Category: Adult Leagues

by Matt Bell

Herts’ Outfield Maestro Engaged

2010 Herts Eagles Home Run Champion, Stolen Base King and Gold Glove Winner, Mahendra Prasad, has been officially engaged to Carit.  The celebration took place in Mahendra’s homeland, Sri Lanka. 

A very important event in the life of Mahendra and Carit, but despite this it seems like Mahendra has baseball on his mind.  In a message to Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, Mahendra sent his best regards to everyone at Herts Baseball Club and ended his message with “Can’t wait to come back and play”.

He is expected to make his return shortly, which will be a big boost for the Herts Falcons who have been showing signs that they are going to battle right to the end and Mahendra’s return would give them that extra which they have missed while he has been away.

Click here for more photos.

by Rob Jones

The Hawks strike back

Richmond Dragons 16-21 Herts Hawks — Sunday 26th June, Connare Field

Another hard-earned victory is in the bank for the Herts Hawks. After last week’s epic struggles which ended in defeat, this week the Hawks came out on the winning side of another see-saw battle. They travelled to Richmond to face the Dragons, who came from behind to win when they visited Grovehill earlier in the year.

This time Herts set out their stall from the very start. Ilya Dimitrov got aboard with a walk, and then stole both second and third bases. He was finally driven home by Hunter Devine. That one run was the difference at the end of the first inning, and Hawks would never fall behind.

Matt Johnston at bat
Matt Johnston was an offensive powerhouse for the Hawks

Dimitrov and Devine would keep up their contributions in the field, too. The Herts infield was widely praised for keeping Richmond in check, and Devine and the veteran first baseman Jeff Witter turned two double plays. Witter also made a diving catch, as the Hawks list of heroes grew ever longer.

In fact there were just ten Herts players to go round, and one of them got injured, so on a baking hot day they all knew there was no choice but to stick with it and bring their A-game. Last week’s MVP Andrew Slater once again was a towering presence, while Ilya Dimitrov complemented his speed with two doubles to centre field and four runs. Matt Johnston also racked up impressive offensive figures on the day, hitting.500 and getting 3 RBI’s. Team-mates said he was “on fire” on the base paths.

This is not to say that Richmond rolled over. These two clubs have a long history of tough battles, and this game remained tight throughout. The visitors led 8-7 after five innings. The Dragons tied it up at the bottom of the seventh, after holding the Hawks scoreless for the first time.

But the Herts pitching did its job. Nick Russell, who pitched his full nine innings last week, was the starter again this time and kept Richmond off balance. His stuff was said to be electric. Jim Arnott, last year’s phenom in the Raptors, replaced him late in the game and kept the Richmond bats in check. Herts pitchers were charged with a total of only 6 walks but 9 strikeouts, and excellent ratio.

It was 16-14 going into the final inning, and everything was on the line. Herts chose this moment to match their biggest inning of the game, putting five runs on the board to build a vital cushion. Richmond were able to pull back two runs, but it was never going to be enough. The Hawks ran out 21-16 winners.

This had been another fine team performance. Even those who did not have gaudy stats contributed an enormous amount – outfielder Dave Hamilton picked up 5 walks with his patience at the plate, while the reassuring presence behind the dish, Kal Dimitrov, gunned down a runner at second to end an inning.

The team’s managers, Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish, could not be in Richmond to witness the latest Hawks victory, but they were blown away by what their team had done. They even joked that maybe they should stay away more often.

by Rob Jones

Drama in Defeat at Herts

Vince Lombardi was right — winning isn’t everything. But he was wrong when he said it was the only thing. Two of the Herts baseball teams showed that an enormous amount can be gained from commitment, and heart, and even from just having fun. Herts did everything except win, but still had a lot to show for their day.

The Hawks and the Raptors were both in action Grovehill on Sunday 19th June, and the AA side was involved in two titanic battles against the Essex Redbacks II.  Both teams have struggled to get results this season, and this was an evenly-matched contest.  The first game was always close, and ended 12-8 to the visitors, with Nick Russell taking the tough loss.

