Category: Headlines

by AspiDimitrov

“HERTS IN RAPTURE” – HERTS BASEBALL ESTABLISH A THIRD TEAM

At its regular Annual General Meeting, Herts Baseball Club approved a decision to establish a third team for the upcoming season 2008. The team will be called “The Raptors”, and it is anticipated that it will play in either the British Baseball Federation First or Second Division. A final confirmation of the Raptors’ involvement in the BBF league will be made early in 2008.

The new team will allow not only increased playing time for all members, but will represent a valuable addition to the continuously expanding Herts Baseball Club. It will also provide a pool of highly competitive players for the other two teams, as well as put pressure on the players in those two teams to perform better.

this article was posted on behalf of the author, Kal Dimitrov

by AspiDimitrov

LITTLE LEAGUE EXECUTIVES CONFIRMED

Herts Baseball Club confirmed its intentions to actively pursue the continuation and expansion of the Herts Baseball Little League by appointing the “masterminds” of Herts youth baseball – Lee Manning and Marty Cullen – as Vice Presidents-Little League Operations for the upcoming 2008 season.

In a sneak preview of the upcoming Little League events, Cullen and Manning indicated that “Some great things are in store for the kids in 2008. The Little League will provide a great way for kids between 7 and 13 year olds to enjoy baseball throughout the summer, whilst providing that experience with a keen competitive edge. The club will release more details soon so stay tuned to www.hertsbaseball.com”

this article was posted on behalf of the author, Kal Dimitrov

by AspiDimitrov

2007 AWARDS NIGHT RECIPIENTS

2007 AWARDS NIGHT RESULTS

FALCONS
MVP
Jason Greenberg
Batting Champion
Andy Cornish (Avg .506)
Infield Gold Glove
Kimiyoshi Saionji (F% .985)
Outfield Gold Glove
Andy Cornish (F% .920)
Best Pitcher
Nic Goetz (ERA 3.71)
Home Run Champion
Jason Greenberg (4)
Home Run Champion
Andy Cornish (4)
Most Stolen Bases
Yuji Endo (25)
Most RBIs
Jason Greenberg (30)
Most RBIs
Andy Cornish (30)
Coach's Award
John Oliver
HAWKS
MVP
Rodney Naghar
Batting Champion
Peter Kikel (Avg .455)
Infield Gold Glove
Ross Davies (F% .976)
Outfield Gold Glove
Dave Hamilton (F% .800)
Best Pitcher
Larry Martillo (ERA 6.48)
Most Stolen Bases
Ross Davies (19)
Most RBIs
Kal Dimitrov (11)
Rookie of the Year
Chantal Gerrard
Most Improved Player
Jonathon Lewys

OTHER AWARDS

Nob-Out – Lee locking his car keys and home keys in his car and deciding to solve the problem by taking a (-5) aluminium bat to smash the car window and ending up bending the metal frame of the car door with his “Major League” follow-through.

Play of the Year – Short Stop Yuji Endo making a full-length dive towards third base, stopping the ball, springing up and making a great throw to get the out at first.

Umpire of the Year – Geoff, good calls, bad calls, ugly calls…

by AspiDimitrov

CONGRATS TO MAGNIFICENT GB BASEBALL TEAM

Hertfordshire Baseball Club wishes to congratulate our Great Britain National Baseball Team who took the Silver Medals at the 2007 European Championship in Barcelona.

Apart from the silverware, this achievement has very exciting implications for British Baseball. By virtue of finishing second, the GB Team has qualified for the World Championship and the final qualifying stage for the 2008 Olympic Games.

This incredible achievement against some of the giants of European baseball also means that Great Britain may be invited to the next World Baseball Classic, which is the showpiece event of international baseball including some of the biggest stars of Major League Baseball some of whom earn more than David Beckham.

