Category: Events

by AspiDimitrov

LONDON DO THE DOUBLE AT HERTS FUTURES TOURNAMENT


 


London’s two teams won the Bronco (U13) and Rookie (U10) Divisions at the 2009 Herts Futures Tournament sparking wild champagne celebrations.


 


This was the second year of the Herts Futures Tournament which organised by Herts Baseball Club, based in Hemel Hempstead.  The number of teams entering the event increased from 8 in 2008 to 10 teams this year and it brought record number of fans to Grovehill Ballpark.


 


MINORS DIVISION


The Minors Division (Under-10s) proved to be just as exciting.  In an effort to give sufficient playing time to the large number of Rookie players, the double-elimination tournament format, similar to that used at the World Baseball Classic earlier this year) was adopted.  The two Herts teams in this section battled hard but came just short against the well prepared teams from Horsham and London.


 


Arguably the best two games of the whole tournament were produced by the Horsham and London Rookie teams.  The first was won by Horsham 1-0, but in the all important Final it was London who managed to deliver the clutch hits to win the Trophy.


 


MINORS DIVISION















































DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 


Minors (G1)

Herts Jr Raptors

3

London Rookies

10


Minors (G2)

Horsham Rookies

10

Herts Jr Hawks

3


Minors (G3)

(Winner G2) Horsham

1

(Winner G1) London

0


Minors (G4)

(Loser G1) Herts Raptors

13

(Loser G2) Herts Hawks

7


Minors (G5)

(Winner G4) Herts Raptors

2

(Loser G3) London

9


Minors (Final)

(Winner G5) London

1

(Winner G3) Horsham

0


  


 


 


MAJORS DIVISION


In Group 1 of the Majors Division (Under-13) all three teams found themselves with identical win-loss records, with each team having one loss and one win in the group games.  This meant that the Tournament’s tie-break rule had to be applied and the team with the lowest number of runs conceded was declared the winner.  This was Bracknell with only 9 runs conceded while Brentwood and Herts finished second and third with 12 and 15 runs conceded respectfully.  This may have been really harsh on both Brentwood and Herts but this is the reality of Tournament baseball.  Every run counts and on this occasion Bracknell’s team came out on top.


 


 


 


 


 


MAJORS (GROUP 1) RESULTS

























VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 


Herts All Stars

4

Bracknell Blazers

9


Bracknell Blazers

4

Brentwood Bucks

5


Brentwood Bucks

6

Herts All Stars

8


 







































MAJORS DIVISION (GROUP 1) STANDINGS


TEAM

W

L

%

F

A

RunDiff


Bracknell Blazers

1

1

0.500

13

9

4


Brentwood Stags

1

1

0.500

11

12

-1


Herts All Stars

1

1

0.500

12

15

-3


 


In Group 2 it all came down to the final game where Horsham and London met.  Having won their previous games against the Tonbridge Bobcats, they both knew that only a win can take them to the Final.  In dramatic fashion London came out on top 3-2.


 


MAJORS (GROUP 2) RESULTS

























VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 


London Mets

11

Tonbridge Bobcats

7


Tonbridge Bobcats

1

Horsham All Stars

7


Horsham All Stars

2

London Mets

3


 







































MAJORS DIVISION (GROUP 2) STANDINGS


TEAM

W

L

%

F

A

RunDiff.


London Mets

2

0

1.000

14

9

5


Horsham All Stars

1

1

0.500

9

4

5


Tonbridge Bobcats

0

2

0.000

8

18

-10


 


The tense battle in Group 1 seemed to have taken its toll on Bracknell and they found it difficult to compete against a hard hitting London team which kept putting runs on the board and won the Final convincingly.  Horsham won the Bronze Medal game against Brentwood, and Herts overcame Tonbridge to finish sixth overall, which seemed very harsh on them given the fact that they won two out of three games over the course of the day.


 


MAJORS (FINALS)





























DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 


Majors (5th/6th)

(G2-3rd Place) Tonbridge

7

(G1-3rd Place) Herts

10


Majors (3rd/4th)

(G1-2nd Place) Brentwood

4

(G2-2nd Place) Horsham

10


Majors (Final)

(G2-Winner) London

18

(G1-Winner) Bracknell

0


 


The event was part of Herts Baseball Club’s fundraising effort for the development of the best baseball facilities in the country at its ballpark in Hertfordshire.  It was supported by Herts Baseball Club’s fantastic partners Dacorum Borough Council, BSUK and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.


