Category: Headlines

9 September 2011 by AspiDimitrov

BBF Announces Postseason Rosters of the 11 Teams

24 hours before Saturday’s eagerly-awaited Under-17 and Under-14 postseason playoffs the British Baseball Federation has announced the postseason rosters of the 11 participating teams.

Herts are going into the Under-17 playoffs with a roster which has a significantly lower average age than the other U17 teams. On the basis of this and their regular season record, the Herts U17 All Stars go into the games tomorrow as the outsiders. The Under-14 Herts team is ranked third in the seeding.

From last year’s Under-14 National Championship-winning squad there are five players who are still within the Under-14 age group, while six others have moved up into the Under-17 age group.

U17 HERTS ALL STARS

Cameron Choudhuri
Charlie Boneham
Charlie Mayhew
Jake Caress
Jonathan Compton-Weight
Justin Henderson
Kieran Manning
Kyle Lloyd-Jones
Liam Green
Matteo Manzi
Thom Adams

U14 HERTS ALL STARS

Aaron Witter
Adam White
Ben Jones
Brian Moulton
Brodie Caress
Callum Vangundy
Cameron Ross
Drew Mayhew
Gavin Peterson
Jose Morillo
Lewis Green
Richard Ganster
Tomas Sharpe
Zack Longboy

COACHING STAFF

Kent Peterson (U14 Manager)
Lee Manning (U17 Manager)
Alan Ross
Alex Ganster
Arnie Longboy
Aspi Dimitrov
Chris Jones
Jeff Witter
Kal Dimitrov
Mark Caress
Nick White
PJ Henderson

SPYING MISSION

We have also received reports that Herts U17 Manager, Lee Manning, has been very thorough in his preparations going as far as actually visiting the venue of the Under-17 Playoffs. He sent in photos showing what the venue looks like 24 hours before the games commence.

Click here for more photos of RAF Daws Hill

9 September 2011 by AspiDimitrov

Playoff Baseball this Saturday. Can Herts All Star teams defend National title?

Defending U14 Champions, Herts, enter Playoffs as the third seed. LYBL and London seen as favorites

At this time last year the Herts All Stars were on their way to being crowned Under-14 National Champions. The Championship trophy has been held in the Herts trophy cabinet since then and the club doesn’t want to relinquish it. Will they be able to win it again?

Many of the members of the Herts Championship-winning team are now a year older and the club has been able to expand by entering a team in the Under-17 BBF league for the first time in the club’s history. This means that Herts will be battling on two fronts this postseason.

The 2011 Youth National Baseball Championships will be played on the weekend of September 17-18 at Richmond Baseball and Softball Club in West London.

But who will be the combatants? That question has already been settled in the North.

But it’s going to take a bunch of playoff games in the South on Saturday, September 10 to whittle six Under-14 teams and five Under-17 teams down to two teams each.

IN THE NORTH

In the North, the Cartmel Valley and Northwich Baseball Bronco teams have already qualified for the long trip South to the Youth National Baseball Championships, alongside the Halton Polecats and Cartmel Valley Pony teams.

All will be hoping to bring trophies back up the M1 and M6.

The Herts All Stars can count on the loyal support of their travelling fans

IN THE SOUTH

But it will take a playoff round on September 10 to sort out the Southern representatives, with Bronco games scheduled at Finsbury Park and Pony games at Daws Hill at High Wycombe.

At Finsbury Park, the playoffs will begin with the defending champions Herts facing the Essex Atoms and Bracknell clashing with the Essex RedBacks. The winners of these two opening games will go on to play against the London Mets and top seeded LYBL, respectively.

The winners of these two games will progress to the Youth NBC on 17 and 18 September. The losers will face off in a do-or-die game where the winner will also progress to the NBC while the loser will have to try again in 2012.

At Daws Hill, top-seeded London Mets Pony needs to win only one game to qualify. Cobham, Horsham, Essex and Herts will battle it out for the other Southern place at the YNBC.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

This evening the British Baseball Federation announced the abovementioned change in the Under-14 playoff format. The change has been necessary due to only one Northern team being able to make the NBC on 17-18 September. As a result an additional NBC spot has been made available to the Under-14 teams in the Southern Conference creating that additional do-or-die game. Here is how the Under-17 and Under-14 schedules stand after this change.

