Category: Headlines

by AspiDimitrov

FOUR BABIES, TWO DIAMONDS, ONE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND A TITLE

The first signs of a big year were there even before the playing season began.  The club had worked hard and raised money for years with the aim of laying a second diamond, so that the facilities would expand to match the numbers of players now turning out for the club. The grass on the new diamond had been laid last autumn, and in the Spring a bevy of talented ball-players turned out to help prepare the infield. The local police and the Mayor joined in for an operation which also involved a digger, a tipper truck, and mounds and mounds of gravel.  The field was christened in competitive games in late May – fittingly the Little Leaguers were the first to enter the new era, with the Raptors staging a dramatic finale to the weekend in a nailbiting 31-30 defeat by Tonbridge.

The arrival of the second diamond meant the club could add several more firsts to the list for 2010. It was the venue for a new National League event, the Summer Classic, which saw all the teams playing competitive games at the same venue on the same day.  And above all, Herts was able to host the National Baseball Championships for the first time. In September, clubs from Liverpool, Leicester and Richmond were among those joining Herts very own Eagles at two days of often thrilling baseball. It was a big step for the club on the national stage, and we will hear more about those Eagles later….

Before we move on to the details of the playing, we must pause briefly to marvel at the fact that the BBC allowed us to grace one of its flagship television programmes this year. In April, Mike Bushell from the BBC1 Breakfast show came to Grovehill to take part in a training session with Little League players and National League Falcons alike. It was all caught on camera, and won attention for the club and the sport across the UK. Mike gamely tried to field some fly balls, and tried to hit a Dan Kerry fastball — with a predictable lack of success. But he did really hit the balls that you see in the film, and ran the bases with enthusiasm. 

And so to business. The Falcons would be the first to tell you they were disappointed with a 9-19 record.  But there were struggles in both the pitching and the hitting departments, meaning that it was hard to put together a good run. Despite all of this, the Falcons fought to the very end of the season for a playoff place, and were only denied by a sweep by the Mildenhall Bulldogs in the final series of the season.  And there were plenty of highlights. The brightest of them was the superb 2-1 win against the champions, Richmond, and their MVP pitcher Cody Cain. A home run from Kimiyoshi Saionji helped secure a famous win.  The infield defense was perhaps the strongest part of the team, and Pete Kikel went from rookie upstart to established National League pitcher and hitter in just one year. The Falcons also added the big bat of Alex Ganster late in the season, and they are looking forward to fighting back next year.

The Eagles in the AAA division were Herts’ most successful adult team. Helped by the pitching of Darrin Ward and Louis Hare, and the ability to keep a consistent line-up together, they notched up an 18-6 record to qualify for the playoffs. Further victories ensured they would represent Herts at the first ever National Baseball Championships at Grovehill. They battled through to the semi-final to take on the ultimate champions, the Oxford Kings, but were undone in a game which turned on a controversial umpiring decision. The Eagles manager Lee Manning – who had represented his team with vigour all year – was justly proud of what they had achieved. 

The Hawks had a tougher time of it, facing teams in the AA division who probably belonged higher up.  Greg Bochan led the team in his customary spirit, and they always competed hard, even having been ruled out of post-season contention.  They ended the year with a 5-13 record, claiming wins over Croydon, Brentwood and Horsham. Youngsters Perrie Sherman and Hunter Devine provided plenty of spark, while Simon Langton was a strong defensive addition in his year in Hertfordshire.

The Raptors had the worst record of any Herts team, but as a genuine development squad – packed with complete rookies – winning was not the measure of their achievements.  It was all about learning and improving. They were thumped more than once, but also narrowly lost spectacular games against the Tonbridge Bobcats and the Chelmsford Clippers. The Raptors' one win of the season was on the road on a blazing hot Fourth of July, against the then-division leaders, the Braintree Rays.  The shock 22-18 victory made the news in reports across the country, being described as “one of the results of the season” in British baseball.  Players who had never before pulled on a glove – Jim Arnott, Bryan Drummond, Will Belbin – grew in stature as the season went on. The Raptors manager, Ken Pike, hopes to keep the core of the team together and secure a winning record next year.

Finally we move away from the adult teams, and on to the even brighter news about the future of the Herts Baseball Club – the youngsters. Another successful Little League summer came to a climax when the Herts All-Stars won the Little League National Championship in September. They reversed last year’s 1-0 defeat by the London Mets, beating their biggest rivals 2-1 to claim the crown. The All Stars went through their entire season unbeaten. It was a proud moment for the club, and for the large numbers of parents and coaches who regularly turned out to help the boys and girls develop their skills. And the National title was not the only good news for the youth programme. Liam Green, who only took up baseball when he became a founder member of the Herts Little League in 2007, was called up to the GB squad which went to the European Championship qualifiers in Sweden this summer.

And the club showed its commitment to youth in a quite extraordinary way – all four team managers had babies in the 12 months from the end of the 2009 season. Can any other club boast that sort of commitment? OK, maybe the managers didn’t actually have the babies – everyone knows the managers don’t do the hard work – but Sebastien, Riley, Nathan and Violet all have great futures ahead of them. Their parents adapted admirably to the challenges they face, and the family atmosphere at Grovehill was enhanced. Herts Baseball Club is looking forward to 2011 with confidence.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS ANNOUNCE 2011 MEMBERS OF STAFF

          

 

With no baseball on TV it is easy to assume that baseball clubs around the world simply lock up their ballparks and fly off to warm destinations for the five months of the winter close season between October and March. In fact the close season is a very busy and important period for the MLB clubs. 

 

This is also the case at Herts Baseball Club. The club held its Annual General Meeting a few weeks ago appointing the Executive Board for the upcoming season and the Board has just announced the 2011 members of staff.

 

The club goes into the new season with a strong team in its various departments the number of which seems to increase every year. There are some new faces joining the club’s management who will bring fresh ideas and new energy, and at the same time the club has retained a large number of the 2010 members of staff which will provide continuity as the club aims to continue its growth and progress in every department.

