Category: Club News

by Rob Jones

SUNSHINE BUT NO SMILES

Although the sun shone on the bank holiday weekend, fortune did not smile on the Herts baseball teams.

The Raptors played host to the powerful Southampton Mustangs on the second week of A-division action. Things did not start well for pitcher, Ken Pike, who struggled with his control and walked batters. Four runs came in. But the visiting pitcher Dave Wrigley also had a poor start, including hitting a batter. Herts struck back with a run, and the game remained quite tight as it developed, with Mustangs slowly inching ahead.

Ken Pike in pre-season action
Ken Pike in pre-season action

The Raptors rookies, including Charlie Williams and Oz Kemal, were putting in solid performances. Ken Pike made good plays at shortstop to keep his side in the game, but the home team missed out on too many close plays. Rusty veteran Rob Jones was on the end of a frustating succession of “nearly plays” from third base.

It was 9-1 to Southampton going into the seventh inning, but then the wheels seemed to come off for Herts. Walks, errors and some good hits helped the Mustangs score 8 runs. Lefty relief pitcher Phil Gover came in and was able to stem the bleeding with his deceptive curve, and give Raptors one more chance to keep the game alive.

At this point, the Mustangs catcher had realised what his pitcher did not – Wrigley was in line for the first no-hitter in his club’s history. And the inning encapsulated the game. The first two Raptors hitters made good contact, but excellent play by the defence kept them off the bases. Then Wrigley’s control failed again and he issued a walk to Rob Jones, one of seven the pitcher gave up on the day. The runner stole second and stole third, but in that time the Mustangs’ starter had struck out the final Raptors batter. It was a convincing 17-1 win.

In the AA-division, Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish took their Herts Hawks to the south coast to face Poole Piranhas. It started badly, with Herts giving up 3 runs in each of the first three innings. Despite that, there were several attempts at a comeback, and Jeff Witter and Nick Russell helped the Hawks chip away.

Coach Bochan was pleased with the way his team performed, and there was “outstanding” work in the outfield by Hunter Devine and Ralph Bartholomew. The Hawks scored two more runs in the final innings, but it was never enough to overhaul the home side. Poole won 9-4.

The Herts club is still winless after two weeks of the season, but the managers are taking positives from what has happened so far. The first opponents have been some of the strongest in the various divisions, and Herts must take the lessons it has learned into fixtures which offer good hopes of a win.

The National League Herts Falcons had to reschedule their games against Croydon, and will instead go in search of their first win against the London Mets next week.

by AspiDimitrov

SPRINGING BACK INTO SHAPE

They came blinking into the watery sunlight from their winter hibernation. From across not only Hertfordshire but also north-west London, Buckinghamshire and even Northamptonshire, HBC ball-players took their first tentative steps into the Spring on Sunday. They gathered at Berkhamsted Sportspace to share tales of Christmas, to compare waistlines — and to start work on shrinking them.

 This is how the 2011 baseball season began for the Herts club, looking to build on its historic 2010. Little Leaguers joined members of the National League Falcons and several novice players trying the game for the first time. It’s always good to see fresh faces at Spring Training. And it’s good to be reunited with last year’s fellow travellers. For the Raptors, where I played my games last year, the manager is back on board and he hopes to retain the core of the team which showed such promise as they were baptised by fire. Arnott, Gover, Drummond. These could be big names for the club by year’s end.

The Berkhamsted hall was a tremendous facility. We were able to create batting cages with the enormous net curtains, and to separate areas for pitching, infield and outfield drills. We revelled in the smooth surface and the even bounce as we practiced fielding ground balls — and we dreamt that Grovehill might one day be just as placid. I still managed to pick up my first bruise of the year, fielding one of those ground balls with my shin. We also recreated the struggles of Minnesota Twins outfielders as we played the ball’s carom off the lights, and the basketball equipment. All good fun.

More than a full team’s worth of players showed interest in the pitching masterclass offered by Eagles MVP, Darrin Ward. Which is a good sign — at this stage in the season, anything seems possible. One of the highlights of the experience was handling a pristine, white ball from a newly-opened box. There is something special about a new baseball, like the aroma of a fresh pack of coffee. In fact, it has an aroma of its own. And it has a texture unlike the practice balls which are worn to a slippy sheen; it has real seams, standing proud. Is it a bit geeky to even notice the new ball? Maybe. But I think it’s one of the most touchable of the game’s intangibles.

And now how do I feel, 48 hours on? An extraordinary aching which had tried to paralyse my body seems to be fading. Slightly. Playing baseball does have a far harder effect on the body than my usual choice of exercise — such as running, or cycling, or even sometimes the weights. I don’t know if it’s the repeated impact involved. And of course part of it is that I am a year older. When I took up baseball I had recently turned thirty, and was training to run 10k races. Several surgeries, two children and many years later, I still look ahead to a year thinking “This time I’ll get in better shape….” At some point reality dawns that I will probably never recapture that youthful elasticity. But at least you know that the waistline may have got the message.

