Category: Featured
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.
Herts Falcons qualify for Europe
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By virtue of reaching the NBL Final, and regardless of the outcome of the Final, the Herts Falcons have qualified for European club competitions in 2019. Players were not told by Manager, Cris Hiche, until after the two Playoff wins on Sunday that reaching the NBL Final would secure a place in Europe. In their post-game interviews we put a few questions about playing in Europe next year to Cris Hiche and Conner Brown both of whom have played under professional contracts with European clubs in the last two seasons – Hiche in Austria with the Dornbirn Indians and Brown in Germany with the Cologne Cardinals.
WATCH: Cris Hiche interview following Sunday’s NBL Playoff wins
After the drama of Sunday’s NBL Playoff wins first over Southampton Mustangs (18-17) and then London Capitals (5-3), we had a chance to chat with Herts Falcons Manager, Cris Hiche, about the games, keeping the belief when trailing 2-9, and his unexpected role as a pitcher this season, and more.
Herts Falcons reach NBL National Final and will play in Europe next year
Against all the odds, the Herts Falcons are through to the National Baseball League Final after a dramatic day of NBL Playoffs.
HERTS FALCONS 18 SOUTHAMPTON MUSTANGS 17
At the start of the day, not even the most optimistic Herts baseball fans would have expected the Falcons to pull it off. Their first hurdle was the Southampton Mustangs, a team that had the best record in the NBL Regular Season, but had to go through the Playoffs because of an off-the-field infringement. Hopes of an upset were dwindling early on as Southampton took a 9-2 lead after just two innings. Self-belief and energy levels can drain away very quickly from a team in such a predicament. Whether it was something that was said by the manager or a player, or perhaps the team is made up of players with superior inbuilt perseverance, the Falcons somehow managed to turn the game around. Their offence was alive again and they were getting productive at-bats from 1 to 9 in the batting order. It took a big collective effort to tie the game up first at 9-9 and then 13-13 before taking a 16-13 lead with just two innings left to play. There is always a risk of losing some of the momentum from the feeling of relief after coming back from the dead twice. The Mustangs struck back in the top of the final inning to take a 17-16 lead. The pressure was back on the Falcons. They had only three outs left and they needed to score in order to avoid elimination. 17-year-old Tyler Badenhorst was the lead-off batter. He is arguably one of the club’s most promising young talents but he has been on the disabled list in recent weeks which is why he was brought into the game from the bench. Heavy weight on young shoulders but he did what was required of him and got on base with a walk. Walter Bates and Moise Vasquez also walked. Southampton responded by getting two outs against the third and fourth batter in the Falcons batting order. There was no room for error now. With the bases loaded Dany Bueno was hit by a pitch and that brought in the tying run and a sigh of relief among Herts fans. It all came down to Phil Clark whose walk-off hit started Herts’ celebrations with a final score of 18-17.
The psychological pressure of trailing 9-2 in this game must have been enormous and after the game player-manager, Cris Hiche, felt that keeping the belief within the team was going to be critical. “We knew to expect a high-scoring game and I think that helped to maintain the belief in those difficult periods of the game when Southampton had a big lead” said Hiche.
HERTS FALCONS 5 LONDON CAPITALS 3
There was no time for celebrations or a breather. The London Capitals were waiting patiently, fresh and ready to face the Falcons for a place in the NBL Final. With their pitching staff depleted from the first game, player-manager, Cris Hiche, was the Herts starting pitcher. He has not had many pitching outings in his career prior to this season, but, with pitchers missing due to international call-ups and injuries, he has been converted into a pitcher and has proved to be one of the team’s most effective pitchers this season. Unlike the earlier high-scoring game, the pitchers were controlling this encounter from the start. Apart from the quality pitching, both teams showed good defence including a 6-4-3 double play turned by Carlos Casal Jr and Moise Vasquez. Carlos Casal also contributed with the bat as he and Dany Bueno drove in a run each to put Herts into a 2-1 lead. After five innings the Capitals tied the game up at 2-2.
