Category: Raptors

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors end losing streak and are back in playoff race

BBF A-League, Herts Raptors 18 London Marauders 13

written by Glen Downer

A beautiful morning greeted us as we all gathered in Finsbury Park ready for what promised to be a tough matchup for both teams. Batting first the Raptors made their intentions known straight from the first pitch, hit after hit ensued, and before the Marauders could even get warmed up the bases were full of Raptor baserunners, Brodie Caress picking up the first of his three hits on the day, Glen Downer driving one through the hole in his first AB of the 2013 season. Arnie Longboy stroked a clean hit to straightaway centre, followed by Ken Pike with another signature line drive for a couple of what would be 3 RBI’s on the day! Before we knew it, we had 8 runs on the board, and a lead that would never be lost.

Brodie Caress then stepped up on the hill as the starting pitcher for the Raptors and settled in quickly throwing strikes and making it difficult for the Marauders to hit, sadly a few Raptor errors allowed London to get a few guys on base and score a couple of runs, but we still had a healthy lead going into the second inning. 3 more runs for the Raptors in the top of the second after another great display of hitting created a nice cushion for Brodie to continue his great pitching, allowing only 2 hits on the day and 4 earned runs in 3 innings, he managed to strike out an impressive 5 batters!

Sadly due to pitch count Brodie had to be relieved following the third inning, but up stepped the boy wonder, side armer Will Zucker. Will proved to be a great force on the mound, hitter after hitter failed to make good contact, totally bemused by the great movement from Zucker’s pitches. Unable to contend with a combination of fastballs, sliders and curves the Marauders were limited to just 7 hits from Zucker, who also fanned an impressive 5 batters over 5.1 innings, also allowing just 4 earned runs. Once again the curse of the young pitcher struck and Will had to be relieved, but up stepped the reliable Jeff Witter to close things out for us.

Just requiring two outs to seal a magnificent win against tough opposition Jeff didn’t disappoint. After inheriting a baserunner from an early hit, Jeff allowed a walk and just one hit which drove in a single Marauder run. Then with some fine glove work and a very on-the-ball Ken Pike who put on a great display after relieving the always solid Jake Caress behind the plate, the final out was made at first to end a great ballgame.

Despite a few infield errors, which can largely be blamed on the poor field conditions at Finsbury Park, the Raptors were solid, and put on a fine display of hitting and great base running, with nearly all players picking up stolen bases, Ken Pike once again leading the pack with 3, clearly going for the stolen base award once again! Well done to ALL the Raptors that brought home a much needed victory and keep those post-season hopes alive.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons are back at home this Sunday as Mustangs come to town

We are in the month of May and the title race is rarely decided so early in the baseball season, but with the teams so tightly packed in the standings every game is a must win for every team. A loss could be the difference between an automatic NBC spot and the playoffs or missing out on the postseason altogether.

The top game this weekend is the NBL clash between the third-placed Herts Falcons (6-4) and the Southampton Mustangs (7-3) who are a game ahead in second place.

The Mustangs will be travelling to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead after a defeat against the league-leading London Mets which ended their impressive 6-game winning streak. Despite this they will be in a confident mood as one of the major forces in the NBL this season. Their roster includes Gary Davison who leads the NBL in homeruns (3) and RBIs (14). Davison broke Falcons’ hearts in 2006 pitching a complete game win in extra innings as a player of Burgess Hill to relegate the team from Herts from the AAA down to the AA league. Southampton also brings a lot of speed on the bases with the leader in stolen bases Victor Aizpura (23). The Falcons will face their new signing Czech pitcher, Tomas Zondra, for the first time. He pitched 8 epic innings against the London Mets last Sunday but was unfortunate to end up as the losing pitcher in a classic 1-0 game. Sunday’s game will also see the return of legendary Herts slugger, Kimiyoshi Saionji, who changed the Falcons jersey for that of the Mustangs in the second week of the season.

The Falcons go into the game with some injury concerns. Arguably the best middle infield duo in British baseball of Robbie Unsell and Xavier Gonzalez sustained injuries last Sunday in the game against the Essex Arrows. It is uncertain whether or not they will be able to recover in time for Sunday’s titanic clash. It will all be decided in their last-minute fitness tests. Ace pitcher, Jordan Farkas, has also been unable to pitch over the last few weeks, so he is also a doubt. If they cannot regain 100% fitness, others on the Herts roster will have to step up and keep the club’s title hopes alive. Several players from Herts Ravens – the club’s AAA-affiliate – are on standby and could make an appearance.