 

Lee Manning has been elected as the Manager of the Herts Falcons as they prepare for their third year in the top tier of the British baseball league pyramid.  He moves to the Falcons Manager position after managing the Herts Eagles last year, so the club will be looking to fill the AAA League managerial vacancy.

 

Greg Bochan continues at the helm of the Herts Hawks, but this year he will be joined by Andy Cornish as a co-manager and both of them will be looking for the winning formula in the AA League.  One thing is for sure, the Herts Hawks season will be a lot of fun.

 

After the end of the 2010 season Herts Raptors Manager, Ken Pike, was concerned that commitments at work and new arrivals in his family would make it difficult for him to manage next year, but the buzz he got out of his first year as manager seems to have prevailed and the Club Board has just confirmed that Ken Pike has been appointed as Manager of the Raptors for the upcoming season.

 

The following is the full list of the 2011 members of staff.  There are several vacant positions which the club is aiming to fill in the coming weeks as it prepares for another season of Herts baseball.

 

President, Aspi Dimitrov

Treasurer, Dave Hamilton

Secretary, Aspi Dimitrov

Herts Falcons Manager (NBL), Lee Manning

Herts Hawks (AA) Co-Manager, Greg Bochan

Herts Hawks (AA) Co-Manager, Andy Cornish

Herts Raptors (A) Manager, Ken Pike

Webmaster, Greg Bochan

Deputy Webmaster, Kimiyoshi Saionji

Club Media Officer, Rob Jones

Statistics Officer, Greg Bochan

Volunteer Coordinator, Jon Gamble

Club Welfare Officer, Kal Dimitrov

Club Shop Manager, Ilya Dimitrov

 

by AspiDimitrov

WHAT THE GIANTS TEACH US

For those of you who did not realise the full glory of the San Francisco Giants' history, my estimable colleague Bruce has written an excellent piece to remind us. I will add that even newer fans of the club felt the void in the trophy cabinet. I came on board in 2001, witnessing Bonds break the single season home run record, and I was still fresh when the team lost to the Angels in 7 games in 2002. But you quickly adopt your team's pain – and there have been plenty of low moments since then.

But I don't want to talk about the past – I want to talk about the future. There are two things which I think the Giants victory teaches us, as we plot our baseball futures.

One is that pitching and defense really does win ball-games. It's practically a cliche, but the Giants proved it is also a  practical plan for success. This edition of the club is built around the double-Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum. He opened the post-season with a 14-strikeout effort in a 1-0 win over Atlanta. That game encapsulated the San Francisco experience – not much offense to speak of, but just enough timely hitting to back up the superb pitching. Matt Cain has laboured thanklessly for years at the club, his excellent ERA always being overcome by a lack of run support. But now he's a hero. This post-season, he did not give up an earned run. Let me say that again, because it's extraordinary — Matt Cain did not give up a single earned run in the entire post-season. Add into all of this the home-grown talents of Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner and the Beard that is Brian Wilson, and you have the core reason for the Giants success, both in the regular season and in the playoffs. As an example of the defense, I will cite first baseman Aubrey Huff, one of the off-season acquisitions. He made just three errors all season, fewer than Gold Glover Albert Pujols, and he actually played three positions. Overall, the Giants had the second-fewest errors of any National League team.

Huff also helped bring the X-factor to the club. No, not dodgy karaoke singing (although there was plenty of that at AT&T Park, with Journey a particular favourite). What I mean is that the second thing we learned from San Francisco's victory is that a team is more than the sum of its parts. There were no real marquee stars on the Giants team — barring perhaps Lincecum — and you could easily dismiss them as journeymen, cast-offs even. In my mind, for much of the season, Huff was a Baltimore Oriole, Juan Uribe was a White Sox player, and Pat Burrell was a Phillie. Cody Ross was the star of the post-season — and who the hell is Cody Ross?? But somehow they gelled together in a away that made them contenders, and made them Giants. In the post-season, the team occasionally racked up big scores, but mostly it eked out one-run wins. The timely hit was more important than a torrent of them — Uribe delivered several, but even the slumping Pablo Sandoval delivered when it was crucial. A good team can beat a collection of better players. That's something we can all remember when we next take the field.  

 

by AspiDimitrov

JASON GREENBERG REFLECTS ON 2010 WITH GUESTS MATT SMITH AND JOE GRAY

Matt Smith, editor of BaseballGB.co.uk
     
Joe Gray, founder of Project Cobb

BSUK sat down recently with Matt Smith and Joe Gray of BaseballGB.co.uk, the UK's most-read independent outlet for news and commentary on British baseball. Listen online as Matt and Joe share their reflections on the BBF's 2010 season and their predictions for the year to come.

In the wide-ranging interview, Jason Greenberg (Marketing, Communications and Events Manager for BaseballSoftballUK) also asked Matt and Joe about recent Team GB rumours, the origins of the BaseballGB blog, and Joe's soon-to-be-released book on British baseball history entitled “What about the Villa?”

Listen to the full podcast.

by AspiDimitrov

THE GIANTS WIN THE WORLD SERIES, THE GIANTS WIN THE WORLD SERIES

In the 1950’s, baseball ruled in America, and New York City was the center of the baseball universe.  Every year of the decade (except one) the World Series was played in Gotham.  The Yankees were the dominant franchise, but the Giants and the Dodgers were always nipping at their heels. Those two National League clubs were bitter rivals, who were involved in many epic duels.

The most memorable battle occurred on October 3rd 1951, when Bobby Thomson homered off of the Dodgers Ralph Branca, propelling the Giants to the World Series.  The “Shot Heard Round the World” was culminated by the shouts of the Giants radio announcer Ralph Hodges, who screamed “THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT, THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT”.

The Giants then went on to the World Series, where they fell to the Yankees in six games.  Three years later, in 1954, they returned to the Fall Classic, and swept the heavily favored Cleveland Indians.

