Category: Headlines

by Herts Baseball News Editor

2014 Herts Raptors manager confirmed

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that Arnie Longboy will continue as the manager of the Herts Raptors in 2014. He was out of the country in the week of the Annual General Meeting therefore this appointment was confirmed subsequently.

Longboy has held the managerial position since the start of the 2012 season and has had two very successful seasons so far. In 2012 the Raptors just missed out on a Single-A League playoff spot with a regular season record of 6-4 finishing in third place one-and-a-half games behind the leaders. In 2013 the team stepped up its efforts and finished at the top of their Single-A Division with 10 wins and 4 losses. They reached the national championship semi-finals where they lost 10-6 against the Haverhill Blackjacks.

We understand that the executive Board of the club will soon be looking at the question of how many Herts teams to enter and in which tiers of the British leagues. Over the years this has always been a very difficult process with so many different factors to consider. Which league will Arnie Longboy be managing the Herts Raptors in? We will keep you updated as soon as the club makes further announcements.

We are also waiting for news of who will be the manager of the Herts Eagles in 2014. Those who are interested in the Herts Eagles Manager role or would like to receive more information, can contact the club.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Tom Everex-Armstrong is the 2013 Herts Harriers MVP

The 2013 season for the Herts Under-17 team was capped-off in style at the annual awards. This year the event was held in Basildon which is located in the neighbouring county of Essex. It was hosted by the Brown family and organised by the parents of the U17 players.

Carlos Casal Sr was the master of ceremony, while Carlos Casal Jr provided the audio-visual entertainment. This included a film showing the history of the current generation of Herts U17 players from the start of the Herts youth programme in 2007 to this day. Some great memories including the 2010 season when Herts won the U14 championship and reminded us of the families which were part of the team and have since relocated to other parts of the world, but they will always be part of this Herts generation.

Next it was time to announce and present the 2013 awards. Tom Everex-Armstrong picked up the prestigious Most Valuable Player Award. The MVP is voted on by the players and is a deserved recognition of Armstrong’s hard work over the years. Everyone is looking forward to more of his team speeches in 2014. He also received the Cy Young award for his outstanding pitching performances which included the win against rivals London Mets in the Semi-Final of the National Championship. His ERA for the U17 league season stands at 3.68 with 30 strikeouts and 5 wins.

Carlos Casal Jr and Charlie Mayhew picked up the infield and outfield gold gloves, respectively. Casal also received the Most Stolen Bases trophy with 14 steals. Tom Jansson-Wright had an impressive first season moving up from the U14 to the U17 leagues and was chosen as the Rookie of the Year. An injury from a cycling accident kept him out of the postseason, but everyone is hopeful that he will recover in time for the 2014 Opening Day.

In the batting category third-baseman Callum Vangundy was the batting champion with .444 average, .667 slugging percentage and 10 RBIs. Jose Morillo was the Home Run Champion, a change after Liam Green made this trophy his own over the previous two seasons.

The event continued with various competitions including a Britain’s Got Talent show. We hope that someone managed to capture the performance of coaches Carlos Casal Sr and Cris Hiche on video as well as that of Carlos Casal Jr and Conner Brown, who appeared to tell a story of two lovers in a balletic performance to the sound of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. At one point Conner Brown appeared to die and Carlos Casal Jr made desperate attempts to revive him without success at which point he committed suicide not realizing that Conner was just about to wake up from his very brief coma. Please contact the club if you have videos or photos from the event.

Apart from the members of the 2013 Herts Harriers team, it was exciting to see the new signings who will be wearing the Herts jersey in the U17 and the senior leagues in 2014.

The Herts Harriers are ready and eager to return to the ballpark in 2014 – the players and the coaching staff looked like they have some unfinished business.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts AGM – in pursuit of growth and success on and off the field

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 November 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 appointing the Executive Board for the upcoming season.

