Category: Club News

by Matt Bell

FALCONS GO 2-1-1 AT ANNUAL LONDON TOURNAMENT

The Herts Falcons put on a performance this weekend which almost resembled Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” of the 1970s. The team battled through two days of gruelling baseball action to come out with an overall record of 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw (time limit).

The International London Tournament has been Great Britain’s biggest baseball annual event for many years. This year there were 16 teams taking part from all around the UK, France and Ireland. 12 of the 16 teams were either in the National League or the Premier League so prior to the event it was fair to say that the Falcons were ranked outsiders. They were also drawn in the most difficult group with the reigning British National League Champions, the Richmond Flames, 2004 and 2005 Champions, the Croydon Pirates, and the 2003 Champions, the Windsor Bears.

The Herts team was a combined squad of Herts Falcons and Herts Hawks players, the two Hertfordshire teams.

In the first game, the Falcons faced the Richmond Flames, and despite a valiant effort, were overwhelmed by Richmond’s pitching and hitting.

The second game proved to be the main event of the day – the Falcons hosted the Windsor bears at the Central Field. The game was played in front of a large audience and had the added benefit of the field PA system, which gave a “Major League” feel. The actual game met and exceeded the fans’ expectations. The Falcons took a firm 4-0 lead, which they took into the 5th inning. However, starting pitcher Aspi Dimitrov was visibly running out of steam, despite leaving the game with a no-hitter for 4 and a 1/3 innings.

Reliever, Lee Manning, came in at a very short notice and performed magnificently to minimize the damage of the two runners left on by Dimitrov. Despite his efforts, the Bears fought tirelessly, driving in 6 runs in the 5th and 6th innings to take a 1-run lead and set up a “grand finale” in the bottom of the 6th. Two singles from Lee Manning and Yuji Endo put both the tying and winning runs on base. Up stepped slugger Marty Cullen, with the eyes of the crowd agog with anticipation. His massive line drive to the left field fence brought the winning run in to end this “classic”, and the crowd erupted.

This win earned the Falcons the coveted 11 o’clock start, avoiding the often (and with good reason) maligned 9:00 am start (under the stringent disciplinarian regime instituted by caretaker manager Jason Greenberg, that would have meant reporting for duty at the field at 7:30 am).

The razzmatazz culminated in the Home Run Derby on day one, which involved sluggers from each of the participating teams. The Falcons representative was hard-hitting Kimiyoshi Saionji, the Falcons’ very own Hideki Matsui. He was able to go through to the second round, and only some sudden wind gusts and dodgy last-minute manipulation of the home plate positioning (to favour righties), robbed him of a place in the final round of the 2007 Home Run Derby. The Falcons management are mulling over submitting an official complaint for the loss of the substantial sums that could have been generated from potential (however unlikely) t-shirt sales and other commercial opportunities.

On the second day, the Falcons faced the Great Britain Juniors (Under 18’s National Team) and the Great Britain Cadets (Under 16’s National Team). In the first game the Falcons held a good lead to the end, only for some clutch GB Junior hitting to tie the game and, due to the time limit rule in force in the tournament, the game ended in a 6-6 draw. This was the worst possible scenario for both teams, as they damaged each others’ chances of winning the trophy.

In the second game versus the GB Cadets, manager Greenberg was able to deploy a squad made up predominantly of Herts Hawks players. The future stars of Great Britain baseball performed creditably and were able to pull back from trailing at the beginning of the game to tie it up in the 5th. However, an astute managerial decision was made to bring in closer, Yuji “Lights Out” Endo, who came in and ended all hopes of a GB Cadets come-back. He struck out 5 batters in his 2 and 1/3 innings of pitching.

The Tournament Final was between the Richmond Flames and the Milton Keynes Hurricanes, with Richmond ending up as the 2007 London Tournament winners. The Frank Brady Trophy went to the Essex Arrows, mainly due to the masterful performance of former Falcon, Paul Raybould.

All in all, this was a great tournament for the Herts Falcons, who now have to put their minds back on the vital remaining League games of the season with promotion to the Premier League at stake

Disclaimer: Any resemblance between the Herts Falcons and the Cincinnati Reds, whether implied in this article or otherwise, is purely coincidental.

by Matt Bell

HERTFORDSHIRE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL SET TO COMMENCE

The Hertfordshire Baseball Club is about to begin what may prove to be one of the largest youth baseball projects in the United Kingdom. This is being done with the generous support of BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK), the development agency for baseball and softball in the United Kingdom which is funded by Sports England, the agency that delivers the Government's sporting objectives.

