Category: Adult Leagues

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 Rob Jones

The Return of the Native

It’s hard to express how much my legs hurt on Monday morning.  A body this old and ill-prepared struggles with 6 hours of baseball on a Sunday. But there was a smile in my heart, writes Rob Jones, with aching fingers.

And maybe that sums up the feelings which this game can bring to you. It was my first game of 2015, my first time this year on a diamond. The first real pitch I have faced. A few sessions in sports halls do little to prepare you for the reality. And I have made an extra effort this year — in order to compensate for the passing years — to try to stay fit, to try to stay strong. With little impact!

This game left me with a bruised thigh, a bloodied finger, a grazed knee, a headache, and a dull stiffness in just about every bone and muscle I have.

Herts Raptors
Raptors in action against Redbacks, April 2015

Despite our resounding defeat by the Essex Redbacks, there were some good things to take from my day at shortstop. There were two or three grounders which went right through me when I should’ve stopped them, and that is extremely annoying. But I made some plays which I probably shouldn’t have — managing to somehow come up with the ball when it had been hit out both to my right and my left.

One line drive went inches from my flailing glove, another pop-up which I ought to have taken bounced out. Fortunately my last action of the day was safely catching a line drive to end an inning. It’s always a bonus when the day ends on a high note!

Overall, I was happier with how I picked up the ball than with how I threw it. Finding a range, and finding the right balance between “concentrating” and “over-thinking” is one of the skills which comes from repeated practice. Like most of us at this level, I don’t have that luxury.

The sport I often compare baseball to in my mind is golf. Admittedly, that sounds a little bizarre. But it’s because baseball is a game of technique, of muscle memory, of attempting precision in an unpredictable context. And because a round of golf can have maybe one or two shots that feel “yes, I really got that right”. And baseball is the same. You can make routine plays, you can miss really tough plays. But when you put it all together, that takes it to another level and the satisfaction is immense. And you may get only 1 or 2 moments like that in any game.

The was a Raptors team which showed a great spirit, relaxed but working hard too. There is energy there from young guys like Joe, Adam and Charlie, looking to make a big impression. And there were veterans returning too, with perspective and even a little wisdom. It was great for us veterans to have Paul Curtis back in uniform. As one of them remarked — to borrow another quote — we’re getting the band back together again.

I can’t complain about how my batting started out for the year. A double, then a single — both driven to the almost identical spot in right field! Then a walk. Followed by an easily stolen base (good point), which then turned in to me getting thrown out at third (bad point) when I tried to stretch it into an extra because the pitch had gone past the catcher. As a film might’ve once once said, “your mind’s writing cheques that your body can’t cash”.

By the end my old body was feeling the strain. The last comebacker I hit to the pitcher, and the last fading throw I made from shortstop to first base were the product of fatigue as much as anything (no disrespect either to the pitcher or the base runner!)

If only I could move my legs, I’d gladly do it all over again right now.

 

 

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.

 

by Rob Jones

Forest Glade Redbacks 36 Herts Raptors 13

Report by Rob Jones

The last time these two teams met saw an epic victory for Herts to close the 2014 season. This time, on a cloudy day at Grovehill, the Essex team would have their revenge. Rookie Paul Barton was on the mound for the home team and steady work kept the Redbacks to just three runs in the first frame. Herts then replied with one of their own.

The visitors stole bases with abandon but the Raptors were able to make plays to keep them in check. Right fielder Clive Johnson – who only took up baseball last year – turned a vital double play in the second inning, catching a fly ball then making the throw to Drew Mayhew at first to double up the runner.

But in the third a combination of Barton’s tiring arm and a series of agonising hits into the gaps meant the Redbacks racked up 7 runs, and they piled on more in the fourth. The Herts bats did try to fight back – with Jeff Witter the big slugger of the day. They rallied for 7 runs in the bottom of the fourth. But twice during the game they loaded the bases with two outs, and Forest Glade were able to shut the door.

Daniel Bennett and Drew Mayhew also put in solid pitching appearances for the inexperienced Raptors, and the team will build on good things from this game. A second double play was another defensive highlight. This time Paul Barton at third base snared a line drive on his shoelaces, and alertly doubled off the runner who was heading home.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons and Eagles prepare for their first ever BBF Cup games. Raptors meet Redbacks in the league.

Can Herts Falcons keep the winning run going this Sunday against a very awkward opponent (photo by Paul Holdrick)

This weekend sees the first round of the newly introduced BBF Cup. The concept is similar to the FA Cup (football). Two teams meet in a one-game decider. The loser is eliminated. The winner progresses through to the next round.