Special congratulations go to the GB Head Coach, Stephan Rapaglia, who over the years has been very supportive of the Hertfordshire Baseball Club.

by AspiDimitrov

SOARING FALCONS SHOT DOWN BY PILOTS

[ BOX SCORE ]
[ PHOTO GALLERY ]
[ POST-GAME VIDEO RECAP ]

The Herts Falcons lost 8-5 to the Humber Pilots in the Final of the British Baseball’s Division 1 and missed out on the title.

After five months of exciting baseball clashes across the country, the 2007 British Baseball Season culminated with its showpiece event, the Final4. The Herts Falcons reached the Final after crushing their opponents in the Southern Section of Division 1. The Northern Section was won by the Humber Pilots who also managed to beat the Milton Keynes Hurricanes in a classic Semi-Final game winning 2-1.

Expectations were high in the Falcons camp ahead of the big game, but they were visibly stunned by the Pilots as early as the first inning when they found themselves trailing 5-0. It took the team from Hertfordshire several innings to regain their composure. In the 5th inning they managed to hit back with 4 runs making the score 6-5. All of a sudden a miraculous come back seemed to be within the Falcons’ grasp.

A game which started in a disastrous way for them, could now turn out to be one of the most memorable comebacks in the club’s history. But it wasn’t to be. The Falcons lost in the end 8-5. Credit has to be given to the Humber Pilots who played the game with great desire and in the right spirit.

Due to the very high expectation which the Falcons put on themselves this was a very disappointing end of the season for them and their travelling fans, but overall this was a great year for the team. The Club now awaits confirmation from the British Baseball Federation that the Falcons have been promoted and will be back in the British Baseball Premier League in 2008.

At the Premier League level, the title was won by the Richmond Knights who beat the Essex Arrows in the final, while the National League (Great Britain’s top baseball league) was won by the London Mets who beat the Croydon Pirates.

by AspiDimitrov

FALCONS SINK SHARKS, CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH

[ FALCONS/SHARKS: GAME 1 BOX SCORE ]
[ FALCONS/SHARKS: GAME 2 BOX SCORE ]

[ VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY ]

The Herts Falcons used an impressive offensive barrage to sweep the Bournemouth Sharks by scores of 13-7 and 13-3, clinching the D1A Pennant.

Bournemouth came into the game with the league’s best defence, giving up an average of only 2.5 runs per game.  The Falcons jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1.  They were patient at the plate, drawing four walks and they were also aided by two Bournemouth errors. They increased the margin to 9-0 in the second inning.  The five runs were sandwiched around two singles, two walks, and three Shark errors. Bournemouth fought back in the fourth inning, scoring 5 runs on five singles and two walks.  The Falcons were able to escape without any further damage.

Kim Saoinji hit his 3rd home run in the top of the 7th, and the Falcons defence closed it out for a 13-7 victory. The Falcons had nine hits, with Lee Manning leading the team with two.  Catcher Jason Greenberg also had two RBI’s.

In the second game, Nic Goetz was very impressive with a complete game two hitter.  Goetz picked up his fourth victory of the year, and had good control, with only 2 walks and 1 strikeout. The Falcons bats came alive in the first inning, with 4 runs on six hits, including doubles by Lee Manning and Andy Cornish.

They increased their margin to 9-0 in the 2nd.   With one out and the bases loaded, Jason Greenberg hit the teams first Grand Slam HR, and his fourth of the year. The Falcons essentially put the game away in the 3rd as they built up a 12-0 lead.  The first four batters reached base and three runners scored.

The Sharks threatened in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, but rookie right fielder Dan Kerry made a fine catch on a hard hit ball to end the game. The Falcons had 14 hits, including a 3 for 3 performance by Greenberg, who scored 4 runs and added 5 RBI.

With the win, the Falcons qualified for the post season Final 4 and are also in a position to earn promotion to the Premiere League, where they formerly played in 2005-2006. The team closes out the regular season this Sunday with a home game against Bournemouth.  Tickets are available, and can be purchased either online or by calling 1-800-GOFALCONS.