Farnham Park - British Baseball's Wembley Stadium (photo by Liam Carroll/BSUK)

The photos of Farnham Park published this week have injected extra excitement in the British baseball community as the brand new purpose-built facility will host its first ever NBL postseason final this September. Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, already stated the team’s goal to get there and try to win the NBL title. If they are to achieve this they will need strong support from their fans in home games like this Sunday’s doubleheader, especially in weeks when the roster is decimated with injuries. It will certainly be good to see the Falcons back at home after a 7-week road trip. First pitch is at 12pm.

CAN EAGLES EXTEND WINNING STREAK

Before the start of the season no one would have believed that the Eagles (2-2) could go top of the Single-A table this Sunday, but that’s exactly what will happen if they manage to overcome the visiting Milton Keynes Coyotes (3-1). The two teams met on Opening Day. The Coyotes came out on top on that occasion but there is a new sense of optimism among the Eagles who will be looking to make it 3 wins in 3 games. Duncan Hoyle’s players will have home-field advantage (first pitch 12pm).

At the same time in Finsbury Park the Herts Raptors (2-2) will be looking to restart their season. After two wins in their opening two games, the Raptors’ campaign has stuttered with two losses in the last two games. Both of these games were lost by the smallest of run-differences, but that will not make the losses easier to swallow. They will face the London Marauders (3-1) who top their Single-A Pool.

HERTS YOUNGSTERS HEAD SOUTH TO RICHMOND

While the Herts U17 players take part in the promotional event in St Albans and others join up with the Great Britain U16 National Team, the club’s U14 and U11 teams will be making the trip down to Richmond for a very special event bringing together some of the best youth teams in those age groups from around London. The hosts have put a great deal of effort to make this a very special event. Apart from the baseball, those who take part can look forward to the gourmet BBQ and pig roast, pastries and more. A great way to start the Bank Holiday weekend.

 

by Rob Jones

Derby day ends with upset win for Eagles

Herts Eagles 31-30 Herts Raptors, Grovehill, Sunday 12th May

How many runs do you need to lead by if you are to feel secure in a baseball game? Yesterday’s Herts derby didn’t give us a definitive answer, but we do know that it’s more than 17. Because that is the cushion which the Eagles had built up over their Single-A rivals by the end of the fifth inning. But it was not enough to prevent a nail-biting finale.

Herts debutant Antony McDowell pitched a complete game

The game started badly for the home side, Duncan Hoyle’s Eagles, as missed chances and poor throws allowed the Raptors to rack up runs. Hoyle had to call in his fielders for a pep talk before a single out had been recorded, an illustration of how crucial this game was.

Raptors scored six in the first frame, but the Eagles quickly answered back with 5 against starting pitcher Jeff Witter. Mike Cresswell led off with a single, and after stealing bases he came home to score the first run. We will hear more of Cresswell later. By the end of the second inning, Eagles led by 15-6.

The Eagles had a Dominican debutante on the pitchers mound, Antony McDowell. He was making his first start for the club, though he clearly was no new boy to baseball. He kept the powerful Raptors bats in check and the defence tightened up behind him, so that for four consecutive innings the Raptors did not score a single run.

Rain had fallen a couple of times by the end of the fifth, when the score had reached 23-6, and heavy downpours had been forecast for late afternoon. It’s possible that minds on the Eagles bench were starting to turn towards a mercy rule victory, or even a convenient rainout now the game was official. Several of the starters had been subbed out to give playing time for the large squad.

Arnie Longboy’s Raptors, though, were far from giving up. As McDowell perhaps showed some signs of tiredness, the hits and the runs started to come. Theo Scheepers was a constant threat, and Longboy himself hit a long drive to the outfield. The highlight was a bases clearing triple by Brodie Caress — and he crowned his hit by coming home to score on an overthrow.

The Raptors' Brodie Caress pitched, hit and fielded like a winner, but ended up on the losing side.