BBF Under-17 Playoffs

Venue: RAF Daws Hill, Daws Hill Lane, High Wycombe Bucks HP11 1YQ

Saturday, 10 September 2011

09:00	Game 1	Cobham Cougars U17	@	Horsham Hornets U17	6 innings
11:30	Game 2	Herts All Stars U17	@	Essex RedBacks U17	6innings
14:00	Game 3	Game 2 Winner	@	London Mets U17	6 innings
14:00	Game 4	Game 1 Loser	@	Game 2 Loser	6 innings

Winners of Games 1 and 3 qualify for NBC. Pre-playoff seeding will apply. Game 4 is a consolation game with no implications on NBC qualification.

BBF Under-14 Playoffs

Venue: Finsbury Park, Endymion Road, London (Map)

Saturday, 10 September 2011

10:00	Game 1	Bracknell U14	@	Essex RedBacks U14	5 innings
10:00	Game 2	Essex Atoms U14	@	Herts All Stars U14	5innings
12:30	Game 3	Game 1 Winner	@	LYBL U14	5 innings
12:30	Game 4	Game 2 Winner	@	London Mets U14	5 innings
15:00	Game 5	Game 3 Loser	@	Game 4 Loser	5 innings
15:00	Game 6	Game 2 Loser	@	Game 1 Loser	5 innings

Winner of Games 3 and 4 qualify for NBC. Winner of game 5 qualifies for NBC. Game 6 is a consolation game with no implications on NBC qualification.

9 September 2011 by AspiDimitrov

Who will be the British Baseball Champions? Title-Decider at Grovehill Ballpark this Weekend

Richmond look strong again as they hope to defend the National Championship Trophy

The British Baseball Federation has confirmed the teams who will compete in the 2011 National Baseball Championships (NBC) on 10-11 September in Hemel Hempstead.

The British Baseball Federation has confirmed the dates and venue of the 2011 National Baseball Championships (NBC), where the National League, AAA, AA and Single-A season titles will be awarded.

The NBC will be held on the weekend of 10-11 September at Grovehill Playing Fields in Hemel Hempstead, home to the Herts Baseball Club. However, it will be the Great Britain Baseball programme that is hosting the event in a bid to raise funds for the national teams. Herts has generously donated the use of their two purpose-built baseball diamonds, which makes a significant contribution to Team GB’s fundraising efforts over the NBC weekend. Grovehill Playing Fields was the site of the 2010 Championships.

Also supporting the British Baseball Federation with preparations for the NBC is BaseballSoftballUK, the national development agency for both sports.

FINALS SCHEDULE

Richmond Flames are the defending champions in the National Baseball League

On Saturday 10 September, the National Baseball League (NBL) and AAA will stage 9-inning semifinal games in a single-elimination format to determine which two teams shall advance to the final.

The next day — Sunday 11 September — they will be joined by the top two teams from the AA and Single-A divisions, and all four leagues will play their championship showdowns.

The NBL final will take place at 15:00 GMT on Diamond One. The Single-A final will begin earlier in the day on the adjacent field at 09:30, followed by the AAA final at 12:30 and the AA final at 15:30.

For full details about the event and the National Baseball Championship Schedule click here.

3 September 2011 by AspiDimitrov

Red Sox and Giants win Herts Championships

After several weeks of summer holidays the Herts Baseball Little League teams returned to Grovehill Ballpark for the deciding games in the Majors and Minors Championships.

GIANTS CLINCH TITLE IN DRAMATIC EXTRA INNINGS

In the Minors the Herts Giants went into the final game one game ahead of the Herts Dodgers, so there was no room for error for the Dodgers. They needed to win to force an additional one-game Championship decider.

They looked down and out going into the fifth and final inning trailing 19-11, but they came out fired up and started a memorable comeback. 11 Dodgers came home to score to give them a 3-run lead (22-19). In the bottom of the inning the pressure was now on the Giants and they scored three to tie the score at 22-22 and take the game into extra innings. In the top of the sixth Dodgers regained the lead with another two runs. Would that be enough?

With players like Matt Cowler who hit another home run for the Giants earlier in the game the Dodgers needed their defence to perform at their best. It seemed as though they will manage to complete one of the greatest come-backs in the history of the Herts Little League as they quickly got two outs in the bottom of the sixth. The Giants had other ideas. Beau Mack-Rehnsi delivered the final blow with a single to left-centerfield which drove in James Roberts to win the game 25-24.

A great Championship-deciding game which will be talked about for a long time.

