Category: Raptors

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Harriers prepare for Belgian challenge

This Bank Holiday Weekend almost all British baseball league teams are resting due to a GB event, however there are several Herts teams in action.

On Saturday, 24 May, Herts Harriers will make the short trip to Canons Park for the final day of the ISST Baseball Championships. Herts will join five varsity league teams – ASL Eagles, ACS Cobham, TASIS, STJ Lions and IS Brussels.

From the scores over the last two days we expect that the Herts Harriers will face the IS Brussels team from Belgium. The game was originally scheduled for 9:00am, however the organisers have moved the start time back to 9:30am, an adjustment which has been required due to the adverse weather forecast.

Herts Harriers will be missing a large number of players due to GB team call-ups and the injury to starting pitcher, Tom Armstrong, in last Sunday’s NBL game versus Essex Arrows.

Also on Saturday, at Grovehill Ballpark, there is under 12 league game between the Herts Dodgers and the Herts Giants.

On Sunday, the Herts Raptors welcome the Haverhill Blackjacks in a repeat of last season’s Single-A national championship semi-final which the Raptors lost narrowly. The game will start at 1pm at Grovehill Ballpark’s New Diamond.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

There is no joy in Mudville…

Drew Mayhew’s hit was one of just a few on a tough day for the Raptors’ offence

British Single-A League
Kent Mariners 16 Herts Raptors 3
Adrian Smithers reporting form Grovehill Ballpark

The Kent Mariners held the previously hot Raptor bats to just two hits during a six inning (time restricted) game, inflicting a third straight loss upon the Herts ‘A’ team in their long awaited home opener.

The game, originally scheduled for a 3pm start, was delayed by almost two hours as the AAA doubleheader between Herts Eagles & Hove Tuesday overran. By the time they had finished and vacated the old diamond it was almost 5pm. The Raptors squad had, for the last four hours, either been sitting around in the hot sunshine watching the AAA game or taking part in fielding practice or pitching try outs to keep themselves entertained.

With the sun now high in the late afternoon sky and directly behind home plate, making any flyball to the outfield hard to see for both teams, the game finally started with Kent scoring three runs in the top of the 1st inning. Raptors pulled one back in the bottom of the inning, as lead off bat and starting pitcher Michael Cresswell was hit by a pitch before stealing 2nd and 3rd. Raptors shortstop Daniel Bennett then grounded into a 6-3 play scoring Cresswell and collecting the only Herts RBI of the day. Kent plated six runs in the top of the second due in part to some uncharacteristic mistakes by the Raptors infield and outfield. The Herts team replying with a single run scored by catcher (and walking rulebook) Tomasz Kosak. Neither side scored in the third inning despite Raptors first hit of the game from Bennett and due in part also to an excellent catch on the mound by Cresswell, gloving a ball that had been lasered straight back at him.

Charlie Mayhew took over the pitching duties from Cresswell in the fourth inning with the score 9-2. Kent added four more runs in another error strewn inning by the Raptors until they got out of it on an unassisted double play by shortstop Bennett, catching a driven ball before tagging out the runner. Who having gone on contact – with only one out – was trying in vain to regain second base. Drew Mayhew then got Herts second hit of the game putting himself in position to come around the bags to score Raptors third run making the score 13-3 after four innings.

Kent extended their lead by 3 more runs in the fifth and sixth. With the score 16-3, and needing 13 runs to tie the game, the weary Raptors faded away with only Drew Mayhew reaching base on an error. It had been an exceptionally long day and it showed.

Raptors manager Geoff Thomas said; “Unfortunately we didn’t do ourselves justice today and were soundly beaten by a better team. I’m looking forward to us bouncing back next game and showing everyone what we can do.”

It will be a tough game for the Raptors who face visitors Haverhill Blackjacks on Sunday 25th May at Grovehill Ballpark. First pitch is at 1pm.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Injury-hit Falcons looking to take leaf out of Tony Pulis’ book this Sunday

The Herts Falcons are going into the weekend’s NBL games with the odds stacked firmly against them. Their roster has been severely weakened after the injuries sustained last Sunday in the games against Bracknell. Cris Hiche is one of the league’s leading batters with a batting average of .778, 1 home run, and he is expected to be out for 6 weeks. It would take a miraculous recovery for pitcher Abel Salas to be fit in time for Sunday’s games. There is also doubt about Mike Osborn’s fitness after his collision with Hiche and foot injury sustained earlier this year.

