Presenter David Croft previews this Saturday's NBL Summer Classic on BBC London Radio.
Category: Headlines
ONE VENUE, 14 TEAMS AND 10 HOURS OF NON-STOP BASEBALL
This year, British Baseball is introducing several special events as part of the league schedule, and the first of these, the NBL Summer Classic, will take place this Saturday, June 5.
All eight teams from Britain’s top league will come to the same venue and each team will play one nine-inning game. Since these games are part of the league schedule, the outcomes could have a crucial effect on the race for the post-season.
The event will be held at Grovehill Ballpark, the home of the Herts Falcons in Hemel Hempstead. The venue has undergone major building work in the last two years, and last month the club unveiled its brand new second diamond. As a result, Herts is now able to stage these large national events.
With this event taking place on a Saturday, it is rare opportunity for AAA, AA and Single-A league teams to make the trip to Herts for a day packed with top-quality baseball.
STARS OF THE FUTURE LEADING OFF
The day will begin at 10.00 am with youth league games involving the six Herts Little League teams.
Combining youth and adult league games as part of the same event is unusual in British Baseball, but it is expected to be an effective way to bring baseball communities together, increase attendances and make events more vibrant and enjoyable.
Bracknell (9-1) v Croydon (4-6) on Diamond One at 12:00
The NBL action starts at noon as the 2009 Champions Bracknell Blazers take on the Croydon Pirates. Bracknell goes into the game with an impressive nine-game winning streak. The resurgent Croydon Pirates split their doubleheader with the Herts Falcons last Sunday, which puts them in fourth place in the standings. Can they cause an upset against the Blazers?
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Maikel Azcuy (Croydon) leads the league in home runs after his grand slam on Sunday at Herts, his fifth home run of the season.
Brendan Cunliffe (Bracknell) has been an RBI-machine for the Blazers so far this year. He hits for average (BA .500) and for power (3HR and Slugging .929). He leads the league in RBIs (13).
Essex (0-10) v Herts (3-7) on Diamond Two at 13:45
Neighbours Essex Arrows and Herts Falcons will resume their long-standing rivalry on Saturday. Essex have been showing signs of revival and they will probably target their game against Herts as a perfect opportunity to record their first win of the season.
On Sunday, Herts returned home after a painful six-game road trip and ended their losing streak, coming back from a three-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to win against Croydon.
Two of Herts’ key pitchers are on the disabled list and the question is whether those players who are healthy can keep the team in touch with the pack. Despite their bad starts, both teams are still in the running for playoff places, and they will be desperate to pick up a win on Saturday and put their seasons back on track.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Jeon Sungwon (Essex) is tied for the lead for most base hits (15) so far this season in the NBL.
Luis Goncalves (Herts), a 16-year-old shortstop, has been phenomenal with both bat and glove in his second season in the NBL.
Southampton (4-8) v Mildenhall (4-6) on Diamond One at 15:30
Despite finding themselves second from bottom in the standings, the Southampton Mustangs have quietly been producing some very impressive performances against the top teams in the league. Saturday’s game against the Mildenhall Bulldogs is the first of five upcoming games which they will see as must-win to put them right back in the race for the post-season.
After winning their opening four games, Mildenhall have suffered six losses in a row. Can they turn their season around against Southampton? They will go into the game with confidence, in the knowledge that just a few weeks ago they came out on top against the Mustangs on the same field in the final week of the Herts Spring League.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Charles Truelson (Southampton) may not have a 90 mph fastball but he more than compensates for that with control and movement. He has picked up two of the four wins for the Mustangs so far this year with an ERA of 5.40.
Jon Mabie (Mildenhall) is one of the toughest catchers in the league and a perfect example for young players of what it means to give 100% on every play. He has a batting average of .389 with 5 RBIs.
London (11-1) v Richmond (7-3) on Diamond Two at 17:00
This is undoubtedly the game of the day. The first-placed London Mets are bringing back memories of their championship-winning seasons in 2007 and 2008. However, after a slow start, the Richmond Flames are back to their best and on Saturday we will find out if they can stop the Mets.
