Category: Headlines

by Daniel Levitt

Arrows win Herts-Essex derby

report by Daniel Levitt

The season of freak injuries continued for the Herts Falcons as they took on the Essex Arrows in a double header at Grovehill Ballpark on Sunday.

They went into the game with a 1-3 record and few expected their depleted squad to pose a threat, but despite this, the Falcons came within six outs of causing a major upset.

The visitors to Grovehill jumped out to a four-run lead before their hosts could even step up to the plate. They didn’t let up, scoring all of their sixteen runs by the seventh inning. Despite a valiant effort to steady the ship from long-reliever Phillip Clark, who pitched three innings and gave up three earned runs in three innings, the damage had already been done.

There were some positives to take away from game one and they came from the bat of Jose Sosa, who launched a three-run home run as part of a two-hit game. Third baseman Jamie Gregory tacked on another home run, his first of the season, on his way to hitting 2-3 for the game.

The Falcons looked to start afresh in game two, with control on the pitcher’s mound the primary focus. After giving up a total of ten base-on-balls in game one, the duo of Sosa and Gregory swapped the bat for the ball and halved the walks to five in game two.

Sosa, making his first start of the season, was the subject of some kind words from Falcons Manager, Lee Manning: “Jose was fantastic in his first start. He crushed the ball and was exactly what the team needed after the first game”.

Jose Sosa greeted at home plate after hitting one of two homeruns against Essex (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

The Falcons appeared to be on their way to a series split, leading 7-3 after five innings, however the curse struck again. Tom Armstrong collided with the outfield wall while attempting a spectacular outfield catch and, after a 45-minute delay to enable the ambulance to take him to the hospital, it was difficult for Sosa to restart his engine on the mound.

Gregory couldn’t stop the onslaught, resulting in a six-run sixth and nine-run seventh. Before they knew it, Manning’s team were looking up at an 18-7 deficit, and a seemingly impossible task to overturn. Just like that, Herts were on the wrong side of a series sweep, falling to 1-5 on the season.

Regarding the mounting injuries, Manning added, “the injuries are killing us, but the lads have played through the pain and we should have a few of the injured players back for the next game”.

Up next for the Falcons is a trip to the south coast, where they will play two games against the Southampton Mustangs, who sit atop of the NBL standings with a 5-1 record.

 

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Injury-hit Falcons looking to take leaf out of Tony Pulis’ book this Sunday

The Herts Falcons are going into the weekend’s NBL games with the odds stacked firmly against them. Their roster has been severely weakened after the injuries sustained last Sunday in the games against Bracknell. Cris Hiche is one of the league’s leading batters with a batting average of .778, 1 home run, and he is expected to be out for 6 weeks. It would take a miraculous recovery for pitcher Abel Salas to be fit in time for Sunday’s games. There is also doubt about Mike Osborn’s fitness after his collision with Hiche and foot injury sustained earlier this year.

On the other hand the Arrows are buoyant after a winter which brought a number of high profile reinforcements turning them into a major contender for the title. Their starting pitchers Richard Chesterton and Lance Louw have picked up two wins each so far this season and are among the leaders in ERA, with 2.14 and 2.33, respectively. Over the years we have been used to seeing the Arrows in their traditional black and white uniforms. This Sunday, we will see them in their brand new orange jerseys mildly resembling the Brighton Buccaneers of the early 2000s.

Can Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, do a “Tony Pulis” and come up with a winning formula against the odds?

The game starts at 1pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

There will also be two other matchups. Triple-A League favourites Hove Tuesday (0-0) will be making the trip from the South coast to face the Herts Eagles (1-3). The Kent Mariners (1-2) will also be in town in a Single-A League game against the Herts Raptors (0-2) who will be looking for their first win of the season. The start times for these two games needed to be adjusted in order fit all 5 games. If all parties are in agreement the Eagles will start their doubleheader at 10am while the Raptors will play the Mariners as soon as the Triple-A games end, which is estimated to be at around 3pm. The Herts Hawks (4-4) are on the road this Sunday. They will face the Richmond Dragons (4-2), a direct rival in the race to the playoffs.

