Category: Club News

by AspiDimitrov

BLACK WIDOWS IN LEAD; ROOSTERS, DOGS IN SEMI-FINAL

The Black Widows have emerged top-of-the-heap after week two of the 2009 Kyle Hunlock Series.  After crushing the Blue Dogs 12-3 in the morning opener, they went on to hand the Red Roosters their first loss of the Series by a score of 12-7.  While this left the Roosters and the Widows each with a 3-1 record, the Widows mountainous run differential was just too steep for the Roosters to climb; although they beat the Blue Dogs 15-2 in the final match of the day, they would have needed another 16 runs scored to surpass the Widows and take first place.

BLUE DOGS 3 @ BLACK WIDOWS 12

In the morning matchup the Blue Dogs got off to an early lead off Widow hurler Mark Hoffman.  Although “the Hoff” quickly tallied a pair of strikeouts, a Widows error followed by a walk and a clutch single from Blue Dogs manager Andy Cornish brought the first run across the plate.

But that was all the offence the Dogs would see until the fifth inning.  Hoffman settled down and pitched three scoreless innings, followed by two solid innings from Marty Cullen.  Altogether, Hoffman and Cullen wracked up 7 strikeouts with only 3 walks and 3 runs allowed on 6 hits.

The Widows offence was timely.  Marty Cullen went 4-for-4 with 4 RBI, and fellow-American Greg Bochan was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Luis Goncalves and Arnie Longboy had a hit each, and both crossed the plate multiple times.  Newcomer Marcus Capper – while hitless – still scored two runs for the Widows.

BLACK WIDOWS 12 @ RED ROOSTERS 7

The Roosters had high expectations after hitting the field fresh at midday to face a (hopefully) game-weary Widows lineup.  Newcomer Mike Vasquez took the mound for the Red squad, but he surrendered 4 walks and 2 hits in the first inning, and his team committed 3 errors behind him.  Altogether that amounted to 7 Widows runs, which proved the difference in the game.

The Roosters fought hard to battle back, putting up crooked numbers in the second, third and fifth innings.  They were aided by a 2-for-3 performance from first baseman Dave Baird, but it was too little too late.  The Widows had the momentum.  Luis Goncalves went 2-for-3, Chris Barnes 2-for-2 with 2 RBI, and Amit Odedra came into the game in the bottom of the fourth inning and had a clutch 2-run single with a stolen base.

RED ROOSTERS 15 @ BLUE DOGS 2

The Blue Dogs failed to score a run until the final inning of this third game.  The Roosters were out of the gates early with a 2 RBI double from Jason Greenberg, who finished the day with a second 2 RBI double.  Young Liam Green was 1-for-1 with an RBI, and the mighty Edwin Alcantara went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.

The only Blue Dog RBIs came from Jonathon Lewys, who also delivered an inning of work from the hill allowing 2 runs on 2 hits.

The pitcher of the game was most certainly Pete Kikel, who upped the speed on his fastball by 5-10mph over game one, and walked away with 4 strikeouts in 3-innings of scoreless baseball.

WIDOWS AWAITING THEIR PREY IN WEEK THREE

After two weeks of Hunlock action, the Black Widows are sitting pretty.  They can rest up and watch the 2nd/3rd place action on Sunday morning to see which squad they’ll face in the ’09 Series Final.

The Blue Dogs have an uphill battle in store.  They’ve now lost to the Red Roosters by scores of 8-7 and 15-2.  If they hope to find their stride and coast into the championship game they’ll have to get by a resurgent pitching rotation of Pete Kikel, Dan Kerry and Mike Vasquez, who in particular will be looking for a solid rebound on the mound.  The Dogs will be aided by the emergence of late-coming teammates Nic Goetz and Jamie Munn, and returning sluggers Louis Hare and Riley Fisher, all of whom were missing from the week two action.

Which squad will emerge victorious?  It all comes down to 18 innings of riveting Herts Baseball.

GAME ONE

Blue Dogs at Black Widows
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Blue Dogs 1 0 0 0 2 3 6 6
Black Widows 3 4 3 2 0 12 9 5

 

Black Widows 12, Blue Dogs 3
Black Widows Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Luis Goncalves ss 3 2 1 0 Ken Pike ss 3 0 0 0
Arnold Longboy lf 3 1 1 0 Iwan Evans cf 3 1 1 0
Greg Bochan 3b 4 3 2 1 Jeff Witter p 1 1 0 0
Marty Cullen 1b 4 3 4 4 (t3) Reagan Wood 3b 2 0 1 0
Chris Barnes c 4 0 1 1 Kal Dimitrov c 2 1 1 1
Jose Morillo cf 2 0 0 1 Andy Cornish 1b 3 0 2 2
Mark Hoffman p 1 0 0 0 Jonathon Lewys 3b-p 1 0 1 0
Andrew Slater 2b 2 0 0 0 (b4) Nick Russell pr-p 1 0 0 0
Marcus Capper rf 2 2 0 0 Phil Crooks 2b 3 0 0 0
(b4) Tom Green rf 0 1 0 0 Perrie Sherman rf 1 0 0 0
(t4) Lin Yuchih rf 1 0 0 0
Nick Read lf 0 0 0 0
(t4) Paul Auchterlounie lf 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 12 9 7 TEAM TOTALS 21 3 6 3

 

E: Chris Barnes, Marty Cullen, Mark Hoffman, Marcus Capper, Ken Pike, Jonathon
Lewys, Phil Crooks. LOB: Blue Dogs 7, Black Widows 8. 2B: Marty Cullen, Luis
Goncalves, Kal Dimitrov, Andy Cornish. 3B: Greg Bochan. SB: Mark Hoffman, Marcus
Capper, Chris Barnes, Marty Cullen, Nick Russell(2), Andy Cornish, Iwan Evans, Paul
Auchterlounie. CS: Mark Hoffman, Andy Cornish.