The draw paired the Herts Falcons with the London Metros. The two teams finished just three places from each other in the overall ranking in 2014. Herts Falcons second from bottom in the NBL and Metros second in Triple-A League, so this is expected to be a very close encounter. The two teams have met once only. That was just four weeks ago in the Herts Spring League. The Falcons came out on top, but not before a late surge from the Londoners, who will have home-field advantage this Sunday.

The Herts Eagles were drawn at home versus Bracknell Blazers. They go into the game as the clear underdog so there is a potential for a major giant-killing. The game starts at 1pm on diamond one of Grovehill Ballpark. This would be the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Raptors were the winners in their last meeting with the Redbacks. Can they do it again?

Unlike the FA Cup, the BBF version of the competition features only teams from the top two league tiers. The Herts Hawks are resting this weekend, but the Herts Raptors will play their second game of the season looking to bounce back after a defeat against Tonbridge last week. Their opponents are the Forest Glade Redbacks. The last meeting between the two teams was the final league game of the 2014 regular season. The Raptors came out on top in that clash. The game commences at 12pm on diamond two.

The Herts Harriers were expecting to get their U19 league season underway on Saturday, but they will have to wait an extra week for their season opener versus the London Mets.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Weekend round-up: Wins for Hawks and Eagles. Raptors and Herts u12s suffer defeats

Herts Hawks continue winning run (photo by John Kjorstad)

HERTS EAGLES vs LONDON MAMMOTHS (Triple-A League)

While the Falcons were resting, three other Herts teams were in league action. The Herts Eagles suffered two heavy defeats on opening day. It became three losses in a row after the London Mammoths won the first of two games on Sunday. However the Eagles fought back in the second game of the doubleheader to end the losing streak with a 13-4 victory.

HERTS HAWKS vs BRIGHTON RED HAWKS (Single-A League)

The Herts Hawks remain unbeaten this season after a 22-18 win over the Brighton Red Hawks, who came close to pulling off a major come-from-behind win in the late innings.

HERTS RAPTORS vs TONBRIDGE (Single-A League)

Herts Raptors came up against a Tonbridge side who have made big strides over the winter and look like they will be a major playoff contender this year. It proved to be an uphill task for the team from Hertfordshire who went down 27-9. Six Raptors players made their league debut so it may take several more games for them to find their feet, but the signs are good at this stage of the season especially with several big names expected to return to the lineup shortly.

HERTS U12 vs LONDON METS U12 – (pre-season friendly)

photo by Vicky Sinclair

The youth baseball season is about to get underway. In a under-12 pre-season friendly on Saturday the London Mets proved too strong for the Herts under-12 team. With teams in every age group it is not too late for players between 4 and 18 years of age to join the Herts teams in Hemel Hempstead and North West London. Contact us for more details.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Goncalves is back

The Herts Falcons may have a week off from NBL action but they have been busy in the transfer market again. They welcome back Great Britain Under-23 National Team infielder Luis Goncalves.

The 21-year old made his debut for Herts in 2008 when he was just 14. When he came for his first Herts training session alongside his father, Humberto, the Herts coaches were amazed at how advanced he was at such a young age so it was an easy decision to immediately add him to the Herts senior league teams. In that first season he was awarded the Herts Hawks (Double-A League) Infield Gold Glove and Rookie of the Year awards. He quickly progressed through the Herts ranks and made his debut in Britain’s top league, the NBL, in 2009 with the Herts Falcons, age 15. In his first and second seasons in the NBL he was awarded the Herts Falcons Infield Gold Glove twice and led the team in stolen bases in 2009.

After two seasons with the Falcons in the NBL, Goncalves moved to the Harlow Nationals with whom he won three consecutive NBL national championships between 2011 and 2013. His outstanding fielding abilities were recognised in 2012 when he was selected in the NBL Team of the Year at second base, which is the equivalent of MLB’s Gold Glove Award.

 

TEAM

SEASON

AB

R

HR

RBI

BB

SB

BA

OBA

SLA

Herts Falcons

2009

47

10

0

7

13

10

0.191

0.365

0.213

Herts Falcons

2010

71

16

0

9

9

6

0.282

0.369

0.324

Harlow Nationals

2011

71

25

0

12

16

10

0.254

0.391

0.324

Harlow Nationals

2012

78

16

0

7

10

7

0.269

0.356

0.321

Harlow Nationals

2013

64

18

0

7

9

6

0.234

0.347

0.344

Harlow Nationals

2014

27

8

0

4

4

2

0.259

0.355

0.444

Source: Project COBB

Since 2013 Goncalves has been a member of the Great Britain Under-23 National Team.