RED SOX NATION RETAINS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

In the Majors, the Herts Yankees had a mountain to climb in this best-of-7 series. They were trailing 2-0. Everyone was hoping that this match-up will go all the way to game 7 but the Red Sox went into the games with a very focused and professional approach and did not give an inch to their opponents. Justin Henderson dominated on the mound pitching a no-hitter in game 3.

It was now a do-or-die situation for the Yankees, and the relentless Red Sox pressure continued. Kyle Lloyd-Jones hit a 3-run home run off Liam Green which went deep over the right field wall and almost cleared the permanent outfield wall which applies to adult league games. By the time the Yankees got their offensive game going they were trailing 12-2.

In the third inning Liam Green responded with a 2-run home run to left-centerfield which also came just a few feet short of clearing the full adult league regulation outfield wall distance. Green produced an absolutely identical 2-run home run in the fifth. Richard Ganster then stepped up to launch another bomb for a back-to-back home run. All of this impressive power hitting got the fans off their seats, but at the end proved to be too little and too late for the Yankees.

Yankees greet teammate Liam Green at home plate after his second of two towering home runs today

The final score was 18-7 completing a convincing 4-0 overall win in the Series and a Herts Majors Championship for a second consecutive year for Arnold Longboy’s team who is starting to build a Red Sox Nation of his own.

Game 3 Box Scores

Game 4 Box Scores

More photos from the event

31 August 2011 by AspiDimitrov

Herts Championship Series this Saturday

We have reached the culmination of the 2011 Herts Minors and Majors Championship Series and the winners will be determined this coming Saturday. Both series are finely poised so it is expected to be a dramatic day of baseball at Grovehill Ballpark.

In the Minors Series, the Herts Giants have the upper hand over the Herts Dodgers, but a win for the Dodgers would bring both teams level in the standings. They certainly have the momentum on their side as they go into Saturday’s decider with a two-game winning streak.

The Red Sox have dominated the Majors Series so far this season. They have a 2-0 lead so there is very little margin for error for the Herts Yankees.

The managers of the Herts youth teams have been busy making player transactions ahead of these deciding games.

Who will lift the trophy? Giants or Dodgers? Red Sox or Yankees? The action commences at 11am.

Hot dogs, refreshments and other snacks will be on offer throughout the day and the event is open for anyone to come and enjoy.

31 August 2011 by AspiDimitrov

Red Sox and Yankees managers pick up free agents ahead of the Herts Championship games

Today is football’s transfer deadline day and football managers around the UK have been signing players which they hope will bring them success this season, spending over £300 million in the process. The managers of the Herts youth baseball teams have also been busy ahead of this Saturday’s games which will decide the Herts Little League Championships. They have been a lot more economical focusing mainly on free agents, but the signings they have made could make all the difference this weekend.

Herts Red Sox Manager, Arnie Longboy picked up pitcher Justin Henderson and Charlie Boneham who has played in the outfield for the Herts U17 All Stars so far but his versatility may mean that the Red Sox could try him in other positions as well. Boneham’s debut for Herts was against the Cobham Cougars and he proved to be one of the most valuable players on that day.

Herts Yankees Manager, Kent Peterson, added Richard Ganster to his roster. Ganster will add power to the Yankees batting lineup and will strengthen the team as an accomplished pitcher, catcher and pretty much any other position in the field.

28 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors take revenge on Rays

Bottom of the 9th and the Raptors have a lead…not a massive one, but a healthy one, writes Ken Pike. A good bit of defence is all they need for a win, but when the first batter gets on base, hearts jump from chest to throat. If you are having a mild sense of deja vu reading this, it’s because the small but devout group of Raptors fans have seen precisely that same scenario go horribly wrong twice in the past 4 games, including once against the same Braintree Rays team trying to fight their way back into this game. With two down, a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida….

Ah but what is a plot twist without a story line…

Pitcher Zack Longboy in action for the Herts All Stars

It all started at high noon when the Raptors took the field to bat and posted a healthy score, immediately followed by a stingy piece of defending led by 13-year-old prodigy Zack Longboy who had just returned from baseball training camp. The money spent by his Dad (and Raptors catcher) Arnie looked a good investment as solid pitching only let in one runs despite some wobbly early fielding.

The next three innings, however, went from good to gold as Zack locked out a Braintree side who looked puzzled at their lack of hitting. Steady returns from Raptors players at bat steadily increased the lead.

