Category: Adult Leagues

by AspiDimitrov

CROYDON AND HERTS SPLIT IN NBL WEEK 7 ACTION

(this report by Simon Fitzjohn first appeared on www.britishbaseball.com)

 

The improving Croydon Pirates and the Herts Falcons split the only doubleheader played in the National Baseball League on Sunday, May 30, a make-up from the previous weekend.

Meanwhile, the rest of the league took a Bank Holiday breather.

Special NBL reporter Simon Fitzjohn provides the details.

 

Croydon Pirates @ Herts Falcons

This battle produced a pair of thrillers, with home runs, stunning comebacks and even a pitching duel for the fans to savour.

In Game One, the contest was tied 3-3 heading into the sixth inning, only for Mikael Azcuy to smash a grand slam for the Pirates to open up a 7-3 lead.

But the Falcons clawed back a run in the bottom of the frame before scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh for an amazing 8-7 triumph.

Luis Goncalves took the win, while Tim Ssala was dealt the tough-luck loss.

If Game One was an offensive delight, Game Two was the exact opposite, as pitchers Jose Sosa for the Pirates and Nick Goetz for the Falcons went at it.

With plenty of mound magic, Tim Ssala’s RBI single proved decisive in a 1-0 Pirates win.

Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “It was a real boost for the club to win Game One, as it was a great comeback. We have had a tough few weeks on the road recently so it was good to get home.

“Both of us are in the bottom half of the table,” Dimitrov continued, “and they were two tough games. We could have won both, but we could also have lost both so we have to take the positives.”

by AspiDimitrov

RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW

The head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, Marv Levy, used to rally his team with a speech which ended like this — “Where else would you rather be, than right here, right now?” And that phrase rang though my head as the Herts Raptors' epic game against Tonbridge came to a climax on Sunday evening. Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two out. Tying run on third base, winning run on second. It had been an extraordinary game, lasting over five hours, and the day had waned from blazing sunshine to long shadows. Moments like this are why we play sports.

But it was to end in heartbreak. Tonbridge held on to take the game 31-30.

No matter how high the score, or how long the game, when it ultimately comes down to such a fine winning margin you can't help but wonder “what if”.  I know that our fearless leader, Ken — who fate dealt the final out — had plenty of them going through his head on Sunday night. But three quickly leapt into my own, showing how easy they are to find: what if I had swung away in the final inning, rather than taking the walk? What if, as third base coach, I had earlier helped keep my runner out of a double play when we had a man on third and nobody out? And what if I had caught a bloop which went over my shoulder as Phil tried to close out the top of the ninth?

I don't know the answers, of course, but I can have a good guess. Question 1 — very little would have been different (and he only threw me one strike anyway). Question 2 — very little would have been different (sometimes the ball just goes where you least want it to). And Question 3? You guessed it. Very little would have ben different (and I couldn't have caught it, otherwise I would have done so in real life instead of just in my head). A baseball game is a collection of tiny incidents and tiny confrontations which make up a rich whole. If you deconstruct it, it's just not the same any more.

 I personally contributed little to the game, to be honest, I was an enthralled passenger as much as anything. But at least I broke my duck at the plate, getting my first hits of the season. Actually, my best “hit” wasn't a “hit” at all. It was a line drive which crashed into the trees just foul down the third base line.  You don't score anything for how many leaves and branches you take out, and at the end of the day it's just another strike.  But I did get a couple in the right place later, and my batting average jumped dramatically from .000 to .286. Impressive, eh? I am still taking solace from my .583 OBP. But who's counting. I would've had another walk in my first plate appearance if I had kept my bat out of the way of a pitch behind my head! I haven't done that since my rookie season.

There were enormous positives for the team. Our three pitchers, all first-timers this season, battled fantastically and even threw up zeroes on the scoreboard. Simon was a rock at first base. And of course the players scored thirty runs, three times their previous best. Where would they rather be? Right now, they'd probably rather be celebrating a win. But — failing that — I hope they are happy to have been part of both history and drama.  

by AspiDimitrov

BBC AUDIO SLIDESHOW: “SWINGING AWAY”

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's and the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, have collaborated to produce a groundbreaking new exhibition on the connections between baseball and cricket that is now open to the public at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

The MCC Museum at Lord's is trying to dispel a few myths, and reveal some surprising connections, in a new exhibition that looks at the shared history of cricket and baseball.