Kal and Paul
Kal Dimitrov greets Paul Auchterlounie after his sac fly

The second game looked as if it was going to be a disappointing blowout. The Redbacks scored ten runs in the first inning, and led 16-4 at one point. By their own admission, they had visions of a mercy rule victory. But the fourth inning suddenly saw the Hawks offense blossom. Andrew Slater got things going with a hit. Ilya Dimitrov stepped up behind him and slapped a confident line drive to right field, before speeding round to second base. He challenged the defense and won, taking third before scoring. Ali Hall and Ralph Bartholomew got aboard, too, and Essex seemed not only rattled but overwhelmed.

As for Herts, they seemed to well up with self-belief. Matt Johnston, whose playing time has been cut by a move away from the area, burst out of a batting slump to notch a hit, one of two on the day.  Paul Auchterlounie clouted a textbook sacrifice-fly to bring home Kal Dimitrov, and when the Redbacks finally managed to get Andrew Slater out, he still brought in a run when he grounded out.  By the end of the day he had got on base 7 out of 8 times and was acclaimed as the MVP.

However, all offensive explosions come to an end, and with the lead cut to four the Hawks now took their fielding positions. Essex were not cowed by their experience in the fourth, and they battled back. Runners got aboard as Nick Russell’s extraordinary arm finally began to fall off.  Slater helped limit the damage, throwing his body in the line of fire to tag a runner at third.  Ilya Dimitrov made athletic saves at first base, and the sky high morale looked as if it could carry Herts all the way.  That man Slater came in as relief pitcher in the sixth, and registered back to back strikeouts, and later a scoreless seventh. The tying run for Herts came to the plate in the nail biting finale — but it was not to be. The game ended 25-22, but it was clear to all involved that this had been a great team effort and a great performance.

Matt in motion
Matt Jonhston swipes third

Earlier on Grovehill’s other diamond, the Herts Raptors had an experience which was similar in many ways, and yet utterly different. They faced one of the league leaders in Single-A, the Southampton Mustangs. The Raptors were fielding a patchwork team, because the game had been rescheduled at the last minute, and so they had little hope of beating their powerful visitors. The final result of 21-3 was definitive.  And yet the Raptors played with verve and tenacity.

The first inning was unusually quick for a Raptors game. Three of the Herts batters struck out, with no runs scoring, but then when spot-starter Arnie Longboy took the mound he also limited the Mustangs to just one run. Shortstop Liam Green secured all three outs, flashing both leather and his impressive arm.

Longboy’s honeymoon ended quickly. In the second inning a series of walks and doubles helped Southampton score 8 more runs. Arnie did help his own cause in the third inning with a triple to left field, bringing in Rob Jones from first base. He then scored himself on a single by Theo Scheepers. The Raptors loaded the bases, but by then there were 2 outs, and the Mustang’s Dave Wrigley struck out Jose Morillo to end the threat.

With Southampton 12-2 ahead and cruising after three innings there was little hope of a rally, but Herts kept fighting. Jones scored another run on another Longboy hit — and the pitcher/manager ended the day going 3-4 with the bat.  Senna Ashida, who had not played at all this season due to college commitments, reached base every time he came up to bat, and also put away a fly ball in left field.

Raptors had a satisfying end to the game by putting up donuts in the sixth and seventh innings. Excellent defense backed up the second relief pitcher of the day, Rob Jones — Zach Longboy and Theo Scheepers made solid catches, and the pitcher handled two of the plays himself.  Everybody would have preferred a win, but this was a fine effort against a formidable opponent.

by Matt Bell

Mask Cam at Grovehill Ballpark

On Sunday, 29 May 2011, BaseballGB writers, Matt Smith and Joe Gray, chose the Herts Falcons versus Croydon Pirates NBL game as their game to watch for the weekend. Apart form the baseball action from around the leagues on that weekend, Matt’s weekly British Baseball Beat included a very enjoyable report from the game at Grovehill Ballpark.