Before all of that, the Herts youth teams will be in action on Saturday. The Herts Harriers will appear in an international tournament. Their opponents will be the American Varsity League teams, ACS Cobham, and AS Paris (France). The games will be played at ACS Cobham, which is just a few minutes away from Chelsea Football Club’s training ground. At the same time in Hemel Hempstead the Herts Under-12 League games resume. Several new players are expected to make their U12 league debuts having joined the club after last Saturday’s open day.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Title chase setback for Herts Falcons

(photo by Joe Gray ProjectCOBB.org.uk)

National Baseball League
Game One: Herts Falcons 6 Bracknell Blazers 7
Game Two: Herts Falcons 4 Bracknell Blazers 14 

After taking a 6-3 lead against GB’s star pitcher Jordan Edmonds and seemingly in control away at the Bracknell Blazers, the Herts Falcons suffered a setback in the race for the NBL title. First the Blazers rallied with four runs in the bottom of the final inning to win the first game of the doubleheader 7-6, but perhaps what would be even more costly in the long-run are the serious injuries to centerfielder, Cris Hiche, and pitcher, Abel Salas. Hiche had to be taken to hospital where it was confirmed that he had fractured his wrist in an outfield collision with Mike Osborn as both tried to bravely make the play for the same fly ball. Salas was taken out of the game with a hamstring injury. He was slated to be the starting pitcher in the second game of the day, but the injury mean that the team’s pre-game strategy had to be scrapped. The Blazers took full advantage to win the second game convincingly 14-4.

Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, could not be with the team as he was awaiting the arrival of his second child. “We have to battle through the storm while our injured players recover and try to pick up wins along the way to stay in the NBL playoff race” said Manning.

New arrival, Jose Sosa, made his debut in this game and it looks like he wants to give his all for the cause. He drove the ball hard and deep and went within a few feet of a home run which would have been some achievement at the enormous Farnham Park, which has not seen any home runs since it opened last year. The Falcons will hope that pitcher Mike Osborn will be able to recover from the collision with Cris Hiche and that he will be able to continue playing with the painful foot injury which he has been carrying since sustaining it in winter training.

(photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

Triple-A League
Essex Redbacks 11 Herts Eagles 4
Essex Redbacks 13 Herts Eagles 3 

In the Triple-A League the Eagles lost both games against the Essex Redbacks, 4-11 and 3-13.

Photo by Ralph Bartholomew

Double-A League
Brentwood Stags 13 Herts Hawks 14
Brentwood Stags 21 Herts Hawks 11 

In the Double-A League, the Herts Hawks pulled-off another miraculous comeback. After trailing 4-11 against the Brentwood Stags they turned the game on its head to win 14-13. Ace pitcher Nick Russell kept the Hawks in the game with another good performance, but it was clutch at bats in the bottom of the final inning and a lapse of concentration which cost the Stags dearly. They were leading 13-12 with 1 out and the bases loaded. A ground ball was hit straight at their pitcher and they were preparing to celebrate as all the visitors had to do was to turn a routine 1-2-3 game-ending double-play by throwing to the catcher for the second out at home and then a throw to first base to force out the batter for the final out of the game. It all fell apart for Brentwood as the ball popped out of the catcher’s glove which allowed the runner from third base to score the tying run while everyone else was safe. It all came down to the next at bat with Charlie Day battling against the hard-throwing Brentwood pitcher. Day battled to a full count and in the final pitch was a ball which walked the winning run in.

In the second game the pitching staff of both teams once again struggled to find the umpire’s consistently tight strikezone, which made it a great day for the hitters and resulted in many walks. Brentwood came out on top winning the second game convincingly 21-11.