 

Black Widows IP H R ER BB SO
Mark Hoffman 5.00 6 3 1 3 7
Blue Dogs            
Jeff Witter 2.00 4 7 2 4 0
Jonathon Lewys 1.67 3 4 2 2 2
Nick Russell 0.33 2 1 0 1 0

WP: Mark Hoffman. PB: Kal Dimitrov. T: 2:00. A: 69.


GAME TWO

Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Black Widows 7 0 0 2 3 12 10 4
Red Roosters 0 2 2 0 3 7 7 6

 

Black Widows 12, Red Roosters 7
Black Widows Red Roosters
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Luis Goncalves ss 3 3 2 0 Aspi Dimitrov 3b-lf-2b 1 2 0 0
Arnold Longboy lf 2 2 1 1 Peter Kikel ss-p 2 1 1 1
(b4) Amit Odedra lf 1 1 1 2 Edwin Alcantara dh-3b 3 0 0 0
Carlos Casal 3b 2 1 0 0 Jason Greenberg c 3 0 0 0
Marty Cullen p-1b 3 1 0 0 David Baird 1b 3 2 2 1
Chris Barnes c 2 1 2 2 Dan Kerry cf 3 1 1 0
Bart Schouwenaars cf 4 1 1 0 Rob Jones lf 1 0 0 0
Mark Hoffman 1b-p 2 0 0 0 Hunter Devine 2b 2 0 1 0
Andrew Slater 2b 2 1 1 1 (t5) Ilya Dimitrov rf 0 0 0 0
(t4) Greg Bochan 2b 1 0 0 0 Ben Alway rf-lf 2 1 1 0
Tom Green rf 2 0 1 1 Mike Vasquez p-ss 2 0 1 0
(t4) Stuart Boast rf 1 1 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 12 10 7 TEAM TOTALS 22 7 7 2

 

E: Luis Goncalves, Carlos Casal, Bart Schouwenaars, Mark Hoffman, Peter Kikel,
Hunter Devine, David Baird, Jason Greenberg. DP: Black Widows 1. LOB: Red Roosters
3, Black Widows 6. 2B: Luis Goncalves, Arnold Longboy, Dan Kerry. SB: Chris
Barnes(2), Carlos Casal(2), Marty Cullen(2), Luis Goncalves, Arnold Longboy, Amit
Odedra, Aspi Dimitrov(3), David Baird(2), Mike Vasquez(2), Dan Kerry(2), Hunter
Devine, Ben Alway. CS: Chris Barnes.

 

Black Widows IP H R ER BB SO
Marty Cullen W 3.00 4 4 1 1 2
Mark Hoffman 2.00 3 3 3 2 1
Red Roosters            
Mike Vasquez L 3.00 4 7 0 4 3
Peter Kikel 2.00 6 5 3 4 3

WP: Mark Hoffman. T: 2:00. A: 69.


GAME THREE

Red Roosters at Blue Dogs
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Red Roosters 2 0 3 8 2 15 12 3
Blue Dogs 0 0 0 0 2 2 7 1

 

Red Roosters 15, Blue Dogs 2
Red Roosters Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Aspi Dimitrov 1b 4 1 1 0 Nick Russell ss-p-2b 3 1 1 0
(b4) Ben Alway lf 0 0 0 0 Paul Auchterlounie c 2 1 1 0
Liam Green 3b 1 4 1 1 Tim Elkins 2b 2 0 0 0
Mike Vasquez ss-cf 3 2 1 2 (t4) Ken Pike ss 1 0 0 0
Edwin Alcantara cf-p 3 3 3 2 Jonathon Lewys p-ss-3b 3 0 1 2
Jason Greenberg c 3 2 2 4 Iwan Evans cf 1 0 1 0
Dan Kerry 2b-1b 3 1 2 2 (t4) Perrie Sherman cf 2 0 0 0
Peter Kikel p 3 0 1 2 Kal Dimitrov 3b 1 0 1 0
(b4) Rob Jones ss 0 0 0 0 (t4) Andy Cornish lf-1b 1 0 1 0
Ilya Dimitrov lf-2b 3 0 0 0 Jeff Witter 1b-p 1 0 0 0
Chris Martin rf 2 2 1 0 Phil Crooks rf 1 0 0 0
(t4) Nick Read rf 1 0 0 0
Reagan Wood lf-p 2 0 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 15 12 13 TEAM TOTALS 21 2 7 2

 

E: Aspi Dimitrov, Ilya Dimitrov, Paul Auchterlounie. LOB: Red Roosters 4, Blue
Dogs 6. 2B: Jason Greenberg(2), Mike Vasquez, Edwin Alcantara, Aspi Dimitrov, Andy
Cornish. SB: Edwin Alcantara(2), Jason Greenberg, Aspi Dimitrov, Dan Kerry, Peter
Kikel, Chris Martin, Liam Green. CS: Peter Kikel.

 

Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
Peter Kikel W 3.00 3 0 0 2 4
Edwin Alcantara 2.00 4 2 2 0 3
Blue Dogs            
Nick Russell 2.00 2 3 3 0 3
Reagan Wood 1.67 5 6 5 3 1
Jonathon Lewys 1.00 2 2 2 0 0
Jeff Witter L 0.00 3 4 2 0 0

HBP: by Jonathon Lewys (Liam Green), by Jonathon Lewys (Dan Kerry). . , by Nick
Russell (Liam Green), by Nick Russell (Edwin Alcantara). , by Reagan Wood (Chris
Martin). . WP: Jonathon Lewys, Nick Russell. T: 2:00. A: 69.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS BASEBALL CLUB AWARDED BSUK GRANT TO IMPROVE FACILITIES

 

This article first appeared on www.baseballsoftballuk.com

 

Herts Baseball Club, Brentwood Baseball Club, Manchester Softball League, Fakenham Falcons Softball Club and London Mets Baseball and Softball Club have all been successful in applying for Equipment and Facilities Grants that BSUK advertised earlier in the year.