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS, HAWKS, EAGLES AND FALCONS RECEIVE 2010 AWARDS

 

The 2010 season was officially put to bed with the announcement of the 2010 award winners of Herts Baseball Club’s adult programme.  The achievements of the Raptors, Hawks, Eagles and Falcons over the past 12 months were recognised at the club’s annual end of season event.  This year the presentation took place at Leisure World in Hemel Hempstead.

 

Kimiyoshi Saionji was voted as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Herts Falcons and he also picked up the Most RBI (16) and Home Run (2) trophies.  In fact two home run trophies were presented as Petar Kikel also accumulated two home runs.  Power-hitter Alex Ganster played only in the last few games of the NBL season so he was at a disadvantage but he would be expected to challenge Kikel and Saionji next season.  Ganster was not left empty-handed as he deservedly received the Batting Champion title with a batting average of .467.

 

For the Herts Eagles there were many shining stars in what was a very successful year for the team but the list of award winners was dominated by three players in particular.  In his first year with the club, Sri Lanka National Team player, Mahendra Prasad, won three of the award categories – Outfield Gold Glove, Most Stolen Bases and the Home Run title.  Louis Hare received the Infield Gold Glove and the Best Pitcher award.  For a third consecutive year Darrin Ward was voted as the MVP.  He also received the batting title and Most RBI.  Paul Auchterlounie’s contribution to the team’s success was also recognised as he received the Coach’s Award.

 

Six of the eight Hawks awards went to two of the team’s most exceptional players.  The rise and rise of young prospect Hunter Devine within the organisation continues and he was awarded the Herts Batting title, Infield Gold Glove and Most Stolen Bases. Manager Greg Bochan led by example all year long and his team mates voted him as the 2010 Hawks MVP.  He also received the Best Pitcher and Most RBI awards.

 

Jim Arnott was undoubtedly the outstanding player for the Raptors in 2010 so it was no surprise that he was voted as the team’s MVP.  He also received the Best Pitcher, Most RBI and Rookie of the Year awards, the latter being a club-wide prize which recognizes Arnott as the best newcomer from the large group of first-year players in the Herts four adult teams. Third baseman Bobby Gould picked up the Batting title and the Stolen Bases award.  Bryan Drummond had a tremendous year as one of the team’s key pitchers and his contribution in the outfield was also recognised with the reward of the Outfield Gold Glove.  2010 may have been Simon Elkington’s rookie year but he impressed everyone and spent the latter part of the season with the club’s AA team.  His fantastic performances were rewarded with the Raptors Infield Gold Glove. Manager Ken Pike recognised the incredible contribution of catcher Will Belbin on and off the field presenting him with the Coach’s award.

 

Andy Cornish received the Excellence in Leadership award reflecting the club’s appreciation for his dedication and contribution in every department of the club. Most Improved Player trophy went to Ilya Dimitrov, to add to his Hawks Outfield Gold Glove.  With a substantial majority of votes from club members the Play of the Year Award went to Liam Green for gunning down back-to-back Thames Valley runners at home plate in the same inning on balls hit to the outfield.  Marty Cullen was voted as the Nob-Out Award winner for his bunting master class in front of the TV cameras.  Fans of Herts Baseball Club can see this on digital channel Blighty where the programme will be shown early in 2011.

 

During the 2010 season members and friends of the club were involved in the Fantasy Baseball League competition with glittering prizes for the winners.  As winners of the American and National leagues, Jason Greenberg and Andy Cornish will receive baseballs signed by Cleveland Indians star, Grady Sizemore and New York Mets gold glove winner, Carlos Beltran.  Overall winner, Jason Greenberg picks up the grand prize of the Porsche Driving Experience, and it is understood that he is planning to donate it to the GB National Team programme if Porsche agree to transfer it. Both Jason Greenberg and Marty Cullen were key to securing the prizes for the winners and organising this fun competition which raised significant amount of money which will be invested in facilities and equipment at the club’s Grovehill Ballpark.