This is billed as the main event of the NBL Summer Classic this Saturday and the other games have been scheduled to finish in time for all those attending to gather around the brand new diamond at Herts for this unmissable clash.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Jason Roberts (London) leads the league in wins (5) and strikeouts (38).
Ryan Bird (Richmond) is the 2008 and 2009 MVP.
SCHEDULE: SATURDAY, JUNE 5
10:00 – Herts Little League games: Yankees @ Cubs, Red Sox @ Cardinals, Tornadoes @ Crocs (Diamond 2).
11:30 – Herts Little League games: Red Sox @ Yankees, Cubs @ Cardinals, Crocs @ Tornadoes (Diamond 2).
12:00 – NBL: Croydon Pirates @ Bracknell Blazers (Diamond 1).
13:45 – NBL: Herts Falcons @ Essex Arrows (Diamond 2).
15:30 – NBL: Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Southampton Mustangs (Diamond 1).
17:00 – NBL: Richmond Flames @ London Mets (Diamond 2).
VENUE
Grovehill Ballpark is located at Washington Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 6NH.
For a map and directions, click here.
For more details please contact Herts Baseball Club via the official website.
Photos by:
— event-photos.co.uk
— www.hp2photographic.com
CROYDON AND HERTS SPLIT IN NBL WEEK 7 ACTION
(this report by Simon Fitzjohn first appeared on www.britishbaseball.com)
The improving Croydon Pirates and the Herts Falcons split the only doubleheader played in the National Baseball League on Sunday, May 30, a make-up from the previous weekend.
Meanwhile, the rest of the league took a Bank Holiday breather.
Special NBL reporter Simon Fitzjohn provides the details.
Croydon Pirates @ Herts Falcons
This battle produced a pair of thrillers, with home runs, stunning comebacks and even a pitching duel for the fans to savour.
In Game One, the contest was tied 3-3 heading into the sixth inning, only for Mikael Azcuy to smash a grand slam for the Pirates to open up a 7-3 lead.
But the Falcons clawed back a run in the bottom of the frame before scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh for an amazing 8-7 triumph.
Luis Goncalves took the win, while Tim Ssala was dealt the tough-luck loss.
If Game One was an offensive delight, Game Two was the exact opposite, as pitchers Jose Sosa for the Pirates and Nick Goetz for the Falcons went at it.
With plenty of mound magic, Tim Ssala’s RBI single proved decisive in a 1-0 Pirates win.
Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “It was a real boost for the club to win Game One, as it was a great comeback. We have had a tough few weeks on the road recently so it was good to get home.
“Both of us are in the bottom half of the table,” Dimitrov continued, “and they were two tough games. We could have won both, but we could also have lost both so we have to take the positives.”
RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW
The head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, Marv Levy, used to rally his team with a speech which ended like this — “Where else would you rather be, than right here, right now?” And that phrase rang though my head as the Herts Raptors' epic game against Tonbridge came to a climax on Sunday evening. Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two out. Tying run on third base, winning run on second. It had been an extraordinary game, lasting over five hours, and the day had waned from blazing sunshine to long shadows. Moments like this are why we play sports.
But it was to end in heartbreak. Tonbridge held on to take the game 31-30.
No matter how high the score, or how long the game, when it ultimately comes down to such a fine winning margin you can't help but wonder “what if”. I know that our fearless leader, Ken — who fate dealt the final out — had plenty of them going through his head on Sunday night. But three quickly leapt into my own, showing how easy they are to find: what if I had swung away in the final inning, rather than taking the walk? What if, as third base coach, I had earlier helped keep my runner out of a double play when we had a man on third and nobody out? And what if I had caught a bloop which went over my shoulder as Phil tried to close out the top of the ninth?
I don't know the answers, of course, but I can have a good guess. Question 1 — very little would have been different (and he only threw me one strike anyway). Question 2 — very little would have been different (sometimes the ball just goes where you least want it to). And Question 3? You guessed it. Very little would have ben different (and I couldn't have caught it, otherwise I would have done so in real life instead of just in my head). A baseball game is a collection of tiny incidents and tiny confrontations which make up a rich whole. If you deconstruct it, it's just not the same any more.