 

The money is being distributed by BSUK from a capital funding grant provided by Sport England on the basis of BSUK’s 2009-2013 Whole Sport Plan.

 

The funding, amounting to up to £5,000 per project, has to be match-funded by the receiving organisations to allow them to develop facilities through projects costing up to £10,000.00. The grants will give these organisations the opportunity to erect backstops, develop infields and generally improve their facilities and the playing experience for their members and players.

 

It will also allow them to show visiting teams what can be done with a little bit of time and effort and the support of BSUK.

 

Better Standards

 

All new facilities being created through these grants will be ready for the 2010 season and will allow teams to enjoy a better standard of play, provide help in attracting new players and allow the staging of tournaments and finals. The upgraded facilities will also provide a more exciting experience for youngsters when clubs and leagues work with local schools.

 

BSUK National Club Development Manager Paul Wilkinson said, “It has taken a lot of hard work to set up the process for distributing the grants, due to the need to be able to be audited by other agencies. This is the first time we have had money from Sport England to distribute to affiliated leagues and clubs, but hopefully it will not be the last.”

 

Following on from these small grants, BSUK will soon be looking towards four Regional Centre projects where £100,000 grants will be available to develop tournament and Academy standard facilities in each of the four regions where BSUK’s work is concentrated: London, the South East, the North West and the Midlands.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS AWARDED £5K GRANT FOR SECOND DIAMOND

Herts Baseball Club has been awarded a £5,000 grant from the Dacorum Olympic and Paralympic Fund, administered jointly by Dacorum Borough Council and the Dacorum Sports Network.

A select number of organisations have received awards from the Olympic Fund for capital projects that will enhance sport services and facilities for people in Dacorum.  The goal is to foster greater involvement in sport, culture and volunteering.  Herts Baseball Club – based at Grovehill Playing Fields in Hemel Hempstead – is widely regarded as a positive influence in the local area and their grant application boasted support from local Council members, the Herts Constabulary, the Grovehill Community Centre and many other encouraging organisations.

The funds will be used by Herts Baseball to level the playing surface of a second baseball field, adjacent to their existing diamond in Grovehill.  The Club has made a name for itself in recent years, enjoying rapid expansion to become the largest baseball franchise in the United Kingdom.  They have a thriving youth Little League programme and an adult team at every level of play in the British Baseball Federation – including the Herts Falcons who joined the venerated National Baseball League in 2009, have secured a winning debut season and will appear in the National Baseball Championships in Croydon, London on August 29-30 to compete for the UK trophy.

Herts Baseball is still awaiting news on another critical grant application which will provide for the clay surfaces, pitching mound and other sport-specific features on Diamond Two, but they've already raised enough funds to assure themselves a level field to play on.  The Grovehill baseball facilities are arguably the best in the United Kingdom, and Herts will be the only Club in the nation to boast two professionally-surfaced, adult sized and completely fenced-in baseball fields.

Club President Aspi Dimitrov said, “We are incredibly grateful to Dacorum Borough Council for their continued partnership and support.  It would be impossible to offer our services – family-friendly baseball for kids and adults, alike – without the Council's backing.  We plan on being a key community presence in Grovehill for many years to come.”

by AspiDimitrov

STOP THE PRESSES: FALCONS TAKE FIRST


Photo Credit and Article from Joe Grey of BaseballGB
(amended by Newswire Staff)

The Falcons jumped to the top of the National Baseball League this Sunday, after sending the Croydon Pirates further into the basement with a drubbing in both games of their doubleheader at Roundshaw Playing Fields in Croydon.

The Pirates, who have struggled to field a side of late, showed flashes of their old self but were still put to the sword by scores of 20-2 and 13-8.

Darrin Ward took the win for Herts in Game One, while Nic Goetz claimed the honors in Game Two.

The second match, in particular, was full of unconventional quirks that kept the fans engaged and the sideline-historians deep in “never seen that before” exchanges.  In the bottom of the first inning, Pirate Maikel Azcuy clubbed a home run over the short right field porch off Goetz.  He was mobbed by his teammates near the plate, elated that their fortunes seemed to be turning after a 1-2-3 top of the Falcons 1st.  But some heads-up work from catcher Lee Manning wiped the dinger off the scorepages – Azcuy never touched home plate after rounding the bases, and Manning simply brought the ball there to get the out from umpire Dave Thomson.

Then, late in the game as the Falcons were staging a late-inning comeback, Lin Yuchih was forced out at second base on a fielders choice for the second out of the inning.  The Pirates threw on to 1st, trying to double-up runner-batter Andy Cornish… and then turned around to see Lin walking off the field via third base.  Mistaking him for a runner-in-play they attempted to catch Lin (who ran into the pickle not sure if he was really out or safe at 2nd base!), tagged him, and ran off the field believing the inning had ended.  It wasn't until the Herts side and official scorers had convinced the umpires that Lin was actually charged with two outs in the same inning that the Croydon players were sent back onto the field to get out number three.

Despite the day's antics, the Falcons walked away from Roundshaw with their heads held high.  In just their first year in the National League they've established themselves as post-season contenders.  While a one game lead over Bracknell, Richmond and London is slim, it's a lead nonetheless… and more than Herts (or their rivals and critics) would have expected from an expansion team.  With half the season to play anything can happen.  But the League should probably start-over their search for the true underdogs – the Falcons don't seem to be rolling over for anyone.

Note: the other scheduled action in Week 8, a doubleheader between the Richmond Flames and London Mets, was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Finsbury Park.