Among Joe Gray’s many roles in British Baseball is Project COBB and during the second game of the doubleheader Joe attached  a small camera to the catcher’s mask of Croydon catcher, Matt Schwartz.  Below you will find a link to that video which is a rare opportunity to see baseball from that angle.  It has been a long time since we have seen “Mask Cam” on ESPN or Fox.  The ending of the video below illustrates the potential risk involved so perhaps damage to equipment is the reason for this.

by Matt Bell

Losing Streak Over

Darrin Ward hit his second home run of the season and picked up the win for the Herts Falcons to end their 6-game losing streak

There was a very visible relief on the faces of everyone connected with Herts Baseball on Sunday.  The club’s top team, the Herts Falcons, finally broke the curse that has been hanging over the team since the Opening Day of the season.

The team went into the game against the Croydon Pirates bottom of the NBL standings with no wins and six losses.  They got off to a perfect start taking a commanding lead early.  Darrin Ward pitched a complete game allowing only 1 earned run on 4 hits, striking out 3.  Ward also contributed for the Falcons win offensively.  He went 2-for-4 which included a 2-run homerun deep over the wall in left centerfield and against a blustery wind blowing in from left field.

Alexander von Rosenbach also hit a 2-run home run in the sixth inning, but by then the Falcons had the game in the bag leading 10-3, and that’s how it ended.

Game 2 promised to be a much tougher encounter with Croydon starter Tim Ssali taking the mound.  Croydon were leading 2-1 going into the bottom of the third, when Herts broke out with a game-changing 7-run inning.  They didn’t look back after that and won with a final score of 13-3.  Troy Linton, from Berkhamstead, had another good day causing havoc every time he stepped up to bat.  Louis Hare also stood out going 3-for-3 in game two, with 1 RBI.  But Hare will probably be more pleased with his work on the pitching mound. Like Ward, he allowed only 1 earned run and he also showed a lot of composure with bases loaded and no one out to ruin the Pirates’ hopes.

This is the first time that the Falcons win two games in a row since 18 April 2010 when they swept the Southampton Mustangs at home.  A 6-game losing streak was ended on Sunday and a 2-game winning streak was started.  How quickly things can turn in baseball.  Can the Falcons keep the winning streak going?  The odds are against them as next they will face the London Mets who are the hot favourites for the title. The game will be part of a National Baseball League event at Grovehill Ballpark involving six NBL teams. 

NBL DAY AT GROVEHILL BALLPARK, SUNDAY, 5 JUNE 2011

11:00 Essex Arrows v Lakenheath Diamondbacks

12:30 Herts Falcons v London Mets

14:00 Southern Nationals vs Mildenhall

by Rob Jones

HERTS SIDES BLOWN AWAY

The strong winds blowing across Grovehill ballpark on Sunday did nobody any favours, but the Herts baseball teams seemed to suffer the most.

Ball, glove, hatThe Herts Raptors faced their most evenly matched opponent of the year so far in the London Marauders, but the wind quickly played a part. Starting pitcher Phil Gover found his curve ball hanging in the breeze, and the outfielders were outfoxed by a series of huge fly balls.

Six runs scored in the first inning before balls kept on the infield secured the outs. Chris Deacon — returning from injury — made smart plays to retire runners at second base, though the Raptors never quite achieved the double play they were after.

Eight more runs crossed in the second before Raptors could answer back, and by the middle of the fourth the visitors lead was 27-6. Then, at last, the home team’s bats came alive. Hustle and bold hitting got results, Will Belbin and Oz Kemal picked up RBI’s, and the Raptors put 10 runs on the board.

This dramatic comeback included the strangest hit of the day. A mis-hit dribbler went back to the London pitcher, but it got him in the shins and bounced away – after two overthrows the batter was safe at third base and all the runners had scored. Sadly, such good fortune was not to last. In the end, Marauders had too much batting power for the Herts side and ran out 37-19 victors.

At least Herts did put an exclamation mark at the end of the game, as Little League graduate Zach Longboy pitched a 1-2-3 inning in his senior debut on the mound.

The other Herts teams also endured tough days. The Hawks led 6-5 after three innings, and were only narrowly behind after four. But they then suffered a bad inning which has been the hallmark of Herts losses this year. Guildford Mavericks scored 7, and then shut out their hosts to win 21-8.