I personally contributed little to the game, to be honest, I was an enthralled passenger as much as anything. But at least I broke my duck at the plate, getting my first hits of the season. Actually, my best “hit” wasn't a “hit” at all. It was a line drive which crashed into the trees just foul down the third base line. You don't score anything for how many leaves and branches you take out, and at the end of the day it's just another strike. But I did get a couple in the right place later, and my batting average jumped dramatically from .000 to .286. Impressive, eh? I am still taking solace from my .583 OBP. But who's counting. I would've had another walk in my first plate appearance if I had kept my bat out of the way of a pitch behind my head! I haven't done that since my rookie season.
There were enormous positives for the team. Our three pitchers, all first-timers this season, battled fantastically and even threw up zeroes on the scoreboard. Simon was a rock at first base. And of course the players scored thirty runs, three times their previous best. Where would they rather be? Right now, they'd probably rather be celebrating a win. But — failing that — I hope they are happy to have been part of both history and drama.
BBC AUDIO SLIDESHOW: “SWINGING AWAY”
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's and the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, have collaborated to produce a groundbreaking new exhibition on the connections between baseball and cricket that is now open to the public at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The MCC Museum at Lord's is trying to dispel a few myths, and reveal some surprising connections, in a new exhibition that looks at the shared history of cricket and baseball.
The BBC have published an interesting audio slideshow taking a trip back in time looking at the games of baseball and cricket. (Click to view)
HAWKS SUFFER DEMOLITION
Herts Hawks v. Sidewinders, May 23rd 2010
by Hawks Beat Reporter, Simon Langton
What started out looking like a nice warm summer day at Grovehill quickly became a nightmare for the Herts Hawks who found themselves on the wrong end of a 24-5 drubbing at the hands of Sidewinders.
Things started reasonably well with the score at then end of the first tied at one. That was not to last long, however, with Sidewinders able to run riot for the rest of the day. Errors followed by extra base hits were a far too familiar sight for the Hawks who – once behind – were never able to recover. The only respite for the Hawks was that Sidewinders only had eight players and so the would-be ninth hitter was automatically out. Despite this, Sidewinders were able to score 24 runs against what was, by the 7th, a very tired Hawks defence.
The Hawks bats were also relatively quiet all day. Good Sidewinders pitching was accompanied by a defence which, despite being short of numbers, was able to deal with any threat the Hawks posed. Their two-man outfield was able to make a virtue of its forced changes – on several occasions, hits which would have dropped into the gaps were caught by a repositioned fielder. By the7th inning, the Hawks only had 2 runs to their name and needed over a dozen just to keep the game going. A three- run rally in the bottom of the 7th showed that the Hawks had not given up but the task would prove too much and the game ended after 7 innings on the mercy rule 24-5.
Credit should be given to Sidewinders who played well and with determination in order to claim the victory. The Hawks will be hoping to forget about the game, hoping that it was just an off day, and getting ready to regroup for the next opposition. And whatever the result, the Hawks have taken their place in history as the first Herts team to play a game on the second diamond.
OPENING DAY HOME RUNS, NO-HITTERS, WALK-OFF WINS…AND HOT DOGS
Herts Little League players and fans are standing for the National Anthem
Report from Herts Little League Correspondent, Tracey Manning
The sun is shining and the smell of hotdogs is in the air, which means that the 2010 Herts Little League season is under way at Grovehill Ballpark with eager kids and parents alike.
This year’s teams in the Majors Division are the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and Cardinals and in the Minors Division the players themselves chose the names of the teams and they are the Herts Tornados and the Herts Crocs.
On Diamond 1 the Cardinals and Cubs opened up the new season and the newcomers quickly gelled into their new teams to produce a great game. With a dominant performance by Carlos Casal Jr on the mound and with some timely hitting, the Cardinals picked up the win with a final score of 4-0.
Over on Diamond 2 the Red Sox and the Yankees resumed their rivalry in a cracking game. With much gusto and plenty of heart-in-your-mouth action the game ended dramatically in a 4-4 tie.