GAME ONE

Herts Falcons at Croydon Pirates
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 5 0 3 12 20 8 2
Croydon Pirates 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 2

Herts Falcons 20, Croydon Pirates 2
Herts Falcons Croydon Pirates
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Riley Fisher 3b 3 3 2 2 Player 1 p 3 0 0 0
Andy Cornish lf 3 2 2 5 (t5) Daniel Rose lf-p 0 0 0 0
Lin Yuchih 2b 4 1 1 3 Ron Almonte ss 2 1 0 0
Darrin Ward p 2 2 1 3 Jessie Quinones c-1b 3 0 0 0
Jason Greenberg c 2 2 0 1 Daniel Quinones 1b-rf 2 1 1 1
Nick Goetz ss 2 1 0 1 Jose Sosa 2b-3b 3 0 1 0
(t5) Luis Goncalves ss 0 0 0 0 Pdero Padilla 2b 1 0 0 0
Lee Manning 1b 2 2 1 1 (t3) Maikel Azcuy 2b-3b 0 0 0 0
John Oliver rf 1 4 1 1 Brandon Florence lf-p 2 0 0 0
Jamie Munn cf 0 3 0 1 Tadashi Zushi cf 2 0 1 0
Mark Morgenroth rf 2 0 2 0
(t5) Marco Moreno c 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 19 20 8 18 TEAM TOTALS 20 2 5 1

E: Riley Fisher, Nick Goetz, Player 1, Brandon Florence. DP: Croydon Pirates 2. LOB:
Herts Falcons 4, Croydon Pirates 6. 2B: Lin Yuchih, Andy Cornish. SB: Lee Manning,
John Oliver, Ron Almonte, Mark Morgenroth. SB: Nick Goetz. SF: Nick Goetz, Lee
Manning.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 5.00 5 2 1 3 2
Croydon Pirates            
Jessie Quinones 2.67 0 6 6 0 0
Player 1 L 1.33 6 9 8 9 1
Brandon Florence 1.00 2 3 3 2 1
Daniel Rose 0.00 0 2 2 2 0

HBP: by Player 1 (Jason Greenberg), by Player 1 (Andy Cornish). . , by Player 1
(Riley Fisher). , by Daniel Rose (Riley Fisher). WP: Player 1(5). T: 2:23. A: 39.

GAME TWO

Herts Falcons at Croydon Pirates
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 3 0 1 0 0 4 5 13 8 4
Croydon Pirates 0 2 0 3 0 1 2 8 8 5

Herts Falcons 13, Croydon Pirates 8
Herts Falcons Croydon Pirates
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Riley Fisher 3b 2 2 0 0 Ron Almonte ss 4 0 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 4 3 2 2 Jose Sosa p 4 0 0 0
Lin Yuchih dh 5 1 1 0 Maikel Azcuy 3b 3 1 1 0
Andy Cornish rf 5 0 0 1 Jessie Quinones c 4 1 1 0
Lee Manning c 3 2 0 0 Daniel Quinones rf 4 2 0 0
Luis Goncalves ss 2 1 0 1 Brandon Florence lf 1 2 1 0
John Oliver 1b 4 1 1 1 (t7) Pdero Padilla lf 1 0 1 0
Aspi Dimitrov lf 3 1 1 0 Tadashi Zushi cf 3 2 2 3
Jamie Munn cf 4 2 3 1 (b7) Daniel Rose cf 1 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0 Stephen Gayle 2b 2 0 1 0
(b7) Nicardio Simms 2b 1 0 0 0
M Moreno 1b 3 0 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 32 13 8 6 TEAM TOTALS 31 8 8 4

E: Luis Goncalves(2), Lee Manning, Riley Fisher, Maikel Azcuy, Stephen Gayle, Jessie
Quinones, M Moreno, Tadashi Zushi. DP: Croydon Pirates 1. LOB: Croydon Pirates 7,
Herts Falcons 7. 2B: Tadashi Zushi, Brandon Florence. 3B: Maikel Azcuy. SB: Luis
Goncalves, John Oliver, Aspi Dimitrov, Brandon Florence, Tadashi Zushi.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Nick Goetz W 7.00 8 8 5 5 4
Croydon Pirates            
Jose Sosa L 7.00 8 13 5 8 7

HBP: by Jose Sosa (Luis Goncalves). WP: Nick Goetz(2), Jose Sosa. PB: Lee Manning,
Jessie Quinones. Balk: Jose Sosa(2). T: 2:34. A: 39.

by AspiDimitrov

POLICE AND FIRE BRIGADE OPEN A NEW SEASON OF HERTS BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE

The girls and boys of the Herts Baseball Little League opened the 2009 season in the usual festive fashion.  The ceremony started with the unveiling of the league teams.  Last season, the league consisted of four teams.  In addition, in 2009 two new teams have been added to the line-up. 

 

In order to create a better balance in terms of age and ability, the six teams were divided into two separate divisions.  Last year’s four teams, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Blue Jays, will once again compete against each other and this will be referred to as the“Majors” Division.  The two new teams, the Cardinals and the Giants, will be playing in the newly created “Minors” Division, which will include the league’s youngest players some aged as young as 5.

 

Opening Day’s guests of honour were members of the Hertfordshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire’s Fire and Rescue.  The young baseball players had the opportunity to shake their hands and show their appreciation for the men and women of the emergency services.

 

Dacorum and St. Albans District Commander of Hertfordhsire Fire and Rescue, Simon Brown, said: “It is fantastic to see such a wonderful programme in our community and we are glad that we have a chance to take part in this great event”.  His counterpart from the Hertfordshire Constabulary, Pete Edwards, added: “It is so nice to meet all the boys and girls and we hope that the Herts Baseball programme will continue to grow”.