The Raptors scored an improbable 13 runs in the top of the sixth, and were down by just four. And the Eagles run rate had slowed dramatically since the early outburst. Caress had come in to pitch, and looked as if he could be in line for a remarkable win. Catcher Ken Pike helped cut down base-stealer with a laser throw to end an inning, and keep his team in the game.

The momentum was clearly with the Raptors. But now, with the rain falling steadily, the Eagles stood firm when they could have crumbled. Rory Hutchinson, new to the game of baseball, had been introduced at shortstop as part of the sixth-inning changes. He made back-to-back excellent stops to secure outs and save runs. In the wilds of right field, Adam Landau-Smithers made two heart-stopping snow-cone catches on fly balls drifting back towards the fence.

McDowell had got a second wind, and was perhaps determined not to see his remarkable effort go to waste. In all, he threw close to 250 pitches on the day. His efforts helped limit any further big onslaught from the Raptors, although they did take the lead. They were in front, 30-28, as the Eagles went in to bat in the bottom of the ninth. The stage was set.

The first man got on, stole second. And up stepped pinch hitter Adrian Smithers, last year’s home run champion. He’d not played since the first game of the season, but he came through with a drive down the third base line to bring in a run. He scored the tying run himself after Will Belbin continued his excellent form at the plate and got aboard.

And when lead-off man Mike Cresswell stepped in, Belbin was there on third base as the winning run waiting to score. Cresswell was calm, as if nothing was at stake. The crack of the bat was a clean sound and the ball sailed decisively out to the outfield. Arms aloft, Will Belbin crossed the plate. He was mobbed by a team which had its first win of the season in the most dramatic fashion.

 

by Rob Jones

The best of rivals

The Raptors are expected to deploy their young pitchers against the strong-hitting Eagles lineup

It’s an experience which few British baseball clubs can even contemplate. But this Sunday, for the second year in a row, Herts will see two of its teams go head to head in a competitive league match. And there is little question that it is one of the choice Single-A match-ups on the baseball calendar for 2013.

The Herts Eagles and the Herts Raptors will play twice this year, and the first contest is arriving early in the season with both sides having something to prove. They are both feeling their way into the year, and will want to use their club rivals as a springboard to greater things.

The Raptors have the upper hand, having started the year 2-0. They beat the Leicester 2Sox by a football score, after a game which had started evenly matched, then came from behind to beat the always tough prospect of the Old Timers.

But the Raptors manager Arnie Longboy is looking for further improvements from his players. “Going into this game we’ve done okay”, he says, “but we still need to overcome mental errors if we want to compete in the post season.” He adds that he will tell his players to be ready for a close game and “not to let up.”

Much will depend on the outstanding young pitchers such as Zack Longboy and Will Zucker, as well as on catcher and compulsive base-stealer Ken Pike.

“The Eagles are especially hyped up to do well and it can get very competitive”, says coach Longboy.

His opposite number on the Eagles has an idea why that might be. “There will be a bit of extra spice”, explains Duncan Hoyle, “as several of last years Eagles will be with the Raptors this time around.”

Theo Scheepers and Sonam Lama are just two of the players who switched rosters to the Raptors in the off-season, while veteran Rob Jones went in the other direction to add some depth to an Eagles line-up which includes many novice ballplayers. All of those who have experienced both camps will want to show their old team-mates what they can do.

“It’s an exciting prospect to help the large numbers of new players who are coming on board”, says Jones. “We have guys with great arms, great bats, and they are learning the game very fast.”

Of course, Duncan Hoyle was a Raptor himself once, before stepping into managerial duties. He says: “I’ve seen enough from our batting to know we can score well at Single A, so I’m looking forward to the occasion and I know we can give a good account of ourselves.”

The Eagles have indeed scored 33 runs in two games, despite suffering defeats in both, so there is clear ability there. Mastering the fielding could make the difference — “I want us to focus on our game”, says Hoyle, “we need to start bringing down our error count and look to cut out the mistakes.”

Mike Cresswell and Will Belbin are two of the Eagles who have already done good work with both the bat and the glove, and the team will be looking for big performances.

The first ever Herts derby clash in 2007 was surrounded by hype as the Falcons took on the expansion Hawks for the first time “in anger”. The club has come a long way since then — now fielding five adult teams as well as strong youth sides and a Little League — but there is still something special about a derby.