 


           


 


More images from the 2009 Herts Futures Tournament


(Opening – Presenting the teams)


(Minors Games)


(Majors 1st Games)


(Majors 3rd Games)


(Majors Finals)

by AspiDimitrov

A THIRD HERTS TEAM MAKES LATE ENTRY IN HERTS FUTURES TOURNAMENT


Due to high demand, one more team has been added to the Herts Futures Tournament lineup this Saturday, 26 September 2009.


 


 


There will now be a third Herts team which will be added to the Minors Division, where four teams will now play in a double-elimination format used at the 2009 World Baseball Classic and at the British National Baseball Championships (NBL and AAA).


 


This means that the number of teams in this year’s event will be ten, two more than last year.


 


The following is the updated schedule and tournament format.


 


 


 


 



MINORS













































































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT

11:00

Field3

Minors(Game1)

Herts Jr Raptors

 

London Rookies

 

1hr timed

11:00

Field4

Minors(Game2)

Horsham Rookies

 

Herts Jr Hawks

 

1hr timed

12:15

Field3

Minors(Game3)

Winner (Game 2)

 

Winner (Game 1)

 

1hr timed

12:15

Field4

Minors(Game4)

Loser (Game 1)

 

Loser (Game 2)

 

1hr timed

13:30

Field3

Minors(Game5)

Winner (Game 4)

 

Loser (Game 3)

 

1hr timed

15:00

Field3

Minors(Final)

Winner (Game 5)

 

Winner (Game 3)

 

1hr timed

 


MAJORS (GROUP 1)














































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT

11:00

Field1

Majors (G1)

Herts All Stars

 

Bracknell Blazers

 

1hr timed

12:15

Field1

Majors (G1)

Bracknell Blazers

 

Brentwood Bucks

 

1hr timed

13:30

Field1

Majors (G1)

Brentwood Bucks

 

Herts All Stars

 

1hr timed

MAJORS (GROUP 2)














































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT

11:00

Field2

Majors (G2)

London Mets

 

Tonbridge Bobcats

 

1hr timed

12:15

Field2

Majors (G2)

Tonbridge Bobcats

 

Horsham All Stars

 

1hr timed

13:30

Field2

Majors (G2)

Horsham All Stars

 

London Mets

 

1hr timed

MAJORS – FINALS














































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT

15:00

Field4

Majors-5th/6th

Group2 (3rd Place)

 

Group1 (3rd Place)

 

1hr timed

15:00

Field2

Majors-3rd/4th

Group1 (2ndPlace)

 

Group2 (2nd Place)

 

1hr timed

15:00

Field1

Majors-Final

Group2 (Winner)

 

Group1 (Winner)

 

1hr30min

Directions to Grovehill Ballpark


For more information about playing baseball with the Herts youth and adult teams go to www.hertsbaseball.com and contact Herts Baseball Club.

by AspiDimitrov

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME! 2009 HERTS FUTURES TOURNAMENT THIS SATURDAY


On Saturday, 26 September 2009, Herts Baseball Club will stage the second annual Herts Futures Tournament.  The event will be held at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire and will once again include the best youth baseball teams in Southern England.


 


This year the Tournament will be split into two divisions.  The Majors Division will include Bronco teams (10 to 13 years of age) and the Minors Division for Rookie teams (7-10 year olds). 


 


In the Majors, 6 teams will be placed in two Groups of 3 teams.  They will play against each of the other two teams in their Group.  The two group winners will play against each other to determine the overall tournament winner.   The group runners-up will play for 3rdand 4th place, while the teams finishing third in the groups will play against each other to determine who will finish in 5th and 6th place overall.  In the Minors Division, four teams will play in a double-elimination format used at the 2009 World Baseball Classic and at the British National Baseball Championships (NBL and AAA).

 

Group 1 of the Majors Division includes the hosts Herts along with Brentwood and Bracknell, while in Group 2, the 2008 Tournament winners, Horsham, will look to overcome Tonbridge and the London Mets who enter as Tournament favourites after winning the Bronco National Baseball Championship just two weeks ago. 


 


The Minors Division will see the youngest talents of Herts, Horsham and London slug it out to determine the best team in the Rookie age bracket.


 


Herts Baseball Club Secretary, Aspi Dimitrov, had a message for baseball enthusiasts and those who may be curious to find out more about the game: “Last year’s event was a big success and we hope that this event will get bigger and better every year.  It is a fantastic opportunity for the whole family to get down to the ballpark and get a taste of baseball .  Apart from top youth baseball action, fans will be able to enjoy traditional American snacks, from hot dogs to fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts”.


