Category: Events

14 October 201815 November 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Black Barracudas win the 2018 Hunlock Series

The final and deciding round of Hunlock Series games on 14 October was postponed due to the heavy rain which made it impossible for the grounds crew to make the diamonds playable. With no more available dates, these games will not be played and the current standings are now final. This confirmed Black Barracudas as the 2018 Hunlock Series Champions. They dominated from the very first game and are the deserved winners. 4 games back on them are the Red Roosters who finished as the runners-up after their dramatic revival in week three which saw them rise from last to second place.

Despite the rain-out, the Hunlock Series once again provided the best possible end to the British Baseball season. We saw some very high quality baseball – pitchers throwing at over 85mph, power-hitting display by Conner Brown who hit three home runs, spectacular defence including diving plays by Pete Hogg and Jarrod Pretorius, both of which were nominated for Play of the Year. There was an international flavour with the participation of the Toulouse Astros. We hope to see them again next year.

The Hunlock Series also gave the players an opportunity to say thank you to legendary umpire, Darrin Muller (pictured above), who is retiring after 17 years during which he umpired over 2250 games including World Cup, Senior and Youth National Championships Little League, PONY, European and other games. We hope to convince him to come out of retirement from time to time for special events.

The Series saw around 100 players take part and more than 20 of them were new players who we hope to see wearing the Herts jersey when the 2019 British baseball season commences.

During the off-season Herts Baseball Club will be preparing for a very special 2019 baseball season. When we say “special”, we are not referring only to the long-awaited arrival of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees for the MLB London Series. The Club has ambitious plans for 2019 and beyond. We will keep you updated in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!

If you are not a member of the club yet, the best way to keep up-to-date is to be added to the club’s mailing list. Contact us for more details about joining the club or to subscribe to the mailing list.

19 September 201819 September 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock managers given 3 Wild Cards, “9th Inning” format will apply to all games

The games schedule for the 2018 Hunlock Series has been published. As in previous years, all games will adopt the “9th Inning” format where games are decided over a single inning only. This format recreates the tension and drama of the ninth inning.

If that wasn’t enough, it has been announced that this year each team manager will have three “Wild Cards”. The newly introduced rule stipulates that:

Each team will be allocated three Wild Cards which they can use over the course of the Series.

Wild Card A: All opponent batters start their at bats with one strike against them.

Wild Card B: Opponent bats with one Out recorded against them at the start of the inning.

Wild Card C: Team starts their offensive half of the inning with runner on second base. If they use this Wild Card, the runner on second base will be whoever was the last out from the previous game of that team.

Wild Cards must be announced to the umpire and opponent manager before the start of the defensive or offensive half of the inning, whichever is applicable to the Wild Card which they wish to use.

The Wild Card-rule which was proposed by Herts Falcons Manager, Cris Hiche, a few months ago, is expected to add a new dimension, but until we see it in action it will be difficult to predict what effect this experiment will have on the games. In which game, against which opponent, on which day and which Wild Card would be best to use? These are just some of the questions which will be going through the manager’s minds. The French team, Toulouse Astros, will also be allocated three Wild Cards for their games on 30 September.

A reminder of the Hunlock Series Rules which apply to the “9th Inning” format.

• 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 batter who was next to bat upon completion of the previous game will be the first batter in the next game with the rest of the batting lineup coming up to bat in order.

What is also noticeable from the schedule is that the home team alternates over the course of the 4-game series which implies that the fielding team in the bottom of the inning will remain on the field in the top of the inning of the subsequent game. This scheduling approach was adopted in previous years and it sped-up the games enormously as there was no need for teams to go in and out of the field. There even was no need for warm-up pitches as the pitchers were ready. The downside is that a pitcher will need to stay on the mound for 6 outs without a break as opposed to the usual 3 outs, which could mean twice as many pitches thrown in an inning. This is where the defence can really help pitchers, by minimising errors and not adding to the pitcher’s pitch count.