The BBC have published an interesting audio slideshow taking a trip back in time looking at the games of baseball and cricket. (Click to view)

by AspiDimitrov

HAWKS SUFFER DEMOLITION

Herts Hawks v. Sidewinders, May 23rd 2010

by Hawks Beat Reporter, Simon Langton

 

What started out looking like a nice warm summer day at Grovehill quickly became a nightmare for the Herts Hawks who found themselves on the wrong end of a 24-5 drubbing at the hands of Sidewinders.

Things started reasonably well with the score at then end of the first tied at one. That was not to last long, however, with Sidewinders able to run riot for the rest of the day. Errors followed by extra base hits were a far too familiar sight for the Hawks who – once behind – were never able to recover. The only respite for the Hawks was that Sidewinders only had eight players and so the would-be ninth hitter was automatically out. Despite this, Sidewinders were able to score 24 runs against what was, by the 7th, a very tired Hawks defence.

 

The Hawks bats were also relatively quiet all day. Good Sidewinders pitching was accompanied by a defence which, despite being short of numbers, was able to deal with any threat the Hawks posed. Their two-man outfield was able to make a virtue of its forced changes – on several occasions, hits which would have dropped into the gaps were caught by a repositioned fielder. By the7th inning, the Hawks only had 2 runs to their name and needed over a dozen just to keep the game going. A three- run rally in the bottom of the 7th showed that the Hawks had not given up but the task would prove too much and the game ended after 7 innings on the mercy rule 24-5.

Credit should be given to Sidewinders who played well and with determination in order to claim the victory. The Hawks will be hoping to forget about the game, hoping that it was just an off day, and getting ready to regroup for the next opposition. And whatever the result, the Hawks have taken their place in history as the first Herts team to play a game on the second diamond.

by AspiDimitrov

HAWKS SPLIT DOUBLE-HEADER IN CROYDON

By Herts Hawks beat reporter, Simon Langton

 

On Sunday May 16th the Herts Hawks played out a hard fought double header with the Croydon Pirates III. The two very tight, dramatic and at times wet games ended with each team picking up their first wins of the season. Both games were played in good spirit which allowed for an enjoyable day of baseball despite the weather.

Game one saw Hawks manager Greg Bochan go the distance pitching all seven innings and striking out 9, to pick up a well deserved 12-9 win. Defensively the Hawks were solid, shutting out the Pirates in five of the seven innings played. However, a bad second inning, riddled with errors and involving a two run triple followed by a one run double, gave the Pirates a 7-0 lead and almost the game. The Hawks responded well, allowing only two more runs to be scored all game, this limited the Pirates to an overall total of 9. Special mention needs to go to Matt Johnston whose outstanding catch in left field typified the defensive effort, and to Paul Curtis who made a good debut at 3rd base.

The Hawks offence was ruthless throughout the game. Inspired by shortstop Hunter Devine’s 3 RBIs the Hawks capitalised at every opportunity that came their way, whether by walk, error or hit, to score. Going into the seventh and last inning however the Hawks were still trailing by nine runs to seven and when Croydon were able to retire two Hawks hitters with a 9-8 lead still intact, the game was looking all but over. A four run two out rally gave the Hawks a 12-9 lead which they were able to protect in the bottom half of the seventh giving them the win.

Game two was all about good offence and bad pitching. The Hawks’ Simon Langton was unable to consistently find the strike zone giving away 8 walks in only 5 innings. That meant that that despite a huge defensive effort — including an unassisted double play by 1st baseman Tim Elkins — Croydon scored 14 runs. Fortunately Croydon’s pitcher was suffering from the same problem, which along with Tim Elkins’ 3 RBIs allowed the Hawks to be only down by one run going into the sixth, behind 14-13.

