Category: Raptors

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

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

British baseball season commences this Sunday with 5 games at Herts

The waiting is over for British baseball fans. The 2015 league season commences this weekend. The Herts Falcons open their NBL campaign at home with a doubleheader as part of an Opening Day involving three NBL and two Triple-A League teams.

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

The Falcons will face the South London Pirates in the first game of the day starting at 10:30am. Maikel Azcuy, Robbie Almanzar, Edwin Alcantara and Moises Vasquez are expected to make their Herts debuts. The Pirates media department has been quite during the off season so it is difficult to assess what we can expect from them this season. This may be a ploy to keep their secret weapons up their sleeves. We will have to wait until Opening Day to find out. The Falcons won three of the four meetings between the two teams last year.

At 1pm the Pirates will play the 2014 NBL runners-up Southampton Mustangs and then at 3:30pm the Mustangs and Falcons will meet in what is always a tense clash. During the winter Southampton has strengthened its roster further with the acquisition of Shaun Macey (Australia), Kevin Hightower (USA), Alrey Lorenzo (Cuba) and Piotr Kosiba (Poland). Macey brings over 20 years experience, and was most recently a pitcher for the Auburn Orioles of the NSW Major League. Hightower is a catcher and can also play at first or second base. He spent the last ten years in Florida and Washington DC playing in the MABL. Alrey Lorenzo is a shortstop who previously played for the Southern Nationals. Kosiba is a former member of the Poland National Team. He also has experience playing in Italy, France and Germany.

Falcons centerfielder Cris Hiche hit a home run on Opening Day 12 months ago.  Can he do it again this Sunday? (photo by Richard Lee)

Herts Falcons won two and lost two of their games with the Mustangs last year.  Manager, Lee Manning, will need his players to make a good start if they are to be in the playoff race this year. He is going into the new season in an upbeat mood not only due to the new arrivals but he can also count on the return of players who missed most of 2014 with injuries. The one big setback for the Falcons is the news that shortstop Ryan Hackel, has had an emergency deployment.  The date of his return is not confirmed at this stage.

TRIPLE-A LEAGUE

The Herts Eagles also open their Triple-A league season this Sunday at home. They have the hardest possible start against the London Metros who were runners-up last year. In 2014 the Eagles finished last with a record of 2-16. They will once again go into the season with a team made up predominantly of under-19 and under-17 players who have grown in the club’s youth system. They are now a year older and the newly appointed managerial duo of Arnie Longboy and Jake Caress are going into the season with optimism. In addition, they will be able to count on several more returning experienced players such as pitcher Louis Hare, outfielder Mahendra Prasad, pitcher and infielder Gilberto Median, new signings Gary Ward and Omar Vallenilla among others.

There are seven players in the Eagles roster who are battling to win a place with the GB U19 and U17 National Teams. The biggest challenge for the team would arguably be to survive the weeks when players are called up to the GB national team.

SINGLE-A LEAGUE

The Hawks find themselves in new surroundings as they will make their first appearance in the BBF Single-A League. They are on the road on Opening Day making the trip to the Haverhill Blackjacks who reached the Single-A final in 2013 and 2014 but just missed out on winning the championship on both occasions. This will be a major test for the Hawks and it will give Herts fans a good idea about the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs. The Hawks have lost the services of ace pitchers Nick Russell who transferred to Northampton and Zack Longboy who is now with the Herts Eagles in the Triple-A league. Despite this, the team will not be lacking in the pitching department with Andrew Slater, Greg Bochan, Jim Arnott and Nic Goetz who are all experienced pitchers.

The Herts Raptors will have to wait an extra week for their season opener. They start at home on 19 April against Tonbridge who impressed in the Herts Spring League over the last three weeks.

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.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Arrows, Hawks and Mavericks clinch 2015 HSL titles

Anxious wait for the Guildford Mavericks in the race for the HSL Single-A title

The Essex Arrows won their second HSL Majors title in a row. The Herts Falcons were hoping of overtaking them in the direct clash between the two teams but it was rained out. The London Mammoths took full advantage of this on Saturday beating the Herts Eagles 9-4 which moved them into second place tied with the Falcons. With fewer runs per inning conceded by the Mammoths (Mammoths 0.57 runs per inning and Falcons 1.22 runs per inning) they overtook the Falcons pushing them into third place.