Over the course of the Series each team will play a total of 30 games, 27 games against each of their opponents ans 3 against the Toulouse Astros. The team finishing top of the league standings will be the 2018 Hunlock Series Champion.

The other rules which differ from what teams are used to in the BBF leagues are:

• Pitching Restrictions. A player can appear as a pitcher in one, two or more games per day, but no player shall accumulate more than 3 innings (9 outs) as a pitcher over the course of the day. It is the responsibility of the opposing team to inform the umpire when a pitcher reaches the limit. Managers must inform opponents of the number of innings pitched by each of their pitchers during the day prior to the start of each game.

• No Mercy Rule will be in force.

• If the game is tied after completion of the final inning, each team is awarded half a win and half a loss in the standings.

The 2018 Hunlock Series Draft took place on Monday night. See more details here.

If you have not signed up to play in the Hunlock Series, it is not too late. Whether you are an experienced player or completely new to baseball Contact Herts Baseball Club for details on how to sign up.

19 September 201819 September 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Pretorius, Brown, Lynch and Deacon are the first round picks

The 2018 Hunlock Series Draft was completed on Monday night. The managers of the teams had a plethora of talent to choose from with 68 players drafted over 17 rounds.

THE FIRST ROUND PICKS

On a toss of a coin Black Barracudas had the first pick. Manager, Duane Badenhorst, selected two-time NBL Champion and 2012 NBL MVP, Jarrod Pretorius (pictured above). The South African last played for the Herts Falcons in 2017 and has missed most of the 2018 season, but he is back for The Series. Hopefully, this is an indication that we will see him return to the Herts Falcons for the 2019 season.

Next up was the turn of the Blue Rockers. With their first pick they selected Great Britain and Herts Falcons catcher, Conner Brown. Brown was also picked in the first round in the previous two years. After completing his 2017 season in the Bundesliga he was back in a Falcons jersey this year and helped the team finish as NBL Runner-up.

Next it was the turn of expansion team, White Lightning. Manager, Colin Whitton, selected the starting pitcher for the Herts Falcons in Game Two of the NBL Final, Wade Lynch. Apart from the wide variety of pitches which he will bring to the mound, Lynch may also come in handy when White Lightning face the Toulouse Astros as he speaks French.

The Red Roosters manager, Giuseppe Basilea, is the youngest Hunlock Series manager and he went for youth with his first round pick, by selecting Herts Falcons infielder, Alex Deacon.

FREE AGENTS AND TRADES

The full team rosters determined at last night’s draft are shown here. As more players sign up to play they will be able to join the teams as free agents. We will keep you updated about free agent signings and trades over the course of the Series.

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

OPENING DAY

The Series commence on Sunday, 23 September. The first games start at 12:30pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Admission is free. For complete Series schedule click here.

18 September 201818 September 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Record-breaking 21 teams to compete for the HFT titles this Saturday

21 teams will be in action at the 2018 Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) which will take place this Saturday, 22 September 2018. This is a new record for the tournament so Herts Baseball Club will have to stat looking into how to expand the venue somehow.

The opening ceremony will take place at 10:30am. The first games begin at 9:00am and the Finals will be played at around 4:30pm. To view the games schedule click here.

“Herts Baseball Club welcomes new players at any time of the year” said club president, Aspi Dimitrov. “Any children aged between 4 and 17 who are interested to give baseball a try should contact the club. It is not too late to take part in this event.”

Traditional Baseball snacks will be on offer including chilli dogs, Krispy Kreme Donuts and more. Imported baseball merchandise will also be on sale at the Herts Baseball shop.

The HFT has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. It brings together youth teams of all age groups from across the country for a day of baseball at one of the best baseball venues in the United Kingdom.

For more information about the event visit the Herts Futures Tournament homepage.

16 September 201816 September 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Live Draft is on Monday.

We are counting down to the 2018 Hunlock Series Draft which will take place this Monday, 17 September at 8:00pm. This year the Draft will not be televised, but there will be coverage via Facebook. It will enable participants to interact more easily as the managers make their picks. For more details follow Herts Baseball Club on facebook.

