Category: Featured

by Rob Jones

Raptors roll over Redbacks to wrap season

Raptors shortstop Jamie Lang makes the catch for the final out of the final game of the 2014 season for the team

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
… gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here” – William Shakespeare

There was a special feeling in the air as the Herts Raptors gathered in a field in Essex for the rescheduled final game of their 2014 season. Partly it was an end of term relaxation, a looseness – but that brought confidence, too, that things could end on a high.

But the hometown Redbacks stood in the way of a win — and they had no intention of letting Herts spoil their own finale.

The Raptors started with intent. Joseph Osborne-Brade led off with a single, and stole second. Manager Geoff Thomas, starting at third base, would drive him home, before scoring himself. The entire Raptors line-up came to bat, but Essex held them to just 3 runs.

In the second, the Raptors went round again and this time they brought in 5. The game was starting to look like a traditional Single-A division run-fest, and Herts maybe thought it was going to be in their favour. Second baseman Charlie Day and shortstop Jamie Lang were among those getting in on the act with the bat.

But Essex hit back in the bottom of the second, scoring 4 runs of their own. And then, after Herts catcher Rob Jones cleared the loaded bases with a loud single into centre field in the top of the third, this game suddenly changed.

The score stood at 11-5 to the visitors, and when Essex pulled a hard-throwing reliever from their bag of tricks this became a pitchers’ duel. For the next five half-innings nobody scored. Starting pitcher Greg Bochan threw up zeroes on the board to match the new rival, with his defence helping out. Osborne-Brade ended the threat in the fifth inning with a trademark spectacular sliding catch at the foot of the fence in centre field.

Essex then started to chip into the lead, pulling a couple back in the sixth, then another with a lead-off home run in the seventh. But the Herts team were hanging in, too, even as they tried to work out their timing for the fiery reliever. First baseman Jeff Witter led off the sixth with a walk and scored with the help of a passed ball and a single from substitute Drew Mayhew. Manufactured runs kept Herts ahead.

And Witter was back in the frame when hero-time came. The top of the ninth, Herts still holding the lead but by just 13 runs to 10. The Redbacks had been edging closer all the time and could sense a come from behind win. But the doughty first baseman was hit by a pitch in his soft area, to ensure the crucial lead off man got aboard. He moved up to second before Glen Downer got on the same way. And when he scored, he was cheered loudly by the Herts bench.

The Redbacks pitcher was reaching into his last reserves and was sacrificing some control. By the time he had hit a third batter, three runs had scored and the wind was in Herts’ sails.

There were 6 runs in all and as Bochan took the mound, now guided by substitute catcher Kal Dimitrov, he was defending a 9 run lead. The first out was popped to the infield, the second was a grounder. And as the third Redback launched a high pop up to short left field the Raptors gathered a round to make the final out.

It was Jamie Lang, soft of hands, recently returned from a summer stint in the States, who took it in. And the win was complete.

The Raptors co-manager Geoff Thomas said: “It was a fantastic game and great to end the season on a high. I think we really showed what we were capable of and hopefully can carry this into next season”.

Herts had led this game from the start to the finish, and had dug deep instead of crumbling when the Redbacks made a spirited fightback. It was the third Raptors win of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a better moment to give optimism for the future.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players have started registering for the 2014 Hunlock Series

The 2014 BBF league season is about to reach its conclusion,  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.

This is the eighth 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 has been increasing every year. 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. The opening games will be played on Sunday, 7 September.  The second round of games will take place on 21 September with the final round scheduled for 28 September.  Sunday, 5 October has been reserved in the event of rain or other rescheduling requirements.

After its successful introduction in 2012 we will see the return of “The 9th Inning Weekend” where games are 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 in 2012. Last year it was wiped out by the weather and we know everyone was looking forward to it, so it is back this year.” Dimitrov added: “The pressure of the ninth inning comes once a day for MLB managers. Let’s see how the team managers and players will handle it when every inning is the ninth inning.”

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the 2014 Hunlock Series managers will select their teams during a live Draft. 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

Herts players are currently signing up ahead of the draft. 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. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at players who could be wearing the Herts jersey in 2015.