As Raptors’ coach Arnie Longboy puts it: “I think this is the Herts baseball fixture of the season, because the club knows that Herts will come out on top! Play ball!”

The Eagles are the nominal host team for the fixture at Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead, on Sunday May 12th. First pitch is at 1:30pm.

by Rob Jones

The first cracks of the bat

It was a bright, cold and sunny Monday morning. I had slept like a log, but another four hours of sleep wouldn’t have gone amiss. That’s what a couple of weeks of baseball can do to you. My arms ached and my pride was wounded but I had certainly had an interesting start to the 2013 season, writes Rob Jones.

The two games could hardly be more different. In the first, I was with the Raptors as they ran up a football score against Leicester 2Sox. In my second game, I was on the receiving end of a similar thumping as the Eagles were undone at Hemel by the Tonbridge Bobcats.

There was a consistent thread in both games — and that was my bat making lousy contact with the ball. I hit infield dribblers, comebackers, pop-ups and all sorts of rubbish. Horrid. It was crowned by a strikeout in each game, which is galling as two strikeouts is usually my total for a season, not a fortnight! Both were on third strikes which I considered high — especially the first of them — but I guess you live and learn.

Rob Jones
Your correspondent Rob Jones hits a sac fly in the closing stages of the Tonbridge game (pic: David Ames)

The bat-on-ball contact did get better as each game went along, so I take solace in that. I hit one decent single at Leicester, and then a single, double and sac-fly in the run-fest against Tonbridge.

My overall performance in the field was of a better standard. OK, yes, I dropped a pop-up on the infield against Tonbridge, and yes I should have been slapped for it. It was a classic lesson in not thinking about the people around you, and not thinking ahead to the impending double play. I failed to close my mind to these things, and paid the price. Duncan, who was pitching, also paid the price, as he had to go through it all over again. A lesson for us all.

Otherwise, I fielded all the ground balls which came my way, and I had put away a couple of outfield catches in my first-week outing. It feels good when you can slip back into baseball smoothly, after a long winter break. Training both indoors and back on the Grovehill diamond really help, but it is satisfying when any good work continues during a competitive game.

I felt that the fielding performance of both Raptors and Eagles was actually pretty good. There was some sloppiness which could be put down to rust, particularly with the Raptors, and to the first “game-time” situations of the year. But there were few howlers. The Eagles are fielding a lot of genuine rookies, who will learn fast, and Raptors eked out a tough win against the Old Timers in week 2, so must have improved!

There is just room for a quick word on my pitching debut for the year. I haven’t taken the mound since 2011, but I felt quite comfortable up there. Apart from walking the first batter, I did stick to my usual mantra of not giving away free passes. At this level, I have often seen walks eat away at a team and while I know I can’t blow away hitters, I also know that I can throw strikes. Unfortunately a hot-hitting Tonbridge team rather teed off on me.

I did get two outs — one thanks to a good stop by Mike Cresswell — and nearly got out of the inning. But we made some fielding errors, and missed fly balls. This isn’t a grumble against my team-mates, as one of the errors was by me when I picked up a bunt cleanly but threw high and wide to first base. But you do really feel the effect of those errors when you are the man on the mound.

I threw one or two curve balls that I was happy with, but probably stayed away from it too much for fear of walks. If the coach lets me get back up there, I must try to work batters more.

So that’s how 2013 opened for me. Barely days after becoming a big money transfer to the Herts Eagles, I found myself all suited up for Opening Day with the Raptors. Life’s full of surprises. And I headed up to a new venue for me, Leicester. Western Park is a nice little diamond. As undulating as most British ballparks, and with its batting circle and bases having the consistency of a slightly pebbly beach. But with a permanent backstop, a decent amount of cover from trees, and an overall good feel.

Milton Keynes and Haverhill will also be new experiences. And I am still looking forward to the year. Although I still need more sleep. It’s hard to tell what the season will be like, or what the story will be when summer fades away. But I like the opening chapters.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors come back to win against tough Old Timers

Pitcher Will Zucker was all smiles as he helped his team secure a vital win against one of the favorites in the Single-A League

Herts Raptors 19 Old Timers 18

BBF Single-A League

written by Ken Pike

The Herts Raptors have placed themselves firmly in pole position of the BBF Single A division after a hard fought four hour battle with arch rivals The Old Timers resulted in a thrilling comeback victory.