One bad inning also undid the National League Falcons, at home to the Mildenhall Bulldogs. Ace Darrin Ward was on the mound in the first game but an explosion of 13 runs in the top of the third pretty much settled the matter. Nic Goetz pitched the second game, which went the full seven innings but still ended in defeat for Herts, this time 11-1. Manager Lee Manning said too many mistakes had cost the Falcons in the first match-up, but he was pleased with a better all round defensive performance in the second. “We were just out-hit”, he concluded simply.

by Matt Bell

Halleluiah! A win for Herts

Herts is one of the biggest baseball organisations in Great Britain but has had a nightmare start of the 2011 season.  At last, the club’s barren spell has ended and the first league win for a Herts team in 2011 came at the weekend, form an unlikely source.

After four weeks of league action the three Herts teams competing in the senior leagues each found themselves with the unenviable record of four losses out of four games.  In total this translates into twelve unsuccessful attempts to end the losing streak.

All three Herts senior teams were at home this weekend and with the Herts Under-14 and Under-17 teams starting their British League campaigns the Herts baseball family was hopeful that the nightmare run would end.  Similar to Hollywood movies like Major League and Bull Durham, members of Herts prepared for the weekend exercising all kinds of superstitions from wearing unusual type of underwear, or none at all, to continuing not to shave until the losing streak ends.  Some even considered sacrificing a live chicken.  Thankfully the chicken was spared as the Herts Under-14 All Stars won their opening game of the season against their bitter rivals the London Mets U14.  Brodie Caress was the starting pitcher who picked up the win.  Jonathan Fretheim came in to close the game in style striking out all three Mets batters to end the game.  Both Caress and Fretheim delivered the final blow to the Mets each hitting a 3-run home run deep over the outfield wall.   The second game of the double-header was won 21-10 by the London Mets.

The hard-hitting London Mets are the team to beat this season in the British Under-17 League

At the same time on the other side of Grovehill Ballpark the Herts Under-17 team also opened their season against the London Mets U-17.  This season Herts enter a baseball team into the U-17 British league for the first time in its history and with the majority of the players aged 13 and 14 it was always going to be an uphill task as they came up against the reigning Under-17 British Champions who include accomplished players who are 2 or 3 years older than them.  Despite this, Herts put up a brave fight especially in game two.  They may have lost both games, but this was a good opportunity for the future stars of Herts Baseball to see what the target is for them over the next few years.  The final scores of the two Under-17 League games were 19-2 and 23-10 in favour of the Mets.

The Herts Giants had a dramatic come back win against the Herts Dodgers on Saturday

While this was taking place the Herts Giants and the Herts Dodgers clashed as part of the Herts regional league schedule for the Under-12s.  The Giants won it 18-17 with a dramatic walk off hit to extend their lead in the Herts Minor League standings.

On Sunday it was the turn of the Herts senior teams.  The Herts Falcons were missing key players, Troy Linton, Jamie Munn and Liam Green who was resting after pitching in the Under-17 league game 24 hours earlier, but even if that wasn’t the case it would have been difficult to stop the powerful batting lineup of the Mildenhall Bulldogs who won both games deservedly.  Despite the loss there were many positives for the Falcons to take out of the game as they go into a crucial game against the Croydon Pirates next Sunday.

The Herts Hawks were also at home.  This time they welcomed the newly promoted Guildford Mavericks.  Although the Hawks can have no complaints about the loss, it was very much a missed opportunity as the team had a commanding lead halfway through the game and let it slip away from them at the end.

The Bulldogs found Falcons pitcher Nic Goetz very hard to hit

The weekend was completed with the Single-A League game between the London Marauders and the Herts Raptors. The boys from Herts suffered another loss, but that will not dampen the enthusiasm of the team.  Some struggling teams like to approach one game at a time and this principle applies to the Raptors as well.  The team is a work-in-progress but the day when they will be ready to seriously challenge their opponents is not too far away.  Until then, the team may have to approach one inning at a time rather than one game at a time.