 

Their colleagues, Danny Allsopp, Simon Steptoe, Beansy Harper, Sticky Pymont of Herts Fire and Rescue and Ryan Coyle, Matt Caan, Daniel  John of the Herts Constabulary joined them for the ceremonial first pitch.  All eight guests of honour showed good baseball abilities delivering powerful and accurate pitches.  On the other side eight Little League players were waiting to receive the pitches, and so the 2009 season was officially opened.

 

Whether it is baseball, football or some other sport, there is a common belief that the standard in every sport improves year-after-year.  Without any doubt this theory applies to the Herts Baseball League.  The improvement of the baseball players over the last 12 years has been incredible.  A lot of credit has to be given not only to the coaches, but most importantly to the players who have been working hard to improve.  Some have been putting in countless hours of work at home practicing various aspects of the game.  And it is certainly paying off.  This was illustrated very well by the magnificent triple play executed with the skill that we associate only with MLB players.

 

In the first games of the Majors Division, the Red Sox managed to overcome the Yankees 4-3.  In the other game, the Cubs started the season with a 1-0 win against the Blue Jays.  As the score line suggests, this was a classic pitchers’ duel.  In the second games, the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 10-5 while the Red Sox are the only team with aa 100% record after their 9-4 win against the Cubs.

 

In the Minors Division, it was the Cardinals that came out on top of a 21-20 epic against the Giants.

 

Click here for more images from Opening Day.

 

Boys and girls aged between 5 and 14+ can join the Herts Baseball Little League at any time.  For more details visit www.hertslittleleague.com

by AspiDimitrov

THE KIDS ARE BACK. NEW SEASON OF THE HERTS BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE STARTS THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday, 16 May, young baseball players from all around Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas will be heading down to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The occasion is the start of the 2009 Herts Baseball Little League season.

 

In keeping with baseball tradition, the Opening Day of the Little League season will be a festive occasion.  Everything that is expected on Opening Day will be featured, from the singing of the national anthem to the hot dogs. 

 

Last year the season was officially opened by the Mayor of the Borough of Dacorum, Councillor Mrs. Carol Green, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch with impressive authority.  This year’s guests of honour will be members of the emergency services and this would give the young Herts baseball players a chance to show their gratitude to the men and women who work tirelessly helping us in the most extreme and challenging circumstances.  Members of Herts Baseball Club who are raising funds for the British Heart Foundation will also be taking part in the event as part of their fundraising campaign.

 

The opening ceremony will commence at 12pm and it will be followed by the first Little League games of 2009. 

 

The Herts Baseball youth programme has made tremendous strides since its inception in the summer of 2007.  It has grown into one of the largest baseball youth programmes in the country and its players have already had enormous success, including winning the MLB PlayBall  AA winners’ trophy in 2008 and finishing as runners-up in the Herts Futures Tournament last September defeating some of the best baseball teams in Great Britain. 

 

The talent of the Herts Baseball Little League players has not gone unnoticed and the GB National Team programme has already invited several of them to the GB U-13 National Team.

 

Last year’s inaugural season ended in a dramatic three-way tie between the Cubs, Red Sox and the Yankees and an extra week of playoff games were required to determine the eventual champions, the Herts Yankees.  Who will win it this time around?

 

Since last season, over £10,000 has been invested in developing the baseball facilities at Grovehill Ballpark thanks to a grant from the National Lottery.  It is already becoming an impressive sporting venue which is packed with baseball events for youth and adult teams from March until October.  The members of Herts Baseball Club have been working hard over the last 12 months to raise additional funds for the development of Grovehill Ballpark and these are scheduled to be invested later in the year.

 

Don’t miss the 2009 Little League Opening Day.  Boys and girls aged between 5 and 14+ can join the Herts Baseball Little League at any time.  For more details visit www.hertslittleleague.com

by AspiDimitrov

11th-HOUR FALCONS RALLY TRIPS UP NATIONAL CHAMPS

No one knew what to expect in Sunday's showdown between the Herts Falcons – newcomers to the National Baseball League – and the reigning champion London Mets.

On Opening Day the Falcons swept the Croydon Pirates and, in doing so, made an assertive debut onto the national stage.  The Mets, on the other hand, suffered a surprise clubbing by the Richmond Flames in their first match-up.  So, who could predict the state of play in the UK's top-tier of baseball…?

From the first at-bat of Game One it looked like an uphill battle for Herts.  Mets leadoff man Callum Woods rocketed a fastball from Nic Goetz deep into the outfield for a triple and immediately scored on a sacrifice fly.  Goetz recovered and threw two fly outs to retire the side.  The Falcons answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st, as Jason Greenberg and Kimiyoshi Saionji each worked a walk and crossed the plate on a pair of singles from Darrin Ward and Lin Yuchih.

The Mets kept pecking away at Goetz through the morning, scoring seven more runs by the sixth inning and leading the Falcons by a score of 8-4.  Herts sent the hard-throwing Dan Kerry to the mound in the top of the 7th for his Falcons pitching debut.  Kerry was unflappable.  Although he surrendered two walks, he also worked a fielder's choice and two swinging strikeouts, buckling the Mets batters with his late-breaking curve.

Kerry's work from the mound proved critical as the Falcons went to their last at-bat needing four runs to tie.  Kimiyoshi Saionji – hitless for the day as the clean-up designated hitter – led things off with another walk.  Kerry and Yuchih followed with walks of their own.  London relief pitcher Rob Anthony was struggling with his control, and the Falcons exhibited incredible patience at the plate.  But after a mound visit from the Mets manager, Anthony found some command and quickly earned a fly out and a strikeout to bring London within one out of a win.