 


Directions to Grovehill Ballpark


For more information about playing baseball with the Herts youth and adult teams go to www.hertsbaseball.com and contact Herts Baseball Club.


 


MINORS




































































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT


11:00

Field3

Minors(Game1)

Herts Jr Raptors

 

London Rookies

 

1hr timed


11:00

Field4

Minors(Game2)

Horsham Rookies

 

Herts Jr Hawks

 

1hr timed


12:15

Field3

Minors(Game3)

Winner (Game 2)

 

Winner (Game 1)

 

1hr timed


12:15

Field4

Minors(Game4)

Loser (Game 1)

 

Loser (Game 2)

 

1hr timed


13:30

Field3

Minors(Game5)

Winner (Game 4)

 

Loser (Game 3)

 

1hr timed


15:00

Field3

Minors(Final)

Winner (Game 5)

 

Winner (Game 3)

 

1hr timed


 


MAJORS (GROUP 1)









































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT


11:00

Field1

Majors (G1)

Herts All Stars

 

Bracknell Blazers

 

1hr timed


12:15

Field1

Majors (G1)

Bracknell Blazers

 

Brentwood Bucks

 

1hr timed


13:30

Field1

Majors (G1)

Brentwood Bucks

 

Herts All Stars

 

1hr timed


MAJORS (GROUP 2)









































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT


11:00

Field2

Majors (G2)

London Mets

 

Tonbridge Bobcats

 

1hr timed


12:15

Field2

Majors (G2)

Tonbridge Bobcats

 

Horsham All Stars

 

1hr timed


13:30

Field2

Majors (G2)

Horsham All Stars

 

London Mets

 

1hr timed


MAJORS – FINALS









































TIME

VENUE

DIVISION

VISITING TEAM

 

HOME TEAM

 

FORMAT


15:00

Field4

Majors-5th/6th

Group2 (3rd Place)

 

Group1 (3rd Place)

 

1hr timed


15:00

Field2

Majors-3rd/4th

Group1 (2ndPlace)

 

Group2 (2nd Place)

 

1hr timed


15:00

Field1

Majors-Final

Group2 (Winner)

 

Group1 (Winner)

 

1hr30min

by AspiDimitrov

HUNLOCK SERIES FINAL REVAMPED, 9-INNING CHAMP SHOWDOWN

(Monday 21 September, Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead)

The Hunlock Series Commissioner made a surprise announcement today, completely revamping the format of the third week series finale.

The H-Series has seen dramatic revisions since its inception in 2006.  Originally, this was as best-of-three series between the Falcons and Falcons 2 (or Hawks as they were later rechristened).  In 2008 the Hunlock Commission introduced the Live Draft and the Series became a much more evenly-matched affair.

Now, in 2009, the third week will see two back-to-back nine-inning championship games.  The first will determine which squad – the second- or third-placed – will earn a trip to the title match that afternoon.  Meanwhile, the first-place finalists have earned the right to rest on their laurels and spare their pitchers' arms.  Whichever squad wins the morning semi final will have to play two full baseball games in a row, giving a distinct advantage to whichever squad emerges from weeks one and two in first place.

The full Hunlock standings, results and rosters can be found at:
http://www.hertsbaseball.com/hunlock/

by AspiDimitrov

ROOSTERS SWEEP, LEAD HUNLOCK AFTER WEEK ONE

The 2009 Kyle Hunlock Series opener on Sunday was both relaxed and frenzied, as Herts Baseball Club came together for some light-hearted yet ultra-competitive postseason play.

• See the game day photos at: flickr.com/hertsbaseball
• Visit the Hunlock Series homepage: hertsbaseball.com/hunlock

During last week’s live draft, the regular season rosters were divvied up into three, completely new squads.  Despite the equalising factor of the pick-by-pick process, there must be winners and losers in baseball, and Sunday’s gameplay was as fiercely contested as the Falcons, Eagles, Hawks and Raptors regular season fixtures.

In games one and two, the Red Roosters – with returning Hunlock champion manager Hunter Devine at the helm – swept aside the competition with a one-run save versus the Black Widows and a walk-off win against the Blue Dogs.  The Roosters finished week one with a 2-0 record and are now considered the team to beat in this Series.