In the top of the sixth inning the Falcons came up with a big 3-run inning, which included a sacrifice fly from Hector Miguel who was looking to redeem himself after being ejected in the first game. Capitals responded again but their rally was limited to one run thanks to a diving catch at the wall by left fielder, John Blose, for the final out of the inning stranding two runners who would have scored if it wasn’t for that spectacular play which prompted all his teammates to run to left field to congratulate him. With a 5-3 lead, Cris Hiche maintained his composure in the bottom of the final inning to shut down the side in order and start another field invasion by Herts players, coaches and fans.
“It’s a big relief to reach the Final” said Falcons catcher, Conner Brown, and added that “After some ups and downs this year, it’s nice to see the team come through today and hopefully get some recognition that we are a good team”.
Regardless of the outcome in the NBL Final, reaching it implies that the Falcons will be playing in Europe next year. This is the first time that a Herts team has managed to qualify for European Club Competitions. The players were not aware that they were also playing for a European place today and manager Cris Hiche gave them the news only after the final out.
The focus now turns to the Final against the London Mets. It will be a best-of-3 series with Game One on Saturday, 8 September, at Farnham Park in Slough. Cris Hiche was under no illusion about the size of the challenge ahead of them. He said: “The Mets are a good team, and we go in the Final as the underdogs, as evident from the regular season standings, but we enjoyed the battle today and hopefully we can do it again next weekend”. The only previous time that the Herts Falcons have reached the NBL Final was in 2012 when they lost to the Harlow Nationals in Game Seven. Follow Herts Baseball on Twitter for more information about the Final and build-up ahead of the games.
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
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. 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.
Hawks’ wings clipped by Latin Boys
The Herts Hawks travelled to face the East London Latin Boys on Sunday (19th August) to fight for a place in the national final of British baseball’s Double-A league.
The fixture renewed a rivalry which had brought some tight and dramatic games over the past two years. In 2018, the Hawks were the only team to beat the Latin Boys, who had won their division and claimed the number 2 seed for the playoffs.
Veteran pitcher Darrin Ward was on the mound again, after his complete game win over Bournemouth last week. That game ended 10-9 to the Hawks thanks to a ninth-inning rally and a walk-off. Things would be different this time.
Ward surrendered an early 1-0 lead, but pitched well to keep it tight until the middle of the fourth inning. Then a Herts fielding error proved costly, and Latin Boys jumped out to a 4-0 lead.
The home side’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Aguilar was dominating the Herts lineup. Only Ward and second baseman Jon Lewys were able to get notable hits.
Latin Boys had another big inning and took a 10-1 lead into the seventh. There was to be no dramatic comeback from Herts this time and it ended 11-1.
Hawks manager Michael Cresswell tipped his hat to the home side, saying they deserved their place in the final. Herts had gone one better than last year, and will return to action in the Spring with their eyes on a title.
In their team statement, the Hawks said that while the result was not what they wanted, there were still smiles all around. “Sometimes it’s just not our day, but we still love the game of baseball.”
Latin Boys face Bristol Badgers in the Double-A final at Farnham Park near Slough, the home of British baseball, next Sunday (26th August)
The Herts Raptors had finished their season in Single-A, but played one more game this past weekend against the Guildford Millers. It was a fixture which was rained off early in the year, but it had been impossible to reschedule it.
Raptors jumped out to a big 20-run lead after 3 innings, and were within a squeak of a mercy rule victory after 5. They led by 14 runs. But Guildford kept plugging away and fighting back.
Home runs from Herts veteran Arnie Longboy and rookie David Grindstaff had powered the offense, and after seven innings they still led by 9. However, it would end with the impressively Single-A score of 36-35. And Guildford were the winners.
It was a fun finale to the year.
The Herts Falcons have one more regular season game to play, a make-up game against the London Mets at Finsbury Park. Then they, too, hope to be heading to playoffs.
