton. The problem that has plagued the Bulldogs all season long is the fact that most of its players are US servicemen whose unpredictable working schedule can sometimes leave their squad down to bare bones. If their top performers are available then they will be a very awkward opponent and the Mustangs will have their work cut out, as they found out two weeks ago when they lost 0-6 and 2-3 to Mildenhall.

In the second game of the day starting at 3:30 pm, the Richmond Flames will meet the Croydon Pirates. After a slow start the Flames have picked up speed just at the right time. 2009 MVP Ryan Bird is back firing on all cylinders. He was the wining pitcher in the 13-0 win against 2009 champions Bracknell and that can only be bad news for the Pirates. Also returning for the Flames is Robbie Unsell, who was last year’s stolen base leader but missed several games this season after a freakish head injury trying to field a ground ball.

Despite Richmond’s recent return to form, Croydon have proven this year that they are capable of beating any NBL opponent. They have some very dangerous players in their line-up, most notably Home Run Champion Maikel Azcuy.

NBL Playoffs (Connare Field, Richmond, Saturday 28 August 2010)12:00, Mildenhall Bulldogs (10-16) @ Southampton Mustangs (13-15).
15:30, Croydon Pirates (10-18) @ Richmond Flames (17-11).

AAA-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Oxford’s win against the Bracknell Inferno on Sunday confirmed them as the AAA (South) winners and they go straight through to the AAA NBC. This leaves the Bracknell Inferno and Herts Eagles fighting for the last remaining place in the AAA National Finals. They will meet this Saturday at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The two teams have been involved in some epic encounters so far this year so this playoff game is a mouth-watering prospect.

AAA Playoff (Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead, Saturday 28 August 2010)12:00, Bracknell Inferno (16-8) @ Herts Eagles (18-6).

  
Catcher Dave Westfallen is expected to be one of the key men for the Eagles as they play the Bracknell Inferno for a place in the NBC (photo by www.HP2photographic.com)
Can the Blue Sox repeat their walk-off win against Birmingham or will the Maple Leafs get their revenge

AA-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

While the National Baseball League (NBL) and AAA League completed their regular season schedule on Sunday, teams from the AA and Single-A Leagues were already going head-to-head.

The Leicester Blue Sox appear to be carrying a great deal of momentum into the postseason. After winning the AA (Midlands) divisional title earlier this month they met the Sheffield Bladerunners who were the runners-up in AA (North). The Blue Sox eased to a 19-9 win with Shannon Henry picking up another win on the mound, while Oscar Martinez provided the highlight of the game with a towering two-run home run.

Meanwhile, a second team from the Midlands booked a place in the AA Semi-Finals. The Birmingham Maple Leafs produced the most dominating performance in the 2010 postseason so far with a 18-1 blowout win over the Bolton Robots of Doom, which is the best team in AA (North). Birmingham and Leicester will clash once again at Western Park this Saturday at 12.00 noon in a repeat of the Midlands title decider. The Blue Sox came out on top that time, but the Maple Leafs will feel that have been given an opportunity for sweet revenge.

The team with the best record in the AA League, Richmond Knights, booked their place in the Semi-Final with a 10-6 win over the Windsor Bears. A two-run home run by Windsor slugger Clint Milner was not enough for the team from Berkshire. The Knights will meet the Poole Piranhas in the Semi-Final, after they overcame the Essex Archers by a score of 17-3. Shannon Hall was the winning pitcher, while Archers Manager, Darren Ludlow was saddled with the loss.

Despite the loss, Essex can be very proud of reaching the AA League playoffs in their first year after promotion from the Single-A League. And so, in accordance with the formbook, the Poole Piranhas will be travelling to Ham Ground to face the Richmond Knights. They Knights have the upper hand as they won convincingly when the two teams met in the first week of August in the regular season. 