In 1957 the Dodgers left Brooklyn and moved across the country to Los Angeles.  The Giants followed them in 1958, and ventured west to San Francisco.

New York was left with one team.  The baseball landscape was about to change.  New York was no longer the center of the baseball universe, and the demographics of the sport were about to change, inexorably.

The City by the Bay welcomed their new team with open arms.  They played their first two seasons in Seals Stadium, and then moved to Candlestick Park in 1960, their home for the next 39 years until they moved to PacBell (AT&T Park) Stadium in 2000.

They had very good players, and very successful teams.  Willie Mays was a Hall of Famer, and one of the best center fielders of all time.  Juan Marichal won 238 games and had 244 complete games.  Willie McCovey hit 469 home runs.  There were other great players, including Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, Jim Ray Hart, Bobby Bonds, and Will Clark. Not to mention Barry Bonds.

Good players and good teams.  But one thing was missing.  No world championships.  Since 1954, the cupboard was bare.  What was even more galling was that the Dodgers, their hated rivals, had attained five World Series championships since moving west.  The former “Bums of Brooklyn” had repeatedly climbed the mountain top.  The Giants were perennially left behind.

There were many close calls.  There was the line drive that Willie McCovey hit in the 7th game of the 1962 World Series that was caught by the Yankees Bobby Richardson, robbing the Giants of the Championship.  Between 1965 and 1969, the club had 5 consecutive second place finishes. In 1971 they lost the NLCS to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  In 1993 the team won 103 games but finished second, one game behind the Braves.  There was the 1987 NLCS loss to the Cardinals with Jeff “One Flap Down” Leonard.  The club also came up short in the1989 and 2002 Fall Classics.

What is astounding about the 2010 Giants is that no one expected much of them.  The team had transformed themselves since the Barry Bonds years, deciding to rely on pitching and defense, but no one expected them to make the playoffs. Trailing San Diego by 7 1/2 games in the NL West on July 4, they meandered in the wild-card race until the stretch run, winning the division and finishing 92-70.

The team was a collection of cast-offs, with no marquee players.  They did have outstanding pitching and good defense, with a stellar bullpen, proving the adage that pitching and defense does indeed win games.

After defeating the Braves in the divisional playoffs and the Phillies in a very exciting NLCS, even the most ardent Giants fans were cautiously optimistic.  History was not on their side.  There was the 54 year drought.  There were the memories of the repeated failures.  However, the other franchises with extended droughts (Red Sox, White Sox) had exorcised their demons, so MAYBE it was to be their year.

And in retrospect, the details of the Giants World Championship are less important than the history of the clubs futility prior to this point.  Of course credit must be given to Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson and Edgar Renteria and Butch Posey and Bruce Bochy and the rest of the club.  The team that FINALLY brought an end to the drought.

But to long time Giants fans, it’s more of a chance to reminisce.  One thinks of many things, including the horrid conditions of Candlestick Park.  Or John “The Count” Montefusco.  Or Herman Franks. And Jeff Kent and his motorcycle excursions as well as his battles with Barry Bonds.  Or the Juan Marichal/John Roseboro incident. Or Sal “The Barber” Maglie.  Or John McGraw and Coogans Bluff.  Or Bobby Bonds and his battles with alcohol and the press.  Or the 1983 All Star experience of Atlee Hammaker, when he surrendered 7 earned runs in 2/3 of an innings, including Fred Lynn’s grand slam.

The great Christy Matthewson also has to be mentioned.

As well as Mel Ott and his 511 home runs.

Also Carl Hubbell, his 253 wins and incredible screwball.

The Giants have an incredible history.  The fans that supported them through their drought now have reason to celebrate.  As does all of baseball.  Because in baseball, hope springs eternal.  Having said that, spring training is just around the corner.

Are there any Cubs fans in the house?

by AspiDimitrov

IMPERIAL FALCONS WIN UNIVERSITY CUP IN LATE-INNING DRAMA

 

The Imperial Falcons were the winners of the 2010 University Fall Cup overcoming Nottingham University in the final after an exciting weekend of baseball in Hertfordshire.

 

While the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants were slugging it out in the MLB World Series, five of the best teams from the British University Baseball Association came to Grovehill Ballpark, the home of Herts Baseball Club, for some October baseball of their own. 

 

 

Imperial Falcons catcher Gary Lam clashes with Nottingham runner representing the tying run to apply

the game-ending tag in the opening game of the weekend

 

The weekend got off to the best possible start with the clash between Imperial College and last year’s losing finalists, Nottingham University.  The two teams produced a classic pitching duel which Imperial won 2-1.  Many who were watching the game predicted that these two teams will actually meet each other again in the Final.

 

Before that all the teams had to go through the gruelling league stage of the schedule which meant that each team had to play 5 games in total over two days which amounted to nearly 8 hours of baseball.  It was clear that the teams with the largest squads would have a clear advantage.  Imperial College and Nottingham University both had strength in depth with 18 players on their rosters.  University of Southampton could count on 15 players while University of East Anglia (UEA) and King’s College were facing an uphill struggle with 11 and 10 players, respectively.

 

After their win in the opening game the Imperial Falcons managed to book their place in the Final by staying unbeaten over the next 3 games of the league stage.  They drew with Southampton (5-5) and UEA (3-3), and won against King’s College and (8-1). This left Nottingham and Southampton facing each other in their final league game to determine who will play in the Final against Imperial.  A dominant performance on the mound by Gordon Sheppard for Nottingham frustrated the Southampton sluggers.  He allowed only two hits over 4 innings and only a temporary loss of control gave the Mustangs a glimmer of hope with several batters managing to get on base with walks.  But all too often those runners were left on base unable to come home.  Nottingham won 5-1 and booked their place in the final. 

 

 

 

The Imperial Falcons’ team spirit carried them through the daunting tournament schedule on the way to victory.