Not to be left in the dust, skipper Matt Johnston’s Widows trounced the Blue Dogs in the final game of the day by a score of 16-2.  This leaves the Dogs and manager Andy Cornish looking for vindication next week, as they scramble to avoid a basement finish; they’ll need to take both games on Sunday 27th September to assure themselves a smooth path to the title in Week Three.

Standout performances were evident on all three teams.  Black Widow pitcher Marty Cullen and Roosters starter Pete Kikel both delivered six innings of identical stats from the mound, each with one earned run on three hits allowed and five strikeouts.  Kikel was also 4-6 with 4 RBI, although he was quickly ejected from game two for throwing his helmet in disgust after he was tagged out at home plate during a botched suicide squeeze.  Louis Hare hit a triple, Jason Greenberg three doubles, and Carlos Casal was 3-5 with 2 RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

Next week will see a repeat of the round-robin schedule.  If the Blue Dogs hope to contend for the Hunlock pennant they’ll need to step it up and win a couple of ballgames.  The Roosters are well on their way to a second straight Hunlock championship, and the Widows – last year’s runners-up – are praying for an upset.  

However, many question marks remain.  What will hard-throwing newcomers Edwin Alcantara and Mike Vasquez bring to the diamond for the Roosters, and will it be enough to shut down the opposition?

Will Marc Martinez and Mark Hoffmann’s veteran  experience help the Widows to another winning weekend?

And what effect will returning superstar pitcher Nic Goetz have in just the final week of the Series, and will it even matter if his Blue Dogs continue to lose…?

GAME ONE

Red Roosters at Black Widows
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Red Roosters 0 3 2 0 1 0 6 6 3
Black Widows 0 1 0 2 0 2 5 8 3

 

Red Roosters 6, Black Widows 5
Red Roosters Black Widows
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Aspi Dimitrov 3b-p 2 1 0 0 Andrew Slater 1b 2 0 0 0
Dave Hamilton cf 3 1 1 0 (t4) Atsuhiko Ariga 2b 1 0 1 1
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 1 1 0 0 Greg Bochan 2b-p 4 0 1 0
(b4) Paul Curtis 2b 0 0 0 0 Marty Cullen p-1b 3 1 1 0
John Oliver 1b 3 1 1 0 Carlos Casal 3b 3 2 2 1
Jason Greenberg c-3b 3 1 2 2 Chris Barnes c 3 0 0 0
Peter Kikel p-c 3 1 2 2 Luis Goncalves ss 3 1 1 0
David Baird ss 2 0 0 0 Steve Nippress lf 1 0 0 0
Liam Green rf 3 0 0 1 (t4) Jose Morillo cf 2 0 1 0
Rob Jones lf 2 0 0 0 Amit Odedra cf-lf 2 0 0 0
(b4) Ilya Dimitrov lf 0 0 0 0 (b6) Humberto Goncalves lf 1 1 1 1
Arnold Longboy rf 1 0 0 0
(t5) Adam Pepin-Hall rf 0 0 0 0
(b6) Matt Johnston rf 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 22 6 6 5 TEAM TOTALS 26 5 8 3

 

E: Jason Greenberg, Aspi Dimitrov, Marty Cullen, Carlos Casal. LOB: Red
Roosters 2, Black Widows 6. 2B: Jason Greenberg(2), Peter Kikel(2), Marty Cullen,
Carlos Casal, Luis Goncalves. SB: David Baird(2), Aspi Dimitrov(2), Jason Greenberg,
Dave Hamilton, Peter Kikel, Carlos Casal(3). CS: David Baird, Chris Barnes.

 

Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
Peter Kikel W 3.00 1 1 0 0 2
Aspi Dimitrov 3.00 7 4 4 2 1
Black Widows            
Marty Cullen L 3.00 3 5 1 2 1
Greg Bochan 3.00 3 1 1 1 2

GAME TWO

Blue Dogs at Red Roosters
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Blue Dogs 0 2 1 2 2 7 5 3
Red Roosters 3 0 1 3 1 8 10 3

 