Herts will go into the new season with a strong team in all departments, the number of which seems to be increasing every year. There are some new faces joining the club’s Board who will bring fresh ideas and new energy, and at the same time the club has retained a large number of the 2013 Board members which will provide continuity in the club’s pursuit of growth and success on and off the field.

The following is the full list of the 2014 Herts Baseball Executive Board. 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. Those interested in any of the vacant Board positions or for more information about them can contact the club.

President – Aspi Dimitrov

Co-Treasurers – Chris Jones and Aspi Dimitrov

Secretary – Vacant

Manager (First Team – NBL) – Lee Manning

Manager (Second Team – AAA) – Carlos Casal

Co-Managers (Third Team – AA) – Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan

Manager (Fourth Team – A) – Vacant

Manager (Fifth Team – A) – Vacant

Youth League Commissioner – Aspi Dimitrov

Head of U17 Baseball – Cristobal Hiche

Head of U14 Baseball – Jake Caress

Head of U11 Baseball – Vacant

Softball League Commissioner – Vacant

Club Shop Manager – Mark Caress

Communications Director – Ben Marques

Facilities Manager – Ben Marques

Board member-at-large – Joe Gray

Board member-at-large – Kevin Freeman

After the Board’s 2013 report and approval of the 2012 accounts, the Co-Treasurers presented preliminary financial results for the year to 31 October 2013. The full financial statements are expected to be finalised and presented to members for approval over the next few months. The preliminary results are positive with a good accumulation of reserves which are available for the club to invest in its future development and growth and as partnership funding in grant applications. Despite a reduction in debtors compared to 2012, the balance remained high and it was confirmed that the Treasury department is in the process of implementing various steps, from sending out reminder notices to court proceedings where necessary. It is hoped that these stricter procedures will address this issue.

Two constitutional amendments were approved unanimously. The implications are that Board members will now serve 3-year terms as opposed to the 1-year terms in previous years. In the interest of continuity, a rotation system will be in place every year so that only a third of the Board will stand down. At the same time the amendments give members and the Board some safeguards when it is in the club’s best interest for a member of the Board to stand down before the end of their term.

With a large number of changes in youth baseball announced earlier this month at the British Baseball Federation Congress, the Herts AGM assessed them and considered the available options. The transition will not be easy but significant gains are available for those who put the time and effort into youth baseball.

A proposal for the start of a Herts regional league were put forward. There can be significant benefits from this project provided that it can fit into the timetable of players and around the club’s existing departments and events schedule. The club will assess potential demand, scheduling and other aspects of the project.

The Single-A League department was covered extensively with various topics from the process of drafting the players to an option to enter a Herts team or teams in a proposed Midlands Single-A league.

 

by Rob Jones

Herts Baseball 2013: the Quest for Glory

How do you cap a year which saw two Herts adult teams in the post-season playoffs, and the cream of the youth players challenging for a trophy? How about a year in which three adult teams made the playoffs, and the cream of the youth players challenged for a trophy.

2013 was another step forward for Herts, already one of the biggest and best baseball organisations in the UK. The Herts Falcons won the National League pennant for the first time in the club’s history, and the Raptors — who just a couple of years ago were struggling for wins — made it as far as a heart-breaking semi-final defeat in the playoffs. Add to that the success of the Hawks and the Harriers, and it was a vintage year.

Let’s start with the lower leagues, where Herts is blessed with enough new players to field two teams in the Single-A division. The Eagles were nominated as the development team, and the rookies had a tough start with two big losses. But then they showed what they could achieve.

Eagles v Raptors
Will Belbin helps the Eagles beat the Raptors in the first Herts derby of 2013 (pic: Rob Jones)

The first win was a stunner against the Raptors, the Herts Single-A side which was built to run at the playoffs. On an ever-wetter day in Hemel Hempstead, Duncan Hoyle’s Eagles side racked up a big lead and survived a spirited comeback before capping it all with ninth-inning drama. Facing a two run deficit, Adrian Smithers scored the tying run, before Mike Cresswell drove in Will Belbin to be mobbed at the plate and secure the win.