 

The persistent rain left significant amount of water on the field so the conditions were not ideal.  Starting pitchers George Lintern and Vassil Botev struggled to get a good grip on the slippery balls leading to a large number of wild pitches and walks.  Despite this both teams were neck and neck inning-after-inning.  Going into the final inning Nottingham were in the lead, 6-5.  Imperial started the inning in the best possible way getting their leadoff batter, Hanson Cheung, on base.  The next batter also reached base with a walk.  Kevin Ling then hit a ground ball to second baseman, Teddy Smith, who managed to get the force out at second base.  Hanson Cheung, representing the tying run was now on third base with 1 out, but at least Smith’s heads-up play at second meant that the go-ahead run was not in scoring position.  Hajime Urata then stepped up and grounded to the pitcher, which is exactly what Nottingham needed, but then disaster struck.  Just as pitcher George Lintern was about to make the play and get the second out, the soft ground gave way from underneath him sending him sliding on the wet surface.  Cheung came in to score from third and everybody was safe.  The next batter Arun Krishnan walked to load the bases.  Up stepped Bulgarian pitcher, Vassil Botev, to deliver the final blow with a single to right field bringing in the winning run and starting wild celebrations for the Imperial Falcons.

 

This was an incredible achievement by Imperial College who just 12 months ago were playing in the lower bracket of this competition.  Since then they have built a formidable squad which deservedly crowned as the winner of the 2010 University Fall Cup.

 

In the battle for the Shield, it was another dramatic 1-run game which Southampton won.  It included a towering home run by Victor Aizburua.

 

SCHEDULE (LEAGUE STAGE)
Imperial Falcons 2 Nottingham 1
Southampton Mustangs 13 King’s College 0
Southampton Mustangs 5 Imperial Falcons 5
UEA 1 King’s College 11
Imperial Falcons 8 King’s College 1
UEA 1 Nottingham 8
UEA 6 Southampton Mustangs 9
Nottingham 11 King’s College 3
Southampton Mustangs 1 Nottingham 5
UEA 3 Imperial Falcons 3

 

STANDINGS
TEAM W D L PTS F A  +/-
Nottingham 3 0 1 9 25 7 18
Imperial Falcons 2 2 0 8 18 10 8
Southampton Mustangs 2 1 1 7 28 16 12
King’s College 1 0 3 3 15 33 -18
UEA 0 1 3 1 11 31 -20

SHIELD GAME
UEA 6 Southampton Mustangs 7
FALL CUP FINAL
Nottingham 6 Imperial Falcons 7

USEFUL LINKS:

– League Leaders

– Batting Stats

– Pitching Stats

– Running Stats

– Images from the weekend

by AspiDimitrov

UNIVERSITY FALL CUP THIS WEEKEND AT GROVEHILL BALLPARK

 

The University Fall Cup returns to Herts for a second year in a row.  The six best university baseball teams in the country will battle it out this weekend.  There will be a total of 16 games played starting from 10am on Saturday, 30 October 2010, and ending with the Final on Sunday at 2pm.

 

Last year's winners, University of East Anglia (UEA), start the defence of their title against Southampton.  2009 losing finalists, Nottingham start the competition with a game against Imperial College.  Kings College and Oxford are the other two teams entering the competition.

 

Who will be the winner this year?

 

DATE TIME VENUE GAME
30-Oct-10 10:00 Old Diamond IMPERIAL v NOTTINGHAM
30-Oct-10 10:00 New Diamond KINGS v OXFORD
30-Oct-10 10:00 3rd Diamond SOTON v UEA
30-Oct-10 11:45 Old Diamond UEA v OXFORD
30-Oct-10 11:45 New Diamond IMPERIAL v SOTON
30-Oct-10 11:45 3rd Diamond NOTTINGHAM v KINGS
30-Oct-10 13:30 Old Diamond NOTTINGHAM v SOTON
30-Oct-10 13:30 New Diamond KINGS v UEA
30-Oct-10 13:30 3rd Diamond OXFORD v IMPERIAL
30-Oct-10 15:00 Old Diamond IMPERIAL v UEA
30-Oct-10 15:00 New Diamond NOTTINGHAM v OXFORD
30-Oct-10 15:00 3rd Diamond SOTON v KINGS
31-Oct-10 10:00 Old Diamond (S) P5 v P6
31-Oct-10 11:45 Old Diamond (C) P2 v P3
31-Oct-10 14:00 Old Diamond P4 v W/S (Shield Final)
31-Oct-10 14:00 New Diamond P1 v W/C (Cup Final)

 

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS RED ROOSTERS WIN THE 2010 HUNLOCK SERIES

 

The Herts Red Roosters celebrate winning the 2010 Hunlock Series

 

 

The winners of the 2010 Hunlock Series were the Herts Red Roosters.  Before the start of the day they were in pole position having booked their place in the final by finishing first in the group stage.

 

They faced the Herts Blue Dogs after they caused another shock by beating the Herts Black Widows in a closely fought semi-final playoff. 

 

All 3 teams were missing many of their originally drafted players, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of this celebration of the Herts Baseball family.  In the absence of co-managers Carlos Casal and Marc Martinez, Jamie Munn was deputizing as the Blue Dogs Manager.  He brought his own very effective management style and his team definitely enjoyed it.

 

His trademark mound visits were more akin to political party conferences than the usual one-on-one meetings which we have become accustomed to when watching MLB games.  On two occasions Munn’s mound visits brought immediate results delivering inning-ending double plays.  This proved to be crucial for the Blue Dogs as they went on to win 7-5 knocking the Black Widows out.

 

 

One of the special mound visits of Blue Dogs Manager, Jamie Munn, which sometimes involved all 9 fielders as well as some bench players.  The multi-dimensional strategic approach was certainly effective and brought success time after time for Munn’s men.

 

With a depleted bullpen it was always going to be a difficult task for the Blue Dogs to pull off another surprise in the Final.  The Herts Red Roosters arrived fresh for the game and this was noticeable from the start.

 

 

Pitcher Mike Kalmowicz throwing his newly invented pitch – the “changing changup”.