Red Roosters 8, Blue Dogs 7
Red Roosters Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Aspi Dimitrov 3b-p 4 1 2 1 Nick Read rf 2 0 0 0
Dave Hamilton cf 2 2 0 0 (t4) Perrie Sherman rf 0 1 0 0
(t5) Rob Jones cf 0 0 0 0 Paul Auchterlounie cf 3 0 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 2 3 2 1 Jonathon Lewys 3b-p 1 1 0 1
(t5) Paul Curtis 2b 0 0 0 0 Riley Fisher p-3b 0 1 0 1
Jason Greenberg c-p-3b 3 1 1 3 Iwan Evans lf 2 1 1 0
Peter Kikel p-c 3 0 2 2 Tim Elkins 2b 1 0 1 0
(t5) David Baird 3b 0 0 0 0 (t4) Andy Cornish 2b 1 0 0 0
John Oliver 1b 1 0 1 0 Kal Dimitrov c 3 0 1 1
Ilya Dimitrov ss 2 0 0 0 Jeff Witter 1b 2 1 1 0
(t5) Hunter Devine ss 0 0 0 0 Ken Pike ss 1 0 0 0
Ben Alway lf-rf 3 1 2 0 (t4) Louis Hare ss 1 2 1 1
Robert Crouch rf 1 0 0 0
(t5) Liam Green lf 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 22 8 10 7 TEAM TOTALS 17 7 5 4

 

E: Jason Greenberg, Aspi Dimitrov, Riley Fisher, Ken Pike. LOB: Red Roosters 7,
Blue Dogs 7. 2B: Jason Greenberg, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Peter Kikel. 3B: Louis Hare. SB:
Kimiyoshi Saionji, Perrie Sherman(2), Jonathon Lewys, Kal Dimitrov, Iwan Evans, Riley
Fisher.

 

Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
Peter Kikel 3.00 2 3 1 4 3
Aspi Dimitrov W 1.33 3 2 2 2 1
Jason Greenberg 0.67 0 2 1 4 1
Blue Dogs            
Riley Fisher L 2.33 6 5 2 4 4
Jonathon Lewys 2.00 4 3 3 2 0

GAME THREE

Black Widows at Blue Dogs
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Black Widows 2 5 0 4 5 16 9 2
Blue Dogs 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 11

 

Black Widows 16, Blue Dogs 2
Black Widows Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Atsuhiko Ariga lf 3 1 1 0 Riley Fisher 3b 2 0 0 0
(t5) Steve Nippress lf 1 1 1 0 (t4) Jonathon Lewys 3b 1 0 0 0
Marty Cullen p-c 4 4 1 0 Phil Crooks lf-cf 1 0 0 0
Greg Bochan 1b-2b 3 4 1 1 (t4) Iwan Evans cf 0 0 0 0
Chris Barnes c-1b 4 2 0 0 Louis Hare p-ss 1 1 0 0
Carlos Casal 3b 2 2 1 2 (t5) Nick Read ss 1 0 0 0
Amit Odedra cf 2 0 1 0 Perrie Sherman 1b-lf 1 0 0 0
(b3) Andrew Slater cf 2 1 1 2 Paul Auchterlounie cf 0 0 0 0
Luis Goncalves ss-p 4 0 1 1 (b2) Andy Cornish 1b-c 1 0 0 0
Arnold Longboy 2b 2 1 0 0 Nick Russell ss-p 2 0 1 0
(b3) Humberto Goncalves ss 2 0 1 1 Ken Pike 2b 1 0 0 0
Adam Pepin-Hall rf 1 0 0 0 (t4) Tim Elkins 1b 1 0 0 0
(t3) Jose Morillo rf 3 0 0 0 Jake Aman Shah rf 1 1 0 0
(b5) John Doe rf 0 0 0 0 Kal Dimitrov c 1 0 0 0
(t4) Jeff Witter 1b-2b 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 16 9 7 TEAM TOTALS 15 2 1 0

 

E: Carlos Casal, Arnold Longboy, Riley Fisher, Jonathon Lewys, Nick Russell,
Paul Auchterlounie, Jake Aman Shah, Ken Pike, Phil Crooks. DP: Black Widows 1. LOB:
Blue Dogs 4, Black Widows 5. 2B: Marty Cullen. SB: Greg Bochan, Luis Goncalves, Iwan
Evans(2), Louis Hare, Andy Cornish, Perrie Sherman. CS: Iwan Evans. SF: Carlos Casal.

 

Black Widows IP H R ER BB SO
Marty Cullen W 3.00 0 0 0 1 4
Luis Goncalves 2.00 1 2 2 5 1
Blue Dogs            
Louis Hare L 3.00 3 7 0 1 2
Nick Russell 2.00 6 9 3 1 2
by AspiDimitrov

HUNLOCK DRAFT COMPLETE, PLAY STARTS SUNDAY

The 2009 Kyle Hunlock Series is underway after Thursday night's Live Online Draft.  Herts announcer Marty Cullen hosted a live internet broadcast in which the three Series managers selected their squads.  The evening was full of drama and surprise picks, and Friday has even seen the Series' first free agent acquisitions.