But the Falcons weren't finished yet.  Short stop phenom Luis Goncalves came to the plate and smacked a two-out single, driving home two runs and brining the score to 8-6.  Kerry – the man of the hour – then drove his own single up the middle.  Yuchih scored easily from third base, and Goncalves was waved around third and slid hard across home plate just before the throw from centerfielder Ran Zeng.  Two runs were in and the game was tied.

A wild pitch moved Kerry to third, and then back-to-back walks from Greenberg and Andy Cornish loaded the bases as Sainoji returned to the plate for his second appearance of the inning.  The Falcons fans had been screaming with exuberance to this point, but fell silent as Saionji concentrated on the task at hand.  He quickly saw two strikes, but remained calm in the batters box, fouled off several pitches, took a few balls and watched the count go full.  A smooth, level swing from Saionji squeezed through the gap at second base and the winning run scored easily as the Falcons achieved an incredible 9-8 come-from-behind victory against all odds.

Kerry claimed the win in his first NBL appearance, and went 3-for-5 at the plate with two stolen bases.  Yuchih also had three hits, and Goncalves was 1-2 with two runs and 2 RBI.

The Mets, no doubt stung by that loss, came out firing in Game Two and Kyle Hickson smashed a two-run homer as the London side routed Herts 12-2, backed by a dominating pitching performance by Ernesto Bollufer, who gave up only three hits.

Despite the Game Two setback, the Falcons' Aspi Dimitrov reckons his side, with a record of 3-1 out of the gate, are raising a few eyebrows among the baseball fraternity.  “It was a big day for the club today with it being our home opener, and to beat such a strong team as the Mets is a fantastic achievement,” Dimitrov said.  Falcons Manager Greenberg was less surprised by (but just as proud of)his team's determination.  “It takes a lot of mettle to hit in those situations – with two outs and the tying or winning run on base.  Kimi and Dan were magnificent today, and it's because of fearless players like them that we'll continue to win games at this level.  Make no mistake about it: the Falcons don't plan to lay down for anyone.  We'll just get better and better.”

The other action scheduled for Sunday would have seen the Croydon Pirates (0-4) travel to the Bracknell Blazers (2-0), but the BBF gave dispensation for the game to be rescheduled for August to allow Croydon to rebuild their roster.

The Pirates have a bye week coming up, and will be using that time to hold trials as they aim to put together a squad that can challenge in the NBL.

Week 4 action on May 10 will see the Falcons (3-1) host the Richmond Flames (2-2), while the Blazers travel to the Mets (1-3).

Click for more photos from the Falcons vs. Mets series…

GAME ONE

London Mets at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
London Mets 1 0 2 1 3 1 0 8 9 0
Herts Falcons 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 9 11 3

Herts Falcons 9, London Mets 8
Herts Falcons London Mets
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Dan Kerry cf-p 5 2 3 2 Callum Woods ss-c 4 2 3 1
Jason Greenberg c 2 1 0 0 Ran Zeng cf 3 0 0 2
Andy Cornish lf 4 0 1 2 Rob Anthony 2b-p-ss 1 2 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji dh-rf 3 2 1 1 Kyle Hickson rf 4 1 2 1
Darrin Ward 1b 3 1 2 1 Jason Roberts p-lf 4 1 1 1
Lin Yuchih 2b 4 1 3 1 Carlos Diaz 1b-3b 4 0 1 0
Riley Fisher 3b 3 0 0 0 Jonathon Crammon lf 2 0 0 0
Aspi Dimitrov rf-cf 3 0 0 0 (b6) Reid Wilson 2b 1 0 0 0
Luis Goncalves ss 2 2 1 2 Martin Stabe 3b 2 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0 (b5) Josh Chetwynd 1b 0 0 0 0
          Tomas Bird 2b-c 1 1 1 0
          (b3) Carl Randall 2b-ss 3 1 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 29 9 11 9 TEAM TOTALS 29 8 9 6

E: Dan Kerry, Jason Greenberg, Darrin Ward. DP: London Mets 1, Herts Falcons 1. LOB:
London Mets 9, Herts Falcons 11. 2B: Callum Woods, Kyle Hickson. 3B: Callum Woods,
Carl Randall. SB: Dan Kerry(2), Luis Goncalves(2), Callum Woods, Carl Randall, Rob
Anthony. CS: Andy Cornish. SF: Ran Zeng(2).

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Nick Goetz 6.00 9 8 5 6 1
Dan Kerry W 1.00 0 0 0 2 2
London Mets            
Jason Roberts 5.67 7 4 4 7 9
Rob Anthony L 1.00 4 5 5 4 1

WP: Nick Goetz(2), Rob Anthony. T: 2:45. A: 89.
GAME TWO

London Mets at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
London Mets 4 1 0 3 2 2 12 13 0
Herts Falcons 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 0

London Mets 12, Herts Falcons 2
London Mets Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Callum Woods 3b-p 4 1 2 3 Dan Kerry cf-p 3 0 0 1
Carl Randall 2b 3 1 2 1 Andy Cornish lf 2 0 0 0
(b4) Martin Stabe 2b-3b 1 0 0 0 Lin Yuchih 1b-rf 3 0 0 0
Rob Anthony ss 3 2 2 2 Darrin Ward p-1b 3 0 0 0
Jason Roberts lf 3 0 0 0 Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 3 0 1 0
(b5) Jonathon Crammon lf 1 0 0 0 Riley Fisher c 1 1 1 0
Kyle Hickson cf 4 3 3 3 Aspi Dimitrov rf-cf 1 0 0 0
Josh Chetwynd 1b 3 1 1 1 (b6) Jason Greenberg cf 1 0 1 0
Carlos Diaz dh 3 1 1 0 Nick Goetz 3b 1 1 0 0
(t6) Ran Zeng dh 1 0 0 0 Luis Goncalves ss 1 0 0 0
Reid Wilson rf 4 1 1 0
Rodolfo Matos c 1 2 1 0
Ernesto Balufer p-2b 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 31 12 13 10 TEAM TOTALS 19 2 3 1

DP: London Mets 1. LOB: London Mets 5, Herts Falcons 6. 2B: Josh Chetwynd. HR: Kyle
Hickson. SB: Kyle Hickson, Rob Anthony, Josh Chetwynd, Nick Goetz. SB: Aspi Dimitrov.