To be eligible for selection during the live draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by 7pm on Wednesday, 27 August. If you miss this deadline, don’t worry. Players would still be eligible to take part but would be added to teams as free agents. Players who wish to register for the 2014 Hunlock Series should contact Herts Baseball Club. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2014.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Grovehill Ballpark to host U14 and U12 Wild Card National Championship Playoffs

The Herts U12 team is preparing for its first ever appearance in the national championship playoffs

With all four Herts adult league teams missing out on the playoffs, the hopes of Herts baseball fans now rest on the club’s three youth teams which are preparing for the playoffs in the under-17, under-14 and under-12 leagues.

The British Baseball Federation has just announced that the Herts Harriers have been awarded a place in the Under-17 national semi-finals automatically as the second seed. In a repeat of last-year’s semi-final, they will face the London Mets who are the third seed.

The path to the final is a lot more difficult for the Herts Cardinals in the Under-14 who will have to go through a 3-team Wild Card Playoff facing the Brentwood Bucks and Essex Redbacks. The Herts Under-12 team will also have to go through the Wild Card Playoff where they will face the Under-12 team of the Brentwood Bucks. The BBF has selected Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead as the venue to host these games on 6 September. The winner of these Wild Card playoffs will progress through to the National Semi-Final where they will face the top seeds in the respective age groups.

Boys and girls from around the region are still contacting the club and signing up to play in these exciting games to determine the national baseball champions, so it is not too late to get involved.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Longboy winning debut for Falcons in season-ending triple-header


Abel Salas ended his outstanding season in style with a grand slam home run (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons were eliminated from the National Baseball League playoff race seven days ago, but on the final weekend of the regular season they had a chance to ruin the plans of the Essex Arrows who needed a win to secure top spot and an automatic place in the National Championship final. The Falcons planned to unleash their ace pitcher, Abel Salas, on them but a back-muscle injury before the start of the game meant that Darrin Ward had to take his place. Despite a closely fought battle, the Arrows pulled away in the late innings to win 10-2 and clinch top spot taking pole position going into the playoffs. They will meet either the London Mets or Southampton Mustangs or Southern Nationals in the NBL Final.

Two more games were played on Sunday which enabled the Falcons to end their season on a positive note. 16-year-old pitcher Zack Longboy made his NBL debut and pitched a complete game winning 11-6 against the South London Pirates. The arm injury prevented star-player Abel Salas from pitching, but that didn’t stop him from hitting a grand slam home run in that game.

In the Single-A League the Herts Raptors suffered a 39-14 defeat against the Essex Archers.

This was the final weekend of a disappointing season for the four teams from Hertfordshire. None of them reached the playoffs and, despite a dramatic playoff push by the Herts Falcons in the NBL, they and each of the other three Herts baseball teams ended the year with more losses than wins.

The work begins now to put together teams which are able to compete much better at all four league levels in 2015. The promising performances of young players like Carlos Casal Jr, Conner Brown, Liam Green, Tom Everex-Armstrong, Will Zucker and Zack Longboy in the NBL this season has given Herts fans hope that the Falcons will be in a much better position to compete next season. Many other Herts youngsters have made similar progress with the other Herts teams in the minor leagues.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

2014 Herts Futures Tournament details announced

Herts Baseball Club has announced that the 2014 Herts Futures Tournament will take place on Saturday, 20 September 2014.

The Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. Last year was a record year for the HFT with 15 teams entering the competition, which makes it the largest youth baseball event in the United Kingdom. Herts Baseball Club Board Member, Aspi Dimitrov, said: “It will be interesting to see how many teams will enter this year. If the number continues to increase we will have to consider ways of expanding the venue as last year we were close to reaching the venue’s capacity.”

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 last few 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.

In addition to inviting Under-17, Under-14 and Under-12 teams, this year the organisers are exploring the option to add an Under-10 division.

For more information about the event or if you require details about how teams can enter 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.

by Rob Jones

Catching a break

After a lifetime of clear vision, it’s a shock to see life from behind bars. But don’t worry, I haven’t finally been jailed for crimes against the English language. I have instead made my debut as a catcher, writes Rob Jones.

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to see from behind that mask. And it’s damned hard to move with all that extra armour, and that helmet. It’s distracting, especially for a skinny guy like me. Not every catcher is necessarily a beast, but even at single-A level they tend to be solid. I am an exception.