From the sixth inning the game became very exciting. Simon Langton — now playing centre field — made up for the walks with a 2 RBI double, this gave the Hawks a one run lead. Croydon were however able to counter with 2 runs of their own in the bottom half of the sixth restoring their one run lead. In the top of the seventh the Hawks offence responded. Hunter Devine maintained his excellent hitting from game one with an RBI double and Simon Langton followed by driving in another 2 runs to give the Hawks a 2 run lead going into the bottom of the seventh. When Perrie Sherman who had come on in relief was able to get two outs with the lead intact. However a two out rally which included a fielder’s choice and three consecutive singles proved sufficient for the Pirates to bounce back and take the game 19-18, splitting the double header.

by AspiDimitrov

HISTORIC WEEKEND FOR HERTS BASEBALL

This weekend will see history made at Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, as the new second field hosts its first games. The Herts club has existed since 1996 but now, for the first time, it will have two specially constructed baseball diamonds. Only a handful of British clubs can boast such excellent facilities. This will allow two of the club’s four adult teams to play simultaneously, and allow as many as six Little League games to take place at once. That will mean Herts can host even more major events, such as the end of season National League playoffs.

The first action on the new diamond will be when the Little League players start their season this Saturday, May 22nd. The competition involves 6 teams of kids playing 16 games each, culminating in the League Finals held at Grovehill on 7th August. The Yankees are the reigning champions from the last two years – can anyone else take their crown this year? The top performers from the Little League will then be chosen to play for the Herts All Stars at the British National Championships. Last season, the Herts team finished as runners-up after a memorable, heart-wrenching 1-0 ballgame against the London Mets. Boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 14 can join the club at any time, and they could the star of this year’s campaign.

 

The adults will get their turn on the new turf on Sunday. The Herts Hawks will be the men in the history books, christening the field with a game against the Sidewinders of north London. Later in the day, the Herts Raptors will take on the Tonbridge Bobcats. This moment in history has been made possible by the generous support of many organisations — the sport’s governing body, BSUK; Awards for All; Sport England; Dacorum Borough Council and Dacorum Sports Network – as well as the Royal Bank of Scotland and our valuable sponsor, BMW Scotthall Watford. The players themselves have also put in enormous amounts of hard work.

 

by AspiDimitrov

BREAKTHROUGH FOR HERTS TEAMS

The Herts Hawks notched up their first win of the season on Sunday when they travelled to play the Croydon Pirates III. The visitors trailed 7-2 at one point but staged an astonishing comeback to claim a 12-9 victory. Team Manager Greg Bochan pitched a complete game and got the win. In the second half of their double-header the Hawks were victims of a comeback by the Pirates. They led by two runs going into the final inning but went down 15-14.

The Herts Eagles – who play in the AAA Division — also claimed their first wins of the season, sweeping the Essex Redbacks in a double-header. Essex are new to the league this year but the Herts team took no mercy on them — veteran Darrin Ward was credited with the win in an opening 12-10 victory; Louis Hare claimed the W as the Eagles then extended their dominance with a 19-9 win.

The club’s rookie team, the Herts Raptors, continue to improve and to discover more talent in their ranks, although once again they fell short of a win against Guildford. Bryan Drummond pitched four solid innings before being substituted for first-time hurler Phil Gover. Raptors’ manager Ken Pike called the southpaw’s performance “pretty stunning”, and he was also pleased with his side’s improved hitting. Once the players got used to a bumpy infield and a strong wind, they were every bit a match for their hosts. Raptors went down 23-10 but Pike is increasingly optimistic about the future.

The news was not so good for the Herts Falcons of the elite National League. Their early-season struggles continued when they took on the Bracknell Blazers, the reigning national champions. In the first inning of the first game Herts gave up 11 runs, making the task all but impossible. The rest of the game was tight, but Falcons lost 13-2. In the second half of the match-up, 16 year old phenom Luis Goncalves pitched a brilliant game, keeping the Blazers off balance. But after four innings, fielding errors crept in and cost the team dear. This time Bracknell ran out 17-7 victors. Manager, Jason Greenberg, admitted it was disappointing day, but many players were away or injured and the Falcons hope to bounce back quickly and show the League what they can really do.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS TEAMS SUFFER STRING OF LOSSES

It was another tough weekend for the Herts baseball club. The Falcons travelled to take on the Richmond Flames in the National League, and suffered a pair of defeats. They went down 8-0 in the first game. Starting pitcher Dan Kerry — fresh from scaring BBC presenters with his fastball — struggled with his control, and walked four hitters in a four-run first inning from which the team never recovered. The Falcons' own bats were held in check with only three hits in the game. The second half of the double-header brought no relief. Richmond built an ever-expanding lead, helped by 5 Herts fielding errors, and wrapped it up 14-0. Luis Goncalves got his second hit of the day, but there were few bright spots for the Herts hitters. The Falcons' Aspi Dimitrov admitted “We were not quite right, and we have to accept that.”

