Category: Adult Leagues

by Matt Bell

NBL WEEK 12: SURPRISE 9-INNING WINS MARK EXCITING NBL FESTIVAL

This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

From NBL special correspondent Simon Fitzjohn

It was a day for surprises, as Croydon toppled Bracknell.  It was a day for teams to emerge from a slump, as Herts pasted Essex.  It was a day for close-run things, as Southampton squeezed Mildenhall.  And it was a day for the London Mets to further stretch their lead in the standings with a win over Richmond.  All eight teams took to the fields at Croydon on July 3 for a National Baseball League bonanza.

Croydon Pirates @ Bracknell Blazers

The story of the day undoubtedly came from the host Pirates, who sneaked by the high-flying Blazers 12-11 in a thriller. Croydon jumped out to a 6-0 lead early on, only for Bracknell to slowly chip away at that lead. The Pirates again surged ahead, taking a 12-9 lead into the bottom of the final inning, with the Blazers scoring twice before their rally came to an end.  Tim Ssali took the win, and also clubbed a home run along with Alex Von Rosenbach. For Bracknell, Mike Cattermole was saddled with the loss. Pirates coach Dave Ward said: “This is a great day for us. Over the past few weeks we have had to try and fight our way back into games but today we took the lead early. It looked like we could still throw it away at the end but we held on. This is very uplifting for us and we know we can compete with the better sides in this league.” Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “All around it was a bad day at the office. We just did not turn up to play. I do not want to dwell too much on the result as it was an awful performance. But credit Croydon as they played very well and I do not want to take that from them.”

Richmond Flames @ London Mets

The clash of the heavyweights took a late twist as the Mets battled back for a 12-5 win. Trailing 5-0 early on, London chipped away but took until the sixth inning to get back into the contest, where a flurry of runs eased them into the lead. Jason Roberts took the win, his 11th of a magnificent season on the mound. Mets coach Alex Pike said: “It was a tough game. Richmond really came out firing. We kept chipping away but we did not find an answer until late. I am pretty happy with the boys as they did what they had to do to find a way to win.”

Herts Falcons @ Essex Arrows

Herts got things back on track by pounding the Arrows 18-6, backed by strong pitching from Pete Kikel. Richard Chesterton took the loss as Essex were well beaten in a battle between teams looking to kick-start their seasons. Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “It is a real boost for us to get a win like this. We have suffered a bit recently and it has started to weigh on the minds of the players. It is great to get back on the winning trail. Apart from the top couple of teams it is still a tight league and we have to be looking for a play-off spot.”

Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Southampton Mustangs

Another thriller saw Southampton move their season record to 10-10 after a comeback 7-6 win over Mildenhall. The Mustangs grabbed two runs in the bottom of the ninth, erasing a 6-4 deficit and then struck again in the bottom of the tenth as Phil Johnson bunted home Oscar Sierra. Southampton coach Ben Davis said: “It was a really big win for us. Mildenhall had some of their players back that were huge early this season and it was a tough game. We played a really good game – we kept plugging away and we managed to sneak the win.”

by Matt Bell

ALL 8 NBL TEAMS HEAD TO CROYDON FOR ANOTHER BASEBALL EXTRAVAGANZA

We are now into the second half of the National Baseball League (NBL) season and the teams are jostling to qualify for the postseason automatically or via the Playoffs. All eight NBL teams are still very much in with a chance to make it to the postseason and this Saturday, 3 July, they all head down to Croydon for the NBL Independence Day Weekend.

This is the second of the NBL Special Events introduced by the British Baseball Federation (BBF) this year and it provides an excellent opportunity to see all of the teams from the country’s top league on the same day and at the same venue. This is also a chance to see a large number of the players who were included in the Great Britain National Team preliminary 40-men roster announced this week as the team prepares for the European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany (23 July to 1 August 2010).