On the other hand the Arrows are buoyant after a winter which brought a number of high profile reinforcements turning them into a major contender for the title. Their starting pitchers Richard Chesterton and Lance Louw have picked up two wins each so far this season and are among the leaders in ERA, with 2.14 and 2.33, respectively. Over the years we have been used to seeing the Arrows in their traditional black and white uniforms. This Sunday, we will see them in their brand new orange jerseys mildly resembling the Brighton Buccaneers of the early 2000s.

Can Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, do a “Tony Pulis” and come up with a winning formula against the odds?

The game starts at 1pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

There will also be two other matchups. Triple-A League favourites Hove Tuesday (0-0) will be making the trip from the South coast to face the Herts Eagles (1-3). The Kent Mariners (1-2) will also be in town in a Single-A League game against the Herts Raptors (0-2) who will be looking for their first win of the season. The start times for these two games needed to be adjusted in order fit all 5 games. If all parties are in agreement the Eagles will start their doubleheader at 10am while the Raptors will play the Mariners as soon as the Triple-A games end, which is estimated to be at around 3pm. The Herts Hawks (4-4) are on the road this Sunday. They will face the Richmond Dragons (4-2), a direct rival in the race to the playoffs.

Before all of that, the Herts youth teams will be in action on Saturday. The Herts Harriers will appear in an international tournament. Their opponents will be the American Varsity League teams, ACS Cobham, and AS Paris (France). The games will be played at ACS Cobham, which is just a few minutes away from Chelsea Football Club’s training ground. At the same time in Hemel Hempstead the Herts Under-12 League games resume. Several new players are expected to make their U12 league debuts having joined the club after last Saturday’s open day.

 

by Rob Jones

Genesis and revelations

There have been big hits, infield dribblers and strikeouts; tag-outs, blown calls, and infield flies; late starts, rain and even sunburn. The season is only two weeks old but so far it has all the ingredients of a feast, writes Rob Jones. The Herts Raptors don’t yet have a win to show for it all but they have pretty much everything else.

The genesis of this blog, and its title Going Through the Change, was as I moved from outfield to infield. There’s always another change to go through, nothing stands still. This year I have finally moved officially into management.

My co-supremo Geoff has to do most of the work while I miss games and training as per usual — and while I oversee the wrecking and remodelling of my house — but it has been good to get another new perspective on the baseball experience. The drafting of players, the signing off of projects and purchases, and the week-long preparation of line-ups and locations. There’s an enormous amount goes into it.

 

Rob Jones
Rob Jones on base against the London Marauders

 

One of the main reasons I have played Single-A these past few years is so that I can pass on to new players the hints and tips I have learned in a decade of experience. Very few of them are revelations, but I have found that fundamentals are crucially important in baseball and if I communicate that to people then I have done good work. So far that has been fun, and there is a lot more to do. If I can do more of it, that might help win some games!

We have new and enthusiastic players again this year, to add to those who did such good work as Eagles last year. It’s always great to see new players discovering the game and maybe scratching an itch they have had for years after seeing baseball on TV or watching their kids play. I’m in a good position to say you’re never too old, as I am already “mature” enough to be an Old Timer.

My co-manager Geoff Thomas has made an impeccable start to the season, and it has deserved more than the two losses which are shown by the bald staistics. Importantly for a manager he has cultivated a personal style, and can regularly be seen on the sidelines clutching a brolly. The first week it was to ward off the persistent rain, the second week it was for shade from the glaring Essex sun. Next week, who knows.

But one of the toughest challenges for a manager at this level is to share out playing time for all those who have paid their money and put in their time. Raptors have achieved an even spread of game time, and when Geoff did need to step in to the game at Brentwood he did so in style, with a double in his first at-bat. He added aggressive steals and runs to help take the team to within a whisker of a win. Leading from the front.