London Mets IP H R ER BB SO
Ernesto Balufer W 5.33 3 2 2 6 6
Callum Woods 0.67 0 0 0 0 1
Herts Falcons            
Darrin Ward L 4.00 10 9 7 1 1
Dan Kerry 2.00 3 3 3 2 3

HBP: by Dan Kerry (Rob Anthony). WP: Ernesto Balufer(2), Darrin Ward. Balk: Darrin
Ward. T: 2:40. A: 89.

by AspiDimitrov

AHOY! FALCONS SWEEP PIRATES IN NATIONAL LEAGUE DEBUT

Opening Day in British Baseball is never a sure-fire omen of what’s to come.  It’s early.  Teams are just regrouping after the long winter or rainy spring.  And, unlike the world of professional baseball, teams play just a handful of games each month – not exactly a sizeable sample set on which to base scientific speculation.

 

Nevertheless, the Falcons’ National League debut has given the Herts Baseball Club a surge of pride and optimism for the season to come.  By sweeping the Croydon Pirates and jumping out to a 2-0 start, the Falcons have quickly justified their off-season promotion to Britain’s top league of play and silenced any naysayers.

 

Manager Jason Greenberg reportedly came to Croydon bearing the Herts championship game ball from the 2008 Final 4, in which the Falcons bested Oxford 6-3 to take home the trophy.  It was that game – capping a magical 21-3 stroll through the AAA – that earned the Falcons advancement to the NBL.  Despite admonitions from select baseball insiders that Herts was “flying too high on waxen wings,” the Club’s Executive Committee voted unanimously to accept the BBF invitation.  Now entrenched at the game’s top level, the Falcons cannot be relegated to a lower league and will work over the months and years toward their first National Title.  It was this message that Greenberg carried with the championship game ball: the Falcons have earned their promotion and are here to stay.

 

 

Game One – 12:00
FALCONS 11, PIRATES 5

 

Herts sent crafty veteran Darrin Ward to the mound in game one.  Ward was magnificent, working out of several runners-on jams, and holding the Pirates scoreless with seven hits over six innings.

 

With an 11-0 lead in the bottom of the 7th, things seemed to slip away for Herts.  After striking out the leadoff batter, a quick series of three hits, a fielder’s choice and a walk (only Ward’s second of the day) allowed 5 Pirates to cross the plate.  All the runs scored with two outs, and that final out of the game was proving elusive.  Nevertheless, catcher Greenberg made a sharp throw down to second to catch a would-be base-stealer for the final out of the game.

 

Ward was easily the player of the game, with nine strikeouts in his first complete game of ’09.  At the plate, he smacked two doubles and had three hits overall with two runs batted in.  Rookies  Jamie Munn and Lin Yuchih had clutch hits in their Falcons debuts; Munn drove in two RBI with a hard single up the middle, while Lin was 2-4 with a double and an RBI.  2008 Falcons batting champion Kimiyoshi Saionji was 3-4 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI.

 

Game Two – 14:30
FALCONS 10, PIRATES 3

 

Hard-throwing Nic Goetz started Game Two for the Falcons.  The good dynamic between Goetz and catcher Andy Cornish was quickly apparent, as the two worked seamlessly to retire nine of the first ten Pirates to come to the plate.  Goetz worked both sides of the dish and changed speeds effectively to hold Croydon to one earned run on eight hits in the game.

 

Again, the Falcons defense shined.  Two spectacular double plays were turned in by rookie phenom Yuchih Lin – the first on a gutsy 5-4-3 move from the versatile Ward at third base, and the second on a hard-hit liner taken by Lin at the second base bag, doubling up a Pirate trying to dive back to safety.  Centerfielder Dan “Hollywood” Kerry made a signature all-out diving catch in centerfield, and right fielder Aspi Dimitrov made a spectacular run to cut down a deep down-the-line fly in the bottom of the 6th.  The Falcons outfield should prove one of the fastest and gutsiest in the National League.

 

Dimitrov was also sharp at the plate going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, and Cornish had a pair of doubles batting 3-for-5 with 4 RBI.

 

On Deck – National Champion London Mets
GROVEHILL, SUNDAY 3 MAY 12:00

 

Herts batted .352 on the day with eight doubles and thirteen stolen bases.  It was a complete reversal from the Herts Spring League, in which their bats were mostly silent and, for the most part, they failed to get runners into scoring position.  While the Falcons defense has always been strong, it was their offense that truly came alive on Sunday and just in time for their entrance onto the National stage.

The Herts organisation made a splash on opening day, winning 5 of its 6 games, with victories for the A Raptors, AAA Eagles and NBL Falcons.  Only a nail-biter 14-12 loss by the AA Hawks prevented a clean sweep.

 

The Falcons can enjoy their undefeated status for an extra week with an off-day this Sunday.  On May 3rd they face the reigning National League champion London Mets for the home opener in Grovehill.  No doubt, as the season plays out we’ll quickly have a better sense of how Herts will contend against the country’s top pitching… how their pitching will cope with Britain’s top batters.  But, for now, the Falcons are content to have proved that their promotion was no mistake.