There was more walk-off drama against the Milton Keynes Coyotes a fortnight later. Serge Plata was the star with the bat, and Andrew Slater on the mound, but the Eagles once again found themselves needing to score in the bottom of the ninth to win. Two out, two strikes on the batter, nobody on base — but an injured Smithers was again the key, and this time the Warsaw Express, Tomasz Kosak, barrelled in for the winner.

All the way

Duncan Hoyle is stepping down now as coach, but leaves a firm foundation for his successor. “There is no doubt this season has been a tough learning curve”, he said, “but there have been some great performances and the team’s record is really impressive”.  He said the teams victories “spoke volumes for the enthusiasm and character” of the Eagles.

The Raptors, despite that upset against the Eagles, fulfilled their promise and made it all the way to the playoffs. There were big wins over the Leicester 2Sox, the Essex Redbacks and the Archers. The Raptors scored freely all season. But they also came out on top in match-ups with the powerful London Marauders and the cunning of the Old Timers.

The team was a perfect mix of veterans and young talent, much of it having come through the Herts Little League. The coach Arnie Longboy set the tone – disciplined, calm, yet aggressive — and he led the team in batting average, and slugging percentage. There was also Jeff Witter, at first base and on the pitching mound, the Kevin Millar of the side keeping them loose. Zack Longboy and Will Zucker were the outstanding young starting pitchers.

Raptors at Farnham Park
Ken Pike at bat for the Raptors in the Single-A semi final (pic: Adrian Smithers)

One of the season highlights for the Raptors came from one of their guest stars, Ben Marques. He played for every team this season, but when he turned out for the Raptors against Guildford in July he hit two Grand Slam home runs. Exhaustive research has found no hint that anyone has ever achieved the feat in a British league game. A very strong contender for play of the year. Of which, more later…

The Raptors year ended with defeat in the semi-final against the Haverhill Blackjacks. With Zucker dealing on the mound, Arnie Longboy’s side had a strong lead in a tough game, but the Blackjacks managed to rally against the bullpen, and came from behind to win 10-6.

The walk-off hero

The Herts Hawks also made the postseason in the AA-league, for the second year in a row. Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan guided the side to a 9-7 record. Highlights for the Dynamic Duo were walk-off wins against both the Guildford Mavericks, and a particularly sweet win over the Kent Mariners. Hunter Devine, Andrew Slater (that man again) and Andy Cornish’s third home run of the year secured a comfortable win in Game 1 of a double header, but the Hawks had to dig deeper in Game 2. Devine wound up as the hero, with his second walk-off hit of the season, to secure fifth seed in the AA-league.

The playoff run ended swiftly  with defeat by a strengthened Sidewinders team, but the managers were still happy with their players. As Cornish put it at one point: “We have exceeded my expectations for this season, but now my expectations have changed and every week, I want to win. Every other team had better watch out!”

Liam Green
Ravens' phenom Liam Green in action (pic: Will Baxter)

The Herts Ravens had perhaps the toughest year of any of the cub’s sides. They were a new addition to the roster, arriving in AAA boasting talent both from the Falcons and from the impressive youth movement. The year began with defeats by Leones de Feltham, London and Bristol. But the Ravens soon found their wings, gaining revenge over Leones with a sweep.

They followed that up with the biggest upset of the AAA season, winning both halves of a double-header against the Oxford Kings. Louis Hare and then 17 year old Liam Green were the pitching stars, Green recording a two hit shutout.  The Ravens wound up with a 6-18 record.

Which brings us finally to the Herts Falcons in the National Baseball League. Hopes were high that this could be the year of a title coming to Hemel Hempstead. The top team had a clutch of riches in Darrin Ward, Robbie Unsell and Mike Osborn — and they only missed out on the win narrowly in the finals in 2012.

Manager Lee Manning was hoping to go one better, with the addition of players such as Xavi Gonzalez, who had once played in the Minnesota Twins organisation. Manning’s side started the year well with convincing wins over the South London Pirates and the defending NBL champions, the Harlow Nationals.