 

 

Jonathan Cramman for the London Mets is one of the many NBL players

who were called up as part of the preliminary

40-men roster  of the Great Britain National Team (photo by www.event-photos.co.uk)

 

LONDON METS (17-2) vs RICHMOND FLAMES (11-6)

First pitch 3:00pm (Main Diamond)

A serious injury to short stop Robbie Unsell meant that Richmond could not complete their game against Bracknell last Sunday. They will be hoping that the swelling on his eye would reduce sufficiently and that he will be given the all clear to return for the Flames in this key game. This is a must-win game for them if they are to stay in the battle for the top two places which would give them automatic qualification to the National Baseball Championship.

 

BRACKNELL BLAZERS (17-2) vs CROYDON PIRATES (5-12)

First pitch 12:00pm (Main Diamond)

Despite being the visitors in this game, the Croydon Pirates will have a significant advantage as they are playing on home soil and can count on their fans’ support. Bracknell know that automatic NBC qualification is not secured yet and they would not want to slip up especially as they are expected to be hit the most out of all the NBL teams during the European Championships with as many as six Blazers included in the preliminary 40-men GB roster and likely to miss key NBL games at the end of the month.

 

 

(photo by www.event-photos.co.uk)

SOUTHAMPTON MUSTANGS (9-11) vs MILDENHALL BULLDOGS (3-12)

First pitch 3:00pm (Diamond 2)

After taking the league by surprise and leading in the NBL Standings in the early weeks of the season, the Mildenhall Bulldogs are suffering from the absence of a large number of their players who are away on military duty. However, they expect their key players to make their return gradually in the coming weeks and they can still reach the playoffs if they can pick up wins against their direct opponents starting with the game against Southampton on Saturday. The Mustangs have been the surprise team in this year’s NBL. A win on Saturday will bring their win-loss percentage back up to .500 and a step closer to securing a Playoff spot.

ESSEX ARROWS (3-14) vs HERTS FALCONS (4-11)

First pitch 12:00pm (Diamond 2)

The Essex Arrows come into the game with momentum on their side. They have won 3 of their last 6 games while the Herts Falcons have not won a game since 5 June 2010. In their last meeting the two teams served up a thriller which the Falcons won 12-11. The game had everything you could ask for, including 4 home runs. The fans who will be coming to this event will be hoping for more of the same. Both teams still have a chance to reach the playoffs but a loss would be a major setback for either team.

For a map and directions to the venue visit the official Croydon Pirates website

Car park spaces will be available on the field behind the Main Diamond. Food and drink will be on sale throughout the day.

 

by Matt Bell

BOOST FOR FALCONS AS FISHER FLIES IN FROM AUSTRALIA

The Herts Falcons have had a difficult first half of the 2010 season.  They find themselves with a 4-11 record, but they are still very much in the race for the playoffs.  The Falcons face the Essex Arrows this Saturday at the NBL Independence Day event which will take place in Croydon and ahead of this vital clash they have received a major boost.  Riley Fisher, who moved back to the Australian League after the 2009 season with Herts, is flying in to join up with the Falcons for these crucial weeks of the season.  Fisher was one of the most influential players from last season.  He will reinforce the team's injury-ravaged pitching staff and his ability to play in any position on the field will certainly re-energise the team.

The game against the Essex Arrows starts at 12:00 at Roundshaw Plaing Fields in Croydon this Saturday, 3rd July.  The event also includes three other NBL games so baseball fans will be able to see all eight NBL teams on the same day and at the same venue as we enter the second half of the season and the games start to get that October feel.

by Matt Bell

HAWKS STRUGGLES CONTINUE AGAINST NEAR-PERFECT POOLE

On Sunday the 27th June the Herts Hawks travelled to top-of-the-table Poole in search of their first win in three. Instead, the Hawks would suffer a similar fate to that of England’s footballers later on the same day.

Game One had few high points for the Hawks in offense, as they did not register a single hit or walk. Had it not been for a dropped third strike, Poole would have recorded a perfect game against them. The defensive effort was slightly more encouraging. Simon Langton took the mound and in the first inning was able to keep the home team scoreless. The second and third inning, however, proved to be very different, with a grand slam setting Poole’s bats on fire and starting a two inning rally during which Poole would score twelve runs. Young Jesse Reinebold took over pitching duties in the fourth. Having already made some great catches in left field, he pitched well enough to keep Poole to just two more runs. However, it would still be too many, and the game was called on the slaughter rule at 14-0 after just 5 innings.

