Category: Raptors

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.

by Rob Jones

Raptors get their rewards

The winter weather means different things to different people. For those of us in the baseball world, it means a bit of rest for aching bones, and it also means awards! Herts Baseball Club is looking back on the season and handing out the silverware.

For the Raptors, who battled to 3 wins in the Single-A league, there were plenty of heroes both old and new. After a close-run vote, the players chose Michael Cresswell as their MVP for 2014. In his third year with Herts, this was a well deserved honour.  Not only did he lead key categories, as you will see below, Cresswell was also among the team leaders in others.

Joint manager Rob Jones said: “Mikey was part of everything this year. Above and beyond the stats, he had the x-factor that you need to compete and drive on your team-mates.”

And so here, to complete the picture, is the full list of Raptors winners. There are no actual trophies — this is the age of austerity after all — but raise a glass to them all.

Best pitcher – Michael Cresswell. The young lefty never even expected to be a starting pitcher when the season began, but he became the most reliable go-to guy as the Raptors searched for leadership from the mound. His consistency improved further from his pitching debut in 2013, and by the year’s end he had achieved the best ERA on the staff and the best K/BB ratio. An almost flawless pickoff move — which claimed numerous victims — only added to his achievements for the year.

Infield Gold Glove – Jamie Lang. The long-suffering Mets fan missed part of the year due to a visit to the United States, but either side of that he was a solid figure in the middle of the infield defence. He ended with more than a dozen assists and got the honour of securing the final out of the year at the Essex Redbacks.

Outfield Gold Glove – Joseph Osborne-Brade. A classic story of an impressive return from injury. After missing the entire 2013 season following a broken leg, Joseph stamped his authority on the Raptors outfield in 2014. He took a series of spectacular catches – including one at Essex which was nominated for play of the year – and perhaps even more importantly he was a safe pair of hands in every inning.

Batting title – Rob Jones. The team’s co-manager played in more games than usual in 2014, and used them to fight to another .500 year with the bat. He might have moaned publicly about his batting in July, but in fact the stats showed him with the most hits and the most runs, and the highest average (based on a minimum of 15 PAs).

Most RBIs – Tomasz Kosak. The Warsaw Express – in what turned out to be his final year with the Raptors  – claimed the title with the help of big offensive outbursts against Tonbridge and at Haverhill. It’s a trophy which caps years at Grovehill which saw a big impact from a big character.

Stolen Base King – Michael Cresswell. A close-run thing (terrible pun intended) on a team with many keen base thieves…. but our leading pitcher also racked up the most steals. Honourable mention should go to Jeff Witter, who was in the mix despite the fact that some might think he lacked the traditional skill-set of a base-stealer!

Rookie of the Year –  Daniel Bennett. New recruits did sterling work for the Raptors, and showed great dedication. Daniel made himself a tough out at the plate and – in the field — played several positions, including acquitting himself well at shortstop and trying out as a catcher.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

2014 Herts MVPs announced

The 2014 Most Valuable Player awards for the Herts adult and youth baseball teams were presented on Sunday at the club’s annual general meeting.

Abel Salas was voted Herts Falcons 2014 MVP. This came as no surprise given that a few weeks ago his outstanding season was recognised by awarding him all three MVP awards in the whole of the National Baseball League, including Most Valuable Batter, Most Valuable Pitcher, Most Valuable Two-Way Player. He also won the 2014 NBL Home Run title which he shared with Essex Arrows’ Maikel Azcuy who will be wearing the Herts Falcons uniform in 2015.

The Herts Eagles MVP award went to Takaya Miki. He joined the club one month into the season after a move from the Essex Redbacks, but quickly established himself in the team. He rounded off an excellent season with a leaping catch at the wall in the Hunlock Series Final which was later nominated as one of the plays of the season.

Greg Bochan has been an unsung hero of Herts Baseball Club for many years being a major contributor in numerous departments and one of the best loved members at the club. On Sunday his on-field contribution was recognised as he was voted 2014 Herts Hawks MVP. His consistent performances at third base and on the mound combined with him being one of the most dangerous hitters on the Hawks roster made it a very easy choice for members when they cast their votes.

There was a very close race in the Herts Raptors MVP poll. It went right down to the wire. At the end the MVP award went to Michael Cresswell. 2014 was his third season with the club and he has been taking his game up a notch every year. This year he proved to be a key player offensively, defensively and on the mound for the Raptors. For the Herts Raptors coaching staff, Michael Cresswell was always one of the first players in the lineup.

The MVP race in the club’s Under-17 team, the Herts Harriers, proved to be just as close. Only one vote divided the top candidates and the MVP award went to pitcher Zack Longboy. He may have missed a large proportion of the U17 season due to his commitments in the American Varsity League and the GB Under-17 National Team, but there can be no doubt about the progress which he has made to become one of the top young prospects at Herts and in Great Britain as a whole. He was recording wins with more or less every one of his starts this season in the U17 league, Varsity League, Little League Europe Qualifier, GB U17 Team, Herts Hawks (BBF Double-A League), Herts Eagles (BBF Triple-A League) and even made a winning debut with Herts Falcons in the NBL, Britain’s top league.