The team from Enfield visiting Grovehill had taken the early lead as the Herts defence committed a series of errors around the field, plating 2 runs in each of the first innings before the Raptors could bring their bats back to life in the bottom of the second, scoring 3 runs to get back into the game. Young pitcher Zack Longboy was showing a return to form on the mound, which helped keep the scores low, but some messy backup indicated the start of what would be at times a very difficult and painful fight.

A clean third inning for both teams gave signs that the Herts defence had woken up, but five runs in the top of the fourth tired Zack’s arm and put the Old timers in a commanding 6 run lead, with a further 2 added without reply in the fifth.

Another young pitcher had taken the mound for Herts though, and as Will Zucker started to find his stride, and catcher Ken Pike noticed the unhittable nature of the boy’s curve ball, the game’s momentum changed. Will cleaned out the batters in order for the sixth inning at the same time that the Old Timers let tempers fray over an umpiring call. The resultant lapse off concentration and change of pitcher led to the Raptors bat’s suddenly finding traction. Once around the order, 6 runs scored and a couple left on base left another Old Timer pitcher tired while tempers flared even further.

The Raptors, now only 3 runs down, were looking much more composed and took the initiative to come back swinging. Two Old Timer runs in the top of the seventh were answered by four from Herts and only 1 run in it. At this point the simmering tension from the away team boiled over with arguments across the field. The brilliant young Will Zucker boiled over with confidence instead and cleaned out another inning in order before going to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning to sign seal and deliver his demand for the game ball by slamming another double in an inning where six runs would put Herts into the lead for the very first time.

They went into the top of the ninth knowing that keeping the Old Timers to five runs or less would mean guaranteed victory, while even a greater dent could still be overcome in the bottom. However, Zucker’s arm was tiring, and one by one the Old timers started to make their mark on the inning. After several runners got home and no further outs to get into, coach Arnie Longboy made the tough, but correct choice of replacing the young star with seasoned closer Jeff Whitter who came in with a three run lead.

Jeff’s calm and accurate display let only one more runner in before the Herts defence did their jobs taking down the required outs in short succession. Whilst several players had lost count during the inning, some wondered if we had won or would need to go out to bat with a small but dangerous margin to overcome. The rest however knew that they had overcome a team they so loved to beat, and cheered jubilantly knowing that they were now in pole position for the league.

Click to view box scores

Stand-out performances from all pitchers garnered special praise from the manager while Short Stop Theo Scheeper’s potent hitting display nailed four hits, including one double and 5 RBIs.

Coach Arnie will be sure to demand that his team bring their best defensive performance much earlier in the game from now on and cut out some of the silly errors that so nearly cost them dear, but he will also be glad to see the offence create 19 runs against a strong defensive team like the Old Timers. The total of 61 runs from two games and a 100% win ratio is certainly the best of starts to the 2013 Raptors season and a stark contrast to the two losses that in the end cost them so dearly last year.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

New look Raptors show their claws in season opener

written by Ken Pike

Theo Scheepers went 3-4, with 5 BB and 5R (photo by Rob Jones)

There is an old adage in competitive sports that goes along the lines that a season cannot be won in the first game. While that is certainly true, some common ways of describing opening fixtures include ‘rusty’, or ‘statements of intent’, and both of these were true of the Herts Raptors in their away fixture at Leicester 2Sox.

Preparations for the season were hardly ideal and the Raptors defence could be forgiven a few simple errors. Rain had prevented all but one HSL warm-up game, and the game that did go ahead had several first team members missing due to the Easter Weekend scheduling. A last minute friendly against the Herts Eagles – a sister team intended to be a training ground for newcomers – ended very one sided in the Raptor’s favour, and so the squad were largely untested against high calibre opposition. What’s more, no one knew what kind of opposition the Leicester were bringing to the single A league as they have only just this year moved over from the Midlands double A division.

As a result of this anticipation, and apprehension were both in high supply for Sunday’s visit to Western Park in Leicester. The top of the first inning looked to be going pair shaped with two outs and no runs on the board. However, the famous Herts 2-out drive kicked in and brought 7 runs across the plate. The batting abilities had clearly not been rain affected, and the new additions to the team all made a positive start alongside their more experienced team mates.