 

The Blue Dogs pitching staff tried everything to silence the Red Roosters bats.  Reliever Mike Kalmowicz even unveiled two new pitches in his repertoire in an effort to turn the game around. The two new pitches were the “changing changup” and as yet unnamed mystery pitch, but even this was not enough. The game ended with a convincing 22-11 win for the Herts Red Roosters.

 

BOX SCORES – PLAYOFF SEMI-FINAL

Herts Blue Dogs at Herts Black Widows
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Blue Dogs 2 0 2 1 2 7 7 4
Herts Black Widows 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5

Herts Blue Dogs 7, Herts Black Widows 5
Herts Blue Dogs Herts Black Widows
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
ELKINS Tim 1b 3 2 2 0 CURTIS Paul 3b-rf 2 0 0 0
MUNN Jamie cf 2 2 1 0 GREEN Tom rf-cf-ss-3b 3 0 0 0
DRUMMOND Bryan 3b 2 1 0 1 DIMITROV Ilya c 2 2 2 1
DIMITROV Aspi p 1 0 1 1 HOFFMANN Mark p-1b 2 0 1 2
(t4) DIMITROV Kal c 1 0 0 0 NAGHAR Rod cf-3b-ss 2 2 1 0
SHERMAN Perrie c-p 2 1 0 0 PEARCE Ben lf-2b 2 0 0 0
BARTHOLOMEW Ralph ss 2 1 1 0 DEACON Chris ss-cf 2 0 0 0
WILLIAMS Charlie rf 3 0 1 2 LLOYD-JONES Kyle 2b-lf 2 0 1 1
CURTIS Jack lf 3 0 0 0 KALMOWICZ Mike p-1b 2 1 0 0
HUMPHREY Alex 2b 3 0 1 0          
TEAM TOTALS 22 7 7 4 TEAM TOTALS 19 5 5 4
E: DRUMMOND Bryan(3), ELKINS Tim, KALMOWICZ Mike(2), DIMITROV Ilya, HOFFMANN Mark,
LLOYD-JONES Kyle. LOB: Herts Black Widows 4, Herts Blue Dogs 6. SB: ELKINS Tim(3),
MUNN Jamie(2), NAGHAR Rod(4), DIMITROV Ilya(3), KALMOWICZ Mike(2), PEARCE Ben. CS:
DIMITROV Ilya.
Herts Blue Dogs IP H R ER BB SO
DIMITROV Aspi W 3.00 3 3 1 2 4
SHERMAN Perrie 2.00 2 2 0 2 3
Herts Black Widows            
HOFFMANN Mark L 3.00 4 4 3 2 1
KALMOWICZ Mike 2.00 3 3 1 3 3
HBP: by DIMITROV Aspi (HOFFMANN Mark). . , by KALMOWICZ Mike (SHERMAN Perrie). WP:
HOFFMANN Mark(2), KALMOWICZ Mike. PB: DIMITROV Kal, DIMITROV Ilya. Balk: HOFFMANN
Mark. T: 2:15. A: 45.

BOX SCORES – FINAL

Herts Blue Dogs at Herts Red Roosters
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Blue Dogs 6 1 0 3 1 11 9 3
Herts Red Roosters 2 2 6 7 5 22 11 1

Herts Red Roosters 22, Herts Blue Dogs 11
Herts Red Roosters Herts Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
PIKE Ken p-1b-ss 5 2 2 1 ELKINS Tim 1b 2 2 1 1
GOULD Bobby 3b 3 4 3 3 BARTHOLOMEW Ralph 2b 1 1 0 0
RUSSELL Nick 1b-p 2 3 1 2 (b3) CURTIS Paul rf-2b 2 1 2 0
DIMITROV Aspi ss 1 0 0 0 (b5) DIMITROV Ilya 2b 0 0 0 0
(b3) PRASAD Mahendra pr-ss-cf 1 3 1 3 DEACON Chris ss-lf 4 0 0 0
DIMITROV Kal c 5 2 1 2 NAGHAR Rod 3b 2 3 1 0
CROOKS Phil cf-2b 3 1 0 1 SHERMAN Perrie p-c 1 2 1 2
ARNOTT Jim lf-1b 4 3 2 0 KALMOWICZ Mike c-p-ss 0 0 0 2
DRUMMOND Bryan 2b-cf-lf 4 0 0 0 HOFFMANN Mark lf-p-ss 3 1 2 3
GAMBLE Jon rf 1 4 1 2 WILLIAMS Charlie rf 3 1 1 0
          CURTIS Jack cf 3 0 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 29 22 11 14 TEAM TOTALS 21 11 9 9
E: DRUMMOND Bryan, ELKINS Tim(2), DEACON Chris. LOB: Herts Red Roosters 4, Herts Blue
Dogs 5. 2B: GOULD Bobby, ARNOTT Jim, PIKE Ken, SHERMAN Perrie. SB: GOULD Bobby(4),
RUSSELL Nick(4), PRASAD Mahendra(3), DIMITROV Kal(2), ARNOTT Jim, GAMBLE Jon, ELKINS
Tim(3), NAGHAR Rod(2), HOFFMANN Mark(2), CURTIS Paul(2), SHERMAN Perrie, KALMOWICZ
Mike. CS: SHERMAN Perrie.
Herts Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
RUSSELL Nick W 3.00 4 4 3 3 3
PIKE Ken 2.00 5 7 5 7 2
Herts Blue Dogs            
KALMOWICZ Mike L 2.33 5 9 7 5 1
HOFFMANN Mark 1.67 4 11 8 4 4
SHERMAN Perrie 1.00 2 2 1 0 0
HBP: by KALMOWICZ Mike (DIMITROV Aspi). , by HOFFMANN Mark (CROOKS Phil). , by
KALMOWICZ Mike (GOULD Bobby). WP: HOFFMANN Mark. PB: DIMITROV Kal(2), SHERMAN Perrie,
KALMOWICZ Mike. T: 2:20. A: 45.
by AspiDimitrov

REDS ARE IN THE HUNLOCK SERIES FINAL. BLUE DOGS AND BLACK WIDOWS WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH PLAYOFF

The Herts Red Roosters booked their place in the 2010 Hunlock Series Final after a win against the Herts Black Widows in the final game of the group stage of the Series. 