Before the final weekend of the HSL the Herts Hawks had a commanding lead at the top of the HSL Double-A standings with 3 wins and no losses. Only the Haverhill Blackjacks had a mathematical chance of overtaking them. The Herts Raptors were Haverhill’s opponents and they gave their club mates a helping hand with a 8-4 win which confirmed the Herts Hawks as this year’s HSL Double-A Champions.

The umpires have been fantastic once again this HSL. Great effort in tough weather conditions.

The HSL Single-A race went right down to the final game of the competition. The Guildford Mavericks were sitting comfortably in first place at the start of the weekend. The London Musketeers needed two wins to overtake them. They seemed on course after taking a 6-0 lead into the final inning of their game against Kent Mariners, but 8 Kent runs in the final inning derailed the Musketeers’ title hopes. That gave Guildford an even firmer grip on the Single-A title, but as news of Tonbridge beating Haverhill 5-1 came through on Sunday they had to wait anxiously for the score of Tonbridge’s final game. Tonbridge won that game but it was once again those Herts Raptors who played the role of the spoilers as they drove in seven runs in the process which pushed Haverhill’s runs conceded per inning up to 1.43 compared to Guildford Mavericks’ 1.18.

View HSL scoreboard

View HSL standings

With Spring Training completed, British baseball teams up and down the country will hope that this will be their year. The 2015 League Opening Day is this Sunday, 12 April, with five games at Grovehill Ballpark. Follow us on twitter and facebook for a comprehensive coverage of the 2015 baseball season.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

New signings make debuts on first weekend of the HSL

Mike Osborn was the starting pitcher for the Falcons against the London Metros

The first weekend of Herts Spring League games gave a glimpse of what we can expect from the 2015 British baseball season which commences on 12 April. However, after a hectic winter of players being transferred from one team to another and new players signing up, it is going to be difficult to make an accurate prediction of where teams will end up in the standings of the various league tiers.

The Herts Falcons faced the 2014 Triple-A Runners-up, the London Metros, in their opening HSL game. This was a first opportunity to see new signings Maikel Azcuy, Robbie Almanzar and Moises Vasquez play for Herts, who also fielded several players whose identities they chose not to disclose. The game also saw the return from injury of centerfielder Cris Hiche and pitcher Louis Hare. The Falcons took an early lead and held on to it despite a brave fight back by the Metros to bring the score to 14-11. It was Maikel Azcuy who took the game beyond the Londoners with a 3-run home run in the eighth inning.

In another highly anticipated game, the 2014 NBL Champions, Essex Arrows, faced the Triple-A Champions, Cambridge Royals. In a closely fought game the Arrows won 4-1, but it is becoming evident that the gap between the top tier and the Triple-A is narrowing. The hope is that the BBF will promote more Triple-A teams as part of an overdue expansion of the NBL. In this game Jorge Machado made his debut for the NBL Champions after his move from the Southern Nationals in the offseason.

In their other game the Royals faced the London Mammoths who will be the newest member of the Triple-A League after being awarded promotion by the BBF. The Mammoths will be very pleased with their performance. They held a 3-0 lead after 3 innings. The Royals fought back to win the game 5-4. Later in the day the  Mammoths won 6-2 against Brighton who will also be making their Triple-A debut this year. The team from the South coast fielded a mix of their Triple-A and Single-players but they still managed to defeat the MK Bucks who are always difficult to beat. It didn’t get any easier for the Bucks as they suffered another defeat later in the day against the Essex Arrows.

The Haverhill Blackjacks slugged their way to a victory over the Cambridge Monarchs

In the Double-A division of the HSL the Herts Hawks lead the standings after wins against Tonbridge and London Marauders. Haverhill Blackjacks are half a game behind after their win against the Cambridge Monarchs. In the Single-A division, Guildford are ahead following their exciting 15-13 win over the London Musketeers. Herts Raptors beat Kent Mariners and lost to Tonbridge to put themselves in the group of four teams which are half a game behind the Mavericks.

Click to view HSL scoreboard and schedule

Click to view HSL Standings

The HSL games resume next weekend. The game of the day is expected to be the all-NBL clash between the Essex Arrows and the Herts Falcons at Grovehill Ballpark.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Difficult opponents for Eagles, Hawks and Raptors on Opening Day

The British Baseball Federation has published the games schedules for the three minor league tiers below the National Baseball League.

TRIPLE-A LEAGUE

The Herts Eagles will face some familiar opponents in the Triple-A League. The only change from last year’s lineup is the promotion of the London Mammoths from Double-A after their triumphant year. Hove Tuesday have been re-branded as the Brighton Baseball Club, with the Brighton Bulldogs retaining their Triple-A spot. The division will adopt a 24-game schedule, with each team playing home and away doubleheaders.