One of the Raptors success stories so far has been the outfield, which has been as solid as the rock of Gibraltar. Baseball rookies often start in the outfield, but it is wrong to think it is the safe or easy place for them. In previous years we have sometimes been unable to secure all the outs we should on fly balls, and this year our boys with the big gloves have been exceptional.

Of course, it is also an extra treat to have Joseph Osborne-Brade back in centerfield after a long layoff for a broken leg. But it wouldn’t be such a treat if he wasn’t making highlight-reel catches.

My own season has got off to a steady enough start. With the bat it’s been a bit rusty, with a string of infield hits helping to get my batting average to .500. I’ve not yet walked once, which is unusual for me, but I did manage to secure a big hit when it was most important. Leading off the ninth as we tried to rally past Brentwood I smacked a double, which became a triple as the fielder lost a battle with the outfield fence, and I then crossed home when an overthrow to third went dead. Run scored, job done.

Fielding felt good the first week at London, with two nearly-catches falling just out of reach, but other plays being made securely. When I entered the Brentwood game as a substitute my arm just would not wake up and I made a poor throw to first which could have ended a tough inning. The brain worked, just not the body. We made more mistakes than we had in week one, and I certainly take my bit of blame for those.

We made a memorable base-running error, too, which you can read about in the match report. But it had an extra element for us due to the revival of a dead language.

I can’t share too many details but suffice it to say the runner called for advice in Latin. It caused confusion and hilarity and ultimately embarrassment as he was tagged out. Our runner was using a sporting motto, but when I worked out what he meant I in fact did so because of my schoolboy Latin. My wife found this hilarious when I recounted the tale to her later. When was the last time you heard Latin used for a purpose at a baseball game? I don’t think the sport was well-established in Caesar’s day. He doesn’t know what he was missing.

Raptors return to action this weekend against the Kent Mariners, and all the same passion will be there, and the same dedication to doing things the right way.  I already miss playing and on a summer evening like today it’s frustrating to not even be at training.  I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for the first win on Sunday.

NB: Thanks to the London Marauders for their fine photographs, and for making me look good in them.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Title chase setback for Herts Falcons

(photo by Joe Gray ProjectCOBB.org.uk)

National Baseball League
Game One: Herts Falcons 6 Bracknell Blazers 7
Game Two: Herts Falcons 4 Bracknell Blazers 14 

After taking a 6-3 lead against GB’s star pitcher Jordan Edmonds and seemingly in control away at the Bracknell Blazers, the Herts Falcons suffered a setback in the race for the NBL title. First the Blazers rallied with four runs in the bottom of the final inning to win the first game of the doubleheader 7-6, but perhaps what would be even more costly in the long-run are the serious injuries to centerfielder, Cris Hiche, and pitcher, Abel Salas. Hiche had to be taken to hospital where it was confirmed that he had fractured his wrist in an outfield collision with Mike Osborn as both tried to bravely make the play for the same fly ball. Salas was taken out of the game with a hamstring injury. He was slated to be the starting pitcher in the second game of the day, but the injury mean that the team’s pre-game strategy had to be scrapped. The Blazers took full advantage to win the second game convincingly 14-4.

Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, could not be with the team as he was awaiting the arrival of his second child. “We have to battle through the storm while our injured players recover and try to pick up wins along the way to stay in the NBL playoff race” said Manning.

New arrival, Jose Sosa, made his debut in this game and it looks like he wants to give his all for the cause. He drove the ball hard and deep and went within a few feet of a home run which would have been some achievement at the enormous Farnham Park, which has not seen any home runs since it opened last year. The Falcons will hope that pitcher Mike Osborn will be able to recover from the collision with Cris Hiche and that he will be able to continue playing with the painful foot injury which he has been carrying since sustaining it in winter training.

(photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

Triple-A League
Essex Redbacks 11 Herts Eagles 4
Essex Redbacks 13 Herts Eagles 3 

In the Triple-A League the Eagles lost both games against the Essex Redbacks, 4-11 and 3-13.