Game two saw a much better offensive effort from the Hawks. Ilya Dimitrov led off the order with three hits, while the manager Greg Bochan also contributed significantly with two hits and three RBIs. These efforts — added to RBIs from Hunter Devine, Simon Langton, Perrie Sherman and Phil Crooks — helped the Hawks total ten runs, which was a great response to the shutout which had occurred just hours earlier. Unfortunately Poole’s offense was even stronger than it had been in game one. Bochan started the game on the mound, but a tough twelve-run first inning meant that he had to come off half way through the second and Jonathon Reinebold finished off the inning. Jesse Reinebold — who had continued to make great catches in left field — then had to retake the mound for the third, and suffered a tougher time than he had in game one. To finish the game, Perrie Sherman came on to pitch for the fourth and was able to hold a great offense to just three more runs. By the fifth inning Poole had totalled 25 runs and the game was again called after five on the slaughter rule 25-10. This, added to the news of England’s similarly lop-sided score, made for a long journey back to Hemel for the Hawks.

by Matt Bell

PRINCE HARRY THROWS OUT FIRST PITCH AT NEW YORK METS GAME

This article first appeared on www.telegraph.co.uk

 

The prince was given the honour usually reserved for presidents, politician and pop stars but did not disgrace himself despite his initial fears.

When asked how he felt before making his way to the pitcher’s mound the 25-year-old royal replied “don’t ask”, then joked “can I have a practice first?”.

 

Pointing towards his private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton he said: “He wants to bat against me.”

The prince appeared a little apprehensive when he finally walked out in front of the crowds and prepared to throw the ball to the catcher at the New York Mets’ Citi Field stadium in the suburb of Queens.

But he received a rapturous welcome from the near capacity audience of around 40,000 people who applauded and cheered as the prince was introduced.

He pointed at the Mets catcher Rod Barajas as if to warn him about the thunderbolt about to come his way.

Harry was wearing the local team’s blue baseball cap and a T-shirt supporting the Walking with the Wounded expedition.

The fundraising trek, which has Harry as its patron, will take a group of injured British servicemen on a gruelling trek to the North Pole next year.

The 25-year-old royal wound up his right hand to deliver the ball to Barajas, who was standing just behind home plate, and as he let go the pitch slammed into the sportsman’s glove and the crowd cheered wildly.

The prince took his cap off and wiped his brow in relief before running down the mound to shake hands with the catcher.

VIDEO: Click here to watch the Prince in action…Nice pitch! Atta boy Harry!

 

by Matt Bell

SLOW START COSTS HAWKS

Herts Hawks v. Essex Archers, Sunday June 20th

By Beat Reporter, Simon Langton

 

The Hawks suffered another heavy defeat last Sunday with Essex claiming their second victory over them this year. With a 25-9 finish, it is also the second time this season that Essex have beaten the Hawks via the 10 run slaughter rule.

Defensively the Hawks once again started badly, conceding 13 runs in three innings. With things clearly not going their way, manager Greg Bochan was forced to take out the starting pitcher, Mark Hoffman, and take to the hill himself despite suffering with a broken finger. Bochan was able to give the Hawks a chance, giving up just 4 runs in the middle innings. But Essex’s seventh inning 8-run rally — firstly off Bochan and then his replacement on the mound Simon Langton — pretty much ended the Hawks hopes of a comeback as the total reached 25.

At the plate, the Hawks were solid, picking up a few runs here and there to reach a respectable total of 9. Hunter Devine led the offense with 4 hits, 3 runs and an RBI. This was aided by Perrie Sherman’s 3 RBI game and the manager Greg Bochan, who put his broken finger to the back of his mind to drive in and score couple of runs. The offensive effort, however, was not enough to make up for the slow start offensively, and the 10 run slaughter rule came into effect at the end of the seventh with the final score at Essex 25-9 Herts Hawks.

by Matt Bell

BLAZERS, METS AND MUSTANGS SWEEP AWAY OPPOSITION IN NBL WEEK 10

From BSUK NBL Correspondent Simon Fitzjohn.  This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

It was a field day for the road teams on June 20, with all six National Baseball League games going the way of the away side. League leaders Bracknell Blazers and London Mets continued to flex their muscles atop the standings, while the Southampton Mustangs continued to show signs of improvement.