Over a period of two weeks in July, nearly 20 training sessions at as many schools around Hertfordshire will take place. It is estimated that this will provide over 1,000 boys and girls the opportunity to play the game of baseball. The sessions will be run by licensed coaches provided by BSUK alongside coaches from the Herts Falcons and the Herts Hawks.

Over the years the Herts Baseball Club has been receiving regular enquiries from parents looking for a club where their children would be able to play baseball. Unfortunately, the club has had to turn them away as there was no youth baseball programme in Hertfordshire. The aim of this long-term project is to ensure that this will never happen again and that the kids in Hertfordshire will have a club where they will be able to play the game and most importantly, to have fun in a structured, well organised ‘team’ environment.

The two weeks of school training sessions will be followed by Summer Baseball Camps every Saturday from 28 July until 1 September.

The summer camps will be held at Grovehill Field, which is one of the UK’s best baseball facilities and home of the Herts Falcons and the Herts Hawks. The Summer Baseball Camps will be open not only to students from the schools visited by the club but also to all kids in and around Hertfordshire County.

All these events will build up to 2008 when plans are in place to start the inaugural season of the Hertfordshire Baseball Little League involving newly established teams from around Hertfordshire.

If you are interested to take part in the Summer Baseball Camps or any of the other events, please contact the Herts Baseball Club for more details and read our Frequently Asked Questions about Herts Little League Baseball, located in the LITTLE LEAGUE section of our webpage. Parents are encouraged to get involved as well and they also have the opportunity to play baseball with our adult teams, the Herts Falcons, Hawks and Raptors (14 years of age or older) affiliated to the Hertfordshire Baseball Club.

by Matt Bell

FIRST-EVER FALCONS-HERTS SHOWDOWN A GRAND CLUB SUCCESS

[ PHOTO GALLERY ]

[ GAME 1 BOX SCORE ]
[ GAME 2 BOX SCORE ]

GAME REPORT (by Ross Davies): The Herts Falcons won the battle of the birds, as they took both games against the newly-christened Herts Hawks in an historic occasion for the club. It was the first game between the two Hemel Hempstead-based sides since the club branched into two teams, and experience told on the day as the Falcons swept the Hawks in the double-header.

The Falcons, playing as hosts, took the initiative early on in the first game, as they raced into an early lead. Bruce Dullea, on the mound, was pitching consistently, and the home side’s bats fired from the off against the Hawks’ Larry Martillo to open up a sizeable deficit. Mark Hoffman came on to stem the flow of runs, but some excellent batting, most notably from Andy Cornish, who finished 3-for-3 with five RBIs, meant a premature ending to the first game as the slaughter rule came into play after five innings.

The Hawks would have been forgiven for letting their heads drop for the second game, but that wasn’t the case as Aspi Dmitrov took to the mound and pitched like a man possessed. Going into the fourth inning the game was tied at three each, and the Hawks were in with a real shout of an upset. However, a combination of poor batting and basic fielding errors cost them dear, and the Falcons capitalised, rattling off seven runs in two innings to put the game to bed.

In truth, the second game gave glimpses of what the Hawks were capable of, and there would have been the odd nervous moment in the home camp when the scores were level. But the efficient batting and faultless fielding proved the difference in the end, in particular from new shortstop Yuji Endo, whose athleticism was enough to lift the team on its own.

by Matt Bell

FIRST EVER HERTFORDSHIRE DERBY IN BRITISH BASEBALL LEAGUE HISTORY

 

Baseball history will be made this week when the Hertfordshire Baseball Club hosts the first ever Herts Baseball derby.  The Herts Falcons will clash against the Herts Hawks at Grovehill Field, Hemel Hempstead. 

 

Both teams have been building up to this game ever since the 2007 League schedule was published.  The Falcons come into the game as the odds-on favourites to win both games.  Over the last few weeks Falcons players have gone on record to say that they will administer an embarrassing beating which the Hawks will remember for years to come.  The war of words escalated to such an extent that the club’s internet Forum has been overloaded with page after page of pre-game exchanges.

 

The Hawks have kept quite in the pre-game build up, probably fearing the worst, but no matter how much the odds are stacked against them, in baseball miracles do happen and a miracle is what the Herts Hawks will need if they are to stand any chance of even staying close to the Falcons.

 

The two teams have met 6 times in the past but only in non-league exhibition games as part of the “Kyle Hunlock” Series last September.  The Falcons won those Series 4-2 and off-the-record they would probably claim that they handed the two wins out of pity for the Hawks and to extend the season by a week or two.