Photo by Ralph Bartholomew

Double-A League
Brentwood Stags 13 Herts Hawks 14
Brentwood Stags 21 Herts Hawks 11 

In the Double-A League, the Herts Hawks pulled-off another miraculous comeback. After trailing 4-11 against the Brentwood Stags they turned the game on its head to win 14-13. Ace pitcher Nick Russell kept the Hawks in the game with another good performance, but it was clutch at bats in the bottom of the final inning and a lapse of concentration which cost the Stags dearly. They were leading 13-12 with 1 out and the bases loaded. A ground ball was hit straight at their pitcher and they were preparing to celebrate as all the visitors had to do was to turn a routine 1-2-3 game-ending double-play by throwing to the catcher for the second out at home and then a throw to first base to force out the batter for the final out of the game. It all fell apart for Brentwood as the ball popped out of the catcher’s glove which allowed the runner from third base to score the tying run while everyone else was safe. It all came down to the next at bat with Charlie Day battling against the hard-throwing Brentwood pitcher. Day battled to a full count and in the final pitch was a ball which walked the winning run in.

In the second game the pitching staff of both teams once again struggled to find the umpire’s consistently tight strikezone, which made it a great day for the hitters and resulted in many walks. Brentwood came out on top winning the second game convincingly 21-11.

NEXT GAMES

Next week all four Herts adult teams are in action. With their injury problems, the Herts Falcons go into their home game against the revamped Essex Arrows as the underdogs. Game starts at 1pm on Sunday, 18 May, at Grovehill Ballpark, in Hemel Hempstead. 24 hours before that the club’s youth teams will go into the unknown as they face several American U19 teams including a team from Paris, France.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

BBF Single-A League
Herts Raptors 24 Brentwood Bucks 25
Adrian Smithers, reporting from Clements Park, Brentwood

The Raptors arrived in Brentwood determined to get their first win of the season. The sun was shining brightly and it was a great day for baseball.

With the Raptors ready to go, the start time came and passed, with both teams awaiting the arrival of the match umpire. However the game still did not start until after both teams had lined up to be introduced to the mayor of Brentwood. With the ceremony finally concluded the game began.

Lead off batter Mike Cresswell stepped to the plate and took strike one above shoulder height and the tone for the day had been set.

In a hard fought game the Bucks leapt out to a 12-1 lead after two innings with Herts starting pitcher Jamie Lang tiring after throwing 87 pitches in search of an elusive and ever changing K-zone. Raptors scored 3 in the top of the third before Cresswell came in to relieve Lang for the bottom of the third. He slowed the Bucks charge holding them to 1 run in the bottom of the inning to make the score 13-4. Raptors then showed their teeth in the top of the fourth scoring seven runs without an out before Bucks pitcher Cook retired the next three in a row including striking out Raptors first baseman Will Belbin (who had originally got the inning going with a single) swinging at a high pitch that today he could not afford to take. Brentwood then added 4 more in the bottom of the inning to make the score 17-11 before lefty Cresswell’s superb pick off to 1st caught Bucks’ Davenport off of 1st and with no option but to head for second and into a run down situation that the Herts infield gladly took.

With the run rate slowing and the score 19-15, Jeff Witter came in to pitch the 6th inning for Herts, relieving Cresswell. Rob Jones also came into the game at shortstop with Raptors manager Geoff Thomas shuffling round his infield. Witter held the Bucks to one run in the sixth and with Herts failing to score in the 7th, everybody stretched as the slow moving game had already been going for four hours.

Bucks tacked on two more in the bottom of the seventh after a contentious call at home plate saw Bucks run threat Harris sliding into the tag applied by Herts catcher Smithers before being called safe, much to the incredulity of the whole Herts infield who were already trotting off the diamond. Manager Thomas came out to dispute the decision and intervene before his catcher, who had finally had enough and was voicing his opinion of the umpires decision, was tossed from the game. Despite his protestations and the clear evidence in the sand of a slide that had not reached the plate, the call stood.

Raptors were incensed and Thomas coralled his team between innings and implored them to go out & score the runs needed to win this game. Despite scoring four runs in the 8th aided by a pinch hitting Thomas’s double (in his first at bat of the season) the Raptors didn’t help their own cause with Smithers caught daydreaming off the bag at second for the second out of the eighth. Brentwood added 3 more in the bottom of the 8th inning to extend their lead to 25-19. Despite Herts best efforts, including Thomas hustling to second on a ball four wild pitch, they were only able to add another five runs. Finally losing 25-24, with Lang taking the loss, they had fought determinedly. Co-manager Rob Jones offered an extremely diplomatic view upon the game. “Brentwood is always a tough place to go and play. There were times today when we felt things weren’t going our way, a few calls went against us but players showed great spirit to keep rallying back.”