BRACKNELL @ ESSEX

The Blazers eased to a sweep by virtue of 15-2 and 10-2 victories against the Essex Arrows. Mike Trask pitched a complete game to claim the win in Game One, with Matt Maitland taking the mound honours in Game Two. Matt Gilbert and Richard Chesterton were the losing pitchers.

Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “It was a case of getting the job done. We had a couple of our guys back from university and we brought some guys up from AAA and it was great to see we are becoming such a solid unit. The platform is there for us to take things on and have a great season.”

Essex coach Phil Chesterton was far from downbeat despite the losses. He said: “I certainly don’t think we disgraced ourselves. I’m not going to be too down about it. We are continuing to play much, much better. Bracknell are easily the best hitting team we have faced and in the main we lived with them.

LONDON @ HERTS

The Mets moved into top gear at Herts, cruising to impressive 11-0 and 30-5 wins. Jason Roberts and Rob Anthony claimed the pitching wins, but it was on offense that London really hit form. Dan Williams led the way, going 8 for 8 with two home runs, including a grand slam. Kyle Hickson also homored to leave Mets coach Alex Pike purring. “There were shades of our 2008 team out there on Sunday,” he said. “I am very happy with how the guys played and everyone in our line-up hit. Strangely enough, I do not think Herts played that badly – we were just that good.”

Herts’ manager Jason Greenberg was less enthusiastic about how his team performed. “We failed to execute in every sense,” said Greenberg. “Pitching, hitting, fielding… everything was a bust this week. There’s not much more to say. We know we’re a quality team, and it’s time to start playing like it.”

SOUTHAMPTON @ CROYDON

Southampton won the battle of the sides with top-four aspirations, rolling to 9-7 and 18-7 wins in Croydon. Gary Davison and Dave Wrigley took the wins, with Tim Ssali and Jose Sosa saddled with the losses.

Game One was the real thriller, with the Pirates coming close to clinching victory in the seventh inning, only to succumb in the eighth and the Mustangs took that momentum into a more routine Game Two win.

Pirates coach Dave Ward said: “We were really hoping to split the two games but it was not to be. Our problem at the moment seems to be conceding runs early on in games. We are always on the back foot and having to chase games and it is a case of trying to keep our spirits up.”

by Matt Bell

ON THE ROAD; ON THE BASES

Ho hum. Just another week. Just another see-saw nail-biter ending in heartbreak for the Herts Raptors. It had been three weeks since I pulled on my glove — the previous occasion was the one-run drama against Tonbridge. While I have grumbled on many occasions about the frustrations of long layoffs, they do make the playing experience more intense — it's always extra special to be back, and more fun to be with the team. And Raptors games at the moment all seem to be classics!

So let's have a whizz through the Jones performance on the road at Chelmsford. In centre field, it was pretty quiet. Although the Chelmsford Clippers scored 24 runs, they got remarkably few big hits. The only one they got while I was in the game went just over the head of Tom in right field. Moments before, Chris in left field had said to me “shouldn't he be further back?” I said “Nah, he's fine, they've not got any big hits”. I'll be listening to Chris next time!

At the plate I had a bit more satisfaction — a leadoff single up the middle to open the game; a close groundout to third; then I reached after being hit squarely in the ribs by a breaking ball which never broke; and finally a walk as the rally truly got underway. My average crept up to .333, my OBP to .625. I won't be winning any awards, but at least was swinging the bat with a bit more confidence and conviction.

On the base paths I made my most maddening out. On one occasion when I reached, it loaded the bases. Like any good players, we were alert to the possibility of a wild pitch, or a passed ball. And when a pitch did squirt past the catcher, Jeff Witter seemed to head off from third. I paused for a moment to check he was indeed going, and then set off for second. But Jeff stopped. Perfectly sensible, as he thought he couldn't make it – but I was now in trouble! The catcher looked at third, couldn't get Jeff. He checked second, as I tried to sneak back to first. But when he then checked my base and found it vacant except for a fielder, it sealed my doom. A good throw and a swift tag left Jones heading for the dugout looking pretty dopy. Logic suggests that aggressive running will sometimes lead to outs, but being tagged on the bases always feels like such a waste.