Andy Cornish catching
Herts’ own Andy Cornish in catching action

Hopefully more wearing of the “tools of ignorance” will help get me used to them. Because even after giving it a try, the idea still appeals to me.

Let me back up slightly and explain the context. This all happened one Saturday a couple of weeks ago, in a friendly game between the Herts Raptors and the development side being nurtured by the excellent London Mets club. The team is currently called the Mountaineers, though it doesn’t play league games. Yet.

Eye-opening

This was a chance for them to face an opponent in a real game setting, and for that opponent to be a genuine league team. For us, it was a chance to try some new things. For example, our centre fielder became a starting pitcher, the right fielder became a second baseman. And your correspondent — usually a jobbing infielder – became a catcher.

In the end it was for just one inning, as I am not the only player with designs on the job. But I’m glad I got in that one inning as it was eye-opening (and not just because that was the only way to see clearly!)

The armour does have a real impact on your movement. I had to tighten it all up to fit me, of course. But still the way it affects your speed and your flexibility surprised me. I felt like a racehorse confined in plaster casts, or perhaps as if I had been lightly dipped in concrete to perform my job.

Then there is the glove. I don’t doubt that there are excellent reasons for having a special glove. But it was another thing to get used to. Whenever I play first base I always do it with my own glove, a standard 12.5″ infielders glove. I just find that I am more used to it and more in tune with what it can do. So experiments with a first baseman’s glove are always short lived. With the catchers mitt, you have to persevere. I think I improved in the course of the inning I was there. But it will take more work.

The ball is in play…. always

There is also so much to think about. So much. When one ball got away from me and that mitt I failed to react for a second. And the base-runner took the chance to move up. Just as I would’ve done in his place. At any position you have to always remember that the ball is in play, but even more so as the catcher.

In theory, of course, I should be following the count, too. I’ve got much better at this sort of stuff over recent years (sometimes now, I even remember the score too!) But on one occasion I was caught out.

Baseball
The aching legs which only a catcher can know

The umpire said the count was full, but Greg who was pitching had correctly counted it to 2-2. He fired one down as he thought he could waste one more ball, and was surprised when the guy then walked. I needed to have helped him out at that point. It is something else to remember.

There are two reasons I wanted to try catching. First, it’s the one thing I have never done in a game. Secondly, I feel that my sporting background as a football goalkeeper will help me get my technique right to block stray balls. It took years of baseball before I “unlearned” the habit of getting my knees down and getting everything behind a ball. You simply don’t have time for that on the infield. But as a catcher I feel it would help save on pass balls. I still felt that was true after my one inning of work.

I don’t know how much I was able to put it into effect as I wrestled all the strange, fish out of water feelings that I have described above. But I think the only balls to get by were that one which I just dropped, and one more which I tried to block correctly but which still caromed off my shoulder.

I remember the difference the catcher can make for the pitcher from one of my experiences on the mound a couple of years back. The multi-talented Andy Cornish — who I don’t think even catches regularly now — was making a guest appearance for the Eagles when I pitched in relief. He was so effective in saving all those balls I put wide and in the dirt and I was very grateful — as I’m sure was the team.

The final thing to say about catching is that it is flat-out exhausting! The observant among you will recall that I only did one inning. In my defence I will say that it was the final inning of the game, and we had been going for a couple of hours by then. But I will freely admit that this was far more tiring than any other inning of the day.

Carrying round the extra weight, and constantly crouching down and jumping up, make a wicked combination. If you see me return from the off-season with chunky thighs and an enormous grille across my face you know that I have given in to the temptations of the catcher.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons out of NBL playoff race

With the Falcons eliminated, Herts hopes rest on the club’s 3 youth teams. The Herts Harriers (pictured) were national runners-up last year. Can they go one better this time. (photo by Chip Andersen)

Hurricane Bertha wiped out all of the baseball league games involving teams from Hertfordshire, but the biggest damage was caused by the result in South London where the Southern Nationals won both games of their doubleheader against the South London Pirates. This implies that the playoffs are now out of the reach of the Herts Falcons regardless of what happens on the final weekend of the season.