On Diamond 3 the Herts Tornados and the Herts Crocs got off to a flying start and boy can those Minor Leaguers play a fast game. The final score was 12-11 to the Tornados.
Opening Day Guest of Honour was Milwaukee Brewers Coach, Sam Dempster.
The Herts Little League players and parents had the opportunity to shake his hand
and thank him for his support and the tremendous contribution which he has
made for the development of Herts Baseball Club over the last few years.
After lunch, and plenty of hot dogs and Krispy Kreme doughnuts later, the second games of the day got under way. The Red Sox were too strong for the Cardinals winning with a final score of 13-5.In the other game it looked like the Cubs was going to run away with the win after taking a 9-0 lead, but the Yankees had other plans and fought back with a new-found energy. It proved to be too little too late for them with the Cubs winning 9-5. Nick Martinez was the winning pitcher but Jordan Carter and Lewis Green played a key role in relief.
As the younger members played their last game off the day at a little slower pace the Crocs got their revenge after the loss earlier in the day winning the second game in the series 8-6.
The opening day of the season was the hottest day of the year so far, but the players kept cool and all enjoyed the day. Everyone can’t wait for the next game day, great support from friends and families wonderful turn out and may it continue.
More images from the 2010 Opening Day
HAWKS SPLIT DOUBLE-HEADER IN CROYDON
By Herts Hawks beat reporter, Simon Langton
On Sunday May 16th the Herts Hawks played out a hard fought double header with the Croydon Pirates III. The two very tight, dramatic and at times wet games ended with each team picking up their first wins of the season. Both games were played in good spirit which allowed for an enjoyable day of baseball despite the weather.
Game one saw Hawks manager Greg Bochan go the distance pitching all seven innings and striking out 9, to pick up a well deserved 12-9 win. Defensively the Hawks were solid, shutting out the Pirates in five of the seven innings played. However, a bad second inning, riddled with errors and involving a two run triple followed by a one run double, gave the Pirates a 7-0 lead and almost the game. The Hawks responded well, allowing only two more runs to be scored all game, this limited the Pirates to an overall total of 9. Special mention needs to go to Matt Johnston whose outstanding catch in left field typified the defensive effort, and to Paul Curtis who made a good debut at 3rd base.
The Hawks offence was ruthless throughout the game. Inspired by shortstop Hunter Devine’s 3 RBIs the Hawks capitalised at every opportunity that came their way, whether by walk, error or hit, to score. Going into the seventh and last inning however the Hawks were still trailing by nine runs to seven and when Croydon were able to retire two Hawks hitters with a 9-8 lead still intact, the game was looking all but over. A four run two out rally gave the Hawks a 12-9 lead which they were able to protect in the bottom half of the seventh giving them the win.
Game two was all about good offence and bad pitching. The Hawks’ Simon Langton was unable to consistently find the strike zone giving away 8 walks in only 5 innings. That meant that that despite a huge defensive effort — including an unassisted double play by 1st baseman Tim Elkins — Croydon scored 14 runs. Fortunately Croydon’s pitcher was suffering from the same problem, which along with Tim Elkins’ 3 RBIs allowed the Hawks to be only down by one run going into the sixth, behind 14-13.
From the sixth inning the game became very exciting. Simon Langton — now playing centre field — made up for the walks with a 2 RBI double, this gave the Hawks a one run lead. Croydon were however able to counter with 2 runs of their own in the bottom half of the sixth restoring their one run lead. In the top of the seventh the Hawks offence responded. Hunter Devine maintained his excellent hitting from game one with an RBI double and Simon Langton followed by driving in another 2 runs to give the Hawks a 2 run lead going into the bottom of the seventh. When Perrie Sherman who had come on in relief was able to get two outs with the lead intact. However a two out rally which included a fielder’s choice and three consecutive singles proved sufficient for the Pirates to bounce back and take the game 19-18, splitting the double header.