Four teams enter this year’s competition and the managerial appointments have just been announced.

Will Blue Rockers manage to pick star player Conner Brown again and retain the Hunlock Series title

Last year’s winners, the Blue Rockers, are back with their manager Rich Brown who will be looking to retain the title.

The Black Barracudas also return with their manager, Duane Badenhorst, who this season has had the opportunity to evaluate a vast number of players at all league levels from the NBL and Double-A League to the Under-17 and Under-15 League, which is expected to give his team a considerable advantage.

The Red Roosters will be managed by Giuseppe Basilea (pictured above). Over the last two weeks he appeared in the NBL and U17 National Championships. He will now have to turn his attention to managing and drafting the players that can win the Series. As the youngest manager in the Hunlock Series, will his Draft picks target younger players or will he select players based on what they bring to the team regardless of age. Last season the Red team finished in last place but all teams start with a blank roster sheet ahead of the Draft.

2014 Hunlock Series-winning manager Colin Whitton is back

The fourth team is the White Lightning. They last appeared in the Series in 2014. This year they will be managed by Colin Whitton who is back after a 3-year absence. He last managed in the Hunlock Series back in 2014 when he clinched the Championship with the Black Widows. His son Dan Whitton is also back from the United States so a first opportunity to see him back at the ballpark since 2014 when he played for the Herts U17 team.

Fans will see some new faces in the Hunlock Series this year who have joined the club in the last few weeks, so there will be an element of surprise in Monday’s Draft. Some of them may be new to Herts fans but they are not new to the game. The Hunlock Series could be a glimpse at some of the new players who will be wearing the Herts uniform for the first time in 2019.

HOW TO REGISTER

Existing Herts players are currently registering ahead of the Draft by simply updating their availability in the online Clubhouse. New players and players from other clubs can also sign up by contacting Herts Baseball Club.

There has already been interest from non-Herts players located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. They are all welcome to sign up and play in these games.

To be eligible for selection during the Draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by 7pm on Monday, 17 September. If you miss this Draft deadline, don’t worry. Players would still be eligible to play but would be added to teams as free agents. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2018.

6 September 20186 September 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series to feature an overseas team for the first time

It has been announced that the 2018 Hunlock Series will have an international dimension. This will be the first time that an overseas team will play in the Series. The Toulouse Astros will be making the trip from France to Grovehill Ballpark on 30 September. On that day they will face each of the Hunlock Series teams. They will not feature in the Hunlock Series league standings but the outcome of their games will count towards the record of the Hunlock Series teams, therefore their involvement could have a major impact on the league standings and the eventual winner.

The Astros have played at various levels in France and internationally, but we have very little information about the challenge which they are likely to pose for their opponents. Over the years French clubs have ranked higher than British teams in the annual European club rankings, but we cannot use this as the basis for assessing the strength of the Toulouse Astros. There are numerous factors which could have an effect on this, such as whether their full squad will be travelling to Hertfordshire.

Their trip to the UK is part of their 10-year anniversary celebrations.

This will add a different dimension to the Hunlock Series, which could be compared to the introduction of Interleague games in the MLB schedule a few years ago. Does this mean that the managers of the Hunlock Series teams will opt not to use their aces in these international encounters knowing that games against direct opponents in the league standings carry greater value as a win against them is not only added to their win column, but adds a loss to the record of their rivals.

We will have to wait and see how exactly this will unfold on 30 September.

HOW TO REGISTER

Existing Herts players are currently registering ahead of the Draft by simply updating their availability in the online Clubhouse. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at new players who could be wearing the Herts jersey next season. New players and players from other clubs can also sign up by contacting Herts Baseball Club.

There has already been interest from players from other clubs located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. They are all welcome to sign up and play in these games.

To be eligible for selection during the Draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by Friday, 14 September. If you miss this Draft deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. Players will still be eligible to play but would be added to teams as free agents. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2018.