AA Playoffs (Semi-Finals) Saturday, 28 August 201012:00, Birmingham Maple Leafs (15-5) @ Leicester Blue Sox (15-5) (Western Park, Leicester).
12:00, Poole Piranhas (13-5) @ Richmond Knights (17-1) (Ham Ground Richmond).

A-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

The Chelmsford Clippers stunned British Baseball with a 16-12 win over the Richmond Dragons, who went into the playoffs as the favourite to go all the way and win the A-League title.

The Clippers clinched a place in the postseason in the last minute after the Old Timers dropped out. They may have had an average regular season with a modest 6-7 record, but that doesn’t seem to have affected them and their win over Richmond was an amazing achievement for a team in their first year of existence.

In the semi-final Chelmsford will play against Guildford, who produced a dominant performance to beat the Braintree Rays 22-14. Matt Bruce pitched a complete nine-inning win, recording 10 strikeouts for the Mavericks. Their better regular season record has given them home field advantage in the Semi-Final.

The other Semi-Final will be between the Humber Pilots and the MK Bucks, both of whom progress after convincing wins in their quarter-final games. Humber beat the Leicester Blue Sox in a high-scoring 36-12 win. MVP for the Pilots proved to be Lee Evans, who was the winning pitcher and also contributed offensively with a home run. MK Bucks beat Manchester Torrent 22-3. Tom Lloyd was the winning pitcher for the Bucks and his teammate Ross Barnes scored an inside-the-park home run. Barnes’ may have played his last game of the season as he is due to be posted to Afghanistan imminently. Will this setback prove to be decisive when the Bucks host the Pilots this Saturday?

A Playoffs (Semi-Finals) Saturday, 28 August 201014:00, Humber Pilots (14-8) @ Milton Keynes Bucks (13-7) (Woughton on the Green, Milton Keynes).
14:30, Chelmsford Clippers (6-7) @ Guildford Mavericks (9-4) (Broadwater School, Guildford).

  
Matt Bruce pitched a 9-inning complete game as the Mavericks knocked Braintree out of the postseason
by AspiDimitrov

OXFORD STAY TOP DESPITE BRAVE EAGLES EFFORT. HAWKS END SEASON ON A HIGH

OXFORD STAY TOP DESPITE BRAVE EAGLES EFFORT

 

While the Falcons were battling in the race for the National League playoffs, their club mates the Herts Eagles were trying to book an automatic place in the AAA National Championships.  This was their final game of the season and they were facing the league-leading Oxford Kings.  The Eagles needed to win both games to claim top spot.  This first versus second match-up didn’t disappoint producing two very competitive and closely fought games. 

 

Oxford came out on top with a 6-3 win in the first, but a 7-4 win for the Herts Eagles in the second means that Oxford still have work to do before they can book their automatic place in the AAA National Championships.  Their last games of the season are this Sunday against the third-placed Bracknell Inferno.  A sweep for Bracknell would allow the Eagles to go above them in first place.

 

HAWKS END SEASON ON A HIGH

 

2010 has been a difficult year in the AA League for the Herts Hawks.  It has been a much stronger league then in previous years with three of the top AAA teams from 2009 choosing to drop down into the AA League, including the Richmond Knights, Poole Piranhas who won their respective AA Divisions.

 

The Hawks had picked up only 3 wins in 16 games before Sunday’s final games of the season.  Their opponents were the Brentwood Stags.  Manager Greg Bochan from St Albans, gave AA League debuts to several members of the Herts Raptors, which is the Single-A affiliate of Herts Baseball Club.  One of the players was Will Belbin (pictured right) who sloted right into the team.

 

This proved to be the teams best results of the year.  In the first game they won convincingly 9-1 and battled hard to clinch game two by a score of 13-11.  Greg Bochan and Jeff Witter (pictured left) were the winning pitchers in game one and two, respectively. This meant that they ended the season in fourth place in their division with a .278 win-loss percentage which is slightly lower than the .350 for the Hawks last year, but it is a very good achievement given the strength of the AA League this season.

 

images courtesy of www.HP2photographic.com