NEXT GAMES

Next week all four Herts adult teams are in action. With their injury problems, the Herts Falcons go into their home game against the revamped Essex Arrows as the underdogs. Game starts at 1pm on Sunday, 18 May, at Grovehill Ballpark, in Hemel Hempstead. 24 hours before that the club’s youth teams will go into the unknown as they face several American U19 teams including a team from Paris, France.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons add Sosa

Jose Sosa has completed his transfer from the Southern Nationals to the Herts Falcons ahead of Sunday’s NBL game with the Bracknell Blazers.

The 34-year-old Dominican has five NBL seasons under his belt. Between 2009 and 2011 he played for the Croydon Pirates. In 2012 he won the National Championship with the Harlow Nationals. Last year he moved to the Southampton Mustangs. Over his five NBL seasons he has hit 7 home runs, with batting average .297 and slugging average .429. Sosa is a switch-hitter.

 

His primary positions are first base and centerfield, but he has also pitched over the years with a record of 11 wins and 22 losses and an earned run average of 7.97.

NBL statistics courtesy of ProjectCOBB.org.uk

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

British baseball begins search for a new Ryan Bird


Herts Baseball Club has been trying to delay making this announcement, hoping against hope that it will not happen, but it has now been confirmed that three-time National Baseball League MVP (Most Valuable Player), Ryan Bird, has moved to America.

Over the last 6 years he has been one of the most dominant baseball players in Great Britain. His name appears prominently at the top of the majority of the defensive and offensive NBL stats. He received immediate recognition, voted as the NBL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2008. This was his first season in the League and this achievement is even more significant given that this was a time of total domination by the amazing London Mets. In the following year Bird was once again voted as the League’s MVP, making him the first player to receive two MVP awards since the days of Simon Pole during the London Warriors era. In 2009 he was also the league’s home run champion with 5 dingers.

In 2012 he made a high-profile move to the Herts Falcons and the domination continued. In 2013 he was voted NBL MVP for a third time.

He has performed consistently throughout and he is the NBL leader in career batting average (.500), career on-base average (.572) and career slugging average (.808). His primary position is catcher, but he has also had a real impact as a pitcher. His career ERA is 2.72 with a record of 15 wins, 4 losses, 2 saves and, very notably, one of the highest strikeouts per nine innings ratios (16.4). Last season he pitched those memorable back-to-back no-hitters for the Falcons.

Ryan Bird won his second NBL MVP award in 2009 as a Richmond player

This season’s opening game against the London Mets was his last for the Falcons before his move to the USA and he said good bye to the fans with another outstanding performance going 4-4 with a home run which probably is still hovering somewhere over St Albans.

NBL statistics courtesy of ProjectCOBB.org.uk

Bird’s departure is a major blow not just to Herts Falcons but to British baseball as a whole which needs players like him to fill the ballparks around the country.

This is one of several high-profile departures for the Falcons this season. Dave House, Jordan Farkas, Robbie Unsell and Xavi Gonzalez are all moving overseas. The start of the year for the Falcons has felt a lot like the opening scene of the Oscar-nominated movie Moneyball as staff at the Oakland Coliseum were removing the large banners of Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen.

Xavi Gonzalez is another Herts Falcons player who is playing overseas with the Stuttgart Reds this season

However, losing these big players also means that the door is open at Herts for the new stars to rise to the top of British baseball. The addition of players like Abel Salas and Jamie Gregory has been a major boost helping manager Lee Manning to start rebuilding the roster. Last week Herts fans had an extra boost seeing video footage of catcher Andrew Fulford preparing in Tampa Florida for his upcoming NBL debut. Manning has also shown faith in the club’s talented young players. Carlos Casal Jr, Conner Brown and Tom Everex-Armstrong joined Liam Green to make their NBL debuts in 2013 and this year they have been joined by Will Zucker, with more youngsters pushing hard with the club’s Triple-A team. We will have to wait and see how far these players will go over the next few years and if they will be the next Ryan Birds of British baseball.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

BBF Single-A League
Herts Raptors 24 Brentwood Bucks 25
Adrian Smithers, reporting from Clements Park, Brentwood

The Raptors arrived in Brentwood determined to get their first win of the season. The sun was shining brightly and it was a great day for baseball.