27 August 201827 August 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players have started registering for the 2018 Hunlock Series

The 2018 BBF league season will soon be coming to a close, but arguably the best part of the season is still 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.

This is the thirteenth year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. Herts Baseball Club has been growing rapidly since then and the format of the competition has evolved. As players sign up over the next few weeks we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

SERIES FORMAT

This year’s competition will be played over three Sundays. The opening games will be played on Sunday, 23 September. The second round of games will take place on Sunday, 30 September, with the final round scheduled for Sunday, 7 October. If weather conditions affect the first three weeks, 14 October is available as a backup date.

In 2014 we introduced “The 9th Inning Games” where games are played over a single inning. We will be doing this again this year. 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?

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the teams will be selected by the team managers during the Hunlock Series Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will minor league players and newcomers 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 observing these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity during the Hunlock Series to make a claim to play on the bigger stage in 2019. The club has also received enquiries from many potential new members over the last few weeks and this event is the ideal opportunity for them to come and play.

HOW TO REGISTER

There has already been interest from non-Herts players located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. They are all welcome to sign up and play in these games. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at new players who could be wearing the Herts jersey next season.

To be eligible for selection during the Draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by Friday, 14 September. If you miss this Draft deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. Players will still be eligible to play but would be added to teams as free agents. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2018.

30 July 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

British baseball teams have started entering the 2018 HFT

Herts Baseball Club has announced that the 2018 Herts Futures Tournament will take place on Saturday, 22 September 2018.

The Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. The number of teams entering the tournament has been going up. The highest number of entries which we have managed to accommodate in previous years has been 20 teams. It will be interesting to see how many teams will enter this year. If the number continues to increase the club will have to consider ways of expanding the venue further.

The event brings together youth teams of all age groups from across the country for a day of baseball at one of the best baseball venues in the UK. Grovehill Ballpark is the home of Herts Baseball Club. Over the years the venue has been selected to host some of the biggest events in the British baseball calendar including the National Baseball Championships. During the Herts Futures Tournament additional diamonds are added to cater for all the age groups.

This year’s edition is expected to cover the Under-17, Under-15, Under-13, Under-11 and Under-8 age groups.

For more information about the event, how to enter your team in the Tournament or how players can join the Herts teams in time for the HFT, visit the Herts Futures Tournament homepage or contact Herts Baseball Club.

3 April 201825 April 2018 by Rob Jones

Down and dirty: Herts Spring League 2018

My first at-bat of 2018 ended with a flourish, writes Rob Jones. No, not a majestic home run, but an impressive flailing swing at a curve ball which was so far off the plate on the outside it was probably in a different post code.

It was a Herts Spring League game against the London Musketeers, I was batting fifth on a boggy field. We had got a runner on, and I calmly took a few pitches. But after six fastballs or so, the crucial payoff fooled me completely.

A Musketeer bamboozling your correspondent

In my defence, it was probably the first time I had swung at any sort of moving ball since last October, as none of the indoor training sessions I attended included any batting. And the skies were a bit grey. And Jupiter was moving into Orion. Or something.

But the point of this is not to make excuses — it’s to say that it didn’t really matter.

This is a paean to the joys of the Spring League, when the welcome opportunity to play baseball after a winter of hibernation overrides every doubt about how well you actually play it.

The first weekend of the HSL fell victim to unseasonably arctic weather. Only one game survived — and that was really just because the teams had already made the journey to Grovehill and refused to be defeated. Conditions were entirely unsuitable.

The second weekend still had some of the nastiest feel underfoot that I have ever experienced at our Spring League. The dugouts were soggy, the on-deck area slippy. Being a good citizen, and retrieving a pass ball, was quite a challenge.

For the stats geeks among you, I can reassure you that my performance at the plate improved some. I worked a walk the second time up, and what I will score as an infield hit the third time. Some scorers might think it was a throwing error by third base. But what do they know.

It was an adventure in the field, at shortstop, with the famous red cleats clogged with dirt. Fortunately it, too, followed a broad upward trajectory towards acceptability.