 

 

GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Herts Falcons at Croydon Pirates
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 3 0 0 0 0 4 4 11 12 2
Croydon Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 13 8

Herts Falcons 11, Croydon Pirates 5
Herts Falcons Croydon Pirates
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Jamie Munn cf 4 1 1 2 Tim Ssali 2b 4 0 1 0
Lin Yuchih ss 4 1 2 1 Aki Okada lf 4 1 3 0
Andy Cornish rf 4 1 0 0 Jose Sosa ss 4 1 2 1
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 4 3 3 1 Maikel Azcuy 3b 4 1 1 1
Darrin Ward p 4 1 3 2 Brett Woods 1b 3 1 2 0
Dan Kerry lf 4 2 1 1 Mike Ford c 3 1 1 0
Jason Greenberg c 4 2 1 1 C. Richie Limm cf 1 0 0 0
John Oliver 1b 4 0 0 1 (b4) Brandon Florence cf 3 0 2 2
Nick Goetz 3b 4 0 1 0 Jared Uys p 3 0 0 0
Frank Kucharski rf 2 0 1 0
(t6) Player name TBC rf 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 36 11 12 9 TEAM TOTALS 32 5 13 4

E: Lin Yuchih, John Oliver, Jose Sosa(4), Maikel Azcuy(3), Tim Ssali. DP: Croydon
Pirates 2. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Croydon Pirates 8. 2B: Darrin Ward(2), Kimiyoshi
Saionji, Lin Yuchih, Jose Sosa. SB: Dan Kerry(2), Jason Greenberg(2), Lin Yuchih,
Andy Cornish, Darrin Ward, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Jamie Munn, Brett Woods(2), Maikel
Azcuy, Aki Okada. CS: Lin Yuchih, Brandon Florence.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 7.00 13 5 4 2 9
Croydon Pirates            
Jared Uys L 7.00 12 11 5 1 9

WP: Jared Uys(3). T: 2:24. A: 55.

 

 

 

GAME TWO BOX SCORE

 

Herts Falcons at Croydon Pirates
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 4 0 2 2 1 1 10 13 2
Croydon Pirates 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 8 3

Herts Falcons 10, Croydon Pirates 3
Herts Falcons Croydon Pirates
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Jamie Munn lf 5 1 1 0 Tim c 4 0 2 0
Lin Yuchih 2b 5 1 2 1 Paul Stevens 1b-p 4 1 1 0
Andy Cornish c 5 0 3 4 Jose Sosa p-1b 3 0 1 1
Kimiyoshi Saionji dh 2 1 0 0 M. Asuya ss 3 0 0 0
Darrin Ward 3b 4 0 2 0 Brett Woods 3b 3 0 0 0
Dan Kerry cf 4 1 1 1 Brandon Florence cf 2 2 1 0
John Oliver 1b 3 2 1 1 F. Kucharski 2b 2 0 0 0
Lee Manning ss 4 2 1 0 (b7) Oscar Silva 2b 1 0 1 1
Aspi Dimitrov rf 3 1 2 2 G. Shepherd rf 2 0 1 0
(t7) Jason Greenberg pr-rf 0 1 0 0 (t6) Aki Okada rf 1 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0 Rod Stevenson lf 3 0 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 35 10 13 9 TEAM TOTALS 28 3 8 3

E: Lee Manning, Nick Goetz, Brett Woods, Brandon Florence, F. Kucharski. LOB: Croydon
Pirates 5, Herts Falcons 9. 2B: Andy Cornish(2), Darrin Ward, Lin Yuchih. 3B: Paul
Stevens. SB: Kimiyoshi Saionji, Dan Kerry, John Oliver, Jamie Munn. CS: Andy Cornish.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Nick Goetz W 7.00 8 3 1 1 4
Croydon Pirates            
Jose Sosa L 5.00 9 8 5 3 5
Paul Stevens 2.00 4 2 2 0 2

HBP: by Jose Sosa (Kimiyoshi Saionji). . , by Paul Stevens (Kimiyoshi Saionji). . WP:
Nick Goetz. PB: Tim. T: 2:00. A: 55.

by AspiDimitrov

THANKS BLUE!

On Sunday, visitors to Grovehill Community Centre in Hemel Hempstead and the surrounding buildings must have been wondering about very manly loud voices grunting and shouting strange things like “Safe”, “Time” and “Yes he did”.  The reason behind it was that members of the Amateur Baseball Umpires Association of Great Britain (ABUA) held a special umpiring clinic at Herts Baseball Club.  Darrin Muller, Petter Nordwall and Geoff Hare are three of the best umpires in the UK and the one-day course which they presented was an invaluable opportunity for those who will find themselves officiating games in the British baseball leagues.

 

The first half of the clinic took place at the Grovehill Community Centre and it covered theory, strategy and the fundamentals of umpiring.  The attendees then moved down the road to Grovehill Ballpark for a practical workshop with a chance to put into practice what they learned earlier in the day including proper umpiring mechanics, field coverage and working a one-man and two-men umpiring system.  Everyone who attended received the Major League Baseball Rulebook which will be in force during the 2009 British baseball season (subject to a few Bylaws which apply specifically to the UK and override the MLB Rules in areas such as pitching restrictions etc).

 

This was the first clinic of its kind to be held in Hertfordshire.  It was attended not only by members of Herts Baseball Club but several other clubs from Southern England.  This event will undoubtedly help teams which will be umpiring their own games in the coming years by improving their knowledge and ability to umpire a baseball game and also help them appreciate exactly how much goes into being an umpire.  There will certainly be a great deal of respect shown to umpires in upcoming games by those who attended the clinic.  Hopefully, many of them will consider joining the ABUA ranks in the future.

 

After the clinic, Herts Falcons Manager, Jason Greenberg said: “It is important that clubs in this country keep learning more about the game and its rules, offering umpiring instruction to their players and – equally importantly – finding opportunities to work with and befriend other clubs.  It's a small community we're all a part of, so we should take advantage of that and really get to know our fellow baseball enthusiasts at all levels of play”. Greenberg thanked the ABUA representatives for being so generous with their time and expertise.