“Everyone at the club has missed Luis and his family over the last few years, but he is back at Herts now” said Herts Falcons manager, Lee Manning. This will be tremendous news for Herts fans as Luis Goncalves was a fan favourite in his first spell with the club. This is another top class addition to the Herts Falcons roster which puts them in a good position to fight for a place in the NBL playoffs.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Record-breakers, home runs, forgotten rules and more on Opening Day

Herts Falcons pitcher, Matt Gilbert – making British baseball history (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons had the best possible start of the season winning both of their opening games and one of its debutants setting a new National Baseball League record.

Herts Falcons 16 South London Pirates 15

It has been a busy close season for the team from Hertfordshire with six players making their debuts on Opening Day and another expected to do so next week. Their opponents were the South London Pirates, a team which has struggled over the last few years, but by the end of the day they showed that they have quietly built a squad which will be very difficult to beat this season.

The focus today was firmly on Falcons starting pitcher, Matt Gilbert. Apart from making his debut and being their opening day starter, he was looking to make British baseball history as he needed two strikeouts to overtake Cody Cain who led the NBL in career strikeouts with 408. The Pirates had no intention to make way for Gilbert. He was getting the outs but they were coming by way of groundouts and flyouts. Eventually that record-breaking strikeout came and Matt Gilbert received a standing ovation and, in accordance with baseball tradition, the ball he threw for that 409th strikeout was taken out of the game for Gilbert to keep and perhaps auction on eBay in a few years.

 

History was made but there was no time to celebrate. The Falcons had a game on their hands. The Pirates had a 3-1 lead and that was the wake-up call which the Falcons needed. John Blose struck the first blow – a three-run home run to left field. Next it was Maikel Azcuy’s turn. He also went deep with a 2-run home run again to left field, which is not an easy feat on diamond two of Grovehill Ballpark.

 

John Blose (left) and Maikel Azcuy (right) greeted at home plate after their home runs (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Just when it seemed like the Falcons had secured the win, the Pirates struck back in the late innings reducing the deficit to one run. Herts manager, Lee Manning, made what seemed to be a risky move putting 17-year-old Carlos Casal Jr on the mound to replace Gilbert and close the game. The youngster from Hemel Hempstead came through with flying colours shutting down the Pirates in the final inning and ending it in style with a strikeout.

Southampton Mustangs 4 Herts Falcons 5

The second game of the day for the Herts Falcons was against the Southampton Mustangs, who were the favourites to win it before the start of the day. The visitors took a 2-0 lead, but Herts responded immediately.

It was new signing Maikel Azcuy who hit his second home run of the day, a 3-run bomb to left centerfield, which was a reminder that Matt Gilbert is not the only player chasing a record. That home run was Azcuy’s 35th of his NBL career tying the current NBL career home run leader Simon Pole. Before the start of the season some have argued that it would be easy for Azcuy to add to his home run tally given the favourable dimensions of Grovehill Ballpark, but this home run would have been out of any ballpark in British baseball, including Farnham Park. It was measured at around 390 feet.

The Falcons had a 3-2 lead but despite another outstanding performance by starting pitcher, Jose Sosa, this proved to be a very tense game. Things weren’t made easier by a highly unusual event which occurred between innings. New signing Joel Vallejo was making his way to left field from the dugout before the start of the new inning and as he passed the mound he asked catcher Lee Manning to receive one pitch from him while Jose Sosa was preparing to take the mound. He did and the umpiring crew deemed it to be an official warm-up pitch which meant that Vallejo had to start the inning as the pitcher and face at least one batter. He did and Jose Sosa retook his place on the mound, but they certainly would have been happier not to go through the drama which ensued. In football terms this could be compared to Michael Carrick being asked to swap places with Joe Hart and be in goal for 5 minutes for England while Joe Hart plays in central midfield.

The Falcons held on for a 5-4 win – a great start to the new season. There were no more home runs from Maikel Azcuy. He will have to wait until the next league game on 10 May at the Essex Arrows for another shot at breaking the record. Before that he and the rest of the team will have to turn their attention to the BBF Cup on 26 April when they will travel to the highly-touted London Metros.