With the Raptors ready to go, the start time came and passed, with both teams awaiting the arrival of the match umpire. However the game still did not start until after both teams had lined up to be introduced to the mayor of Brentwood. With the ceremony finally concluded the game began.

Lead off batter Mike Cresswell stepped to the plate and took strike one above shoulder height and the tone for the day had been set.

In a hard fought game the Bucks leapt out to a 12-1 lead after two innings with Herts starting pitcher Jamie Lang tiring after throwing 87 pitches in search of an elusive and ever changing K-zone. Raptors scored 3 in the top of the third before Cresswell came in to relieve Lang for the bottom of the third. He slowed the Bucks charge holding them to 1 run in the bottom of the inning to make the score 13-4. Raptors then showed their teeth in the top of the fourth scoring seven runs without an out before Bucks pitcher Cook retired the next three in a row including striking out Raptors first baseman Will Belbin (who had originally got the inning going with a single) swinging at a high pitch that today he could not afford to take. Brentwood then added 4 more in the bottom of the inning to make the score 17-11 before lefty Cresswell’s superb pick off to 1st caught Bucks’ Davenport off of 1st and with no option but to head for second and into a run down situation that the Herts infield gladly took.

With the run rate slowing and the score 19-15, Jeff Witter came in to pitch the 6th inning for Herts, relieving Cresswell. Rob Jones also came into the game at shortstop with Raptors manager Geoff Thomas shuffling round his infield. Witter held the Bucks to one run in the sixth and with Herts failing to score in the 7th, everybody stretched as the slow moving game had already been going for four hours.

Bucks tacked on two more in the bottom of the seventh after a contentious call at home plate saw Bucks run threat Harris sliding into the tag applied by Herts catcher Smithers before being called safe, much to the incredulity of the whole Herts infield who were already trotting off the diamond. Manager Thomas came out to dispute the decision and intervene before his catcher, who had finally had enough and was voicing his opinion of the umpires decision, was tossed from the game. Despite his protestations and the clear evidence in the sand of a slide that had not reached the plate, the call stood.

Raptors were incensed and Thomas coralled his team between innings and implored them to go out & score the runs needed to win this game. Despite scoring four runs in the 8th aided by a pinch hitting Thomas’s double (in his first at bat of the season) the Raptors didn’t help their own cause with Smithers caught daydreaming off the bag at second for the second out of the eighth. Brentwood added 3 more in the bottom of the 8th inning to extend their lead to 25-19. Despite Herts best efforts, including Thomas hustling to second on a ball four wild pitch, they were only able to add another five runs. Finally losing 25-24, with Lang taking the loss, they had fought determinedly. Co-manager Rob Jones offered an extremely diplomatic view upon the game. “Brentwood is always a tough place to go and play. There were times today when we felt things weren’t going our way, a few calls went against us but players showed great spirit to keep rallying back.”

Notable Raptors batting stats for the day were….

Lang 5-7, 2B, 3R, 3RBI, SB. Belbin 3-5, BB, 4R, 4SB. Landau-Smithers 2-3, 3BB, 3R, RBI, 5SB. Jones 2-3, 2B, 2R, RBI. Smithers 3-4, 2BB, HBP, 4R, RBI, 3SB, CS. and Thomas 1-1, BB, 2B, 2R, RBI, 3SB.

Now 0-2, Raptors will look to regroup and look longingly ahead to their first game of the season at Grovehill Ballpark on Sunday, May 18.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts represented at the MLB European Baseball Academy Try Outs for the first time in its history

Herts Falcons and Great Britain National Team players Jamie Gregory and Tom Everex-Armstrong have been invited to this year’s Major League Baseball European Academy Try Outs. Although there have been several other British players called up to the MLB European Try Outs in previous years, this is the first time that members of Herts Baseball Club take part in this prestigious programme.

