Black Widows and Blue Dogs will feel confident after the first round of games in the Hunlock Series. They both won three out of their 4 games and are in joint-first place in the standings.

It is a major surprise to see White Lightning languishing in last place after they lost all four of their games. They were tipped as the team to watch after they picked all of the club’s Herts Harriers players and turned up at the ballpark with a squad of 20 very talented players, giving them enviable pitching depth. However, they should not feel too down. All of their games were lost by one run only. This is a very unusual statistic. In a league with a large number of games such as the Hunlock Series the number of wins and losses by one run are expected to be more evenly distributed. For example, in MLB the worst 1-run win-loss ratio is that of the Houston Astros (18-36) and the best is that of the New York Yankees (30-16). It is very unlikely for the ratio to deviate beyond 2:1 or 1:2. The law of averages would suggest that White Lightning will return to a more normal ratio over the course of the competition with 12 more games still to be played by each team.

Apart from the Herts U17 team players, fans also had a chance to see two of the club’s U14 players, Ben Jones and James Roberts, who were squeezed into the competition despite the age limit set at 14. They didn’t look out of place and managed to get a hit against an NBL pitcher.

The Green Gators came through with flying colours (2 wins – 2 losses) in this first week of games when they are missing their star-players. They will be in the mix now that their manager, Cris Hiche, and several others return to the line up in weeks 2 and 3.

The Red Roosters had picked up Andrew Fulford who is one of the best players in the Draft. He is not available in week 2 or 3 and despite his team losing the one game he was available for, he still managed to show why he is a very sought-after player. He is a catcher and in just two innings of play he threw out three runners trying to steal bases. The runners somehow managed to stay safe simply because the fielders were not able to catch the ball thrown by Fulford as it was travelling with such ferocious velocity. The Red Roosters will not have Fulford in the remaining 12 games, but there is good news for Herts Baseball club as we understand that Fulford will be flying into the UK for parts of the 2014 season and the club can count on having one of the bets catchers in any of the British League tiers.

Players of the 7 senior and youth league teams were cheering on Ryan Bird this year in the NBL as he dominated on the pitching mound recording back-to-back NBL no-hitters. Today they had the opportunity to face a Ryan Bird-fastball. For many of the batters this was as close as they will get to facing an MLB-type fastball. The majority tried their best to swing and make contact without success. Many chose to bunt and got a buzz out of how far a ball can travel over the backstop fence by simply laying the bat down for a bunt. Sony Lama got a piece of one of those fastballs to foul it off. Only one batter, Carlos Casal Sr, managed to get on base against Bird and it came at a great cost as the Mizuno bat which had served Casal so well for 4 seasons shattered into pieces in the process. If that success gave batters of the other 4 teams some hope that perhaps the two-time NBL MVP is not unhittable, those hopes were quickly dashed when Bird showed his curveball to the next batter. The pitch broke so hard that catcher Carlos Velazco needed to stay fully alerted just to keep a hold of the ball when strike 3 was called.

USEFUL LINKS:

Scoreboard and games schedule

Standings

Every year during the Hunlock Series, Herts fans get a glimpse at the new talent which will be wearing the Herts jersey next season. There were many players who made an impression, but it was the muscular structure of 22-year-old Mike Green that caught the eye. He made Greg Bochan look like Sheldon in the sitcom series, “The Big Bang Theory”, (or Frank Spencer for our older audience). Mike Green had never played baseball before today’s Hunlock Series games, but it was obvious that he will add incredible power to the Herts batting line-up in 2014. Sometimes muscles do not necessarily come with hand-eye co-ordination, but it was clear for all to see that Green is very capable of combining his explosive power with consistent contact with the bat. He even had batting stance which reminded baseball fans of former Boston Red Sox slugger, Mo Vaughn, but without the extra weight.

The games continue next Sunday, 6 October. First pitch 11:00am.

The 2013 Hunlock Series Draft was completed a few hours ago. The managers of the five teams had a plethora of talent to choose from with 82 players drafted over 17 rounds.