 

The Hertfordshire Baseball Club invites all baseball and non-baseball fans to come along and witness baseball history being made this Sunday and maybe to enjoy a picnic in the pleasant surroundings of our home field.  Game 1 starts at 12:00.  For directions to our field please click here (http://www.hertsfalcons.co.uk/field ).

 

by Matt Bell

“HERTS DERBY WEEK” SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Wednesday, 6 June, 6:00pm, Wednesday Night Practice – last preparations before the big game.  This and future Wednesday Night sessions are open to non-members who may be interested in joining the club or to give baseball a go.

 

Friday, 8 June, 6:30pm, Slugfest Night – all members of the Herts Baseball Club will have a night at the Northwick Park Batting Cages (Free of Charge) with food and drinks. Directions:http://www.northwickpark.com/directions.html

 

Sunday, 10 June, Judgement Day – Herts Hawks @ Herts Falcons

10:00am, Herts Falcons Pre-Game Batting Practice

10:45am, Herts Hawks Pre-Game Batting Practice

11:30am, Photocall: 2007 Team photos

11:40am, Herts Falcons Pre-Game Infield/Outfield Practice

11:50am, Herts Hawks Pre-Game Infield/Outfield Practice

12:00pm, Ceremonial First Pitch – thrown out by family members present.

12:05pm, GAME 1

~2:30pm, GAME 2

~5:00pm, Post Game Celebrations (To be confirmed) – possible options drinks with barbecue and/or pizza delivery etc, and/or a softball game involving friends and family members

by Matt Bell

CLUB ADOPTS NEW NAME FOR SECOND TEAM

Since its founding in 1996, the Herts Baseball Club has been growing steadily. It is the only baseball club in Hertfordshire and has always aimed to promote the game of baseball and to provide the residents of Hertfordshire (as well as the surrounding counties and North West London) the opportunity to play this great game in friendly surroundings and to be members of a well managed sports organisation which welcomes everyone regardless of age, gender, nationality and race, etc.

Due to increasing membership, in 2005 the club formed a second team which is now competing in Division 1 of the British Baseball League alongside the first team of the Herts Baseball Club. Since its formation, the second team has been competing under the name Herts Falcons 2.

On 3 June 2007, the members of the club agreed that it is time for the second team to be given its own name to recognize the fact that it is now a fully fledged member of the British Baseball League.

After several rounds of voting, the members of the Herts Falcons Baseball Club have made a decision and the team will now be known as the Herts Hawks.

In conjunction with this, the Club is also happy to unveil the new logos which will be adopted by the Herts Falcons and the Herts Hawks.

by Matt Bell

Kyle Hunlock’s heart still going strong

Last year the Herts Falcons Baseball Club lost player Kyle Hunlock in a tragic accident. Kyle was an organ donor and the club found out recently that his heart has been successfully transplanted to enable someone else to lead a very active and energetic life, including taking part in a 10K walk.

 

The club has kept in touch with Kyle’s family in America and they have informed us that Kyle’s heart has been successfully transplanted to Jack Hunt, a 60-year old Ohioan who lives just two hours from Kyle’s home. Jack Hunt not only recovered successfully after the operation, but had seen a transformation and was taking part in a 10K mini marathon walk in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 25 March 2007. Coincidentally, it is understood that, shortly before his death, Kyle was making plans to run in a 15K marathon himself.

 

Kyle died from a fall in a tragic industrial accident last June in Ohio, USA. He had played for the Hert Falcons Baseball Club in 2005 when he was over in England studying at the University of Hertfordshire. In his memory the club retired his number 36 jersey and, in September 2006, staged the first Kyle Hunlock Series between the two Falcons teams.

 

In March 2007, Kyle and Jack’s story attracted a great deal of interest from the US media around Jack’s mini marathon, including front page coverage in the local newspapers and TV news.

 

The Herts Falcons Baseball Club send their best wishes and support to Kyle’s family and Jack Hunt.

by Matt Bell

FALCONS RELEGATED AFTER DRAMATIC EXTRA INNING PLAYOFF LOSS

Burgess Hill Colts capped a successful season in the BBF Leagues with promotion to the Premier Division, the top division in British baseball outside of the National League. The Colts, who finished second in Division 1 South, beat Herts Falcons 13-12 in a breath-taking extra-innings playoff on Sunday, Sept 10. Burgess Hill will take the place of the Falcons’, who finished one off the bottom in Premier Division South.