Proud pennant winners

There were then hiccups, with injuries to key players and a sweep at the hands of the London Mets — the first that the Falcons had suffered for two years! Then they re-established their dominance, and began a remarkable run of 18 consecutive victories.  Bingo bango baseball became the norm for the Herts side, their technique and power matched by their indomitable spirit.

In a season of great achievements — including Unsell setting the career record for steals in the NBL — one stands out. Pitcher Ryan Bird not only threw a no-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against the Pirates in August — he followed it a week later with another one. This time the Essex Redbacks were the victims, 9 of them by strikeout. Just like Ben Marques’ double-slam for the Raptors, there is no record of any player achieving back to back no-hitters in British baseball. Voters for the end of season awards face a tough choice.

The Falcons scored more runs than any other NBL side on their way to a 24-4 record and the pennant. It was the first time in the 17 year history of Herts that they had finished top of the pile at the end of the regular season, and it was a proud moment for all involved.

Robbie Unsell
Falcons' pitcher Robbie Unsell

It seemed somehow inevitable that the Harlow Nationals would stand in the way at some point, and they were the opponents when the Falcons turned out for the semi-final at Farnham Park. Herts had the best of the early exchanges, and led 4-3 going into the sixth inning.

Then the Nationals managed to grab the initiative, and a bases-clearing double which was a whisker away from being caught became decisive. Herts fought back from 8-4 down, and needed just one run in the bottom of the ninth to tie it. But it was not to be. The Nationals progressed to the final and the three-peat.

Lee Manning was able to remain outwardly philosophical. “It was not our weekend at these finals”, he said, adding “We are looking forward to next season now with new reinforcements.” The Falcons are not done yet.

Last but not least in this round-up come the youth teams. Some of the youngsters prepared for the year with a coaching session led by Major League stars such as Jeremy Guthrie, and that was an indication of their promise.

Strong foundations

The Herts Harriers got further in the Pony (Under 17) category than any team in Herts history. They beat Leicester in the quarters, then the London Mets in the semi.  Tom Everex- Armstrong, Jose Morillo Jr and Will Zucker (remember him) helped pitch them to the final, where they ultimately fell 9-6 to the defending champion Cobham Cougars. Cris Hiche had led the side, and said that taking them all the way to the finals was the definite highlight of the season.

GB National manager Sam Dempster also provided a highlight, visiting training sessions at Herts.  And the quality of the youth set-up continued to grow. The club’s Under-14 league team, the Herts Cardinals, couldn’t progress beyond the quarter finals of their league after losing first to the Forest Glade Redbacks and later to the London Mets. But the team will be looking to regroup and strengthen over the winter and return stronger in 2014.

The very foundations, the Under 11s, switched from coach pitch to kids pitch, which meant the category now boasted a number of players with the talent and confidence to pitch with good power and accuracy.

The U11s also travelled successfully to Richmond and to Essex during the year, and were runners up in the season-ending Herts Futures Tournament. In the Herts Little League, the Dodgers won out over the Giants in a season-deciding 7-3 finale.

So it’s clear the future for Herts looks strong. Not only has the youth programme continued to flourish and feed into the adult leagues, but free midweek training sessions also attracted a constant influx of brand new players. Adult teams have all taken a further step up, and that has been a step towards the ultimate target — silverware and a national title.

Herts Baseball Club will hold its 17th Annual General Meeting in Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 17th November. All current, past and future members are welcome to come along. Proceedings begin at 2pm at Gadebridge Community Centre, The Nokes, Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead HP1 3LF

 

by Rob Jones

The red flag and the green grass: Miliband and the Sox

Those of us who follow the game closely — and who even get lucky enough to play it once in a while —  understand why baseball has secured its place in the public consciousness far beyond a mere sport. It has acquired mystique and enviable history over the course of years. But it has that because it has rhythm, it has poetry, and it speaks to people in ways which other pastimes cannot.