Manager Ken Pike, returning to stand in for the absent John Kjorstad, had to pull the impressive Zack Longboy from the mound in the 5th inning due to his limited pitch-count due to his age, and he threw a self-confessed complete wobbly. Pike promptly took himself off the mound for Andrew Slater to take charge, but not before letting in 5 runs. Thankfully Slater’s calm command of the mound quickly saw out the inning.

The impressive defence continued with excellent backtracking catches from Senna Ashida, an excellent double play from short stop Chris Deacon — and even a couple of decent catches from Ken Pike to make up for his pitching. The hitting meanwhile, which was lacking the triple big gun threat of John Kjorstad, Glen Downer and Theo Scheepers was undeterred and managed to pop single after single to get the scores consistently rolling in.

That’s where we return to the final inning. Andrew Slater still on the mound, but with a heavy pitch count, and having seen the rotation of Rays a couple times round already. The Rays are feeling confident, with loud voicing of ‘we were here last week and did it then’ being audible across the field, and a Raptors team that had enjoyed similar positions and found wanting.

I am afraid that I am hazy on the details as it all became a blur. Two batters reached base, I remember that. I remember getting one out myself, but I honestly can’t even tell you how. But what I can remember is the final play. With two down a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida…. he back tracks, following the ball the whole way. His glove hand reaches back over his shoulder as the whole team stands stock still watching (except for his left fielder running to cover… another father son combo) and the ball comes down from high.

Straight in to the glove.

At this point, a much harder fought game than the Raptor’s only other victory ended. Players literally jumped for joy, fell to their knees and cheered. This was not the respectful victory celebration of the first win against an opponent that received a drubbing. This was the jubilant celebration of knowing that every last ball had been fought for and ultimately won. Every inning had been a well matched contest, and for once, the Raptors defence had not given up that one big inning. For once, the offence had not fallen quiet at the vital crunch-point. For once, they had come out tops against a well matched team in a hard game.

With two wins on the board and the final match against a team they know they can beat, having done it only a few short weeks ago in Tonbridge, the Raptors are looking to finish the last two games on a real high before entering the post-season friendliness of the Hunlock series. Though it does leave a small and slightly tangy food for thought..what if they had converted the close losses against the Old Timers and last weeks game against Braintree? They would be looking at 6 wins instead of 3…and that’s playoff hunt territory…

Next year?

24 August 2011 by AspiDimitrov

Championships: 10-11 September in Hemel Hempstead

The British Baseball Federation has confirmed that the 2011 National Baseball Championships (NBC) will be held on the weekend of 10-11 September at Grovehill Playing Fields in Hemel Hempstead.

The British Baseball Federation has confirmed the dates and venue of the 2011 National Baseball Championships (NBC), where the National League, AAA, AA and Single-A season titles will be awarded.

Also supporting the British Baseball Federation with preparations for the NBC is BaseballSoftballUK, the national development agency for both sports.

FINALS SCHEDULE

Richmond Flames are the defending champions in the National Baseball League

On Saturday 10 September, the National Baseball League (NBL) and AAA will stage 9-inning semifinal games in a single-elimination format to determine which two teams shall advance to the final.

The next day — Sunday 11 September — they will be joined by the top two teams from the AA and Single-A divisions, and all four leagues will play their championship showdowns.

The NBL final will take place at 3pm GMT on Diamond One, while the AAA final plays out on the adjacent field from 2pm. The AA and Single-A finals will begin earlier in the day at 10.30am.

SHOWCASE EVENT

Spectators from all across Britain are expected to attend the National Baseball Championships, and there is no charge for admission to any of the games.

Professional caterers will be barbecuing burgers, hot dogs and more on both days with all proceeds going directly to Great Britain Baseball. There will be a mobile bar on site with cold draught beer on tap, and Team GB will sell ice-cold sports drinks courtesy of their official drinks sponsor, Gatorade.

Also attending is GB Baseball travel partner Virgin Atlantic, who are in discussions with the BBF to offer a special airfare scheme to the British public in support of the national baseball team.

FUNDRAISING FOR TEAM GBTeam GB will be selling a selection of merchandise and equipment to help raise money for next year’s international competitions, such as the European Championships and the World Baseball Classic qualifiers.

On sale will be a range of brand-new maple bats from official team sponsors X Bat and Mattingly, as well as XProTeX and Cutters batting gloves, EvoShield protective wear for batters, Phiten titanium bracelets and necklaces, Mattingly equipment bags, Big League Chew bubble gum and official Great Britain Baseball team wear such as t-shirts and baseball caps.