 

More images from the 2010 Herts Baseball Awards

 

FULL LIST OF 2010 AWARDS

 

HERTS FALCONS (NBL)  

MVP, Kimiyoshi Saionji

Batting Champion, Alex Ganster (.467)

Infield Gold Glove, Luis Goncalves

Outfield Gold Glove, Jamie Munn

Best Pitcher, Petar Kikel (4 W)

Most Stolen Bases, Jamie Munn (12)

Home Run Champion, Petar Kikel (2)

Home Run Champion, Kimiyoshi Saionji (2)

Most RBIs, Kimiyoshi Saionji (16)

Coach’s Award, Brandon Deal

               

HERTS EAGLES (AAA)    

MVP, Darrin Ward

Batting Champion, Darrin Ward

Infield Gold Glove, Louis Hare

Outfield Gold Glove, Mahendra Prasad

Best Pitcher, Louis Hare

Most Stolen Bases, Mahendra Prasad

Home Run Champion, Mahendra Prasad

Most RBIs, Darrin Ward

Coach’s Award, Paul Auchterlounie

               

HERTS HAWKS (AA)       

MVP, Greg Bochan

Batting Champion, Hunter Devine

Infield Gold Glove, Hunter Devine

Outfield Gold Glove, Ilya Dimitrov

Best Pitcher, Greg Bochan

Most Stolen Bases, Hunter Devine

Most RBIs, Greg Bochan

Coach’s Award, Kal Dimitrov

               

HERTS RAPTORS (A)       

MVP, Jim Arnott

Batting Champion, Bobby Gould

Infield Gold Glove, Simon Elkington

Outfield Gold Glove, Bryan Drummond

Best Pitcher, Jim Arnott

Most Stolen Bases, Bobby Gould

Most RBIs, Jim Arnott

Coach’s Award, Will Belbin

 

CLUB AWARDS

Rookie of the Year, Jim Arnott

Most Improved Player, Ilya Dimitrov

Excellence in Leadership, Andrew Cornish

Play of the Year, Liam Green

 

FANTASY BASEBALL AWARDS

National League Champion, Jason Greenberg (Carlos Beltran signed baseball)

American League Champion, Andy Cornish (Grady Sizemore signed baseball)

World Series Winner, Jason Greenberg (Porsche Driving Experience)

by AspiDimitrov

FOUR BABIES, TWO DIAMONDS, ONE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND A TITLE

The first signs of a big year were there even before the playing season began.  The club had worked hard and raised money for years with the aim of laying a second diamond, so that the facilities would expand to match the numbers of players now turning out for the club. The grass on the new diamond had been laid last autumn, and in the Spring a bevy of talented ball-players turned out to help prepare the infield. The local police and the Mayor joined in for an operation which also involved a digger, a tipper truck, and mounds and mounds of gravel.  The field was christened in competitive games in late May – fittingly the Little Leaguers were the first to enter the new era, with the Raptors staging a dramatic finale to the weekend in a nailbiting 31-30 defeat by Tonbridge.

The arrival of the second diamond meant the club could add several more firsts to the list for 2010. It was the venue for a new National League event, the Summer Classic, which saw all the teams playing competitive games at the same venue on the same day.  And above all, Herts was able to host the National Baseball Championships for the first time. In September, clubs from Liverpool, Leicester and Richmond were among those joining Herts very own Eagles at two days of often thrilling baseball. It was a big step for the club on the national stage, and we will hear more about those Eagles later….

Before we move on to the details of the playing, we must pause briefly to marvel at the fact that the BBC allowed us to grace one of its flagship television programmes this year. In April, Mike Bushell from the BBC1 Breakfast show came to Grovehill to take part in a training session with Little League players and National League Falcons alike. It was all caught on camera, and won attention for the club and the sport across the UK. Mike gamely tried to field some fly balls, and tried to hit a Dan Kerry fastball — with a predictable lack of success. But he did really hit the balls that you see in the film, and ran the bases with enthusiasm. 

And so to business. The Falcons would be the first to tell you they were disappointed with a 9-19 record.  But there were struggles in both the pitching and the hitting departments, meaning that it was hard to put together a good run. Despite all of this, the Falcons fought to the very end of the season for a playoff place, and were only denied by a sweep by the Mildenhall Bulldogs in the final series of the season.  And there were plenty of highlights. The brightest of them was the superb 2-1 win against the champions, Richmond, and their MVP pitcher Cody Cain. A home run from Kimiyoshi Saionji helped secure a famous win.  The infield defense was perhaps the strongest part of the team, and Pete Kikel went from rookie upstart to established National League pitcher and hitter in just one year. The Falcons also added the big bat of Alex Ganster late in the season, and they are looking forward to fighting back next year.

The Eagles in the AAA division were Herts’ most successful adult team. Helped by the pitching of Darrin Ward and Louis Hare, and the ability to keep a consistent line-up together, they notched up an 18-6 record to qualify for the playoffs. Further victories ensured they would represent Herts at the first ever National Baseball Championships at Grovehill. They battled through to the semi-final to take on the ultimate champions, the Oxford Kings, but were undone in a game which turned on a controversial umpiring decision. The Eagles manager Lee Manning – who had represented his team with vigour all year – was justly proud of what they had achieved. 

The Hawks had a tougher time of it, facing teams in the AA division who probably belonged higher up.  Greg Bochan led the team in his customary spirit, and they always competed hard, even having been ruled out of post-season contention.  They ended the year with a 5-13 record, claiming wins over Croydon, Brentwood and Horsham. Youngsters Perrie Sherman and Hunter Devine provided plenty of spark, while Simon Langton was a strong defensive addition in his year in Hertfordshire.