The RED ROOSTERS, managed by returning skipper Hunter Devine ('08 Hunlock champion), include:

ASPI DIMITROV
ILYA DIMITROV
PAUL CURTIS
BEN ALWAY
JASON GREENBERG
PETAR KIKEL
CHRIS MARTIN
JOHN OLIVER
ROB CROUCH
DAVID BAIRD
KIMIYOSHI SAIONJI
ROB JONES
DAVID HAMILTON
LIAM GREEN
ROD NAGHAR
MIKE VASQUEZ

Manager Andy Cornish leads the BLUE DOGS, and on Thursday night he selected:

JONATHON LEWYS
PAUL AUCHTERLOUNIE
IWAN EVANS
KAL DIMITROV
PERRIE SHERMAN
JAKE AMAN SHAH
KENNET PIKE
PHIL CROOKS
JAMIE MUNN
NICK READ
RILEY FISHER
JEFF WITTER
NICK RUSSELL
TIM ELKINS
JON GAMBLE
NICOLAS GOETZ

Finally, rookie manager Matt Johnston has assembled the following squad of BLACK WIDOWS:

ADAM PEPIN HALL
CHRIS BARNES
MARK HOFFMANN
AMIT ODEDRA
GREG BOCHAN
MARTY CULLEN
ANDREW SLATER
HUMBERTO GONCALVES
ARNOLD LONGBOY
LUIS GONCALVES
STEVE NIPPRESS
ATSUHIKO ARIGA
MARC MARTINEZ
TOM GREEN
CARLOS CASAL
MARCUS CAPPER

Today, shortly after the dust settled on last night's draft activity, the Black Widows picked up free agent Japanese superstar Atsuhiko Ariga.  Atsu is known for his mighty bat and composure in clutch situations.  He has a solid infield glove – especially when playing on the right side of the infield – and has baseball in his blood; his son, Mikito Ariga, was starting pitcher in the Herts Little League's phenomenal and heart-breaking 1-0 loss to the London Mets at the Youth National Baseball Championship just one week ago.

Also today, Manager Cornish picked up free agent Louis Hare.  Hare is well known as a crafty pitcher, short stop and unstoppable slugger on the '09 Herts Eagles where he batted .339 and boasted 4-2 record on the mound with a 4.717 ERA.  Hare will undoubtedly strengthen the Blue Dog's pitching rotation and add pop to the lineup.  Hare's availability is still unknown, which means Cornish has gone out on a bit of a limb to sign him.  In the process, the Blue Dogs have spent their only trade waiver and will now have to watch in silence if additional free agents make themselves available for the Series.  (There has been no word from Eagles skipper Dave Westfallen, Falcons pitchers Darrin Ward or Dan Kerry, or Taiwanese sensation Lin Yuchih.)

The Series begins on Sunday 20 September 11am at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

To read more about the Kyle Hunlock Series, or for full results or standings, visit:
http://www.hertsbaseball.com/hunlock/

by AspiDimitrov

’09 HUNLOCK SERIES GETS UNDERWAY WITH LIVE DRAFT

The third annual Kyle Hunlock Series begins in just five days.  This special, intra-club event is named for fallen Falcon #36 and is when Herts Baseball Club members reunite after the regular season to enjoy some friendly (yet competitive) postseason baseball at Grovehill.

LIVE ONLINE DRAFT
Like last year, the 2009 Hunlock Series will set aside the established regular season rosters.  Instead, three new managers will draft three new teams from all available Herts players.  The Red Roosters, Blue Dogs and Black Widows will be comprised of Raptors, Hawks, Eagles and Falcons.  During the live online draft this week (Thursday 17 September, 8pm) the managers must make shrewd selections when stacking their bench with pitchers, catchers, position players and sluggers.

Get online this Thursday around 7.45pm and tune-in to the Herts Baseball Internet Radio station.  You will be able to enjoy commentary from the Voice of Herts Baseball – Marty Cullen – hear live interviews with the Team Managers and potential superstars, and follow each draft pick as it happens… including your own!

2009 HUNLOCK SERIES MANAGERS
The Falcons, Eagles, Hawks and Raptors managers put their heads together and selected some standouts from the 2009 season to skipper our three Hunlock teams: the Red Roosters, Blue Dogs and Black Widows.