Next Games:

12:00, Sun, 29 May, Croydon Pirates @ Herts Falcons (NBL) (Grovehill Ballpark, Herts)

11:00, Sat, 28 May, Herts All Stars U17 @ Essex RedBacks U17 (Chelmsford, Essex)

11:00, Sat, 28 May, Herts All Stars U14 @ Essex RedBacks U14 (Chelmsford, Essex)

by Rob Jones

Royals Rout Raptors

Cambridge Royals 23-3 Herts Raptors, May 15th 2011

The weather was cold and blustery, and the Royals had already demolished the Raptors once this season. But 11 players made the drive to Cambridge with spirits high. The Herts team had realistic expectations, but the main thing they want to do is play their best.

The first inning perhaps set the tone in that the Raptors fought well but were overmatched. An accurate sidearm pitcher got leadoff phenom Zach Longboy out on a line drive. Rob Jones then coaxed his customary walk, and had steals of second nullified by foul balls as Ali Hall battled hard at the plate.  Hall was alert enough to run when the catcher dropped his third strike, but an equally alert Cambridge bench had him called out because first base had been occupied. Jones was stranded on third as the next man up grounded out. What could have been first and third with one out was turned around by the Royals’ years of experience.

Arnie Longboy
Longboy Snr scored two of the three Raptors runs

With bats in their hand, they put that experience to good use. Over the first three innings they racked up runs with hits and walks, and took a commanding lead. The Raptors’ starting pitcher, manager Ken Pike, put in a solid performance but the strong wind and a tiny strike zone made life difficult. The defense had good moments to back him up, with Will Belbin hauling in a scorching line drive for one impressive out, but overall this was one-way traffic.

As the game progressed, the Longboy double act made the biggest impression for Herts. It was father Arnie who scored two of the three Herts runs — the first of them almost completely manufactured from a walk, a steal and overthrows. He has had a succession of good hits stolen by opposing defenses this season, and finally made one count with his second run. Zach battled against the strong wind to make two excellent catches in left field, and was praised by the Cambridge bench for his excellent technique.

There were also cameos by new acquisition Theo Scheepers, who came on as shortstop and made good plays including a smart tag with an added dance, and by lefty relief pitcher Phil Gover. He hit the strike zone more consistently than in the previous week’s outing against Guildford, and fielded his position excellently to help keep the Raptors battling.

This was another tough lesson for the Herts rookie team. Of their four defeats, two have been at the hands of a league-leading Cambridge team who can boast veterans with expertise, and power in both pitching and hitting. The host team was generous in its praise for the graduates of the Herts Little league, and for the team spirit of the Raptors. But Ken Pike’s men are itching for a straight fight with a rival team. Maybe it can come this week…

by Rob Jones

Five things in two weeks

There’s plenty to muse on today, as it’s been a busy and tough couple of weeks for the Herts Raptors. Before I do that,  I have to clear up a couple of points for recent converts to the joys of this blog. First, the long-forgotten purpose of the title “Going Through the Change”. It’s not actually meant as a glimpse of my deepest biological secrets — it’s about switching from years of outfield play to become an infielder! Since that first change happened, I have also been drafted as a pitcher and an umpire, so there have been plenty of changes to keep up the theme.

Will Belbin looks to drive in Arnie Longboy

For those of you who are concerned that I beat myself up in public about my mistakes, don’t worry – my indefatigable ego will always be convinced that I have a talent for the game, even if it’s a struggle to find it sometimes. Also, I like to think of this blog as a sharing exercise for other small-time ball players who wish they could turn it on like the MLB guys they see on TV.  Finally, I need only ask – would you prefer it if I spent all my time telling you how fanastic I was?!

So, on to this week’s blend of boasting, hand-wringing and acute observation. Here are five things which we have either learnt, or been reminded of, in the past two weeks.

1. You’ve gotta throw a curve. I made my first pitching appearance of the season against Guildford. And it was a good reminder that pitching is really tough, and we should not underestimate the task facing our starters every week. We have given up a lot of walks, and my appearance was an attempt to throw strikes and stop the bleeding of runs. The first bit went fine, as I walked only one of the 9 batters I faced. But it didn’t really stop the runs, as I didn’t get a single out. After a few days mulling, I decided I really should’ve thrown a curve ball in there somewhere. I was focussed on throwing strikes, the main thing we needed at that point of the game. But I’m not sure I threw a curve at all, and that allows the batter to just wait for the meaty one in the zone.When the hits came, we missed at least three chances to get the final out we needed. I was one of those misplaying a ball, so I share guilt at not helping the pitcher out of his hole.