The Raptors had the worst record of any Herts team, but as a genuine development squad – packed with complete rookies – winning was not the measure of their achievements.  It was all about learning and improving. They were thumped more than once, but also narrowly lost spectacular games against the Tonbridge Bobcats and the Chelmsford Clippers. The Raptors' one win of the season was on the road on a blazing hot Fourth of July, against the then-division leaders, the Braintree Rays.  The shock 22-18 victory made the news in reports across the country, being described as “one of the results of the season” in British baseball.  Players who had never before pulled on a glove – Jim Arnott, Bryan Drummond, Will Belbin – grew in stature as the season went on. The Raptors manager, Ken Pike, hopes to keep the core of the team together and secure a winning record next year.

Finally we move away from the adult teams, and on to the even brighter news about the future of the Herts Baseball Club – the youngsters. Another successful Little League summer came to a climax when the Herts All-Stars won the Little League National Championship in September. They reversed last year’s 1-0 defeat by the London Mets, beating their biggest rivals 2-1 to claim the crown. The All Stars went through their entire season unbeaten. It was a proud moment for the club, and for the large numbers of parents and coaches who regularly turned out to help the boys and girls develop their skills. And the National title was not the only good news for the youth programme. Liam Green, who only took up baseball when he became a founder member of the Herts Little League in 2007, was called up to the GB squad which went to the European Championship qualifiers in Sweden this summer.

And the club showed its commitment to youth in a quite extraordinary way – all four team managers had babies in the 12 months from the end of the 2009 season. Can any other club boast that sort of commitment? OK, maybe the managers didn’t actually have the babies – everyone knows the managers don’t do the hard work – but Sebastien, Riley, Nathan and Violet all have great futures ahead of them. Their parents adapted admirably to the challenges they face, and the family atmosphere at Grovehill was enhanced. Herts Baseball Club is looking forward to 2011 with confidence.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS ANNOUNCE 2011 MEMBERS OF STAFF

          

 

With no baseball on TV it is easy to assume that baseball clubs around the world simply lock up their ballparks and fly off to warm destinations for the five months of the winter close season between October and March. In fact the close season is a very busy and important period for the MLB clubs. 

 

This is also the case at Herts Baseball Club. The club held its Annual General Meeting a few weeks ago appointing the Executive Board for the upcoming season and the Board has just announced the 2011 members of staff.

 

The club goes into the new season with a strong team in its various departments the number of which seems to increase every year. There are some new faces joining the club’s management who will bring fresh ideas and new energy, and at the same time the club has retained a large number of the 2010 members of staff which will provide continuity as the club aims to continue its growth and progress in every department.

 

Lee Manning has been elected as the Manager of the Herts Falcons as they prepare for their third year in the top tier of the British baseball league pyramid.  He moves to the Falcons Manager position after managing the Herts Eagles last year, so the club will be looking to fill the AAA League managerial vacancy.

 

Greg Bochan continues at the helm of the Herts Hawks, but this year he will be joined by Andy Cornish as a co-manager and both of them will be looking for the winning formula in the AA League.  One thing is for sure, the Herts Hawks season will be a lot of fun.

 

After the end of the 2010 season Herts Raptors Manager, Ken Pike, was concerned that commitments at work and new arrivals in his family would make it difficult for him to manage next year, but the buzz he got out of his first year as manager seems to have prevailed and the Club Board has just confirmed that Ken Pike has been appointed as Manager of the Raptors for the upcoming season.

 

The following is the full list of the 2011 members of staff.  There are several vacant positions which the club is aiming to fill in the coming weeks as it prepares for another season of Herts baseball.

 

President, Aspi Dimitrov

Treasurer, Dave Hamilton

Secretary, Aspi Dimitrov

Herts Falcons Manager (NBL), Lee Manning

Herts Hawks (AA) Co-Manager, Greg Bochan

Herts Hawks (AA) Co-Manager, Andy Cornish

Herts Raptors (A) Manager, Ken Pike

Webmaster, Greg Bochan

Deputy Webmaster, Kimiyoshi Saionji

Club Media Officer, Rob Jones

Statistics Officer, Greg Bochan

Volunteer Coordinator, Jon Gamble

Club Welfare Officer, Kal Dimitrov

Club Shop Manager, Ilya Dimitrov

 

by AspiDimitrov

UNIVERSITY FALL CUP THIS WEEKEND AT GROVEHILL BALLPARK

 

The University Fall Cup returns to Herts for a second year in a row.  The six best university baseball teams in the country will battle it out this weekend.  There will be a total of 16 games played starting from 10am on Saturday, 30 October 2010, and ending with the Final on Sunday at 2pm.