With plenty of new guys to get in the game I was benched and was able to enjoy the finale from the sidelines. Yes, of course I'd prefer to have been playing, but the experience was like being a particularly attached fan. It was tense and it was exciting and you felt as if you were taking every at-bat, fielding every ball. The Raptors were unlucky to lose after competing so hard.

My own process of “Going Through the Change” has perhaps stalled — as I must serve as a utility player when I can make it to games — but there can be no doubt that this set of Raptor players are going through a change of their own. It will be fascinating to see where they end up. 
 

by Matt Bell

MORE HEARTBREAK FOR HERTS

The Raptors' quest for a first victory took them to Chelmsford, to face the Clippers who thumped them 37-6 early in the season. The Herts rookies were determined this time it would be a different story — and it was. On a changeable summer Sunday, they took the division-leading Clippers all the way to the 9th inning, coming up an agonising three runs short and losing 24-21.

It all began well. Rob Jones led off with a single, before stealing second and being driven home by Bryan Drummond. More aggressive running — including from manager Ken Pike — helped the visitors score four in the first frame, with all nine players coming to the plate. Even more importantly, the Raptors then shut down a Clippers offense which had trampled on them when the clubs first met. One walk was the only blemish on “Cowboy” Jim Arnott's first inning on the mound.

The game was tight over the next few innings, and by the middle of the fifth Chelmsford narrowly led 9-8. That's when they suddenly broke out. Six runs came in, with the biggest hit of the day so far arcing just inches over the glove of Tom Green in right field.

But — crucially — the Raptors did not allow their heads to drop, even after being shut out in the top of the sixth. Pitching in relief, Bryan Drummond held the Clippers to just one run in the bottom of the inning and then the Herts bats came alive for five runs. There were hits for Tom Green, and for Ken Pike. With two out, veteran first baseman Jeff Witter showed the vital role which hustle plays in baseball. He'd moaned about his hitting all day, but this time after a dropped third strike he sharply avoided the catcher's tag and ran to first, seeing the fielder's throw bounce in the dirt and away up the line. The inning stayed alive, and a run scored. The gap closed to 18-20.

In these closing stages the Raptors' clutch of new players also proved their worth. Young debutant Senna Ashida got two strong hits to get on base; his father Tak was less lucky in where the ball fell, but still made good contact. The Reinebold family double act was perhaps even more impressive — father Jon stroked hits all over the park, fielded three positions, and made the catch of the day diving to his right at shortstop. Reinebold Jnr — Jesse — dazzled as he pitched two innings like a pro. He's the latest in an impressive line of young talent for the Herts club.

Back to the game, then …. and it was turning into a slugfest. That was mostly down to aggressive hitting, as errors had largely faded out of the game. Chelmsford responded to the Herts surge, plating four runs before the visitors racked up another five. Jim Arnott can claim an “unofficial” inside-the-park home run after scoring on overthrows, having hit a bases-clearing triple into the outfield gap.

The stage was set — again. Raptors needed six runs in the top of the ninth to keep the game alive, seven to take the lead. Although Chelmsford had a fresh arm on the mound, the Herts rookies would not surrender. One run scored, then another. Then a third. But the Raptors were running out of at-bats. A force-out had claimed the lead runner, some brilliant fielding had stolen away surefire hits. So the final confrontation was Saint on the mound against Green at the plate. It was a tough battle, but a low strike sealed the Clippers' win.

The game had been another rollercoaster. Maybe it wasn't for the purist, but it was a good test of heart for both teams. There were a sprinkling of errors which revealed it as an A-class game — but there were flashes of excellence too on both sides. The Raptors' manager Ken Pike said his team's massive improvement since their first clash with the Clippers was “something special” and was a deserved reward for the team's work. The  growing expectations of a win are looking increasingly justified.  

4 0 3 0 1 0 5 5 3 – 21

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