The MLB European Baseball Academy was created to provide training for European, New Zealand and African baseball prospects by former major leaguers. It also provides a central scouting location during the weeks it is open and over two dozen Academy alumni have signed contracts with MLB teams.

In 2011, Alex Liddi became the first Academy product to be called up to the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners. Donald Lutz was the second, making it in 2013 with the Cincinnati Reds. Instructors have included Barry Larkin, Lee Smith, Art Howe, Wally Joyner, Bruce Hurst, John McLaren, Steve Finley, Craig Shipley and Dale Murphy.

Through July 2013, over 50 Academy alumni had been signed by MLB organizations. So far there have been no British players who have gone on to sign contracts with MLB teams from the Academy, but the signs are that MLB is beginning to recognise the talented players playing in Britain, which is a boost for players in this country.

Armstrong and Gregory are taking part in this weekend’s segment of the Academy which is held in Barcelona, Spain.  Herts fans should rest assured that both will be back in time for Herts Falcons’ next league game on Sunday, 11 May 2014, at the Bracknell Blazers.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

7 games over 3 days this weekend for Herts

2008 was the last time a Herts team faced an American varsity league team.

SATURDAY, 3 MAY

HERTS DODGERS vs HERTS GIANTS

The weekend’s action for Herts Baseball Club starts on Saturday morning at Grovehill Ballpark with the opening game in the Herts Dodgers vs Herts Giants Series. This rivalry has been played out over the last few years between the club’s U12 teams and this year the series will be spread over the season in between UK Little League games, BBF national championships and other games in this age group.

HERTS HARRIERS @ ASL EAGLES

In the afternoon the focus turns to the Herts U19/U17 team which will make the short trip to Canons Park in Stanmore (postcode HA7 1AR) for an exhibition game against the ASL Eagles which is a team playing in the American varsity league. Herts will be missing several players, but it will still be interesting to see how these two teams will compare. First pitch is at 2pm.

SUNDAY, 4 MAY

SOUTH LONDON PIRATES @ HERTS HAWKS

On Sunday it is the turn of the Herts adult teams. The Herts Hawks (1-3) missed an opportunity to sweep the Pirates (1-3) a week ago. They will have another opportunity, this time on home turf. Nick Russell missed last Sunday’s game but is expected to be back on the mound for this one. A sweep will see the Hawks go back to a .500 record.

HERTS RAPTORS @ BRENTWOOD BUCKS

The Raptors (0-1) will be on the road again for their second game of the season. They will face the newest member of the Single-A League, the Brentwood Bucks (1-1). This is the first ever meeting between these two teams.

MONDAY, 5 MAY

HERTS vs LONDON SPORTS

On this bank holiday weekend the baseball action continues on Monday as the U17 and U12 London Sports teams are the visitors to Grovehill Ballpark for pre-season games versus their Herts counterparts.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Baseball Club and Astley Cooper School establish a new baseball programme

Herts Baseball Club has teamed up with Astley Cooper School for the launch of a satellite baseball club. It will open up an opportunity for boys and girls aged 10 to 16 to play baseball. Events will be taking place on Tuesdays after school. The club commences on Tuesday, 6 May, and the weekly baseball events will continue right up until the final Tuesday of the school year on 15 July. Coaches from Herts Baseball Club will introduce students to the game of baseball.

Apart from Astley Cooper School’s 500 pupils, students from other schools are also welcome to take part in this club.

This programme is funded by Herts Sports Partnership with the goal of increasing participation in sport among youngsters.

Students don’t have to wait for Tuesday to play baseball. Herts Baseball Club is one of the leading clubs in the UK and is located just five minutes away from Astley Cooper School. They can sign up to play with the Herts youth teams covering ages from 6 to 16 and with the adult teams for those over the age of 16. The Herts teams compete in regional leagues, the national championships and internationally with Little League Inc. along with 2.6 million other participants in 75 countries.