The exact permutations for the NBL have not been decided yet, but follow hertsbaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and we will keep you updated.
Last gasp drama brings playoff win for Hawks
The Herts Hawks built an early 5-1 lead in their playoff game at home to the Bournemouth Bears on Sunday (August 12th) – but the ultimate victory was anything but routine.
This was the Hawks’ second year in the Double-A league after storming to the Single-A title in 2016. Bournemouth were new boys to the league, and had never faced Herts.
Darrin Ward was on the pitching mound on a cloudy and cool day at Grovehill, which was interrupted by showers. He went along steadily for five innings as the Hawks scored 5 runs to back him up.
But Bournemouth’s starter was also showing his mettle, and in the fifth the visitors battled back to get their bats going too. They pushed across some runs, and took advantage of a brief mental lapse from the Hawks to score again. It was now 5-4.
Herts responded with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth, and centre fielder Kimi Saionji led off the bottom half with a double to left field. Right fielder Hunter Devine followed him onto the bases, and then manager Michael Cresswell.
But, frustratingly, they would leave them loaded. Bournemouth induced two pop-outs and a K from the meat of the order.
And in the top of the seventh, with two outs, the Bears finally tied the game at 5-apiece.
The Hawks’ defence had been playing smartly, always retiring the lead runner, and making good throws. Greg Bochan was a rock at third, Louis Hare at short. But Herts had to score to get back on the front foot.
In the bottom of the eighth, Saionji again got it started with a single. Then Devine drove a triple deep into the right field corner to bring him home and retake the lead. He came across to score on a pass ball.
Jon Lewys tried to tack on one more, racing from second on a drive to right by Ward. But the Bears were quick enough and accurate enough and cut him down at the plate.
So Herts were defending a 7-5 lead going into the ninth. A chance to close it out. Bournemouth’s first hit boomed to the fence in left field. Another runner got on. Herts got one out.
Then things threatened to really turn sour. Bournemouth found the gaps. Herts fielders bobbled the ball. The Bears sniffed an opening and not only levelled but took the lead, 9-7. What is more, Herts catcher Bryn Coughlan hurt his knee as he scrambled to catch a foul pop-up.
There was a delay while medical help was sought, and he was helped from the field. When it was over, Herts faced the challenge of saving the game.
Greg Bochan led off with a single. Then substitute Antony Lavender – who had been called suddenly into action – made an immediate mark with a double to right field.
Kimi Saionji brought home the first of the runners, then Devine struck again.
The game was tied. Saionji was on third.
At the plate stood first baseman, Michael Cresswell, first year manager of the Hawks. He wasn’t going to pass up this moment.
Cresswell slapped a pitch down the third base line, and — leaping onto the plate to score– Saionji ended the game. It was 10-9 to the Hawks.
Bournemouth Bears had been superb, and battled hard. They played with a smile and a cheer and graciously checked in on the injured Herts catcher.
But the day belonged to Herts. Ward took the complete game win, Cresswell the walkoff. But the entire team had contributed.
The Hawks travel to face the East London Latin Boys next, and will take heart from being the only team to beat them in the regular season.
Former Marlins man makes his mark in Herts
A lot of quality baseball players have shown off their skills in a Herts cap over the years. But we still felt lucky to be able to welcome former AA pitcher Chris Squires to the club during this past weekend to share his knowledge with our players of all ages.
Chris was drafted by the Miami Marlins (then the Florida Marlins, of course) in 2010 after a college career at Indiana University which saw him finish as the Hoosiers’ all time saves leader with 20. In his final campaign, he notched up 10.71 strikeouts per 9 innings.
With the Marlins organisation, Chris pitched as a reliever in A, Advanced A and AA. He had an ERA of 3.73, and struck out more than 100 batters before moving on to play in Independent Leagues, and now plays in Europe.