[ HAWKS/PANTHERS: GAME 1 BOX SCORE ]
[ HAWKS/PANTHERS: GAME 2 BOX SCORE ]

The Herts Hawks had a battle for second place in the division with their direct rivals – the Shropshire Panthers.

The first game started badly for the Hawks and went downhill from there – starter Pete Kikel had trouble hitting the strike zone, and when he did, the Panthers managed to either hit it between the fielders or bloop it beyond the reach of the infield. Defensive heroics by catcher Jake Kikel, who was hard-pressed to block the large number of wild pitches but still managed to throw out a runner at second base, did not change the situation. Offensively, the Hawks struggled with the breaking stuff of starter Ashley Rogers, and when they managed to put together several hits in one inning, the Panthers piled on the runs in the next. Overall, a performance that literally anthropomorphizes the saying “there is nowhere to go but up from here”.

The second game was much tighter – Hawks starter Larry Martillo, after allowing an early 4-run lead to the Panthers, managed to hold the game from blowing completely open. However, the Hawks bats continued to be mainly silent – excepting the stellar hitting performance of Ross Davies who went 4-for-4 and the very respectable 2-for-2 of Pete Kikel and Larry Martillo. However, the lack of hitting was compounded by somewhat lackadaisical base-running, which saw several Hawks being picked off or caught off the bases. Despite a late surge in the 7th inning, the Hawks went down 8 – 4.

by AspiDimitrov

SCHOOL’S OUT… LET’S PLAY BALL!

[ PHOTO GALLERY ]
[ WATFORD OBSERVER ARTICLE ]

Grovehill Ballpark is the home of the two Division One teams, the Herts Falcons and the Herts Hawks, but last Saturday it became the home of the next generation of Hertfordshire baseball players.

Boys and girls aged between 7 and 12 from around Hertfordshire and the surrounding regions joined the first ever Baseball Little League Summer Camp organised by Hertfordshire Baseball Club with the support of BaseballSoftballUK, the development agency for baseball and softball in the United Kingdom which is funded by Sports England, the agency that delivers the Government's sporting objectives.

Eleven coaches from the club and BSUK introduced the kids to the main aspects of the game: batting, throwing, catching, fielding, base running etc. Halfway-through the day players, parents and coaches gathered for an enjoyable picnic together while watching a Home Run hitting display by current Herts Falcons Home Run leader, Andy Cornish.

After the picnic it was gametime! The players were divided into four teams, the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Mets and the Blue Jays and played two games on two separate diamonds. Every youngster who took part received baseball cards of current baseball stars. Throughout the day the players also had the chance to enjoy the MLB Roadshow which came to Hertfordshire to support the event. It included various fun baseball challenges including a pitching tunnel with a radar gun to measure the speed at which the kids were pitching.

The response from the children and their parents was tremendous and the feedback after the event indicates that the kids are already looking forward to next Saturday’s Baseball Camp.

It was very touching that some parents even approached members of the club with an offer to help not only during the Summer Camps but also volunteered to assist in promoting and spreading the news of this Youth baseball programme to help attract as many children as possible in order to achieve the target of creating 4 brand new teams which will take part in the Hertfordshire Baseball Little League planned for 2008.

The next Summer Camp is next Saturday and every Saturday after that until 1 September.

Hertfordshire Falcons Baseball Club wishes to thank BSUK (www.baseballsoftballuk.com), the MLB Roadshow, baseball supplier Forelle (www.forelle.com), Dacorum Council, the Ambulance and Police Departments as well as all of the club volunteers.
www.baseballsoftballuk.com
www.sportengland.org
by AspiDimitrov

FALCONS GO 2-1-1 AT ANNUAL LONDON TOURNAMENT

The Herts Falcons put on a performance this weekend which almost resembled Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” of the 1970s. The team battled through two days of gruelling baseball action to come out with an overall record of 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw (time limit).