OTHER HERTS TEAMS ON OPENING DAY

The Herts Eagles couldn’t have faced a tougher opponent than last year’s Triple-A League Finalists, London Metros. They were stunned by 3 home runs in the first inning. Despite recovering well from that early shock, the damage was done and the Metros won it 13-1. It didn’t get much easier in game two of the doubleheader which the visitors won again, this time 24-5. Despite what seems to be a demoralising start of the season, the Eagles will know that if they can win the remaining winnable games, they will be in the playoff race this year.

The Herts Hawks picked up an away win at the Haverhill Blackjacks, which will surprise the rest of the league as the Blackjacks have been the national runners-up for two years in a row in the Single-A League.

The Herts Raptors rested this Sunday. They will begin their season next Sunday, 19 April, at home against Tonbridge. The Herts Hawks and Herts Eagles are also at home on that day.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons sign Matt Gilbert. He needs just 2 strikeouts to set a new NBL record

Herts Falcons have added pitcher Matt Gilbert to their roster. We understand that he was registered on Thursday night or Friday morning making him eligible to play in Sunday’s Opening Day games. This is a major coup for Herts as Gilbert is a legend in British baseball.

In the last two seasons he played for the Harlow Nationals winning the NBL national championship in 2013. In his NBL career spanning 17 years, he has also played for the Bracknell Blazers, Essex Arrows, Cambridge Monarchs and Bracknell-Richmond Wildfire.

 

MATT GILBERT – NBL BATTING STATS

TEAM

SEASON

AB

R

H

HR

RBI

BA

OBA

SLA

Cambridge Monarchs

1998

54

26

27

8

26

0.500

0.550

1.056

Cambridge Monarchs

2001

76

15

33

2

14

0.434

0.450

0.618

Bracknell-Richmond Wildfire

2002

10

0

2

0

2

0.200

0.273

0.200

Bracknell Blazers

2003

28

4

10

0

4

0.357

0.379

0.357

Essex Arrows

2010

63

11

17

2

17

0.270

0.355

0.413

Essex Arrows

2011

46

15

18

0

20

0.391

0.525

0.478

Essex Arrows

2012

57

9

15

0

0

0.263

0.368

0.316

Harlow Nationals

2013

54

13

17

0

7

0.315

0.479

0.333

Southern Nationals

2014

21

3

8

0

2

0.381

0.517

0.476

Source: Project COBB

Last year Matt Gilbert became the first player in modern British baseball history to pass a half-century of recorded complete games, moving to a total of 54. Gilbert now has 408 career strike-outs, and his next strike-out will draw him level with Cody Cain’s modern British record of 409. We understand that one of the reasons why Gilbert decided to play this season is his aim of setting a new record. In the process of doing so he can also help the Falcons to be in the playoff race this season. It is not clear whether Gilbert will continue playing if he breaks the strikeout record. Herts fans will certainly hope that the club will be able to convince him to stay longer.

MATT GILBERT – NBL PITCHING STATS

TEAM

SEASON

W

L

ERA

SV

CG

SO

SO/9IP

Cambridge Monarchs

2001

6

7

3.54

0

12

118

10

Bracknell-Richmond Wildfire

2002

1

2

2.25

0

1

15

11.3

Bracknell Blazers

2003

3

3

3.48

0

4

38

8.3

Essex Arrows

2010

2

11

9.59

0

11

72

8.5

Essex Arrows

2011

5

5

5.56

0

8

65

8.6

Essex Arrows

2012

3

6

5.65

0

8

33

5.8

Harlow Nationals

2013

3

1

5.63

1

4

30

5.6

Southern Nationals

2014

2

3

6.12

0

6

37

6.7

Can he break the record? No one knows what manager Lee Manning will decide in terms of his pitcher selection on Opening Day this Sunday, but if Gilbert gets on the mound, we may witness a new NBL record at Grovehill Ballpark.

SCHEDULE AT GROVEHILL BALLPARK

10:30am, Herts Falcons vs South London Pirates (NBL)
1:00pm, South London Pirates vs Southampton Mustangs (NBL)
1:00pm, Herts Eagles vs London Metros (Triple-A League)
3:30pm, Southampton Mustangs vs Herts Falcons (NBL)
3:30pm, Herts Eagles vs London Metros (Triple-A League)

FOOD AND DRINKS

Apart from five cracking baseball games, fans coming to Grovehill Ballpark this Sunday can look forward to the famous Herts hot dogs as well as many other snacks and drinks. The Herts shop will also be offering Herts, MLB and other baseball merchandise. Admission is free. Click here for directions to Grovehill Ballpark.