PITCHING IN
Let's face it — anyone who has seen baseball and enjoyed it even a little bit, wants to get up there and pitch. For all the glamour of hitting home runs, the pitcher is the guy at the absolute centre of the game. He even gets to stand on a little hill, for heaven's sake. It's what everybody wants to know when you tell them you play baseball: are you a pitcher? And finally this season, several players — including your humble correspondent — have made their debut and got a taste of what it is all about.
I always knew I wouldn't become a regular pitcher. I don't throw the ball hard, I am not a big, strong guy, and I don't have Timmy Lincecum's freakish ability to overcome a small frame with fantastic mechanics. But I never gave up hope! This year, in our Opening Day blowout by Southampton, the opportunity finally arose for me to tug the manager's sleeve and say “Hey, put me in”. And I enjoyed every second of it. Really, really enjoyed it. The game follows your rhythm, the fielders watch you, the runners watch you, the hitters watch you. The game is yours to win, and to lose. Maybe even Timmy remembers with fondness the first time he stood on the mound…
Although I enjoyed it, that's not to say I was happy with the results, not by a long shot. But it wasn't a disaster. I told the team before we went out that my aim was to throw strikes, and let the hitter earn his way on base — not to toss him BP, you understand, but not to get caught out by trying to be too fine. And I honestly don't remember walking anyone, although I assume I must have done. So I will count that in my favour. There were hits, certainly. I remember one strong double going into left field. But there were also three outs. The first was a ground ball to our infielders who had a a really good day at Southampton. The second was — oh yes — a strike-out. Why didn't I buy that ball off the Mustangs! I struck someone out!! And then I also helped make the final out — a towering pop-up which I lost about four times in the sun, then bobbled as it came down, only to be rescued by Phil Gover, alert on the infield, standing next to me — he promptly caught it cleanly.
I am happy to be my own toughest critic and so I can tell you that I singularly failed to ignore the batter. I did feel constrained, and ended up trying to place the ball into the zone, rather than throwing it through. That meant that more than one pitch bounced on the plate! I didn't focus enough on the glove, despite years standing in the outfield shouting to the pitcher to just “put it in the glove”. I never imagined it was that easy but now I know for sure.
The Raptors manager this year, Ken, has laudably decided that people should be given the chance to step on to the mound as well as stepping up to the plate. Jeff is our only “veteran” pitcher and so, as well as me, there have been first timers in Bryan Drummond, Jim Arnott, Ken himself and Phil Gover. I know they have all enjoyed it and will gladly go back for more, and I will be right there with them. Phil has been this week's phenom. “Such a great feeling” was how he summed up the experience. “Pretty stunning” was what the manager said. I suspect he, like me, will long remember the feeling when he took the game ball in his hand, and stepped to the heart of the action.
HISTORIC WEEKEND FOR HERTS BASEBALL
This weekend will see history made at Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, as the new second field hosts its first games. The Herts club has existed since 1996 but now, for the first time, it will have two specially constructed baseball diamonds. Only a handful of British clubs can boast such excellent facilities. This will allow two of the club’s four adult teams to play simultaneously, and allow as many as six Little League games to take place at once. That will mean Herts can host even more major events, such as the end of season National League playoffs.
The first action on the new diamond will be when the Little League players start their season this Saturday, May 22nd. The competition involves 6 teams of kids playing 16 games each, culminating in the League Finals held at Grovehill on 7th August. The Yankees are the reigning champions from the last two years – can anyone else take their crown this year? The top performers from the Little League will then be chosen to play for the Herts All Stars at the British National Championships. Last season, the Herts team finished as runners-up after a memorable, heart-wrenching 1-0 ballgame against the London Mets. Boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 14 can join the club at any time, and they could the star of this year’s campaign.
The adults will get their turn on the new turf on Sunday. The Herts Hawks will be the men in the history books, christening the field with a game against the Sidewinders of north London. Later in the day, the Herts Raptors will take on the Tonbridge Bobcats. This moment in history has been made possible by the generous support of many organisations — the sport’s governing body, BSUK; Awards for All; Sport England; Dacorum Borough Council and Dacorum Sports Network – as well as the Royal Bank of Scotland and our valuable sponsor, BMW Scotthall Watford. The players themselves have also put in enormous amounts of hard work.