THE FIRST ROUND PICKS

On a toss of a coin White Lightning were given the first pick. Without hesitation manager, Carlos Casal Jr., announced that the first pick of the 2013 Hunlock Series Draft is Herts Ravens and Great Britain Under-16 national team pitcher, Tom Everex-Armstrong.  With all other teams having the advantage of two co-managers and an extra player as a result, their turn was skipped. The table turned full circle and White Lightning made their second pick. It was Herts Ravens and GB U16 team catcher, Conner Brown.

Next it was the turn of the Red Roosters to make their first pick. Co-Manager Ken Pike went for Liam Green, who is used to being quite high up in the picking order.  he played for the Herts Ravens in AAA and Herts Falcons in  NBL this year.

Black Widows Co-Manager, Andrew Slater, decided to select Herts Falcons pitcher and first baseman, Darrin Ward.

The Blue Dogs Co-Managers, Joseph Osborne-Brade and ben Marques were next and their first pick was two-time NBL MVP, Ryan Bird.

The last pick of the first round was made by the Green team, managed by Cris Hiche and Duncan Hoyle. They went for Herts Falcons versatile player, John Blose, who offers so much value offensively, defensively and he will also be able to help his team on the pitching  mound.

FREE AGENTS AND TRADES

The full team rosters determined at last night’s draft are shown here. Several more players have become available as free agents after the draft and they will be drafted in due course. We will keep you updated about free agent signings and trades over the three weeks of the Series.

New players aged 14 or above, regardless of whether they are members of Herts or another club, can be added to the teams at any point.  Players play free of charge. To be added to the teams or for more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

OPENING DAY

The Series commence this Saturday, 28 September, with all 5 teams in action. The first games start at 10:30am at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Admission is free and fans can enjoy food and drinks at the concessions stand. For complete Series schedule click here.

We are counting down to the 2013 Hunlock Series Draft which will take place this Thursday, 26 September at 8:30pm.

Following the news that the Series has been expanded into 5 teams, the managers of the teams have also been announced.

The Red Roosters won it 12 months ago. They will look to defend their Hunlock Series with co-managers, Adrian Smithers and Ken Pike. The Blue Dogs and Black Widows finished tied in second place in 2012. They will be managed by managerial duos of Ben Marques and Joseph Osborne-Brade for the Blue Dogs, while the Black Widows will be led by Andrew Slater and Nick Russell.

White Lightning had a South African influence throughout in last year’s contest. Will that group of players be reunited under the management of Carlos Casal Jr? The expansion team, Green Eggs and Ham, will be managed by Duncan Hoyle and Cris Hiche, fresh from his exploits in the South American Championships with Chile.

The Hunlock Series Draft is scheduled for 8:30pm this Thursday, 26 September. You can follow it live on Herts TV. In previous years the Draft was presented as a show with player and manager interviews. This year the show will have a different format. Viewers will be able to listen to live audio from the Hunlock Series Draft Centre as the team managers make their picks and try to outsmart each other before the first pitch has even been thrown. Viewers will also be able to follow the picks on the Hunlock Series Draft control panel.

The 2013 British baseball league champions have been determined, but the best part of the season for everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club is yet to come.

Every year, just when the MLB season enters its most exciting stage, players come to Grovehill Ballpark for a competition in memory of Herts Baseball Club’s number 36, the late Kyle Hunlock.

EXPANSION

This is the eight year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 only two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. Herts Baseball Club has been growing rapidly since then and the number of teams in the Series increased to 3 in 2008, and 4 in 2011.  As players sign up over the next few days we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

NEW FORMAT

This year’s competition will be played over 3 weeks starting with Opening Weekend, 28-29 September. After its successful introduction last year the Series will also feature “The 9th Inning Weekend” where games will be decided over one inning only. This format recreates the tension and drama of the ninth inning. Can the teams manufacture the all important go-ahead run? Can they deliver the walk-off hits? Can the pitchers and defence execute with the game on the line?

Aspi Dimitrov, Hunlock Series Commissioner, said: “The 9th Inning Weekend” was very exciting last year. The pressure of the ninth inning comes once a day for MLB managers. Let’s see how the team managers and players will handle several ninth innings in one day.”

THE DRAFT

Like every year, the 2013 Hunlock Series managers will draft the teams from all available current and former Herts players as well as free agents from around the UK and other parts of the world.   Who will be the first round picks? How will minor league players perform alongside NBL players?