The bottom half of the inning however proved a different story. Young star pitcher Zack Longboy struggled to hit his usual devastating groove, and some sloppy fielding all round aggravated the issue allowing five 2Sox runners to get round the bags bringing it back to a 2 run game. This trend continued over the next two innings with Herts consistently batting in large additions to their score only to be pegged back in the bottom of the inning. Despite this, the small overall lead was growing and by the time veteran Raptor Jeff Witter came in to relieve the tiring young starter. The net difference at the turn of the fourth inning was four runs in the Raptors favour.

Raptors manager, Arnie Longboy, will be happy to start the seaosn with a win. (photo by Rob Jones)

Some individual great plays including a pair of difficult outfield stops from Warwick Byrne and Rob Jones and a diving grab behind his shoulder from catcher Ken Pike, along with Jeff’s assured pitching brought a confidence boost to the Raptors and a change of gear. A three up three down 6th inning blew the game wide open putting the Herts team in a commanding position – a mercy rule victory was a possibility with a big score and good defence in the seventh. Precisely that ensued with Herts beating up on the third pitcher to take to the mound for Leicester and ending the inning on a massive 42 run total and a lead well in excess of the 11 run mercy rule margin.

While the 2Sox made a spirited effort at a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases and scoring runners, it was ultimately not enough. The inning finished leaving the 2sox trailing by 22 runs.

It looks like Ken Pike will be spending more time behind the plate this season (photo by Rob Jones)

For a team with so many changes since last year there was much to be happy about. Having lost some big bats in the form of Gilberto Medina, Glen Downer, and John Kjorstad, worries about weak hitting proved to be unfounded. The newly promoted Sony Lama and Theo Scheepers had been known for strong batting and baserunning abilities on which they delivered perfectly. Returning Raptors veteran Jeff Witter got the game ball from coach Arnie Longboy for a calm and assured performance on the mound, while Ken Pike’s first full game at his newly discovered position of catching only allowed for three pass balls all game and held the Leicester running game in check.

A mighty 42 runs crossing the plate for the Raptors is certainly a statement of intent for a team that is tipped to top their group, and in fact puts them at the top of the league after week one, but conversely conceding 20 runs means work has to be done to prevent stronger opposition from derailing a playoff push. A first test of that will come with the very next game against the Old Timers where a Herts win will turn a whispered statement into an assured proclamation.

Starting Lineup:

Zack Longboy – P (swapped to 1st base in 4th inning)

Rob Jones – LF

Arnie Longboy – 2nd

Ken Pike – C

Sonam Lama – 3rd

Theo Scheepers – SS

Amit Odedra – CF

Jeff Witter – 1st (swapped to P in 4th inning)

Warwick Byrne – RF

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors prepare for a big playoff push

The Herts Raptors start their season this Sunday on the road at the Leicester Two Sox, who, in a Houston Astros-like move, have switched to the BBF Single-A League over from the AA Midlands. We had a chance to put some questions to Raptors Manager, Arnie Longboy.

We are just days away from Opening Day. Do you feel ready or has the bad weather in March affected preparations?

Arnie Longboy: Less than ideal weather is something that baseball players here just have to take as a given. So on one hand all of our competitors have faced the same challenge. That said I hope the indoor training we’ve had, especially with our strength and conditioning coach Tony, will prove to be a competitive advantage for all Herts teams.

What are your main goals for this season?

Arnie Longboy: Our goal is similar to last years. Field a competitive team and have fun in the process. We’ve also had some players move up so I’d like them to further develop and see them move up in the ranks as they progress with their baseball prowess.

What win-loss percentage would be seen as a successful season for the team and is it realistic to expect your team to reach the playoffs or even challenge for the title?

Arnie Longboy: I want all of the team to expect a winning season and a goal is always to make the playoffs. We almost did it last year and want to challenge for the title this year.

Will the entry of the Herts Ravens in the AAA League affect your team’s chances this season by diluting the strength of the Herts rosters across a larger number of teams?

Arnie Longboy: Herts is blessed to have the numbers to field 5 teams! I think it’s a result of the efforts we’ve made in trying to grow the sport in our region.

Who are the players we should look out for this year?