 

Last year's winners, University of East Anglia (UEA), start the defence of their title against Southampton.  2009 losing finalists, Nottingham start the competition with a game against Imperial College.  Kings College and Oxford are the other two teams entering the competition.

 

Who will be the winner this year?

 

DATE TIME VENUE GAME
30-Oct-10 10:00 Old Diamond IMPERIAL v NOTTINGHAM
30-Oct-10 10:00 New Diamond KINGS v OXFORD
30-Oct-10 10:00 3rd Diamond SOTON v UEA
30-Oct-10 11:45 Old Diamond UEA v OXFORD
30-Oct-10 11:45 New Diamond IMPERIAL v SOTON
30-Oct-10 11:45 3rd Diamond NOTTINGHAM v KINGS
30-Oct-10 13:30 Old Diamond NOTTINGHAM v SOTON
30-Oct-10 13:30 New Diamond KINGS v UEA
30-Oct-10 13:30 3rd Diamond OXFORD v IMPERIAL
30-Oct-10 15:00 Old Diamond IMPERIAL v UEA
30-Oct-10 15:00 New Diamond NOTTINGHAM v OXFORD
30-Oct-10 15:00 3rd Diamond SOTON v KINGS
31-Oct-10 10:00 Old Diamond (S) P5 v P6
31-Oct-10 11:45 Old Diamond (C) P2 v P3
31-Oct-10 14:00 Old Diamond P4 v W/S (Shield Final)
31-Oct-10 14:00 New Diamond P1 v W/C (Cup Final)

 

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS LAUNCH FIRST EVER TV CHANNEL IN BRITISH BASEBALL

This Thursday Herts Baseball Club will break yet another barrier.  They will make British baseball history as the first baseball organisation in the UK to unveil its own TV channel.  The Herts Baseball Channel will be launched at 8pm on Thursday, 23 September, with live coverage of the 2010 Hunlock Series Draft.

 

Exactly two years ago the club made history as the first British baseball club to broadcast live radio with coverage of the 2008 Hunlock Series Draft and this year the club has gone a step further.

 

Club President, Aspi Dimitrov, said: ‘Having the capability to broadcast our own TV channel 24 hours a day opens up endless opportunities for us to promote our club and continue our growth. We now have the ability to televise live or on-demand talk shows, fan phone-ins, player interviews, game highlights, pre-game build up and post-game analysis, and this will have a very positive effect on all Herts Baseball operations.’ He added: ‘We can even stream live games from our own ballpark and this can be done by adopting the same methods used by ESPN and FOX when they show live MLB games.  For example, we can televise a Herts Falcons game live with 10 or more different cameras located in different parts of the ballpark and the various video feeds can be mixed to deliver coverage of the highest quality. CBS, Fox News and C-SPAN are just some of the organisations which are utilising the technology provided by LiveStream, so we are very grateful to the people at LiveStream who a few hours ago confirmed that they have agreed to provide Herts the capability to stream to 100,000+ concurrent viewers 24-hours-a-day with HD quality (subject to source footage being in HD).’

 

THE FIRST LIVE PROGRAMME

Herts Baseball Club have indicated that it will take several months for the channel to get up to speed and to start to utilise the full range of LiveStream features, but this week’s live coverage of the 2010 Hunlock Series Draft is the best possible way to launch it. 

 

The Hunlock Series is now in its fifth year and is arguably the most eagerly awaited event on the Herts Baseball calendar.  It is the only time of the year when all of the adult players from Herts Baseball Club’s major and minor league teams come to play together at the same venue.  Over the years the event has provided so much drama and excitement and the unveiling of the Herts Baseball Channel will enhance the Hunlock Series even more.  During the Live Draft the club will announce the 2010 Hunlock Series Managers and then the wheeling and dealing will begin with each manager aiming to gain an edge over their opponents even before a pitch has been thrown.

 

TUNE IN FOR THE DRAFT

The Herts Baseball Channel can be viewed by going to www.livestream.com/hertsbaseball  Live coverage will begin at 8pm on Thursday, 23 September 2010.  It is expected to end at around 11pm. For those who cannot watch the programme live, they can tune in 24 hours later (8pm on Friday) when it will be shown again in full.

 

VIEWER INTERACTION

Viewers will be able to communicate with each other in the ChatZone which is located on the right side of the TV screen. They can do this using the LiveStream ChatTool or via their Facebook  or Twitter accounts.  Viewers can post their questions to the managers and other studio guests in the ChatZone and some of these questions will be put to them.

by AspiDimitrov

TWO ERROR-FREE ONE-HIT SHUTOUTS AND HERTS ARE THROUGH TO THE NATIONAL FINALS

The Herts All-Stars sent a clear message to the rest of the country with two convincing wins in the National Youth Baseball Playoffs. They will be making the trip up the M1 motorway to Halton next week for the National Youth Baseball Championships (NBC) as one of the four best teams in Great Britain.