Over the years we have seen how decisions made during the draft can shape the outcome of the Series before a pitch has been thrown. The managers will have to make carefully calculated decisions if they are to put together a team which can compete for the Hunlock Series title, otherwise they face miserable few weeks.

With all of the club’s managers and coaching staff monitoring these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity to make a claim on the big stage in the coming weeks of the Hunlock Series.

PLAYERS LOOKING TO REGISTER AHEAD OF THE DRAFT

Players are currently signing up ahead of the draft. The Series is open to everyone, not just to current or former members of Herts Baseball Club. Players from other clubs can also take part. Players can register free. There are no registration fees.

There has already been interest from non-Herts players located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at players who could be wearing the Herts jersey in 2014.

To be eligible for selection during the live draft players must register and enter their availability details online before 7pm on Monday, 23 September. After that deadline and throughout the duration of the Series newly registered players would still be eligible to take part but would be added to teams as free agents. Players who wish to register for the 2013 Hunlock Series should contact Herts Baseball Club. To be eligible to play adult league baseball, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2013.

The Herts Red Roosters won the 2012 Hunlock Series by the smallest possible margin in what proved to be the closest race in the history of the Series with just 1 game separating all four teams.

RED WINGS OUTHUSTLED

The day started with an exhibition game of softball as part of Herts Baseball Club’s efforts to build the first softball programme in the region. The game saw the Herts Hustlers overcome the Herts Red Wings. The game featured an equal number of male and female players from beginners to seasoned professionals. With around 20 players taking part and a growing mailing list of interested players the club will be looking at the next steps in the project and how to take the project to the next stage of establishing formal teams and eventually a league. For more details about getting into softball with Herts contact the club.

FREE AGENTS

Minutes before the first Hunlock Series games of the day, the teams confirmed their free agent picks. Last-placed White Lightning were waiting until the last second for confirmation on the availability of Matt Spaulding, however in his absence they used their turn wisely picking 23-year old former Minnesota Twins prospect, Xavier Gonzalez.  Blue Dogs selected new recruit, Serge Plata, who now lives in Hertford having arrived from Texas. Red Roosters picked the final available free agent, John Jansson.

LIGHTNING’S COMEBACK

White Lightning began the day with a record of no wins and five losses. They couldn’t reverse the 14-8 deficit in the suspended game versus the Red Roosters from last week, as Rooster’s closing pitcher and manager Ken Pike shut the door in the final inning. This didn’t deter the Lightning. The team was almost back to full strength. Dave Tretheway, Ryan Bird and free agent, Xavier Gonzalez, in addition to the teams existing squad, turned them into a formidable force perfectly-built for the “9th inning game” format of the final day of the competition.

They quickly picked up 3 wins against the Blue Dogs. This included a home run by Dave Tretheway which lfew over the rightfield  wall of the old diamond. They followed this with 2 wins against the Roosters. It seemed like the unlikeliest of comebacks could become possible. A key moment came in the third game against the Roosters when Lightning had a runner on first and second base with no outs. A pop-up in the infield was correctly called as an infield fly by umpire Gabor Erdos, but the runners decided to take a risk and tried to advance. Both runners were caught in rundowns and tagged out to end the inning with a very rare triple play. Ken Pike was driven home in the bottom of the inning for a walk-off win to halt White Lightning’s ascendancy. That was a temporary hiccup as the men in white went on unbeaten in their next three games against Black Widows. However, crucially, the Black Widows who were missing their older players and could count only on their U17 players, showed the composure of MLB veterans playing good defence to record two 0-0 ties out of these three games. This was an almighty tussle which proved to be costly for both teams as they essentially knocked each other out of contention.

THE DECIDER

It was now between the Blue Dogs and the Red Roosters who fittingly met in the final matchup of the Series on the new diamond. They each took a win in the first two games, so it came down to the final game. The Roosters had the advantage as they went into the game with a ½ game lead in the standings, so a tie was going to be sufficient to win the Series. With the winning run on third base for the Blue Dogs, Red Roosters’ second baseman, John Jansson, got the final out to clinch the title for the Roosters. They won it by ½ a game ahead of the Blue Dogs and Black Widows, with the White Lightning in fourth just 1 game back.

Click to view Hunlock Series full scoreboard and final standings.