Arnie Longboy: We’ve again recruited a few of the junior club members so I expect much from them. But some of the veterans returning will provide the wisdom from their experience. It should make for a great team dynamic.

Which of your opponents in the league are likely to be the biggest challengers for the national title?

Arnie Longboy: The Eagles will be a formidable team and as their manager now has a year’s experince under his belt I expect that team to go far. Given we play them twice I think those will be the games to watch for our Herts fan base.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Preliminary rosters announced by Herts

The five Herts senior league teams have announced their preliminary rosters ahead of the 2013 Herts Spring League which gets underway next Saturday, 23 March.

Since the start of Spring Training Herts players have been pushing themselves to secure a roster spot within the Herts adult team structure. Some have been targeting a move to a Herts team playing in a higher league. Others have been looking to reinforce their place within their current team. It is a moment of trepidation for the players as they learn whether they have met that target, as illustrated in the movie Major League (see video clip).

But don’t worry folks. Herts has room for all its players and no one is going to get cut – everyone plays. The club is continuing to receive enquiries from new players every week and players can be added to the rosters at any time of the year. For more information on how to join the club or to give baseball a try contact the club.

 

Those who were hoping to secure a spot in a higher league team should bear in mind that this is just a preliminary roster. We still expect player movement over the next three weeks of HSL action as the managers will be assessing not only the players in their roster but those in other rosters with a view to promoting them or to assess backup options for later in the season. As always there is bound to be player movement up and down the rosters throughout the season, just like MLB teams move their players up and down their affiliated minor and major league teams.

A quick look through the rosters reveals interesting information ahead of the season. The core of each team remains intact, but there is a visible movement of players upwards, which was expected due to the creation of the Herts Ravens as the club’s fifth team which will compete in AAA. Most of the previously announced new additions such as Carlos Velazco-Carus, Joe Gray, John Blose, Xavier Gonzalez and Dave Westfallen have been added to the NBL roster.

Tom Everex-Armstrong is one of 10 Herts players who are also in the Great Britain U19 or U16 preliminary rosters

But there are some significant reinforcements in the other teams. The club has been joined by Elie Colin who played in the French league last season and he goes into the AAA roster for Manager, Carlos Casal, to have a first-hand look before making a decision. Gilberto Medina has moved up two leagues to the Ravens from the Raptors. Other players moving up into the AAA squad are the club’s U17 prospects Carlos Casal Jr, Jake Caress, Kyle Lloyd-Jones, Tom Everex-Armstrong and the club’s new arrival, catcher Conner Brown. All of these young players are currently in the preliminary rosters of the Great Britain U19 or U16 teams and playing in the AAA league will challenge them to push themselves even harder. An interesting late addition is returning right-handed pitcher, Pete Kikel, announced just a few hours ago.

The Hawks have added to the core from last year’s successful squad, by drafting John Kjorstad and Ben Marques from the Raptors, returning catcher and infielder Hunter Devine and the fastest man on the planet, Ross Asquith, who during fitness sessions this Spring with fitness coach Tony Marshall was discovered to have the extraordinary ability to jump up in the air higher than the average professional athlete. The other two additions are Callum Vangundy, Jonny Compton-Weight and Jose Morillo from the Herts U17 team.

Right-handed pitcher Jeff Witter makes his return with the Raptors. Moving into the roster from last year’s Eagles team is the South African duo, Theo Scheepers and Craig Le Roux, as well as infielder Sonny Lama, pitcher Will Zucker and his younger brother Martin Zucker who looks likely to be pushing up the leagues in the coming years as a catcher. Warwick Byrne is another addition from the club’s U17 team.

The Eagles will be missing Joseph Osborne-Brade as he is on the long-term DL after a serious injury last season. They will look to fill the gap left by Osborne-Brade and the others who have moved up to the other teams by adding Rob Crouch, Manny Banson, father-and-son combination of John and Tom Jansson, debutants Harry Douglas, Jonny Gates, Ashley Hughes and the exciting prospect of Daniela Phillips who joined the club after bumping into the Herts teams during her indoor cricket training session at the same venue as the Herts baseball teams.
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FALCONS (NBL)
Carlos Velazco-Carus
Cristobal Hiche
Darrin Ward
Dave Westfallen
David House
David Tretheway
Jeff House *
Joe Gray
John Blose
Jordan Farkas
Kevin Freeman
Kevin Niedringhaus *
Kimiyoshi Saionji
Lee Manning
Liam Green
Matt Spaulding *
Michael Osborn
Mike Cattermole
Phil Clark
Robbie Unsell
Ryan Bird
Xavier Gonzalez