 

The postseason for the Herts All-Stars started with a game against the Bracknell Broncos.  They jumped into an early lead scoring 10 runs in the first two innings.  On the mound for them Jesse Reinebold, Nick Martinez and Zack Longboy combined for a one-hitter, allowing only one walk in the process.  Charlie Mayhew ended the game with a spectacular leaping catch in right field and so with a final score of 10-0 the boys from Hertfordshire were over the first playoff hurdle.

 

Next up were the Essex RedBacks and Herts once again put their opponents on the back foot from the start.  Leadoff batter Carlos Casal was the first to cross home plate.  First baseman Richard Ganster then drove in Mikito Ariga and Nick Martinez with a triple.  Jesse Reinebold rounded off the inning with a single to bring a fourth Herts run home in the opening inning. Reinebold then took the mound in the bottom of the inning retiring the side in order.  Herts piled on the pressure with three more runs in the second inning on back-to-back-to-back hits by Mikito Ariga, Nick Martinez and Richard Ganster.  Ganster proved to be the most productive hitter for Herts with an impressive line over the two games in which he almost hit for the cycle (3-for-4, 2B 3B, 5 RBIs, 4 Runs).

 

Four more runs came home in the fourth and one in the sixth inning for Herts.  At the same time starting pitcher Reinebold and reliever Marty Cullen Jr were outstanding on the mound.  They were backed up by solid defensive plays every step of the way.

 

Over the two games the Herts defense did not commit a single error. Their four pitchers did not allow any runs, struck out 22 batters, allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks. 

 

The second team to reach next week’s Youth National Championships from the Southern Conference is the reigning champion London Mets.  The two Northern representatives are the host Halton Polecats and the Manchester Saints.  The Youth NBC will start with semi-finals on Saturday, 18 September, the winners of which will meet in the final on Sunday to determine the new British Champions.

 

Fans of Herts Baseball Club who are not travelling for the event can track the action pitch-by-pitch live via the internet here.

 

For more images from today’s playoffs, click here.

 

Photos by Ward Davis.

 

BOX SCORES – HERTS vs BRACKNELL (Under-14 National Playoffs)

 

Bracknell Broncos at Herts All-Stars
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 R H E
Bracknell Broncos 0 0 0 0 0 1 4
Herts All-Stars 5 5 0 0 10 3 0

Herts All-Stars 10, Bracknell Broncos 0
Herts All-Stars Bracknell Broncos
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Carlos Casal Jr 2b 2 0 0 0 V Player 1 p-1b 2 0 0 0
Nick Martinez ss-p 2 1 0 0 V Player 2 c 2 0 0 0
(t3) Zack Longboy p-rf 0 0 0 0 V Player 3 1b-p 2 0 1 0
Marty Cullen Jr c 0 2 0 0 V Player 4 2b 2 0 0 0
Richard Ganster 3b 2 2 1 1 V Player 5 3b 1 0 0 0
Jesse Reinebold p-ss 0 2 0 0 V Player 6 ss 1 0 0 0
Kyle Lloyd-Jones cf 2 1 1 1 V Player 7 lf 0 0 0 0
Lewis Green lf 2 0 0 0 V Player 8 cf 1 0 0 0
Charlie Mayhew rf 0 1 0 0 V Player 9 rf 1 0 0 0
Jonny Compton-Weight 1b 2 1 1 0          
TEAM TOTALS 12 10 3 2 TEAM TOTALS 12 0 1 0
E: V Player 4(2), V Player 2, V Player 7. LOB: Bracknell Broncos 1, Herts All-Stars
2. SB: V Player 7. CS: Charlie Mayhew, V Player 3.
Herts All-Stars IP H R ER BB SO
Zack Longboy 1.67 1 0 0 0 1
Jesse Reinebold W 1.33 0 0 0 0 4
Nick Martinez 1.00 0 0 0 1 3
Bracknell Broncos            
V Player 3 1.67 2 6 1 3 0
V Player 1 L 0.33 1 4 0 1 1
HBP: by V Player 3 (Marty Cullen Jr). , by V Player 3 (Marty Cullen Jr). . . WP: V
Player 3(5), V Player 1(2). T: 1:20. A: 89.