Earlier in the day the Herts Blue Dogs, a team made up predominantly of Herts Little League players and their fathers, stunned the Roosters with a 12-8 win. Jesse Reinebold picked up the win.

The Blue Dogs were very close to causing another upset.  They were in the lead for most of their second game but came just short, losing 7-6 to the Black Widows at the end.  Marty Cullen and Greg Bochan were the big hitters for the Black Widows while Mike Kalmowicz pitched one and two-third innings for the win.  He did not allow any hits and struck out three.

This meant that the winner of the final game between the Black Widows and the Red Roosters was going to secure their place in the 2010 Hunlock Series Final while the loser would have to go through a very difficult playoff against the Blue Dogs which also carries the disadvantage of using up precious pitching options and going into the Final with a tired bullpen.

At the end it was the Red Roosters that came out on top in the final and deciding group game. Hits from Will Belbin (2-2), Mahendra Prasad (1-1, RBI ) and Phil Crooks (1-3, 2B RBI) helped the Red Roosters on to a 9-5 win.

The schedule for this Sunday, 17 October, of the Kyle Hunlock Series is as follows:

11:00 (Playoff) Herts Blue Dogs @ Herts Black Widows

14:00 (Final) Playoff Winner @ Herts Red Roosters

BOX SCORES

Herts Blue Dogs at Herts Red Roosters
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 R H E
Herts Blue Dogs 3 5 4 0 12 8 2
Herts Red Roosters 0 1 5 2 8 2 9

Herts Blue Dogs 12, Herts Red Roosters 8
Herts Blue Dogs Herts Red Roosters
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
MUNN Jamie cf 3 3 0 0 GOULD Bobby 3b 3 1 1 0
(b4) V Sub 6 pr-cf 0 0 0 0 JOHNSTON Matt 1b 2 1 1 1
GREEN Liam ss-p 4 1 2 1 (b4) PRASAD Mahendra 1b 0 1 0 0
CORNISH Andy 1b 3 3 2 3 RUSSELL Nick p-cf 3 0 0 2
GANSTER Alex 3b 2 2 1 0 DIMITROV Aspi ss 0 2 0 0
LONGBOY Arnold c 3 1 1 2 CROOKS Phil 2b 1 1 0 0
(b3) V Sub 4 pr-c 0 0 0 0 (b4) MANNING Lee 2b 0 0 0 0
REINEBOLD Jonathan lf 3 0 2 2 DRUMMOND Bryan cf-p 2 0 0 0
(b3) V Sub 1 lf 0 0 0 0 BELBIN Will rf 1 0 0 1
CHARGE Michael rf 3 0 0 0 (t4) AUCHTERLOUNIE Paul lf 0 0 0 0
(b3) V Sub 2 rf 0 0 0 0 LLOYD-JONES Kyle lf-rf 2 0 0 0
ELKINS Tim 2b 2 2 0 0 DIMITROV Kal c 1 2 0 0
(b3) V Sub 3 2b 0 0 0 0          
REINEBOLD Jesse p 2 0 0 0          
(b3) V Sub 5 ss-p 0 0 0 0          
TEAM TOTALS 25 12 8 8 TEAM TOTALS 15 8 2 4

E: REINEBOLD Jesse, V Sub 1, GOULD Bobby(3), CROOKS Phil(2), DIMITROV Aspi(2),
JOHNSTON Matt, BELBIN Will. LOB: Herts Red Roosters 4, Herts Blue Dogs 6. SB: CORNISH
Andy(3), MUNN Jamie(3), LONGBOY Arnold(2), GANSTER Alex, REINEBOLD Jonathan, ELKINS
Tim, V Sub 3, V Sub 6, DIMITROV Aspi(4), CROOKS Phil, GOULD Bobby, JOHNSTON Matt,
DRUMMOND Bryan, DIMITROV Kal, MANNING Lee.

Herts Blue Dogs IP H R ER BB SO
REINEBOLD Jesse W 2.33 2 4 1 2 3
GREEN Liam 1.33 0 4 2 7 2
V Sub 5 0.33 0 0 0 0 1
Herts Red Roosters            
RUSSELL Nick L 3.00 7 12 2 2 3
DRUMMOND Bryan 1.00 1 0 0 2 0

HBP: by RUSSELL Nick (CORNISH Andy). . . WP: GREEN Liam(3). PB: V Sub 4(3), DIMITROV
Kal. T: 1:45. A: 50.
Herts Black Widows at Herts Blue Dogs
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts Black Widows 1 0 2 2 2 0 7 6 4
Herts Blue Dogs 1 0 4 1 0 0 6 6 3

Herts Black Widows 7, Herts Blue Dogs 6
Herts Black Widows Herts Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
DIMITROV Ilya cf 4 1 1 1 H Player 1 cf-p 3 2 1 0
NAGHAR Rod 2b 3 1 0 1 H Player 2 p-ss 1 1 0 0
BOCHAN Greg p-ss 3 1 2 1 (t4) H Sub 2 ss 1 1 0 0
CULLEN Marty c 3 1 2 2 H Player 3 1b-p 3 0 0 1
KALMOWICZ Mike ss-p 1 1 0 0 (t5) H Sub 4 cf 0 0 0 0
HOFFMANN Mark 1b 3 0 1 1 H Player 4 3b 2 1 2 1
DEACON Chris 3b 2 1 0 0 (t5) H Sub 1 2b 1 0 0 0
GREEN Tom rf 1 0 0 0 H Player 5 ss 1 0 1 0
(t4) LLOYD-JONES Kyle rf 0 1 0 0 (t3) H Sub 8 1b 2 1 1 2
SLATER Andrew lf 3 0 0 0 H Player 6 c 2 0 1 0
          (t4) H Sub 6 c 1 0 0 0
          H Player 7 rf 2 0 0 1
          (t4) H Sub 5 rf 0 0 0 0
          H Player 8 2b 2 0 0 0
          (t4) H Sub 3 2b-3b 0 0 0 0
          H Player 9 lf 1 0 0 0
          (t4) H Sub 7 lf 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 23 7 6 6 TEAM TOTALS 23 6 6 5

E: DEACON Chris(2), NAGHAR Rod, BOCHAN Greg, H Player 4, H Player 8, H Sub 5. LOB:
Herts Blue Dogs 4, Herts Black Widows 8. 2B: DIMITROV Ilya. SB: BOCHAN Greg(2),
CULLEN Marty, KALMOWICZ Mike, GREEN Tom, H Player 6, H Sub 2. SF: NAGHAR Rod.