And so, when something special happens inside the world of baseball it even manages to spread to the outside world. And the UK noticed when the Boston Red Sox secured their third World Series in a decade.

At the centre of much of this was the leader of the Labour party, Ed Miliband. As the Sox prepared for the ultimately decisive game 6, Miliband used his obligatory Twitter feed to post a very optional message — “Great Red Sox win last night. Hope and expectation about Weds night. But bitter experience means us Red Sox fans can never be complacent”.

Daily Telegraph
Ed Miliband's support for the Red Sox discussed in the Telegraph

The response from the Conservatives was swift. They used their Twitter feed to accuse him of being “out of touch” for commenting on a baseball game when he would not comment on that day’s British economic figures.

Plenty of people on the Twitterverse hurled abuse his way, either for jumping on a popular cause, or for commenting on a geeky foreign sport. One wag who accused him of bandwagoning got this deeply sarcastic reply from another user: “I’m sure that was calculated for the big baseball vote”.

Debate was plentiful in the press in the ensuing days. The Spectator saw symbolism in the fact that the Sox are a rich team, who often cast themselves as underdogs. But The Telegraph’s Dan Hodges defended Mr Miliband, saying he preferred an honest baseball fan to a fake football fan, as many politicians are.

Undeterred by it all, Ed Miliband tweeted throughout Game 6, concluding thus in the small hours of the morning: “Amazing to see team I watched as kid find way to win with ease. Didn’t even put us through normal red sox agony.”

Rarely has baseball been such a central topic in British political debate.

What many people were seeing for the first time was that baseball is followed closely by lots of people in the UK, including many high profile — even respected — figures. The eminent historian Simon Schama is a big Red Sox fan from his days at Harvard. Similarly, the former controller of Radio 4, Mark Damazer — now Master of St Peter’s College, Oxford – is a devoted citizen of Red Sox Nation. The former Conservative party leader, Michael Howard, is a New York Mets fan, who once told me he flew out specially to watch the team’s final game at Shea Stadium.

And whatever criticism can be thrown at Ed Miliband, there was little disputing of the simple fact that he has been a Boston fan since spending time in the city with his academic father.

Who would have thought there was this great untapped, unseen well of affection for baseball? Well, most of us reading this knew it was out there. We are part of it. But it is good to see it emerge.

Herts Baseball Club is of course, entirely independent and has no political view. But if Mr Miliband wishes to support baseball, we wish him all the best. Should David Cameron declare a deep love for the Baltimore Orioles, say, we would wish him the best too. We know he has read a baseball book — The Art of Fielding — so who knows what is next?

Credit Tlumacki/Boston Globe
The B Strong logo at Fenway after Game 6 (photo: John Tlumacki/Boston Globe)

Of course, the other reason baseball took such a high profile this October is one which goes back to the poetry and symbolism we mentioned at the start. The 2013 Red Sox had become closely linked to the city’s recovery from the bomb attack on its marathon in the Spring. The team adopted the Boston Strong slogan, and David Ortiz gave a memorable and heartfelt speech to fans: “This is our f***ing city”.

The ragged glory of Boston’s team – bristling with ridiculous beards in a gesture of brotherhood — showed spirit as much as it showed sporting talent. And that helped the Sox to persist in an unlikely turnaround from worst to first. And spirit was what Boston wanted to see after it had seen tragedy.

John Tlumacki of the Boston Globe was at the scene of the marathon bombing and took one of the most defining photos of it — police officers, wreathed in smoke, standing over a fallen runner. He took more stunning images of the World Series triumph and said it was a magical moment as smoke from the fireworks lifted after the game to reveal the B Strong cut into the outfield grass.  I include that image here — all rights, of course, remain with Mr Tlumacki and the Globe.

The New York Yankees did not win the World Series in 2001, which took place just weeks after 9/11. Perhaps they should have for a similar fairytale to be complete. But they were part of an extraordinary Series. And in 2013, Boston was able to have the final line written as if by Hollywood.