Returning to manage the Red Roosters is the 2008 Hunlock Series Champion manager Hunter Devine.  Hunter's cutthroat drafting style and never-give-up leadership prowess led to a walk-off victory for the Roosters last year over the Widows.  Hunter was the 2008 Raptors MVP, and in 2009 he batted .750 for the Raptors, .300 for the Hawks (with a double and a triple) and stole 11 of 12 attempted bases.  Hunter is the incumbent, and his opponents will have to work hard to keep him down… and off the 2010 Hunlock managerial staff!

Herts rookie Matt Johnston has the honour of commanding the Black Widows.  Matt – while new to baseball and to the Club in 2009 – spent time with both the Raptors and Hawks this year, and even had an appearance with the AAA Eagles.  Matt's do-or-die attitude pushed his teammates to excel.  He is most certainly the wild card manager in the '09 Hunlock… more of a dark horse than a black widow, perhaps.

Managing the Blue Dogs is #7 Andrew Cornish.  Andy – a critical member of the Falcons squad, as slugger, catcher and outfielder – spent a good part of the '09 season on the disabled list.  Nevertheless, he was always by his teammates' side lending support, and was entrusted as stand-in manager for a couple weeks of the regular season, as well.  With his baseball knowledge and experience, Andy may well be the manager to beat in this year's Hunlock.

SERIES SCHEDULE
Thu. 18 Sept, 8pm      LIVE ONLINE DRAFT
Sun. 21 Sept, 10am    ROUND 1 GAMES (7-innings)
Sun. 28 Sept, 10am    ROUND 2 GAMES (7-innings)
Thu. 02 Oct, 8pm        LIVE ONLINE RE-DRAFT
Sun. 05 Oct, 10am      HUNLOCK CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (9-innings)

The series format is straightforward.  Three teams will face each other twice, with one finalist advancing straight to the Championship Game.  The 2nd and 3rd place squads will play a single semi final to see who advances to the Final. 

OFFICIAL HUNLOCK SERIES HOMEPAGE
http://www.hertsbaseball.com/hunlock/

In the coming days this site will be updated with draft details, team rosters, game results and Series standings.  You will already find the Series schedule and rules, including game rules and draft/trade regulations.

by AspiDimitrov

POSTSEASON BASEBALL THIS SATURDAY IN HERTS

We are officially into the 2009 postseason of British Baseball’s youth leagues.  The Wild Card round of the Playoffs for the Under-13 age group will take place on Saturday, 15 August.  It will be held at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, which is the home of Herts Baseball Club.

 

The Wild Card Playoffs will involve three teams representing the three independent baseball leagues of Bracknell, Horsham and the hosts Herts.  The best players of these three regions will go head-to-head for a place in the next Round of the Playoffs.

 

Last time these three teams met was in September 2008 and it was once again in Hertfordshire as part of the 2008 Herts Futures Tournament.  Herts came out on top against Bracknell winning 9-5 in the group stages but then went on to lose to Horsham in the Final of the tournament in a dramatic 4-3 ballgame.

 

This Wild Card Playoff will have a round-robin format with all three teams playing against each other.  In the first game of the day at 10:30am the hosts, Herts will make their debut in the British National competitions against Bracknell.  This will be followed by Bracknell vs Horsham at 12:45pm and the final game between Horsham and Herts at 3pm.

 

The winner will go through to the next round of the Playoffs on 22 August at Finsbury Park, where London, Brentwood and Kent will also enter the postseason playoffs to determine who will go through to the National Baseball Championship on 12-13 September.

 

Baseball enthusiasts can attend this Saturday’s Playoffs at Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel hempstead (click for directions).  Admission is free and apart from postseason baseball fans can enjoy a hot dog and other snacks and drinks offered at the venue.

by AspiDimitrov

HOPE SPRINGS, HERTFORDSHIRE

from Newswire special correspondent, Rob Jones

“Spring Training”. It always has to go in those inverted commas — “Spring Training” — because the disparity between the sun-kissed Major League experience and the often rain-soaked British version is stark. An American friend of mine always goes to watch pre-season games in Florida and often sends me smug, if well-meaning, text messages from the stands. I send him back little black clouds of jealousy. But in many ways spring training is the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ball-players emerge from months of hibernation to revive aching limbs and slowing reflexes, ready for another summer on the diamond. It's exciting, but also frustrating as you try to pick up where you left off. Baseball is a game which really repays your time – the more you play, the better you get and, to be honest, you can only ever be so good when you’re a casual like me. Last season, I was lucky enough to win the Raptors batting title – and so far this year my hitting has been going pretty well. Chalk one up in the “plus” column.