The Eagles will open the season with a very difficult home doubleheader versus the 2014 runners-up, London Metros. The game will start at 1pm immediately after the first game in the NBL Opener between the Herts Falcons and the South London Pirates.

Newly appointed Herts Eagles managers, Arnie Longboy and Jake Caress, will be keen to find out the playoff qualification process as the team goes into the season with one more year of baseball under their belt and in a more upbeat mood compared to 2014.

SINGLE-A LEAGUE

The BBF’s Single-A League will be contested across three evenly-sized pools consisting of five teams each. Teams will play each other once, with a balance of home and away fixtures.

Herts will be represented by two teams in the Single-A League this year. The Herts Hawks find themselves in a division with Brentwood Bucks, Essex Archers and Forest Glade Redbacks and Haverhill Blackjacks. The Herts Raptors are in a division with the Old Timers, London Marauders, Richmond Dukes and Bracknell Inferno.

The Hawks will start their season on the road against the 2014 Single-A national runners-up Haverhill Blackjacks. This would be the first ever meeting between the two teams.

The Raptors will have to wait an extra week for their season opener at home against Tonbridge on 19 April. This may work in their favour as newly appointed joint-managers Rob Jones and Kal Dimitrov will have an extra week to prepare the team.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Managerial duo to guide Herts Raptors in the Single-A League

Herts Baseball Club has announced the appointment of Rob Jones and Kal Dimitrov as co-managers of the Herts Raptors.

Last year the team was managed by Geoff Thomas and Rob Jones, but at the end of the season Thomas stepped down. For the board of the club it has been a case of finding the right person to partner Jones who has done an outstanding job and whose presence gives continuity and an opportunity to build on the progress made so far.

Both Rob Jones and Kal Dimitrov has been a long-standing members of the club. 2015 would be Jones’ twelfth and Dimitrov’s thirteenth season with Herts. Their experience is expected to add value to the club’s fourth adult league team which is made up predominantly of players who are relatively new to the British baseball leagues or are playing the game for the first time. Their appointment also means that they will be added to the club’s board, which will be an extra boost for the club.

The Raptors had a record of 3 wins and 10 losses in last year’s Single-A League – BBF’s fourth league tier. There appears to be a change in the club’s approach which resembles that of the 2012 season. That year proved to be the most successful year in the club’s history when all four teams finished with a record of .500 or above in the regular season. Only time will tell if the Herts teams can produce the same performances as they did in 2012, but the signs at this stage of Spring Training are good.

The newly appointed co-managers have three weeks of Spring Training followed by three weeks of pre-season games in the Herts Spring League to assess their roster and turn it into a winning team for Opening Day on 12 April.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

4 teams will fly the Herts flag in the BBF senior leagues in 2015

Herts Baseball Club has revealed that it will be entering four teams in the 2015 British Baseball Federation adult leagues, same as last year, but the allocation of those teams is different from previous years.

As expected, the Herts Falcons will play in the National Baseball League, Britain’s top league tier. The Herts Eagles will continue in the Triple-A League (second tier), same as last year. The big change comes for the club’s third team, the Herts Hawks. They will submit their application to enter the Single-A League (fourth tier). The Hawks made their league debut in 2005. That was in the Double-A league (third tier). They remained members of the Double-A League every season between 2005 and 2014. 2015 will be the first season that the Hawks enter a league other than the Double-A. The club’s fourth team the Herts Raptors will submit its entry to the Single-A League (fourth tier), a league it has played in ever since its inception in 2008.

This allocation of Herts teams is similar to the very successful 2012 season when the club had one team in the NBL, one in Double-A and two in Single-A.

Of course all of these, with the exception of the Herts Falcons’ entry in the NBL, are subject to approval from the BBF. Last year the BBF rejected the Herts Raptors’ application to move from the Single-A to the Double-A league. This was a major surprise as they were offered the alternative choice of playing in the Triple-A, which is higher class than the Double-A, so it was not clear why they would be eligible to play in the Triple-A but not the Double-A league.

If the club’s 2015 entries are approved we can look forward to a Herts derby between the Raptors and the Hawks in the Single-A. In the club’s history there have been only three seasons when two Herts teams have competed in the same league. In 2007 the Falcons and Hawks were both in the Double-A. In 2012 and 2013 the Eagles and Raptors came head-to-head in the Single-A league.