2. The double play is the pitcher’s best friend. In eight years playing this game, I don’t think I have ever turned a successful double play. So, chalk up another new experience. It happened in the third inning against Guildford. The first batter was on base with a walk, and when the second guy up hit a sinking liner to short I was just able to catch it, then throw to first base where the runner had taken off, and secure the simple double play. The next batter flied out, and the inning was clean. The double play is such a punch to the guts of an offense. I can think of an occasion in each of the last two years when the same sort of double play has been turned against us, but overall it’s pretty rare at our level. And it is nice to have members of the opposing team come over to you to say “nice play”. That’s what so-called recreational sport should be about.

Oz Kemal at bat
Rookie Oz Kemal on the end of high heat from the Royals

3. Single A can mean different things to different people. Now, this is not meant as a grumble as such. But members of the Raptors, the Herts development team, could be forgiven for wondering when they are ever going to play another set of comparable rookies. Each member of this week’s starting line-up against the Cambridge Royals had an average of approximately 1.4 prior years of baseball experience. And that figure is only so high because I have played for 8 years – 4 players had no previous taste of adult baseball. The Royals had ex-GB players and plenty of experienced guys. I had an odd empty feeling on Sunday evening, as if I hadn’t really been in a game, and I wonder if that’s because we never really laid a finger on Cambridge. It’s hard to keep your head up in mismatches, but Herts Raptors showed great spirit against Guildford, where we had a proper chance to compete.

4. Ball first, play second. My most annoying error of choice in each of the past two games has been failing to cleanly pick up a ball which was, essentially, just laying on the ground. The first was the dribbling comebacker which could have made my pitching numbers look a whole lot better, the second was when playing second base at Cambridge. On both occasions I was caught in two minds about which play to make, and so I muffed picking up the ball, and failed to make any play. Cardinal sin. Know your play, be decisive. And make sure you have got the ball before you try to do anything with it!

5. We look good! Every week you have to admire just how cool the Herts players look, with their white uniforms and now a growing range of extra branded gear. It’s still pretty obvious that whoever chose white doesn’t do their own washing, but I accept they made a good choice nonetheless. We win the style battle every week. The only other team that I think comes close is the Milton Keynes Bucks, I like their grey outfits (so would my washing machine). But somehow Herts manage to look better even than, say, Sidewinders who play in the same colours. So let’s take that victory on to the field before we even start!

PS. Having banged on about how rare double plays are, I later remembered that we turned one against Cambridge as well. One out, runners on second and third, and the batter flied out to Ken in centre field. The guy at second tagged up and took off but then found the runner at third stationary, so he had to turn back. Ken made a strong throw to second and we (I think it was me) tagged the guy out. I still stand by the fact that double plays are relatively rare in single-A (the San Francisco Giants ground into 3 in every game!) but I’m pleased to know that the Herts Raptors are turning some.

by Matt Bell

Falcons Game Switched to Grovehill

Fans of Herts Baseball can look forward to two games in Hemel Hempstead this Sunday after the venue for the Falcons vs Diamondbacks game was switched.

Due to a clash at RAF Feltwell, the Herts Falcons’ next league game with the Lakenheath Diamondbacks has been moved to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The Falcons will still be treated as the visiting team in the game, but hopefully playing at home will give them an advantage as they seek their first win of the season.  The team has had to sit out without any league action over the last three weekends, so they will be eager to get back to the diamond.  They go into the game with a 0-2 record after their Opening Day defeat against the Southampton Mustangs who have quitely gone to the top of the standings with a 6-0 record. 

The Falcons vs Diamondbacks game begins at 12:45. 

Also playing at Grovehill Ballpark are the club’s AA team, the Hawks (0-2).  They clash with League favorites the Sidewinders.  Game starts at 12:00.

The Herts Raptors (0-3) travel to Single-A League leaders, the Cambridge Royals.