Notable Raptors batting stats for the day were….

Lang 5-7, 2B, 3R, 3RBI, SB. Belbin 3-5, BB, 4R, 4SB. Landau-Smithers 2-3, 3BB, 3R, RBI, 5SB. Jones 2-3, 2B, 2R, RBI. Smithers 3-4, 2BB, HBP, 4R, RBI, 3SB, CS. and Thomas 1-1, BB, 2B, 2R, RBI, 3SB.

Now 0-2, Raptors will look to regroup and look longingly ahead to their first game of the season at Grovehill Ballpark on Sunday, May 18.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

7 games over 3 days this weekend for Herts

2008 was the last time a Herts team faced an American varsity league team.

SATURDAY, 3 MAY

HERTS DODGERS vs HERTS GIANTS

The weekend’s action for Herts Baseball Club starts on Saturday morning at Grovehill Ballpark with the opening game in the Herts Dodgers vs Herts Giants Series. This rivalry has been played out over the last few years between the club’s U12 teams and this year the series will be spread over the season in between UK Little League games, BBF national championships and other games in this age group.

HERTS HARRIERS @ ASL EAGLES

In the afternoon the focus turns to the Herts U19/U17 team which will make the short trip to Canons Park in Stanmore (postcode HA7 1AR) for an exhibition game against the ASL Eagles which is a team playing in the American varsity league. Herts will be missing several players, but it will still be interesting to see how these two teams will compare. First pitch is at 2pm.

SUNDAY, 4 MAY

SOUTH LONDON PIRATES @ HERTS HAWKS

On Sunday it is the turn of the Herts adult teams. The Herts Hawks (1-3) missed an opportunity to sweep the Pirates (1-3) a week ago. They will have another opportunity, this time on home turf. Nick Russell missed last Sunday’s game but is expected to be back on the mound for this one. A sweep will see the Hawks go back to a .500 record.

HERTS RAPTORS @ BRENTWOOD BUCKS

The Raptors (0-1) will be on the road again for their second game of the season. They will face the newest member of the Single-A League, the Brentwood Bucks (1-1). This is the first ever meeting between these two teams.

MONDAY, 5 MAY

HERTS vs LONDON SPORTS

On this bank holiday weekend the baseball action continues on Monday as the U17 and U12 London Sports teams are the visitors to Grovehill Ballpark for pre-season games versus their Herts counterparts.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Marauders strike faster than RMT to hand opening game loss to Raptors

BBF Single-A League,
Herts Raptors 9 London Marauders 20,
Adrian Smithers, reporting from Finsbury Park

There’s always a special feeling on the day of the first baseball game of the season. This was noticeable amongst the Raptors who arrived at 8am, on a dreary grey Sunday morning in Finsbury park, only to find not a Marauder in sight. This despite furious communication upon social media the previous evening, about whether the game would take place, resulted in the Raptors being informed of an 8am inspection. Little did they know that what this actually involved was opposing manager Ryan Turtill peering out of his window to see what the weather was doing before strolling down Seven sisters road to meet and greet them.

As the home team finally arrived, the light drizzle over the park faded away to become just an overcast sky. The game was on!

The score was close for the first two innings with the Marauders leading 6-5 at the end of two. However after failing to score in the top half of the third, the Raptors conceded 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning as the Marauders plate discipline payed off. As a tiring Ralph Bartholemew (112 pitches through 3 innings) was on the end of a lot of full counts and a few ball four calls that could have been called strikes on another day by another umpire had they been umpiring from behind the plate. This inning was the main difference between the two teams and pushed the London team to an 11 run lead that the Raptors were never able to close. The Raptors added a run in the top of the fourth before Jeff Witter took over the pitching duties in relief through innings 4, 5 and 6, limiting the Marauders to four more runs, two of which were unearned. The Raptors remained scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings before a rally in the top of the seventh, trying to prolong the game ahead of the dreaded mercy rule, scored three more runs but fell short as the final out of the inning and the game was made with the bases loaded and the game extending run stranded on second base. So with a final score of 20-9 to the Marauders and the sun finally blazing in the north London sky, the Raptors were left to reflect upon an opening game loss.