The Herts U14 programme had a difficult year as part of its restructuring process, but managed to put together a team which surprised everyone by eliminating Brentwood Bucks, Essex Redbacks and London Sports in the bronze medal game. One player in particular stood out and he was voted 2014 Herts Cardinals MVP. Mikey Sylvester maintained a 0.00 ERA throughout the U17 National Championships with an opponent’s batting average of just .061 and 23 strikeouts per 9 innings which is unheard of. His offensive numbers were just as good – batting average of .900, slugging average 1.600, 1 HR and 8 RBI.

In the Herts Under-12 programme the MVP was awarded to Aaron Witter. There was little doubt about the identity of the winner as Aaron Witter made a real impression not only with Herts fans but with coaches from other clubs and the Great Britain national Team programme. On Sunday, Aaron could not pick up his MVP trophy during the club’s annual general meeting as he was attending the GB under-17 National Team tryouts. This is his first ever tryout with GB and he will face very tough competition as he has just turned 12 years of age, but it will be exciting for Herts fans to follow his progress in the coming years.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Draft is at 8pm Thursday, 28 August

We are counting down to the 2014 Hunlock Series Draft which will take place this Thursday, 28 August at 8:00pm. This year the Draft will not be televised but, with social media challenging TV as a media platform, coverage of this year’s Draft will be via Facebook. It will enable participants to interact more easily as the managers make their picks. For more details follow Herts Baseball Club on facebook.

Four teams enter this year’s competition and the managerial appointments have just been announced.

Ken Pike has previously won the Series and he is back in the managerial seat. He has teamed up with Glen Downer as the co-managers of the Red Roosters.

The Blue Dogs will be managed by two players who will be making their managerial debuts. Charlie Day and Manny Banson played for the Herts Raptors during the regular season. The Hunlock Series will give them the opportunity of seeing what life is like as a manager and it will be interesting to see if they can outsmart their more experienced counterparts.

Black Widows won the Series 12 months ago. They will be managed by Colin Whitton, who is a member of the Herts Harriers (U17) coaching staff and of course is also the manager of the Bracknell Blazers who came so close to reaching the National Baseball League playoffs this season. Colin’s son, Dan, who plays for the Herts Harriers in the U17 League, the Blazers in the NBL and also for the GB U17 National Team, is among the players who will be drafted on Thursday Night. Will Colin manage to pick Dan or will one of the other teams snatch him ahead of his father.

White Lightning will be managed by Sony Lama. He has played for the Herts Raptors, Hawks and Eagles in the Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A leagues and will go into the Draft with good all-round knowledge of the capabilities of most of the players in the Draft.

Fans will see some new faces in the Hunlock Series this year who have joined the club in the last few weeks, so there will be an element of surprise in Thursday’s Draft. Some of them may be new to Herts fans but they are not new to the game. The Hunlock Series could be a glimpse at some of the new players who will be wearing the Herts uniform for the first time in 2015.

by Rob Jones

Raptors roll over Redbacks to wrap season

Raptors shortstop Jamie Lang makes the catch for the final out of the final game of the 2014 season for the team

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
… gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here” – William Shakespeare

There was a special feeling in the air as the Herts Raptors gathered in a field in Essex for the rescheduled final game of their 2014 season. Partly it was an end of term relaxation, a looseness – but that brought confidence, too, that things could end on a high.

But the hometown Redbacks stood in the way of a win — and they had no intention of letting Herts spoil their own finale.

The Raptors started with intent. Joseph Osborne-Brade led off with a single, and stole second. Manager Geoff Thomas, starting at third base, would drive him home, before scoring himself. The entire Raptors line-up came to bat, but Essex held them to just 3 runs.

In the second, the Raptors went round again and this time they brought in 5. The game was starting to look like a traditional Single-A division run-fest, and Herts maybe thought it was going to be in their favour. Second baseman Charlie Day and shortstop Jamie Lang were among those getting in on the act with the bat.

But Essex hit back in the bottom of the second, scoring 4 runs of their own. And then, after Herts catcher Rob Jones cleared the loaded bases with a loud single into centre field in the top of the third, this game suddenly changed.

The score stood at 11-5 to the visitors, and when Essex pulled a hard-throwing reliever from their bag of tricks this became a pitchers’ duel. For the next five half-innings nobody scored. Starting pitcher Greg Bochan threw up zeroes on the board to match the new rival, with his defence helping out. Osborne-Brade ended the threat in the fifth inning with a trademark spectacular sliding catch at the foot of the fence in centre field.

Essex then started to chip into the lead, pulling a couple back in the sixth, then another with a lead-off home run in the seventh. But the Herts team were hanging in, too, even as they tried to work out their timing for the fiery reliever. First baseman Jeff Witter led off the sixth with a walk and scored with the help of a passed ball and a single from substitute Drew Mayhew. Manufactured runs kept Herts ahead.

And Witter was back in the frame when hero-time came. The top of the ninth, Herts still holding the lead but by just 13 runs to 10. The Redbacks had been edging closer all the time and could sense a come from behind win. But the doughty first baseman was hit by a pitch in his soft area, to ensure the crucial lead off man got aboard. He moved up to second before Glen Downer got on the same way. And when he scored, he was cheered loudly by the Herts bench.