BOX SCORES – HERTS @ ESSEX (Under-14 National Playoffs)

Herts All-Stars at Essex RedBacks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts All-Stars 4 3 0 4 0 1 12 7 0
Essex RedBacks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4

Herts All-Stars 12, Essex RedBacks 0
Herts All-Stars Essex RedBacks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Carlos Casal Jr 2b 3 2 0 0 S Andrew p-1b 3 0 0 0
Mikito Ariga 3b 4 3 1 0 M Laen-Gay cf-ss 2 0 1 0
Nick Martinez ss 3 3 1 1 T Barnes 1b-c 2 0 0 0
Richard Ganster 1b-c 2 3 2 4 S Meikle ss-p-1b 2 0 0 0
Marty Cullen Jr c-p 4 0 1 1 S Yuille rf 0 0 0 0
Jesse Reinebold p 2 0 1 1 (b4) Weston rf 1 0 0 0
(b5) Jonny Compton-Weight 1b 0 0 0 0 C Brown 3b 2 0 0 0
Jose Morillo rf 2 0 0 0 A Roofe 2b 2 0 0 0
(t4) Lewis Green pr-rf-lf 1 1 0 0 R Pavelin cf-c 2 0 0 0
Brodie Caress cf 2 0 1 1 M Asher lf 2 0 0 0
Zack Longboy lf 2 0 0 0          
(b5) Kieran Manning rf 1 0 0 0          
TEAM TOTALS 26 12 7 8 TEAM TOTALS 18 0 1 0
E: A Roofe(2), T Barnes, S Yuille. DP: Herts All-Stars 1. LOB: Essex RedBacks 1,
Herts All-Stars 7. 2B: Mikito Ariga, Richard Ganster. 3B: Richard Ganster. SB: Nick
Martinez, Jesse Reinebold, Lewis Green. CS: Zack Longboy.
Herts All-Stars IP H R ER BB SO
Jesse Reinebold W 4.00 1 0 0 1 8
Marty Cullen Jr 2.00 0 0 0 0 6
Essex RedBacks            
S Andrew L 3.00 6 7 5 4 6
S Meikle 3.00 1 5 1 6 4
HBP: by S Meikle (Jose Morillo). . . WP: Jesse Reinebold, S Andrew(2), S Meikle(2).
PB: T Barnes(2), R Pavelin. T: 1:35. A: 105.

 

 

by AspiDimitrov

BUY ME SOME PEANUTS…

Herts Baseball correspondent, Rob Jones, looks back at last weekend’s celebration of British baseball

It was yet another piece of history for Herts baseball — the first ever National Baseball Championships to be held at Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Has any  sort of national championships ever been held in Hemel? I honestly don’t know, but I have to confess to a frisson of excitement as I first pulled up at the venue on Saturday to see crowds, tents and people stretching across the playing fields. This was baseball coming to our home. And here are some of the sights, sounds and smells …

First of all — there was great baseball. There were home runs a-plenty. Most of the action I saw was on the Grove, our oldest field, and balls kept plopping over the fence from the new diamond with regularity. The purist might not love it, but the long ball has helped give the game its vigour in the past decade, and it’s fun to see at the British amateur level. There were games which lived up to the occasion. The clash between Bracknell and London for a place in the NBL final was truly epic, going ten innings before the then-defending champions were able to inch ahead and claim a place in the final. The MK Bucks and Guildford Mavericks were locked at 3-3 going into the final inning of the single-A final, before the Bucks pulled clear. There was great pitching — for example, from Richmond’s Cody Cain, who claimed MVP honours with 12 strikeouts in the NBL final — and great fielding, including a sliding catch I saw Herts’ own Mahendra Prasad make in the shallow outfield.

Richmond Knights’ John Irving looking for his helmet after what could have been an embarassing blooper

Of course, things do not always go smoothly for even the best baseball players. A Richmond Knights base-runner nearly suffered an embarrassing moment as his side took on Leicester for the AA title. He was poised on second base when a team-mate struck out. Everyone thought it was the final out of the inning and started for the dugouts — including the runner, who was almost at third base when the catcher suddenly realised in fact there were only two outs. He seized on the ball, and the runner swivelled, losing his helmet in the process and frantically diving back to second. Fortunately for him the second baseman had also thought the inning was over, so he was not there to claim the strangest put-out of his career!

  

MK Bucks ace pitcher Tom Lloyd retrieving his cap

All these games had proper umpires, but it did not seem to prevent arguments about calls, or about the rules. The balk, for example, is a strange thing. Sometimes it can be really obvious. But once you get beyond those few cases, it seems remarkably subjective. The Eagles’ Louis Hare — who pitched tremendously in two games — was called for a balk in the decisive match-up against the Oxford Kings. It sparked much heated debate. The umpire explained to me that he had not stepped clearly enough towards first base, and was therefore deceiving the runner. But players insisted it was a move Hare had used all season with no problems, and being called for it meant Oxford were able to steal freely. During his game, the MK Bucks pitcher Tommy Lloyd knocked his own cap off during his motion. This, too, sparked a debate — mostly good natured — about whether that should be called a balk. What could be more distracting to the batter than a flying object right in his line of sight? But can a pitcher really deliberately knock off his own hat, and still deliver a pitch? It was a trademark “trick” of the once-notorious Yankees pitcher and diarist, Jim Bouton. Lloyd got the benefit of the doubt. And retrieved his hat.