It was noticeable that this was a team that had vastly improved its fielding and were now making the routine outs that had so often eluded them as the Eagles in previous seasons. Prompting Raptors co-manager, Rob Jones, to pragmatically reflect upon the day with the words, “I was really impressed with how the guys performed against a tough team. There are a lot of positives to build on.”

The Raptors highlight of the day was the sight of long term injury Joel Osborne-Brade (pictured) lining his first competitive bat in nearly two years straight back up the middle for a single. Along with four catches playing CF. Two of which, were BBF ‘A’ baseball to have a web gems feature, would have surely been contenders. He went on to produce batting stats for the day that read 1-2, 2R, 2BB, 2SB. Other notable stats were Michael Cresswell 2-2, RBI, R, 3BB, 3SB. Jeff Witter 1-2, RBI, 3BB. Jamie Lang 1-5, 2RBI & Rob Jones 2-5, RBI, 3R, 3SB. Although other Raptors reached base on errors, walks and a HBP, these five supplied the only hits on the day.

Raptors will be hoping to cut out the big inning next week as they look to build upon a solid, albeit losing, performance at Brentwood on Sunday.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors season begins this Sunday. Eagles and Hawks also looking to boost playoff chances.

When the dust settles, will the Raptors, Eagles and Hawks be at, above or below .500 (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

The Herts Eagles are preparing for their second series of the 2014 season this Sunday, 27 April, as they host the Richmond Knights at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The two teams shared a win each in their doubleheader last season and both finished in the lower half of the Triple-A League table. It is games against teams like Richmond which will decide whether the Eagles will be involved in the playoff race come August. The first game of the doubleheader starts at 1pm and the second at around 3:30pm. Admission is free for these games.

The club’s third team, the Herts Hawks, will travel to Croydon on the same day for a two-game series against the South London Pirates. Both teams suffered heavy defeats on opening day – the Hawks losing to the London Mammoths and the Pirates to the Brentwood Stags.

In the fourth league tier the Herts Raptors will start their campaign with a trip to title-favourites London Marauders. This is the first official league game for the newly appointed managerial duo of Geoff Thomas and Rob Jones. For many this will be a debut season with the Raptors. Among them are Clive Johnson, Daniel Bennett, Drew Mayhew, James Roberts, Ian Byers and Matt Taylor.  It will take a few weeks to assess whether the new-look Raptors will be able to repeat last year’s heroics.

In the National Baseball League, the country’s top league, the Herts Falcons are resting this weekend. Their next game is the away series against the Bracknell Blazers on 11 May. This means that they would have had 35 days without any games by the time they travel to Bracknell next month – far from ideal scenario.

At this time of year the Herts baseball teams usually receive a boost as they are joined by football players whose season is about to end, as well as cricketers and other players who are looking to try baseball. Regardless of whether they have played baseball in the past or are new to the game, boys and girls aged 6 to 16 and men and women from 14 to 45+can come and give baseball a try with the Herts adult and youth league teams and play a part in the race for the 2014 national championships. For more details contact the club.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Eagles, Hawks and Raptors confirm rosters ahead of Opening Day

The National Anthem played at Grovehill Ballpark last Sunday (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

The Herts Falcons opened their season last Sunday.  This Sunday it is the turn of the Herts Eagles and the Herts Hawks to open their Triple-A and Double-A League seasons, respectively.  The Eagles host the always competitive Oxford Kings, while the Hawks meet with Double-A League favourites,  London Mammoths.

Both games are at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Herts Eagles vs Oxford Kings starts at 1:00pm while Herts Hawks vs London Mammoths starts at 12:00pm.

The Herts Falcons already announced their roster.  The other three Herts teams unveiled theirs this evening (see below).  These rosters may change over the course of the season as players move between teams in accordance with the BBF player movement rules.