The Redbacks pitcher was reaching into his last reserves and was sacrificing some control. By the time he had hit a third batter, three runs had scored and the wind was in Herts’ sails.

There were 6 runs in all and as Bochan took the mound, now guided by substitute catcher Kal Dimitrov, he was defending a 9 run lead. The first out was popped to the infield, the second was a grounder. And as the third Redback launched a high pop up to short left field the Raptors gathered a round to make the final out.

It was Jamie Lang, soft of hands, recently returned from a summer stint in the States, who took it in. And the win was complete.

The Raptors co-manager Geoff Thomas said: “It was a fantastic game and great to end the season on a high. I think we really showed what we were capable of and hopefully can carry this into next season”.

Herts had led this game from the start to the finish, and had dug deep instead of crumbling when the Redbacks made a spirited fightback. It was the third Raptors win of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a better moment to give optimism for the future.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players have started registering for the 2014 Hunlock Series

The 2014 BBF league season is about to reach its conclusion,  but the best part of the season for everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club is yet to come.

Every year, just when the MLB season enters its most exciting stage, players come to Grovehill Ballpark for a competition in memory of Herts Baseball Club’s number 36, the late Kyle Hunlock.

This is the eighth year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 only two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. Herts Baseball Club has been growing rapidly since then and the number of teams in the Series has been increasing every year. As players sign up over the next few days we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

NEW FORMAT

This year’s competition will be played over 3 weeks. The opening games will be played on Sunday, 7 September.  The second round of games will take place on 21 September with the final round scheduled for 28 September.  Sunday, 5 October has been reserved in the event of rain or other rescheduling requirements.

After its successful introduction in 2012 we will see the return of “The 9th Inning Weekend” where games are decided over one inning only. This format recreates the tension and drama of the ninth inning. Can the teams manufacture the all important go-ahead run? Can they deliver the walk-off hits? Can the pitchers and defence execute with the game on the line?

Aspi Dimitrov, Hunlock Series Commissioner, said: “The 9th Inning Weekend was very exciting in 2012. Last year it was wiped out by the weather and we know everyone was looking forward to it, so it is back this year.” Dimitrov added: “The pressure of the ninth inning comes once a day for MLB managers. Let’s see how the team managers and players will handle it when every inning is the ninth inning.”

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the 2014 Hunlock Series managers will select their teams during a live Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will minor league players perform alongside NBL players?

Over the years we have seen how decisions made during the draft can shape the outcome of the Series before a pitch has been thrown. The managers will have to make carefully calculated decisions if they are to put together a team which can compete for the Hunlock Series title, otherwise they face miserable few weeks.

With all of the club’s managers and coaching staff monitoring these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity to make a claim on the big stage in the coming weeks of the Hunlock Series.

PLAYERS LOOKING TO REGISTER AHEAD OF THE DRAFT

Herts players are currently signing up ahead of the draft. New players and players from other clubs can also sign up by contacting Herts Baseball Club.

There has already been interest from non-Herts players located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at players who could be wearing the Herts jersey in 2015.

To be eligible for selection during the live draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by 7pm on Wednesday, 27 August. If you miss this deadline, don’t worry. Players would still be eligible to take part but would be added to teams as free agents. Players who wish to register for the 2014 Hunlock Series should contact Herts Baseball Club. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2014.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Longboy winning debut for Falcons in season-ending triple-header


Abel Salas ended his outstanding season in style with a grand slam home run (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons were eliminated from the National Baseball League playoff race seven days ago, but on the final weekend of the regular season they had a chance to ruin the plans of the Essex Arrows who needed a win to secure top spot and an automatic place in the National Championship final. The Falcons planned to unleash their ace pitcher, Abel Salas, on them but a back-muscle injury before the start of the game meant that Darrin Ward had to take his place. Despite a closely fought battle, the Arrows pulled away in the late innings to win 10-2 and clinch top spot taking pole position going into the playoffs. They will meet either the London Mets or Southampton Mustangs or Southern Nationals in the NBL Final.

Two more games were played on Sunday which enabled the Falcons to end their season on a positive note. 16-year-old pitcher Zack Longboy made his NBL debut and pitched a complete game winning 11-6 against the South London Pirates. The arm injury prevented star-player Abel Salas from pitching, but that didn’t stop him from hitting a grand slam home run in that game.

In the Single-A League the Herts Raptors suffered a 39-14 defeat against the Essex Archers.

This was the final weekend of a disappointing season for the four teams from Hertfordshire. None of them reached the playoffs and, despite a dramatic playoff push by the Herts Falcons in the NBL, they and each of the other three Herts baseball teams ended the year with more losses than wins.

The work begins now to put together teams which are able to compete much better at all four league levels in 2015. The promising performances of young players like Carlos Casal Jr, Conner Brown, Liam Green, Tom Everex-Armstrong, Will Zucker and Zack Longboy in the NBL this season has given Herts fans hope that the Falcons will be in a much better position to compete next season. Many other Herts youngsters have made similar progress with the other Herts teams in the minor leagues.