Both British and American journalists have celebrated and explained this moment in moving and insightful terms. And if Ed Miliband, or whoever else, feels it too, then they should feel free to talk about it. Just like the people of Boston, Herts believes in the power of baseball.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Watch the World Series FREE this weekend

Grab a seat for Games 3 and 4 of the World Series - Busch Stadium will be rocking.

The World Series are nicely poised at 1-1 and BT Sport is giving everyone a chance to watch Games 3 and 4 FREE this weekend. The BT Sport channel is available to anyone who has Sky Digital, Virgin Media, Freeview or other digital TV platforms. Here is the TV schedule this weekend:

 

SATURDAY, 26 OCT (Saturday night/Sunday morning)

• 00:30am, World Series, Game 3, Boston Red Sox @ St Louis Cardinals (BT Sport 1)

SUNDAY, 27 OCT (Sunday night/Monday morning)

• 6:15pm, REPEAT World Series, Game 3, Boston Red Sox @ St Louis Cardinals (ESPN)

• 11:00pm, ESPN Baseball Tonight – build-up to Game 4 (ESPN)

• 00:00am, World Series, Game 4, Boston Red Sox @ St Louis Cardinals (BT Sport 1)

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Black Widows win 2013 Hunlock Series, for now.

The Black Widows management went out from the first round of the Hunlock Series draft with the intention to pick any and all available pitchers including Darrin Ward (photo by Rob Jones)

The final weekend of Hunlock Series games was rained out and weather conditions mean that the Series will most likely end without completing that final round of games. The Black Widows would be declared the 2013 Hunlock Series winners as they currently sit on top of the standings.

The organisers have left an option open that the final round of games may be played in the event of warm and dry weather drying the baseball diamonds sufficiently before winter arrives, so players of the four teams which trail the Black Widows in the standings will be watching weather reports with a great deal of enthusiasm in the coming weeks.

.

STANDINGS
TEAM W L % GB STRK RS RA 1-RUN
Black Widows 6.5 1.5 0.813 – W1 22 4 2-0
Red Roosters 5 3 0.625 1.25 W2 21 20 3-1
Green Gators 4 4 0.500 2.25 W1 25 33 1-0
Blue Dogs 3 5 0.375 3.25 L4 18 23 1-1
White Lightning 1.5 6.5 0.188 5.0 L1 18 24 0-5

.

 

by Rob Jones

The baseball bonus: the Hunlock Series

It’s one of the moments in life that you rarely know about as it actually happens. It is not until later that it all becomes clear, writes Rob Jones. And, so, only now can I confirm that my final baseball activity of 2013 was lining out to the first baseman as the Blue Dogs went down to the Black Widows in the Hunlock Series.

You always want that moment to be a walkoff home run, or something similar, but as in much of life it is usually prosaic. During each season you notice the little milestones – I still remember scoring the first Raptors run of the season one year, and catching the ball for the final out in another — and together they build a bigger picture.

Hunlock Series action
Blue Dogs' Ben Marques grounds out in the battle against the Black Widows

I had hoped to be part of the final weekend of the Hunlock, the extravaganza of single-inning games, but rain washed it out and now I am back at work. So it’s over. And that lineout-cum-failed-flare was the final full stop.

The Hunlock Series is the club’s now traditional coda to the baseball season, fought between rejigged rosters of all the Herts teams. Also traditional is my peaen to its charms, and 2013 should be no different. The sun shone kindly on the second round of games, the one in which I took part. It was relaxed yet competitive, fun yet serious. And there was good baseball on show.

Perhaps most notably, pitching ace Ryan Bird got to show off his famous fastball in a series of great moments. There were match-ups with batters from the youth leagues and from the Single-A Eagles, who got a taste of what they are striving for. They probably heard the ball go past rather than actually seeing it, but you still learn the lesson. There was the gloriously even contest against slugger Andy Cornish, the Hawks co-manager, who defiantly won by ripping a double down the left field line. And there was the pitching duel against Liam Green — of which more later.