His first event with Herts was at the club’s field in north west London, where we have been running weekly sessions this summer. On Friday evening, he ran through drills to improve our players’ throwing, fielding and hitting.
The core message was clear: “You have to practice a lot. Practice as much as you think you need to, then do some more.”
Chris added: “I am really picky about the detail. Think about what you are trying to achieve with every drill that you do, what are you trying to improve. Focus on that.”
On Saturday, there was a full day of work for Chris Squires at Grovehill, firstly with some of our youngest players. Around 20 boys and girls from not only Herts but also the London Mets, London Sports and the Leicester Blue Sox took part.
After a warm-up, there was throwing. Chris emphasised a strong core, and fast arm speed. In crucial fielding drills, there was attention on a good fielding position, and also on attacking a ground ball.
“Major leaguers still work on all their fundamentals”, he told our youngsters. “Sure, they find it easier because they have already put in the years, but they still have to work on all their basics.”
He happily fielded an endless series of questions from both the kids and from their parents. These ranged from technical aspects of how to achieve more power, to whether or not he is married, and whether he got a signing bonus when he was drafted.
In this session — and in another with our Under 15s and Under 17s later in the day — there were plenty of questions about his time in the minor leagues.
US baseball players are drafted by Major League organisations either from their High Schools or from College. Then they play in the club’s range of Minor League teams to work on their skills and develop as athletes.
These leagues are ranked from A, through Advanced A, to AA and AAA (pronounced as Double-A and Triple-A) before moving on to the Big League Club if they make it all the way.
Chris pitched for teams including the Jupiter Hammerheads, the Jamestown Jammers and the Jacksonville Suns.
Did he face guys who are now top stars, came a question? Yes, he pitched to Cristian Yelich in what’s called “live batting practice”, but not Marcell Ozuna (Gold Glovers and All-Stars who also came up with the Marlins).
What was his favourite stadium to play in? At the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, in the Florida panhandle, where the ocean is just beyond the outfield fence (“I was in the bullpen”, he explained, where the relievers wait to be needed. “So we spent a lot of time looking at the ocean!”)
Did you ever get injured? “Not playing baseball. Punching a water cooler. My coach was NOT happy!”
“It didn’t last as long as I’d have liked, but it happens”, Chris said of his time in an MLB setup. “You have to find your next opportunity”
Over lunch, there was a little Home Run Derby action in which our professional pitcher (“Yeah, I’ve hit a few grand slams”) took on Walter Bates, a slugger from our own Herts Falcons, and veteran Darrin Ward, currently doing his thing with the Herts Hawks in Double-A.
As the kids filled the outfield to catch and collect balls, our three power hitters put on a display. After three hotly contested rounds, Walter Bates came out the winner, and can say that he beat a former Minor League player in a hitting contest (whisper it quietly that our guy is a lefty, aiming at a short fence in right field).
Chris Squires was back into it with a youth group in the afternoon, featuring Herts kids as well as those from Brighton and the London Mets. “We are going to step it up a bit now”, he warned them, “because as you get older you start to work more on your strength. It gets more intense but you have to push on through.”
But he also warned against just focussing on power: “As a pitcher, don’t throw to the radar gun. You are pitching to get the batter out.”
Chris went through pitcher’s fielding practice with this group, before taking some one-on-one sessions on Sunday at Grovehill.
He returns now to his day job — at the Dornbirn Indians baseball team in Austria. There he is a player and coach, and a coordinator and coach for the youth programmes.
The Herts Falcons manager, Cris Hiche, spent a season at Dornbirn in 2016, and was instrumental in getting our guest coach along for this very successful weekend. Our thanks to him for all his work.
The final word goes to Chris Squires, in answer to a question from one of our kids about why he chose to play baseball.
“Baseball is a sport where you are not just improving for yourself, everything you do helps the team. If you improve as a defender, that helps every pitcher you play with. If you improve as a hitter, that helps all your fielders. It’s not just about you.”
“And I have always loved baseball.”
That’s all good with us.
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.