Herts Black Widows IP H R ER BB SO
BOCHAN Greg 3.00 6 5 4 1 1
KALMOWICZ Mike W 1.67 0 1 0 0 3
Herts Blue Dogs            
H Player 2 2.67 2 3 2 3 4
H Player 3 1.33 3 2 2 0 1
H Player 1 1.00 1 2 2 1 0

HBP: by H Player 2 (KALMOWICZ Mike). . . . , by H Player 3 (LLOYD-JONES Kyle). . WP:
BOCHAN Greg(2), H Player 2(2), H Player 3(2), H Player 1. T: 1:55. A: 59.
Herts Red Roosters at Herts Black Widows
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 R H E
Herts Red Roosters 1 3 5 0 9 6 0
Herts Black Widows 2 0 2 1 5 4 3

Herts Red Roosters 9, Herts Black Widows 5
Herts Red Roosters Herts Black Widows
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
PRASAD Mahendra cf 1 2 1 1 DIMITROV Ilya ss-c 3 0 0 0
ARNOTT Jim 3b 2 0 0 0 NAGHAR Rod 2b 1 2 0 0
JOHNSTON Matt lf 1 0 0 1 KALMOWICZ Mike p-ss 1 2 1 0
(t2) DRUMMOND Bryan lf 2 0 0 0 CULLEN Marty c-p 2 0 2 3
(t4) GAMBLE Jon p-lf 1 0 0 0 HOFFMANN Mark 1b 2 0 1 1
MANNING Lee ss-p 2 1 1 0 DEACON Chris 3b 2 0 0 0
AUCHTERLOUNIE Paul c 2 0 0 0 GREEN Tom lf 2 0 0 0
DIMITROV Aspi ss-p 2 1 1 0 LLOYD-JONES Kyle cf 2 0 0 0
BELBIN Will rf 2 2 2 0 PEARCE Ben rf 1 1 0 0
RUSSELL Nick 1b 2 0 0 0          
(t3) GOULD Bobby 1b-rf 0 0 0 0          
CROOKS Phil 2b 3 3 1 1          
TEAM TOTALS 20 9 6 3 TEAM TOTALS 16 5 4 4

E: KALMOWICZ Mike(2), NAGHAR Rod. LOB: Herts Red Roosters 2, Herts Black Widows 3.
2B: CROOKS Phil. SB: PRASAD Mahendra(4), ARNOTT Jim(2), MANNING Lee(2), BELBIN
Will(2), DIMITROV Aspi, CROOKS Phil, NAGHAR Rod(2), KALMOWICZ Mike.

Herts Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
DIMITROV Aspi W 3.00 4 4 4 3 3
MANNING Lee 1.00 0 1 1 1 0
Herts Black Widows            
KALMOWICZ Mike L 2.00 2 4 2 3 2
CULLEN Marty 2.00 4 5 1 0 3

T: 1:55. A: 56.
by AspiDimitrov

Herts are National Champions

The Herts Little Leaguers are bringing the 2010 British Championships trophy back to Herts. (photo by Ward Davis)

Members and fans of Herts Baseball Club are celebrating today as the club’s youth team was crowned the 2010 British Champions. They came from behind to beat the London Mets 2-1 in the Final which proved to be yet another colossal encounter between the two teams.

This championship game was originally scheduled to be played two weeks ago as part of the National Baseball Championships on Merseyside but had to be postponed due to rain and so it was moved to the recently renovated home of the Essex Arrows in Waltham Abbey. The overnight rain left substantial amount of water on the infield surface so it took a big effort from the hosts Essex and parents and officials from London and Herts working side-by-side to get the infield ready. There may be a big rivalry on the field between Herts and London but this was a good example of the mutual respect between the two clubs and another proof of the tremendous community spirit which the game of baseball always seems to inspire.

Herts started the game nervously. Despite retiring the first two batters, London managed to take a one-run lead after two uncharacteristic errors by the Herts defence. The pressure of the occasion must have been weighing heavily on the shoulders of the Herts players as they committed four errors during the game, which was more than the total number of errors in all three of the team’s postseason games before the Final.

In the bottom of the first inning it became obvious that this was going to be a difficult battle for Herts as London starting pitcher Taichi Tsuruta started throwing flames. He worked quickly through the first and second inning allowing only one runner to get on base.

Brodie Caress came home to score the tying run for Herts in the third inning.(photo by Ward Davis)

In the bottom of the third Herts managed to tie the game. Brodie Caress got on board with a walk and eventually came around to score with aggressive running from third as the Mets infield got sucked into making the play at second on a steal by Jonny Compton-Weight from first.

Herts starter, Jesse Reinebold, was pitching with the maturity and confidence of a 15-year MLB veteran. With the game on the line he did not allow any Mets runners to get on base in the third, fourth and fifth inning retiring 9 batters in a row, 6 of which were strikeouts. He pitched a complete game striking out 10 batters, allowing only 3 hits, no walks and no earned runs on 82 pitches, 68 of which were strikes – an incredible strike-ball ratio.