This was always going to be a transitional year for the team after losing six of its nine starting players from the team which finished top of the NBL regular season last year with a record of 24 wins and 4 losses. In addition, the team suffered a series of injuries. More players were sidelined over the first four weeks of the season than in the previous three years.

Despite this the Falcons managed to regroup acquiring some outstanding players including Abel Salas, Jose Sosa, Ryan Hackel and Zac Malone and mounted a major playoff push in the last two and a half months. Players who had come through the club’s youth programme were asked to perform on the big stage and they came through with flying colours.

“The players gave everything this season. We just ran out of games at the end” said manager Lee Manning. “Everyone will feel some disappointment as we had a team capable of competing and we recorded a win against every team in the league including the league leaders”.

The Herts baseball teams are out of the playoff races in the respective leagues, but on the final weekend of the season they will have a say in who will occupy those playoff places after the final out of the regular season.

This is the first time since 2011 that Hertfordshire will not be represented in the postseason playoffs of the four tiers of the adult leagues of British Baseball. The hopes of Herts baseball fans now rest on the shoulders of the club’s three youth teams which are preparing for the playoffs in the under-17, under-14 and under-12 leagues. Boys and girls from around the region are still contacting the club and signing up to play in these exciting games to determine the national baseball champions, so it is not too late to get involved (click here to contact the club).

by Daniel Levitt

Falcons hold onto playoff dreams by a slither

Report by Daniel Levitt

The Herts Falcons have endured their fair share of ups and downs over the course of the 2014 season.

Whether it be the crippling injury to Cristobal Hiche at the start of the year or the consistent line-up changes, they have pretty much seen it all. However, they keep on fighting and have refuted the idea of giving up.

It was fitting then, that the latest chapter in their epic journey provided a synopsis of their season so far.

They fought for their lives this past Sunday, to earn a split against the Southern Nationals at Farnham Park. The 5-7 and 10-9 score lines simply don’t capture the emotion and ardent nature with which both games were played in.

Heading into the double-header, it was salient: how many runs could the Falcons pour on their run-leaking rivals. For the reigning champions however, it was all about offensive production, with just 3 home runs slugged all season, compared to Herts’ 10.

Game 1 could not have gotten off to a worse start for the visitors, as it was the Nationals who piled on the runs early, with 2 runs coming in both the second and third innings. In a complete turnaround from the pre-game predictions, it was the hosts that were on the offensive and waiting for their opponents’ to turn up.

The reply started in the third inning and continued into the sixth where the deficit was cut in half and the game sat poised at 4-2 heading into the final frame.

Enter the Herts Falcons’ bats.

The zealous crowd on hand had waited all afternoon for this highly anticipated game to kick into action, and finally it did.

The Falcons would not just pull back and tie the game, they would go onto score five runs in the seventh inning to win the contest. After six innings of anguish, Herts Manager Cristobal Hiche and his troops could exult and breathe a sigh of relief, for now.

Click here to view game one box scores.

Their jubilant mood over such heroics would last only so long however, as game 2 started hastily.

For the Falcons, they were determined to get off to a better than they had in the opener, but that was just a pipe dream as the defending champions once again raced off to a 5-0 lead after just four innings. But the hosts weren’t as resolute in holding their lead as they had hoped.

With Abel Salas leading the way, the Falcons rejoined a string of hits and suddenly found themselves with three hard-earned runs, but still trailing 10-3 heading into the seventh and final inning of the afternoon.

The presentiment from the Nationals over what might happen for the second time in one afternoon, couldn’t have helped their nerves and, for a split second, it looked as though both teams would leave the ballpark with the ‘Miracle of Farnham Park’ swirling in their heads.

As the hosts came within one out of falling to defeat, they built momentum and again pieced the hits together to score five runs in succession.

The much talked about Falcons bats were finally flying.

The baseball gods had seen enough drama for one afternoon however, and the Nationals eventually recorded the final out to leave the game as an enigma, but not one the Falcons would want to try and work out.