Supporters will be able to purchase equipment and apparel by cash, cheque or credit and debit card payments.

In addition to merchandise, the national teams programme will also conduct a raffle with exciting prizes. Team GB would be grateful for additional contributions to the raffle from the British baseball community; please contact General Manager Jason Greenberg if you have raffle prizes to donate.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Richmond Knights winning the 2010 British AA League title at Grovehill Ballpark last year

Prior to the Championships weekend, all four leagues will stage playoff games on Saturday and Sunday, 3 – 4 September.

In the National League, only the winners of each divisional pool will automatically qualify for the NBC, and the 3rd through 6th place teams (regardless of their ultimate pool standing) will battle through 9-inning playoffs to determine the remaining semi-finalists.

In the AAA, the 1st and 2nd place teams from the North divisions will advance directly to the NBC. Joining them will be the 1st place South team, but the 2nd and 3rd place southern squads will have an all-or-nothing 9-inning playoff.

The AA and Single-A divisions will play a single-elimination bracket of 9-inning playoff games.

(This press release was first published on britishbaseball.org)

23 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors End it on a High

The Herts Raptors wrapped up their season with a win on Sunday, August 21st. They beat the Tonbridge Bobcats 22-17 over nine innings at Grovehill Ballpark to complete an impressive end to their 2011 campaign. The side won three of its final four games, and recorded its best win total since 2009.

Raptors after beating Tonbridge 22-17 — Herts Raptors: "Let's go to work..."

The game against the visiting Bobcats began well. Manager, Ken Pike, started on the pitching mound, and did not give up a single run in the first two innings. The Herts side, however, scored freely – Jon Gamble got two hits and Theo Scheepers was a constant menace with the bat.

After three innings it was 10-2 to the Raptors, and it was looking comfortable. But that can never be said for certain in a Single-A game. The visitors had started to have some impact and score runs – 2 in the third, 4 in the fourth, building towards a 5-spot in the fifth. But Scheepers – who has been a star of the second half of the season – had now taken over on the mound and pitched calmly to limit the damage.

The Herts defense also showed its mettle. Now moved to third base, Ken Pike made a series of good stops and throws, and showed impressive concentration to catch one line drive when the flying bat was so close to him he could have caught that instead. The father-son combo of Arnie and Zach Longboy were now in the game, too, and were bossing things on the infield to mow down a string of Bobcats on the basepaths. At second base, Longboy Snr was in on a couple of close double plays, while Jnr combined with his Little League team-mate Jose Morillo to tag out runners at home plate as they unwisely tried to score. In the outfield, Senna Ashida was once again clutch.

Even though their bats went a little quiet over the final innings, the Raptors did not fold under the pressure. They had the chance to secure mercy-rule victories in the seventh and eighth but were held to just one manufactured run. Each inning, the Bobcats inched closer. But the Raptors were always one step ahead, and they closed it out with a five-run cushion in the ninth inning.

The Herts club was delighted that after a tough start to 2011, its rookie team had taken three wins. The Raptors have shown great spirit and great all-around improvement in their game. In the second half of the season they competed well against the Old Timers and against Braintree even when they didn’t come away with the win. Some players will move up the ranks next year, while others will look to build on their success and make games against the top sides in the Single-A division much closer affairs.

20 August 2011 by AspiDimitrov

Sly Dogs beat Herts and Essex to win International Tournament

The Herts All Stars continued their preparations for next month’s National Playoffs with an added international flavour.

A mixed roster of mainly Under-14 All Stars supplemented by several Under-17 All Stars travelled to Billericay for a 3-team international tournament hosted by the Essex RedBacks. The Essex RedBacks the Herts All Stars were joined by the German team, the Marl Sly Dogs.

In the opening game between the hosts from Essex and the Sly Dogs, the team from Germany came out on top 5-3. In a dramatic second game the RedBacks scored 3 runs in the bottom of the final inning for a walk-off 4-3 win against the Herts All Stars.

Despite a rain delay the sun came out and the final game between the Marl Sly Dogs and the Herts All Stars was completed with a convincing 12-1 win for the Sly Dogs.

This proved to a be a very productive tournament for Herts as part of the team’s preparations for the British Postseason. It is not very often that international games are being played in the UK and the Essex RedBacks should be congratulated for organising this visit by the Marl Sly Dogs.

Essex RedBacks vs Herts All Stars (click for box scores and play-by-play)

Herts All Stars vs Marl Sly Dogs (click for box scores and play-by-play)