Roosters Manager Ken Pike paid a tribute to his players and to all the teams involved with a special mention for the injured, Joseph Osborne-Brade, who was in everyone’s thoughts today.

The winter period has now begun for Herts Baseball Club. A critical period for planning, recruiting and building for next season and beyond. Coaches, players, volunteers and front office staff in terested to be part of Herts Baseball in 2013 can contact the club at any time.

With 3 or perhaps 4 new free agents available to pick from before Sunday’s final Hunlock Series games, the decisions to be made by the managers could be critical.

There was a late twist in relation to the picking of these free agents. Over the last few weeks the original order from the draft has been maintained with each team taking their turn every week to select new free agents becoming available. For this final week, the picking order was changed to resemble the picking order adopted by MLB giving teams which have finished last to pick first. White Lightning which is at the bottom of the standings has been given the first pick. Third-placed Blue Dogs will have the second pick, second-placed Black Widows will pick third and the leading Roosters will pick last.

At the time of writing this report there were 3 new free agents available to pick from, with possibility of a fourth free agent becoming available.

Catcher, Xavier Gonzalez, is hoping to challenge for a place with the Herts Falcons in the NBL next season and this Sunday he will have the opportunity to make his debut and impress the coaches who are already planning for 2013. Gonzalez is 23 years old and has played for the Spain National Team at junior and senior level, but the highest point of his career so far came when he was 17 years old and was offered a contract by the Minnesota Twins, which we understand was as part of the Twins’ farm system.

John Jansson, father of Herts U17 player, Tom Jansson-Wright and a member of the coaching staff of the Herts U14 team has also become available as a free agent. Will he be picked by the Black Widows to make it a father-and-son combination?

Serge Plata has moved to Hertfordshire and has just made contact with the club looking to be part of the Herts organisation in 2013. He is a Mexican-American in his 30s who has played at the high school level back in the USA. He is a shortstop.

We also understand that Herts Falcons left-handed pitcher, Matt Spaulding, may be available as a free agent in time for Sunday. White Lightning are waiting for a confirmation of his availability status before deciding which free agent to select with their first pick.

We are into the final week of the 2012 baseball season and it is all set to be a spectacular event which will decide the 2012 Hunlock Series Champions.

One of the new features of this year’s Hunlock Series is the introduction of the “9th Inning Game”. All 18 games scheduled for this final day of the Series will be played over 1 inning only. This will recreate the tension and drama of the ninth inning. Can the teams manufacture the all important go-ahead run? Can they deliver the walk-off hits? Can the pitchers and defence execute with the game on the line?

Aspi Dimitrov, Hunlock Series Commissioner, said: “Great Britain National Team player, Adam Roberts, suggested this format and our club has been considering how best to add it to the schedule for a few years now. It is finally here. The excitement and the pressure of the ninth inning comes once a day for MLB managers. Let’s see how the Hunlock Series managers and players will handle 9 ninth innings in one day.”

Dimitrov added: “There is a slight risk that adding these 1-inning games can devalue the earlier games in the Series, but we will have to wait and see how this experiment will play out and how the managers and players will approach it.”

One thing is certain. The Roosters have battled hard to go into the final weekend ahead of the chasing pack and they would not swap their place with anyone, so that alone is sufficient proof that the earlier games are seen as vital in this competition.

These “9th inning games” will be played just like the ninth inning of any MLB game. There are however a few special rules which will apply this Sunday, mainly dealing with the transition from one game to the next and aiming to ensure that managers are not taking unfair advantage. Here are the special rules which will apply to the “9th Inning games”:

• During the “9th Inning-games” each game will last one inning only.

• The game ends when 3 outs are recorded in the bottom of the inning or the home team takes the lead, whichever occurs first.

• If 3 outs are recorded in the bottom of the inning and the game is tied, each team is awarded half a win.

• The batting order of each team remains unchanged for the duration of the day unless a substitution is made.

• A substituted player cannot re-enter the same game, however that player can re-enter a subsequent game.

• The batting order at the end of the previous game will be the official batting lineup for the start of the next game, where the batter who was next to bat, when the game was completed, will be the first batter to bat in the next game.
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Click to view the Games Schedule for Sunday’s deciding games and latest Hunlock Series Standings.