Herts Eagles Manager, Lee Manning, in discussion with umpires

There was passion on display, and the questionable calls led to the most vivid displays of it — ejections. Bracknell’s manager Rob Rance was ejected from a game for arguing calls with the home plate umpire. He said that the incident had perhaps put “fire in the belly” of his team. But when the Herts Eagles manager, Lee Manning, was ejected in their semi-final against Oxford Kings, it had the opposite effect. In discussions about a controversial interference call, Manning was tossed for apparently asking one too many questions, even though the often combative manager had seemed calm and reasonable. Both teams left the field while the discussions continued and the Eagles rhythm was clearly disrupted. They scored no more runs, gave up several, and made mistakes on the bases. I have great respect for what umpires and refs try to do, but there’s no denying that controversial calls can turn a game.

The Herts fans on the egde of their seats during the AAA League semi-final clash versus Oxford

The big stars of the weekend were the fans and families who turned out to add a buzz to the event. People had come along with tents, garden chairs, and video cameras. There were grandparents, little leaguers, toddlers and babes in arms. My own two boys, who have always shown scant interest in baseball, enjoyed their time at the NBC. After some prompting they shouted “Come on Jon”, and “Go Eagles”, and waved our home-made sponge finger. And when they had finished that, they ran around chasing footballs and baseballs and toy Transfomers, and having a fine time.

Enjoying the hot dogs at Grovehill Ballpark

If I am talking about the overall atmosphere, I have to address the crowning glory of the weekend — the food! The ubiquitous hot dogs were enormous, tasty, sensibly priced and happily devoured by my own two kids. And they were supplemented by a more exotic sandwich — pulled pork. When I first saw this on the adverts for the event I wondered what on earth it was all about and had to Google the answer. When I finally got to eat one for my Sunday lunch it all made sense! A masterpiece of rich meat and tangy sauce which made my weekend experience even better. Compliments to the chefs.

Baseball, like so much that is good in life, is about more than just the result. It is about the endeavour, the humour, the colours and sounds, and the drama. There was plenty of that this weekend. While the club was certainly disappointed not to end up with a team claiming a title, it should be proud of the way it hosted a national event. It was so good I would be happy to come back next year … but there had better be pulled pork!

by AspiDimitrov

EAGLES DREAM ENDED BY MEN IN BLUE

The Herts Eagles flew close to the blazing sun of national glory on Sunday — but were finally overcome by the eventual victors, the Oxford Kings, and by controversial umpiring. They were representing Herts baseball club as it hosted the National Finals for the first time ever. And hopes were high as the Eagles had been the club's most successful adult team, posting an 18-6 league record.

They lost their first match of the weekend 4-0 to the Liverpool Trojans, the champions of AAA in the north. The Eagles were let down by fielding errors — and only managed hits from Jon Lewys, and starting pitcher Darrin Ward. They also complained of some questionable umpiring. But they still had a second game to play. This was now do or die — they had to overcome Bracknell Inferno to survive, and were buoyed by the fact that they beaten them in a previous playoff round. The game started out as a tight contest, each team edging a run here and there, but Herts pitching was more disciplined and on more than one occasion the Eagles stranded base runners just as they were threatening to break out. In the sixth, Paul Auchterlounie scored on a pass ball to take a 4-2 lead, and that insurance run seemed to relax they Eagles. Finally, they racked up the score they had threatened all game — four runs crossed the plate in the seventh, leading to an 8-2 victory.

So, early Sunday morning, the Eagles took on the Oxford Kings for the right to face Liverpool in the final. The positive mood from the previous night's triumph was still evident, and it looked as if the Eagles would meet their destiny. Five runs in the second inning powered them into the lead. But soon after that, disaster would strike. With two men out in the fourth, but two base runners on, the Eagles manager Lee Manning hit an infield chopper. Louis Hare, running from second to third base, jumped out of the way of the ball and it was fielded neatly by the Oxford shortstop. His throw to first was just a little off target, and that meant the batter was safe and the two runners scored. Eagles had extended their lead.

Or so it seemed.

The umpire then declared that Hare was out for interference, ending the inning, and erasing both his and the preceding run. Manning went to ask for more details and to argue his case, but after a few moments he was ejected. The entire ball game was then put into dispute, and both teams left the field for what felt like an eternity while the decision was discussed. It was all to no avail, as no decision was reversed. The disappointment and sense of robbery clearly disrupted the Eagles. They gave away three runs, then two, then two more to finally go down 8-5.

The players were sad that such an excellent season ended in such a messy way. Most felt cheated, and robbed, though they wished their Oxford rivals all the best for the final. But as the gloom lifted the Eagles were justifiably proud of what they had done all year – which included two victories against those champion Oxford Kings. The Herts team will pose a serious threat to all their rivals next year.