Elsewhere in the National League, the London Mets and the Bracknell Blazers started to open a lead at the top of the standings. Mets cruised to a sweep of the Croydon Pirates, while Bracknell put an end to Mildenhall's unbeaten start to the season, again with two wins. The Falcons record is now 2-4, and they are bubbling in mid-table.

Lee Manning's Herts Eagles were relieved to finally play their first games of the season, but they were disappointed by the results. They lost two tight games to the Bracknell Inferno, 6-3 and 14-12. In the second game, they staged a dramatic rally but it was ended by a controversial umpiring decision. The Eagles also suffered a setback in losing speedster Iwan Evans to injury — the club medical team hope he will make a swift recovery.

The Herts Raptors racked up their best run total so far, scoring 11 against the London Marauders — but  it wasn't enough. They were undone by one bad innings — in which they surrendered nine runs — and went down 23-11. The Raptors manager, Ken Pike, was full of praise for his players, calling it their best performance yet. Bobby Gould got three hits and stole five bases, Sam Pooley followed up his bright debut with 2 RBIs', and Simon Elkington impressed on his debut at first base. Manager Pike himself managed to flash the leather a couple of times, and lead by example.

The Hawks didn't even get chance to pull on their uniforms. Their double-header against Horsham had to be called off because the visitors could not muster a side.

by AspiDimitrov

BBC VIEWERS GET A TASTE OF HERTS BASEBALL

The following article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

GOOD WEEKEND FOR BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL ON THE BBC

 

It was a good May Bank Holiday weekend for British baseball and softball on BBC national radio and television.

Softball on Radio 2

It began on the Friday Fixture slot on Simon Mayo’s Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 just before 7.00 pm.

This segment features sports that don’t get as much publicity as they deserve, and in a three-minute interview with sports reporter Matt Williams, Bob Fromer, BSUK Communications Consultant and GB Softball General Manager, was able to promote co-ed slowpitch softball as a participation sport and the GB Women’s Fastpitch Team for their achievement in qualifying for this summer’s World Championships in Venezuela despite receiving no public funding.

Baseball on BBC 1

Then, on the BBC 1 Breakfast programme on Saturday morning, their resident intrepid sports reporter Mike Bushell visited Herts Baseball Club to see what was happening and have a go.

The report covered the encouraging growth in British Baseball league teams this season and the developing youth programme at Herts, and Herts player-manager and GB Baseball General Manager Jason Greenberg was able to promote the current fund-raising drive to get the GB Baseball Team to this summer’s European Championships.

Given the general reluctance of mainstream media in this country to pay much attention to minority sports, the coverage this weekend was very welcome, and the BBC should be commended for providing it.

Click here for more photos featuring the Herts Little Leaguers and Mike Bushell’s tryout with the Herts Falcons

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS WINGS CLIPPED BY CHELMSFORD

Herts Raptors v. Chelmsford Clippers, April 25th 2010

images by www.hp2photographic.com

Sunday in Hemel Hempstead dawned wet and grey but as the Herts Raptors arrived at Grovehill for their home opener, the showers seemed to suddenly fade away. It seemed like a good omen. But any thought that the Raptors' learning curve might level off — after being so steep the players have sometimes needed crampons — was quickly dispelled by an inside-the-park home run in the top of the first inning. Chelmsford hit, ran and stole aggressively from the off, and they racked up five runs. The home side could not hit back straight away, and a ten-one Clippers lead was soon on the board.

The Raptors had to surrender two of their most experienced players to the job of umpiring, but the team never gave up battling. There was some patience at the plate, and a few good hits were strung together, meaning the rookies did notch up 6 runs. But a solid performance by the visitors meant the outcome was never in doubt. It ended 37-6.

Despite the obvious suffering, there were many bright spots for the Raptors. Jim Arnott made his pitching debut, and revealed excellent stuff which won the respect of the visiting team. Sam Pooley hauled in catches confidently in centre field as well as swinging aggressively at the plate, while Bobby Gould made more good pick-ups at the hot corner. 

Certainly there is still a good feeling in the camp, and as confidence grows the Raptors will compete more. The level of opposition at the A-division has been strong so far this year, and so long as the Herts new boys enjoy their game and learn, the results will follow.