The Herts fans proved that they are the loudest supporters in British baseball. (photo by Ward Davis)

With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Herts once again turned on their running game. Jonny Compton-Weight reached first on a ball four wild pitch, but with the backstop standing 60 feet behind the catcher he decided not to settle for first base and made the big turn to get to second base in a mad race with London catcher, Chris Saltzgaber, who was desperately trying to retrieve the ball and throw it to second base. Compton-Weight was safe at second and Herts brought on Kieran Manning to pinch run for him. It was Manning that became one of the many heroes for Herts. He advanced to third and later took advantage of a wild pitch to come home to give Herts the lead. It may not have been pretty but a lot of credit has to be given to the London pitching staff who kept Herts batters swinging and missing, so they needed some ultra aggressive base running to take the lead in this game of very small margin for error.

Herts took this one-run lead to the final inning and all eyes were on Herts starting pitcher Jesse Reinebold. Leading off for London was their Lithuanian centerfielder, Vykintas Dulius, who put the ball in play with a scuffed hit down the third base foul line. In a desperate attempt to get the out, Herts third baseman Richard Ganster barehanded the ball but couldn’t get a good grip on the wet ball so his throw went wide of the first baseman. Dulius took advantage and found himself on second base representing the tying run with no outs. Herts retired the next batter on a ground out to first baseman Zack Longboy. This moved the London tying run to third base with one out. There are over 20 different ways to bring a runner home from third base with less than two outs so the odds were very much against Herts. Up stepped Mets third baseman Elliot Coffey and he hit a hard line drive but Herts shortstop, Nick Martinez, was in the right place at the right time to snag the ball out of the air for the second out while holding the all important runner at third. Herts needed just one more out. Very fittingly, that final out of the game was a strikeout on a nasty pitch by Jesse Reinebold sparking wild celebrations as players, coaches along with those crazy Herts fans invaded the field.

This is one of the most memorable days in the club’s 15 year history. A very proud moment for everyone connected with the club and especially for the players, coaching staff and their families who have worked so hard since losing in the final one year ago and have now managed to win the trophy with an unbeaten 10-0 record in 2010.

For more images from the 2010 National Final click here (courtesy of Ward Davis)

London Mets at Herts All-Stars
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
London Mets 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1
Herts All-Stars 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 4

Herts All-Stars 2, London Mets 1
Herts All-Stars London Mets
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Mikito Ariga 2b 3 0 0 0 Rintaro Suzuki ss 3 0 0 0
Carlos Casal Jr cf 2 0 0 0 Matthew Tarrant 1b 3 0 1 0
Marty Cullen Jr c 3 0 0 0 Taichi Tsuruta p-rf 3 1 1 0
Richard Ganster 3b 0 0 0 0 Vykintas Dulius cf 2 0 1 0
Nick Martinez ss 2 0 0 0 Ewan Clegg rf-p 3 0 0 0
Zack Longboy lf-1b 2 0 1 0 Elliot Coffey 3b 2 0 0 0
Jose Morillo dh 2 0 0 0 Chris Saltzgaber c 3 0 0 0
Brody Caress rf 0 1 0 0 Kota Minami 2b 2 0 0 0
(b5) Lewis Green rf-lf 1 0 0 0 (t5) V Sub 1 2b 0 0 0 0
Jonny Compton-Weight 1b 0 0 0 0 Kenta Reed lf 2 0 0 0
(b5) Kieran Manning pr-lf 0 1 0 0
Jesse Reinebold p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 15 2 1 0 TEAM TOTALS 23 1 3 0
E: Mikito Ariga(2), Marty Cullen Jr, Richard Ganster, Chris Saltzgaber. LOB: Herts
All-Stars 4, London Mets 6. SB: Brody Caress(2), Richard Ganster, Jonny
Compton-Weight, Kieran Manning.
Herts All-Stars IP H R ER BB SO
Jesse Reinebold W 6.00 3 1 0 0 10
London Mets
Taichi Tsuruta L 4.33 1 2 2 5 8
Ewan Clegg 0.67 0 0 0 1 2
HBP: by Jesse Reinebold (Elliot Coffey). . . . . . WP: Taichi Tsuruta(2). T: 1:35. A:
110.

London Mets at Herts All-Stars
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
London Mets 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1
Herts All-Stars 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 4

Herts All-Stars 2, London Mets 1
Herts All-Stars London Mets
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Mikito Ariga 2b 3 0 0 0 Rintaro Suzuki ss 3 0 0 0
Carlos Casal Jr cf 2 0 0 0 Matthew Tarrant 1b 3 0 1 0
Marty Cullen Jr c 3 0 0 0 Taichi Tsuruta p-rf 3 1 1 0
Richard Ganster 3b 0 0 0 0 Vykintas Dulius cf 2 0 1 0
Nick Martinez ss 2 0 0 0 Ewan Clegg rf-p 3 0 0 0
Zack Longboy lf-1b 2 0 1 0 Elliot Coffey 3b 2 0 0 0
Jose Morillo dh 2 0 0 0 Chris Saltzgaber c 3 0 0 0
Brody Caress rf 0 1 0 0 Kota Minami 2b 2 0 0 0
(b5) Lewis Green rf-lf 1 0 0 0 (t5) V Sub 1 2b 0 0 0 0
Jonny Compton-Weight 1b 0 0 0 0 Kenta Reed lf 2 0 0 0
(b5) Kieran Manning pr-lf 0 1 0 0
Jesse Reinebold p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 15 2 1 0 TEAM TOTALS 23 1 3 0
E: Mikito Ariga(2), Marty Cullen Jr, Richard Ganster, Chris Saltzgaber. LOB: Herts
All-Stars 4, London Mets 6. SB: Brody Caress(2), Richard Ganster, Jonny
Compton-Weight, Kieran Manning.
Herts All-Stars IP H R ER BB SO
Jesse Reinebold W 6.00 3 1 0 0 10
London Mets
Taichi Tsuruta L 4.33 1 2 2 5 8
Ewan Clegg 0.67 0 0 0 1 2
HBP: by Jesse Reinebold (Elliot Coffey). . . . . . WP: Taichi Tsuruta(2). T: 1:35. A:
110.