The International London Tournament has been Great Britain’s biggest baseball annual event for many years. This year there were 16 teams taking part from all around the UK, France and Ireland. 12 of the 16 teams were either in the National League or the Premier League so prior to the event it was fair to say that the Falcons were ranked outsiders. They were also drawn in the most difficult group with the reigning British National League Champions, the Richmond Flames, 2004 and 2005 Champions, the Croydon Pirates, and the 2003 Champions, the Windsor Bears.

The Herts team was a combined squad of Herts Falcons and Herts Hawks players, the two Hertfordshire teams.

In the first game, the Falcons faced the Richmond Flames, and despite a valiant effort, were overwhelmed by Richmond’s pitching and hitting.

The second game proved to be the main event of the day – the Falcons hosted the Windsor bears at the Central Field. The game was played in front of a large audience and had the added benefit of the field PA system, which gave a “Major League” feel. The actual game met and exceeded the fans’ expectations. The Falcons took a firm 4-0 lead, which they took into the 5th inning. However, starting pitcher Aspi Dimitrov was visibly running out of steam, despite leaving the game with a no-hitter for 4 and a 1/3 innings.

Reliever, Lee Manning, came in at a very short notice and performed magnificently to minimize the damage of the two runners left on by Dimitrov. Despite his efforts, the Bears fought tirelessly, driving in 6 runs in the 5th and 6th innings to take a 1-run lead and set up a “grand finale” in the bottom of the 6th. Two singles from Lee Manning and Yuji Endo put both the tying and winning runs on base. Up stepped slugger Marty Cullen, with the eyes of the crowd agog with anticipation. His massive line drive to the left field fence brought the winning run in to end this “classic”, and the crowd erupted.

This win earned the Falcons the coveted 11 o’clock start, avoiding the often (and with good reason) maligned 9:00 am start (under the stringent disciplinarian regime instituted by caretaker manager Jason Greenberg, that would have meant reporting for duty at the field at 7:30 am).

The razzmatazz culminated in the Home Run Derby on day one, which involved sluggers from each of the participating teams. The Falcons representative was hard-hitting Kimiyoshi Saionji, the Falcons’ very own Hideki Matsui. He was able to go through to the second round, and only some sudden wind gusts and dodgy last-minute manipulation of the home plate positioning (to favour righties), robbed him of a place in the final round of the 2007 Home Run Derby. The Falcons management are mulling over submitting an official complaint for the loss of the substantial sums that could have been generated from potential (however unlikely) t-shirt sales and other commercial opportunities.

On the second day, the Falcons faced the Great Britain Juniors (Under 18’s National Team) and the Great Britain Cadets (Under 16’s National Team). In the first game the Falcons held a good lead to the end, only for some clutch GB Junior hitting to tie the game and, due to the time limit rule in force in the tournament, the game ended in a 6-6 draw. This was the worst possible scenario for both teams, as they damaged each others’ chances of winning the trophy.

In the second game versus the GB Cadets, manager Greenberg was able to deploy a squad made up predominantly of Herts Hawks players. The future stars of Great Britain baseball performed creditably and were able to pull back from trailing at the beginning of the game to tie it up in the 5th. However, an astute managerial decision was made to bring in closer, Yuji “Lights Out” Endo, who came in and ended all hopes of a GB Cadets come-back. He struck out 5 batters in his 2 and 1/3 innings of pitching.

The Tournament Final was between the Richmond Flames and the Milton Keynes Hurricanes, with Richmond ending up as the 2007 London Tournament winners. The Frank Brady Trophy went to the Essex Arrows, mainly due to the masterful performance of former Falcon, Paul Raybould.