As for the standings, the Falcons remain three games out of a playoff spot with just four games remaining in this rollercoaster season. For the first time now, their fate is out of their own hands and their road to redemption reconvenes this Sunday as they play a pair of games against the Essex Arrows.

by Daniel Levitt

Another week, another chapter in this epic journey

Nationals and Falcons meet again at Farnham Park in a do or die series for Herts (photo by Richard Lee)

Written by Daniel Levitt

The Herts Falcons take on the Southern Nationals at Farnham Park on Sunday in the most crucial of series they will play all season.

It seems as though the latter part of that last sentence is reiterated each week, but as the Falcons sit just 3 games out of the fourth and final playoff spot, held by the Nationals, it’s a make or break weekend for the visitors.

“We’ve been playing some great baseball all year” Falcons Manager, Lee Manning said. “We need to put it all together for one last push”.

That “push” starts on Sunday as a plethora of questions will be answered for not only the Falcons and Blazers, but the whole league as well. After their series split with the Falcons last week, the Bracknell Blazers find themselves just one game behind the Nationals, as they gear up to face the third-placed London Mets this weekend.

That task is made harder by the fact that there are just 6 games remaining, emphasising the importance of sweeping the Nationals. Should they fail to, they will remain 3 games out with just 4 to go, or worse, eliminated completely should they get swept.

“We have a team which is capable of pulling it off” Club President Aspi Dimitrov claimed leading up to weekend’s action. “All the pressure is on us this Sunday, but we can turn the table on the Nationals if we win both games”.

For the Falcons, they know what they have to do: win or they are out. Be sure to catch the double-header at Farnham Park, Slough.

by Daniel Levitt

Falcons split series with Blazers, playoff hopes teeter on knife edge

Jose Sosa came within two innings of securing a win in game one (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Report by Daniel Levitt

It seems as though time fast-forwards each week in this captivating playoff race the Herts Falcons find themselves in. This chapter of their season saw the Bracknall Blazers visit Grovehill Ballpark to settle a two-game series.

With the Blazers and Falcons sitting two and three games out of the fourth playoff spot at the start of the day respectively, no team could afford to lose both games with just eight games remaining in the season.

The Falcons welcomed back Abel Salas from a two-week absence due to illness, whom would provide them a much needed quality start in the second game, but it was Jose Sosa who took the mound in the opener.

Sosa, coming off his best start to date last week against the Southampton Mustangs, seemed to be in full control early, on the way to his second win in as many weeks.

Combining a heated fastball and nasty breaking ball, the Cuban found himself up 2-0 courtesy of some solid offensive production from his hitters after the three innings, however that was where it all turned south.

After giving up two runs in the top of the fourth, Sosa helped his team fight back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fifth, but it was in the sixth inning where Sosa lost his mojo and ultimately when the Falcons collapsed to a heartbreaking loss.

The Blazers crossed the plate a mammoth six times in the sixth to break the game wide open, chasing Sosa from the tie in the process.

Darrin Ward came in to pitch the seventh and surrendered just a single run, but it wasn’t enough as the Falcons handed the Blazers the first battle of the day as they fell 9-5.

Heading into the finale, the Falcons simply couldn’t afford another late game collapse, with their entire season depended on them not doing so.

With Abel Salas back on the mound the Falcons are a very dangerous opponent (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Game two was almost a mirror image of the opener as the Falcons jumped to an early, scoring four in the first and adding on another in the second to find themselves up 5-0 after three. The hosts would not score again, instead leaking runs gradually to set up a late-inning climax for the ages.

As the visitors found the scoreboard with two in the fourth and then another run in the sixth, the contest teetered on a knife edge heading into the final frame of the day, with the Falcons up barely by 5-3.

The Blazers added one run in the seventh, which left the deficit at just one run. Through some sterling defence and clutch pitching down the stretch by Salas, the Falcons split the two-game series and were able to avoid a disaster that would have surely ended any playoff hopes.

For Salas, it was a pitching performance that, if the Falcons go onto make the postseason, will be remembered long in the history of the organization. In his seven-inning complete game, Salas struck a startling 12 batters, while also walking twice and scoring a decisive run at the plate.

As it stands now, Herts stand three games behind the Southern Nationals for the fourth and final playoff spot and, with two games coming against the Nationals this Sunday, the Falcons have one last chance to make their move and resurrect their championship hopes.

A split next week will leave them with slimmest of chances of making the postseason, being swept will be catastrophic and will all but end any remaining hopes.