Of my first few plays, one was a muffed attempt to get a force at home on a dribbling ground ball. I was too late, and the throw was too low.

I was swiftly reminded that in such situations the throw, when in doubt, should always go to first. My reasoning was that I was rushing towards home plate to go and get the ball, so it seemed more sensible to throw in the direction I was heading. Who knows if I was right, but I certainly wasn’t successful.

The next chance I had was a straightforward infield pop-up, close to the pitchers’ mound. I called it, moved in. But somehow missed it entirely. I’m still not sure how. I only really knew I had dropped it by the aghast look on the face of Paul, the pitcher.

Fortunately I redeemed myself, taking a later pop-up despite a collision with the second baseman. We had both called for it, simultaneously, and so both ploughed on to try to catch it. Perhaps my earlier faux pas, and my determination to assert my shortstop’s authority, made me ignore a looming impact.

It ended well. I caught it, and nobody was hurt.

Except Paul. He was no longer pitching, Ken was. So Paul wanted to know quite why I couldn’t handle an easy catch for him, but could survive a clattering to help Ken. Oops!

The Raptors lost the game in the end, but there was lots of good pitching and lots of good plays.

We actually pulled off a hidden ball trick to tag a runner on second. I’m always bit conflicted about the hidden ball, to be honest. It feels like a low blow, a bit bush league.

And yet, if we are going to pay any attention at all to base discipline, then the hidden ball is surely just an extension of that. All players learning the game should understand when they are free to roam on the bases, and when they they have to get back. They should be looking out for pickoffs. So they should also look out for someone smuggling the ball in their glove.

Torrential rain put paid to the Raptors game scheduled for the Saturday of the third week. There was still a small boating lake on one diamond on the Sunday. Luckily, and with some solid work by the grounds crew, games did go ahead for lots of teams.

It’s always heartening to see teams coming from far and wide to brave what are often cold conditions to play Spring games at Herts. The weather really outdid itself this year. And so perhaps it is fair to say that all those travelling teams outdid themselves too.

I was obviously disappointed not to get more at-bats, and more ground balls. But the Spring League washes away all disappointments with positivity.

It may have had the muddy conditions of trench warfare sometimes, but the action has begun. We can only go up from here.

2 April 2018 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Arrows, Mets, Hawks and Musketeers win the 2018 HSL titles

In the NBL Division the Essex Arrows and Birmingham Bandits were the favourites going into the final weekend of the 2018 Herts Spring League (HSL). Despite losing to the Herts Falcons, the earlier win over the London Mammoths was enough for the Arrows to clinch first place. The Birmingham Bandits had two shots at overtaking them but first the London Mammoths and then the Southampton Mustangs took the wins in closely fought games.

Their strong performance in the second week was enough for the London Mets U19 to win the HSL Triple-A title. The rain on Saturday scuppered the eagerly awaited encounter between them and the Lakenheath Regulators which was built as the title-decider in the Triple-A bracket.

In the Double-A Division the Herts Hawks’ record of three wins and no losses secured first place for them.

In the Single-A Division calculators were needed to break the tie between the London Musketeers and the London Archers. The Musketeers clinched it thanks to conceding fewer runs per inning, 0.111 compared to the Archers’ 0.556 runs per inning.

The 2018 Herts Spring League proved to be a major struggle in the face of sub-zero temperatures and snow in week one and torrential rain on the final Saturday which flooded both diamonds. These certainly were the worst weather conditions in the 11-year history of the HSL, but, despite this, 21 games were played which is 53% of the original schedule.

View HSL scoreboard

View HSL standings

We saw home runs, spectacular defence, lights-out pitching, many players who will be making their BBF league debuts in 2018 and a whole lot more over the last three weeks of the HSL.

With Spring Training completed, British baseball teams up and down the country will hope that this will be their year. The NBL teams will open the 2018 season next Sunday, 8 April, while the other three leagues start later in April. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for a comprehensive coverage of the 2018 baseball season.