All in all, this was a great tournament for the Herts Falcons, who now have to put their minds back on the vital remaining League games of the season with promotion to the Premier League at stake

Disclaimer: Any resemblance between the Herts Falcons and the Cincinnati Reds, whether implied in this article or otherwise, is purely coincidental.

by AspiDimitrov

FEMALE STAR INSPIRES HAWKS TO VICTORY

[ BOX SCORE ]

GAME REPORT (by Dave Hamilton): Chantal Gerrard, playing in only her second league game, was the batting hero(ine) for the Herts Hawks as they completed a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Richmond Riverdogs on Sunday. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Hawks were facing an agonising defeat after their strongest defensive display of the year. However, Richmond were unable to get the final three outs as Chantal drove in the Hawk's winning run with a single down the third base line.

The Hawks were keen to build on the potential shown in the previous week's grudge match against the Falcons and provided some solid defence to back up a strong pitching performance from the rejuvinated Larry Martillo. However, Richmond pitcher Per Nilsson was also doing a fine job of keeping the Hawks hitters off balance and did not concede a hit in the first five innings as the Riverdogs clung to a 1-0 lead.

Chantal's lead-off single and some aggressive baserunning from player-manager Jake Kikel helped the Hawks draw level in the sixth inning, only for Richmond to edge ahead once more by scoring a run of their own in the seventh.

Embroiled in the pitching duel, both defences kept up the pressure and although a more patient approach at the plate saw the Hawks threaten to score in both the seventh and eighth innings, their hitters couldn't quite find the clutch hit they so desperately needed and runners were left stranded at second and third base to set up the nailbiting finish.

Trailing 2-1, rookie outfielder Jonathan Lewys led off the ninth inning with a walk before being forced out at second base on Larry Martillo's ground ball, and pinch-hitter Paul Auchterlonie (a late replacement for Carlos Casal who had suffered a serious looking leg injury five minutes earlier in the field) then hit a one-out single to right field to put the tying run on third base. Mark Hoffman's ground ball was good enough to tie the scores and set the scene for Chantal Gerrard to drive in the game-winning run with her second hit of the game.

The win lifts the Hawks record for the season to 3 wins and 4 losses, but the loss was tough on the Riverdogs who battled hard in a very tight ballgame. The Hawks now have a week off to work on their hitting before two games with Bournemouth on July 1st. Based on today's performance, they could do worse than learning to hit like a girl!!!

by AspiDimitrov

FIRST-EVER FALCONS-HERTS SHOWDOWN A GRAND CLUB SUCCESS

[ PHOTO GALLERY ]

[ GAME 1 BOX SCORE ]
[ GAME 2 BOX SCORE ]

GAME REPORT (by Ross Davies): The Herts Falcons won the battle of the birds, as they took both games against the newly-christened Herts Hawks in an historic occasion for the club. It was the first game between the two Hemel Hempstead-based sides since the club branched into two teams, and experience told on the day as the Falcons swept the Hawks in the double-header.

The Falcons, playing as hosts, took the initiative early on in the first game, as they raced into an early lead. Bruce Dullea, on the mound, was pitching consistently, and the home side’s bats fired from the off against the Hawks’ Larry Martillo to open up a sizeable deficit. Mark Hoffman came on to stem the flow of runs, but some excellent batting, most notably from Andy Cornish, who finished 3-for-3 with five RBIs, meant a premature ending to the first game as the slaughter rule came into play after five innings.

The Hawks would have been forgiven for letting their heads drop for the second game, but that wasn’t the case as Aspi Dmitrov took to the mound and pitched like a man possessed. Going into the fourth inning the game was tied at three each, and the Hawks were in with a real shout of an upset. However, a combination of poor batting and basic fielding errors cost them dear, and the Falcons capitalised, rattling off seven runs in two innings to put the game to bed.

In truth, the second game gave glimpses of what the Hawks were capable of, and there would have been the odd nervous moment in the home camp when the scores were level. But the efficient batting and faultless fielding proved the difference in the end, in particular from new shortstop Yuji Endo, whose athleticism was enough to lift the team on its own.