 

The result will sweeten the end of the Colts’ season after they reached the final of the Division 1 Final 4 on Sept 3 but fell to Northampton in the last inning. This time it was Burgess Hill who stole the victory late on, coming from 10-6 down after six innings to tie it and go ahead 12-10 in the top of the ninth before Herts forced extra innings with two tying runs in the bottom of the inning. The Falcons had already mounted an early-innings fight-back to take an 8-5 lead after the fifth inning. In the bottom of the ninth they loaded the bases twice to bring the score to 12-12 with a couple of RBI singles but could not bring home the winning run.

 

In the top of the tenth, the Colts’ Gary Still singled in Steve Cull to go ahead again 13-12. With the pressure on, Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov got agressive, leading off with a single and stealing second, then third base, but his path home was cut short as the three batters following him struck out at the mercy of young Colt Gary Davison, who struck out a total of 16 across his complete-game showing.

 

The defeat and return to Division 1 baseball halts the rapid progress the Herts Falcons have made over the past couple of years. Dimitrov said, “It is a major setback for our club but we are determined to work our way back and come back stronger next year.”

 

The Colts, meanwhile, are enjoying a speedy climb in the manner which Herts have exhibited previously. When Herts won promotion to the Premier Division in 2004, not long after joining the BBF Leagues, Burgess Hill were only just putting together a senior team from their successful junior programme.

 

report courtesy of www.baseballsoftballuk.com

 

by Matt Bell

PLAYOFF FEVER HITS HERTFORDSHIRE

It is Playoff-time again in the British Baseball Premier League as the Herts Falcons host the Burgess Hill Colts in a massive one-game playoff to decide which team will play in the Premier League in 2007.

 

Burgess Hill earned their place in the playoffs by finishing as Runners-up in Division One South. They now have the chance to sink the Herts Falcons back into Division One just 2 years after the Hertfordshire club won promotion to the Premier League.

 

The Falcons know all about the Colts’ danger man, Great Britain National Team pitcher, Gary Davison, as he has already faced the Herts Falcons’ second team in Division One this season. In his three games against Herts Falcons 2 he had an ERA of 0.00 as well as 2 homeruns, 8 RBI, .750 batting average, 1.750 slugging %.

 

The Herts Falcons have their own Mr October in Jim Denison. He was voted as the Falcons’ Most Valuable Player in 2005 and represents a home run threat every time he steps into the batter’s box. All eyes will be on his duel with Gary Davison. Last year Jim Denison was the Premier League Home Run leader with 7 homers. This year he is yet to hit the ball out of the park so the law of averages suggests that he is due a big hit in this deciding play-off game and that would be perfect timing for the Falcons.

 

Davison and Denison are the big guns for the two clubs, but, as is often the case, it could be someone completely unexpected who could make all the difference and swing the game in their team’s favour.

 

Tha game takes place at 2:30pm on Sunday, 10 September 2006, at the home field of the Herts Falcons in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. For directions click on the link below:

 

DIRECTIONS: www.hertsfalcons.co.uk/field/field.html

 

The 2006 Playoffs continue on the following Sunday, 17 September 2006, once again in Hertfordshire as the Guildford Mavericks take on Herts Falcons2, this time in the Division One playoffs.

by Matt Bell

2006 KYLE HUNLOCK SERIES PREVIEW

The long awaited 2006 Kyle Hunlock Series gets under way this coming Sunday, 20 August. The Series will separate the men from the boys so the heat is very much on.

 

2006 has been a tough year for both Falcons 1 and Falcons 2, with regular season win-loss records of 5-15 and 2-9, respectively. The Kyle Series provides a perfect opportunity for both teams to settle a long-running dispute as to who is better, Falcons 1 or Falcons 2.

 

Both teams go into the weekend missing several of their key players. Falcons 2 will miss their ace pitcher Paul Raybould for most of the Series due to his departure to Egypt. The rumours in the local media are that he is about to sign a contract with either the Cairo Pyramids or the Alexandria Pharaohs both from the local AAA minor leagues.

 

For Falcons 1 Louie Hare is likely to miss the Series with a recurring knee injury while Jason Greenberg will miss Games 1 and 2 as he is currently in Seattle on his honeymoon, however sources close to Falcons 1 have reported that in fact he is on an undercover scouting mission recruiting players for 2007.

 

Tickets for the Series are selling like hot cakes, however fans will be disappointed to hear that they will not be able to enjoy the much-anticipated performance of the national anthem by rock star and Falcons 1 outfielder, Justin Fung. In an embarrassing blunder organisers have admitted that they did not take into account Justin Fung’s pre-scheduled live concert in Pasadena, California. In the absence of Justin Fung, the national anthem will be performed by Lee Manning.

 

Another disappointment is the fact that the traditional pre-game air force fly-by has been scrapped in a cost-cutting exercise. Despite this the fans can look forward to some great baseball.