But in the field, I am trying to convert from an outfielder to a shortstop, and realising that things happen much quicker on the infield dirt! I always try to have realistic expectations, and so I am content with steady and unspectacular progress. But you still want the spectacular! It is so galling when a player is safe at first by just a step, or when you make a good stop then get the ball trapped somewhere in your glove. And in the “minus” column I’ve already had one bungled rundown, and one truly absurd fumble of a simple pop-up. But maybe that’s what “Spring Training” (remember those commas) is for.

For a second year, we have been taking part in a spring league, the HSL, and clubs from all over the region have taken part. The games have a spirit all of their own. There is banter between the two teams, and a tolerance of unusual behaviour – on Sunday, an opposing player shouted out “’Have it!” as he connected with a line drive to centre field, and nobody did anything but laugh. But in the same game a player who had just been called out on the base paths exclaimed “Bo****ks!” and nearly squared up to the umpire. Yes, it’s an exhibition game, but why play if you don’t want to win?

The spring league actually saw some sunshine this year, and some good baseball. The team known as Herts 3 for this tournament even won its division. I think the club is very optimistic entering another big year for us. The Raptors have a big intake of rookies, but they have showed great promise in the HSL games and if they show the same mix of fun and determination as they did during “Spring Training”, there will be no problem. Here’s hoping that the “summer” weather doesn’t need those inverted commas!

by AspiDimitrov

DRAMATIC END TO 2009 HERTS SPRING LEAGUE

 

The 2009 Herts Spring League ended on Sunday with the races for the Pool 1 and Poll 2 titles coming alive.

 

At the start of the final round of matches in Pool 1 three teams were in with a chance to win it.  The Alconbury Braves knew that in order to jump above the leading Bracknell Blazers, they needed to win their final game by 3 runs.  But in that final game they faced the Southampton Mustangs who were also in with a chance to win the title if they could overcome the Braves. 

 

We were set for a clash between two title contenders and this certainly was no Spring Training game.  Both Southampton and Alconbury went out on the field visibly motivated to win.  There were even some heated clashes between individual players of the two teams when Mustangs pitcher, Ralph, was determined to get to second base and collided into the Braves’ second baseman who simply wanted to apply a routine tag on him for the third out of the inning.  The Braves showed a lot of class by not getting physically involved after what was a slightly overaggressive play by Southampton. 

 

Both teams will probably have their own different views on the incident but it was proof of the desire which both teams had to win the HSL title and that’s the way every baseball game should be played.

 

The Mustangs were holding on to the lead until Braves first baseman, Matt Walker, launched a home run over the right field wall to tie the game at 7-7.  This was also the first home run at the new-look Grovehill Ballpark in Hertfordshire and its new permanent outfield fence.

 

With HSL games being timed, the clock was ticking for both teams as a tie was no good to either of them.  In the top of 9th inning Southampton retired the Braves batters and they had just a few minutes left in the bottom of the inning to win the game.  Alconbury held on and so the game was declared a tie.  This meant that both teams had knocked each other out of the title race and the Bracknell Blazers were declared the 2009 Herts Spring League Pool 1 winners.

 

In Pool 2 the battle was just as exciting.  Braintree Rays, Richmond Dragons and the Herts 3 were all in the running.  Herts 3 were in pole position with a 100% record so far, but they stumbled against a tough MK Bucks team who won 13-5.  This meant that Herts 3 had to rely results of the games played at Connare Field in Richmond.  The Braintree Rays lost to the Kent Mariners and were no longer a threat to Herts 3.  The only remaining contender were the Richmond Dragons.  They were up against Herts 2 who were determined to help their club mates, Herts 3.  After going neck-and-neck for a few innings, Herts 2 opened up a big lead with a devastating 9 runs in the fourth inning.  Richmond were not able to catch up and so Herts 3 were declared the HSL Pool 2 Champions.

 

The second year of the Herts Spring League has proven to be better than the first year with more teams and fans taking part.  Teams are already submitting their applications to enter the 2010 HSL, which is great to see.

 

But right now it is time for all the teams to get set for the real thing as the 2009 British Baseball season is about to get under way this coming Sunday, 19 April 2009, with games taking place across the whole country.

 

Images courtesy of HP2Photographic.com

 

For full list of results, standings and more about this year's Herts Spring League visit the official HSL website.