Old faces are welcomed back for the Hunlock — such as Andrew Fulford, a hero of the Hawks 2012 post-season, and Simon Langton who now plays his baseball in Hull. And these are mixed up with players who are brand new to the game, such as Mike Green of the Blue Dogs, who showed both power and poise in his first at-bats.

The spirit is always great and perhaps that comes from the feeling that you are getting a little something extra, a baseball bonus, by playing into October.

Hnlock Series action
Darrin Ward in action on the pitching mound

So how was my Hunlock playing experience? Actually pretty decent, considering it was my first baseball action in five weeks, and only my second in about nine weeks. I made some plays at third base — tagging out a runner on a throw from Carlos Velasco-Caruz, and even fielding a grounder and throwing out a White Lightning runner at first.

I also felt that I had made one of my best ever plays from the position to secure the final vital out of the game against the Red Roosters. Remember that pitching duel I was telling you about? Well, at the bottom of the final inning, with the go-ahead run on third base, and two men out, Liam Green chopped a hit into the hole towards short. I roved to snare the ball, and with no chance to get Kimi Saionji racing home I hurled it as hard as I could to Rod Naghar at first.

Bang. Bang. But I was sure the play had gone in our favour and the Dogs started to celebrate a job well done when the umpire called Liam safe. The Roosters instead celebrated a walk off, while complaints about the call were added to earlier complaints about the controversial balk call which had put Kimi on second and ultimately into scoring position.

But this being the Hunlock rather than a big league playoff game, the controversy faded quickly. We are all still talking to each other. No helmets were thrown. On this occasion, I have the satisfaction of knowing I am right, and that is enough!

With the bat, I went 0-3, but got good wood on it every time. I grounded out against Mike Cattermole, but moved the runner over. Against the heat of Liam Green, I thought it would be best to try to go the other way. I hit the ball almost exactly where I wanted it, just about two feet too low, and it was caught by Kyle Lloyd-Jones at first base.

Then there was that final out, against the Black Widows’ and Herts Falcons’ very own pitching Yoda, Darrin Ward. His main trade is not exactly high heat but I was still determined the get that hit to right field. Instead, Gilberto Medina’s glove was the recipient of my final gift.

The baseball year was over. The Blue Dogs hoped for a big comeback in the final round of games, but a double-rainout meant the Widows took the title.  But maybe the result is not what is important. Maybe it’s about the fact that the baseball family which has been built in Herts is still so strong, so deep into the year. And that it can once again hope for even better next year.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts confirm AGM details

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that its 17th Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday, 17 November 2013.

2013 has been one of the most successful years in the club’s history with five of the club’s nine teams reaching the postseason in the various senior and youth British Baseball leagues. The AGM will provide a deeper understanding of what that on-field success means for the club’s various departments, whether the club has achieved growth financially and an increase in the number of its members and fans.

Members will receive the AGM Information Pack in due course and that will give a better idea of what to expect. We understand that the meeting is likely to look at the options available to the club to make the step up to the next level and stay ahead of the rest.

Apart from the end of year financial and other reports from the club’s departments, club members will be asked to elect the members of the Board for the forthcoming year. Nominations for Board members are currently invited and those who are interested to put their name forward or second a nomination can contact the club for more details.

Although only 2013 paying members have the right to vote at the AGM, the meeting is very much open to former members and those who are considering joining the club in 2014 as players, members of staff, volunteers and fans. This is a good opportunity for newcomers to learn more about the club and meet its members. The meeting is also open to observers who are not members of the Club, but they would need to advise the club in advance as spaces are limited. If you are not a current member and wish to attend the AGM please contact the club.

The AGM will be held just a few minutes away from Grovehill Ballpark. The venue is the Gadebridge Community Centre.

DATE: Sunday, 17 November 2013

TIME: Registration starts at 2:00pm, the AGM will commence at 2:10pm (expected to end at around 5:45pm)

VENUE: Galley Hall, Gadebridge Community Centre, The Nokes, Rossgate, Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3LF (Directions and Map)