Herts Baseball Club President, Aspi Dimitrov, was keen to emphasise the importance of this project. “Over the last 10 years we have been growing at an average rate of 27% per annum and this programme is expected to boost growth further” said Dimitrov. He added that “as it develops, the hope is that this can expand into a baseball league involving teams representing different schools from around the region”.

OPEN DAY – 10 MAY 2014

In addition to the launch of the baseball programme in Astley Cooper School, Herts Baseball Club will stage an Open Day on Saturday, 10 May 2014. Boys and girls from 6 to 18 will have the opportunity to enjoy a day packed with baseball activities alongside existing members of the club’s youth league teams.

For details about the Open Day or how to try baseball for free on Tuesdays at Astley Cooper School or on Saturdays at Grovehill Ballpark contact Herts Baseball Club.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Marauders strike faster than RMT to hand opening game loss to Raptors

BBF Single-A League,
Herts Raptors 9 London Marauders 20,
Adrian Smithers, reporting from Finsbury Park

There’s always a special feeling on the day of the first baseball game of the season. This was noticeable amongst the Raptors who arrived at 8am, on a dreary grey Sunday morning in Finsbury park, only to find not a Marauder in sight. This despite furious communication upon social media the previous evening, about whether the game would take place, resulted in the Raptors being informed of an 8am inspection. Little did they know that what this actually involved was opposing manager Ryan Turtill peering out of his window to see what the weather was doing before strolling down Seven sisters road to meet and greet them.

As the home team finally arrived, the light drizzle over the park faded away to become just an overcast sky. The game was on!

The score was close for the first two innings with the Marauders leading 6-5 at the end of two. However after failing to score in the top half of the third, the Raptors conceded 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning as the Marauders plate discipline payed off. As a tiring Ralph Bartholemew (112 pitches through 3 innings) was on the end of a lot of full counts and a few ball four calls that could have been called strikes on another day by another umpire had they been umpiring from behind the plate. This inning was the main difference between the two teams and pushed the London team to an 11 run lead that the Raptors were never able to close. The Raptors added a run in the top of the fourth before Jeff Witter took over the pitching duties in relief through innings 4, 5 and 6, limiting the Marauders to four more runs, two of which were unearned. The Raptors remained scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings before a rally in the top of the seventh, trying to prolong the game ahead of the dreaded mercy rule, scored three more runs but fell short as the final out of the inning and the game was made with the bases loaded and the game extending run stranded on second base. So with a final score of 20-9 to the Marauders and the sun finally blazing in the north London sky, the Raptors were left to reflect upon an opening game loss.

It was noticeable that this was a team that had vastly improved its fielding and were now making the routine outs that had so often eluded them as the Eagles in previous seasons. Prompting Raptors co-manager, Rob Jones, to pragmatically reflect upon the day with the words, “I was really impressed with how the guys performed against a tough team. There are a lot of positives to build on.”

The Raptors highlight of the day was the sight of long term injury Joel Osborne-Brade (pictured) lining his first competitive bat in nearly two years straight back up the middle for a single. Along with four catches playing CF. Two of which, were BBF ‘A’ baseball to have a web gems feature, would have surely been contenders. He went on to produce batting stats for the day that read 1-2, 2R, 2BB, 2SB. Other notable stats were Michael Cresswell 2-2, RBI, R, 3BB, 3SB. Jeff Witter 1-2, RBI, 3BB. Jamie Lang 1-5, 2RBI & Rob Jones 2-5, RBI, 3R, 3SB. Although other Raptors reached base on errors, walks and a HBP, these five supplied the only hits on the day.

Raptors will be hoping to cut out the big inning next week as they look to build upon a solid, albeit losing, performance at Brentwood on Sunday.