* – subject to confirmation

RAVENS (AAA)
Aspi Dimitrov
Carlos Casal
Carlos Casal Jr
Conner Brown
Elie Colin
Gilberto Medina
Jake Caress
Jim Arnott
Jonathon Lewys
Kyle Lloyd-Jones
Louis Hare
Matt Johnston
Nick Russell
Paul Auchterlounie
Pete Kikel
Rod Naghar
Seth Lipstock
Tom Everex-Armstrong
Vassil Botev

 

HAWKS (AA)
Andrew Slater
Andy Cornish
Ben Marques
Bobby Gould
Callum Vangundy
Greg Bochan
Hunter Devine
Ilya Dimitrov
John Kjorstad
Jonathan Compton-Weight
Jose Morillo Jr
Kal Dimitrov
Nicolas Goetz
Ralph Bartholomew
Ross Asquith
Tim Elkins

 

RAPTORS (A)
Amit Odedra
Arnold Longboy
Brodie Caress
Charlie Mayhew
Craig Le Roux
Glen Downer
Jeff Witter
Kennet Pike
Mark Caress
Martin Zucker
Rob Jones
Sonam Lama
Theo Scheepers
Warwick Byrne
Will Zucker
Zachary Longboy

 

EAGLES (A)
Adam Landau-Smithers
Adrian Smithers
Ashley Hughes
Daniela Phillips
David Ames
Duncan Hoyle
Emmanuel Banson
Geoff Thomas
Harry Douglas
Jamie Lang
John Jansson
Jonny Gates
Joseph Osborne-Brade
Michael Cresswell
Reagan Wood
Rob Crouch
Serge Plata
Simon Roberts
Takeshi Ashida
Tim Blackman
Tom Jansson-Wright
Tomasz Kosak
William Belbin
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Spring Training commences for Herts baseball teams

It may be cold outside but, as far as the members of Herts Baseball Club are concerned, the long dark days of winter are over. On Sunday the Herts adult team members reported for the first Spring Training session of 2013. Throughout January and February the Herts teams will be preparing indoors at Berkhamsted SportSpace, which has good facilities including batting nets, however t is becoming obvious that the club has outgrown this venue and must start to look for an alternative in the winter of 2014 as the large number of players found it difficult to fit into the large sports hall. Thankfully the meteorological conditions were very good and the teams were able to use outdoor third-generation artificial pitches.

As usual in these first few weeks of Spring, the coaches put the players through their paces to rebuild physical and arm strength and stamina and work through baseball fundamentals of the defensive and offensive aspects of the game. Gradually the sessions will start to focus on specific positions to fine-tune the club’s pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders.

Apart from the returning players, the club had a chance to see some of the new faces which will be wearing the Herts jersey in 2013. The entry of a fifth Herts team in the adult leagues adds a new dimension to the process of assigning players to the five teams and it will be interesting to see which team roster the new recruits will appear in on Opening Day.

Of course the process of recruiting adult and youth team players continues and new players can join at any time throughout the year. With its teams competing in the various major and minor leagues of British baseball, Herts is able to offer baseball playing opportunities to players of any standard from complete beginners to advanced and experienced ballplayers. For more details about joining the Herts teams, contact us.

Quote of the day goes to New Yorker, Greg Bochan. Over the years he has stayed strictly away from discussions linked to football (soccer) in any way. While doing a ground ball drill with Tim Elkins and Rod Naghar, out of nowhere Bochan asked “What did you guys think about Eden Hazard and that ballboy?”

Play of the day goes to new signing John Blose. This was his first appearance in training with the Herts teams. While fielding a fly ball on the run at the indoor venue, he ended up colliding with the wall and taking out the fire exit door in the process. Herts fans should not worry. Blose came out unscathed from the collision.

Spring Training for the adult teams continues next Sunday.

Spring training dates for the Herts youth teams (6 to 16-year-olds) will be announced shortly and new members can sign up for those sessions by contacting the club.