As what passed for the summer begins to slip into the distance and the nights start to draw in, so the British baseball season nears an end for another year.

The 2011 regular season has been concluded. The results and final standings will be etched in the British baseball history books (or websites, to be more precise), although currently it’s not clear in every case quite what the definitive final picture will look like.

Not all the games were played. In fact, based on the results published on the British Baseball Federation website, the majority of teams were unable to complete their full schedule. 

Forfeits and postponements interrupted proceedings and the late change to the playoff schedule gave teams less chance to make those games up.  Some clubs were able to go the extra mile to add games in recently.  For example, both the London Metros and Essex Redbacks played games on Saturday and Sunday last weekend to make up for games lost earlier in the season. 

It does pose the question as to whether the structure of British baseball at different levels needs to be looked at. 

A regular season league of decent length followed by a short postseason is the ideal format and certainly that should be the case at the National Baseball League level.  However the integrity of the competition, and more importantly the enjoyment of being part of the competition, demands that realistically it can be completed and brought to a conclusion in a fair and open way.

Teams should be playing schedules that they can meet – even accounting for bad weather and the occasional need for a postponement for other unavoidable reasons – and when they get to the business end of the season they should know what’s at stake.  Uncertainty over unfulfilled fixtures and the specific postseason format shouldn’t be a factor as you head into the final month.  Continue reading →

Last week’s column prompted various discussions about British baseball schedules and the postseason, alongside a thoughtful conversation starter by Joe Gray.

Since then, the 2011 postseason schedule has been announced on the British Baseball Federation website.

This contains a variety of key changes from the initial draft, with the number of games being reduced and the whole postseason being condensed and brought forward to the beginning of September.

Originally we were looking at a two-week period for the playoff stage over the weekends 10-11 and 17-18 September before a relatively late National Baseball Championship (NBC) event taking place on the weekend 24-25 September.   This has now been revised so that the playoff stage takes place on a single weekend (3-4 September) and the NBC has been moved forward by a fortnight to 10-11 September, hosted by Herts Baseball Club for the second straight year.

Both the National Baseball League and the AAA playoffs were originally going to be spread out over two weeks and a team would have needed to beat their opponent twice to make it through to the NBC. Now, qualification will be dependent on the outcome of a single nine-inning game in each contest.

So for instance in the NBL, the team with the third best win-loss record will face the team with the sixth-best record.  It looks like the Southampton Mustangs will get that third-best place, meaning that they will be playing under the pressure of knowing one defeat could bring their impressive season to an abrupt end.

The playoffs in Double-A and Single-A have undergone an overhaul.  At each level there will be a Midlands and North playoff and a South playoff with four teams involved in each group.  Continue reading →

With the postseason heading into view, many games in the British baseball schedule last Sunday took on even greater importance than normal.

National Baseball League: Splits for the Flames and Mustangs, while the Bulldogs may have barked for the last time in 2011

In the National Baseball League, Richmond Flames and Southampton Mustangs held station in the race for the Pool A title.

The Flames (17-5) split a double-header with the London Mets, giving the Mustangs the chance to draw level at the top of the Pool.  However, the Mustangs could only manage a split from two fiercely contested games against the Southern Nationals, with extra innings being needed in both to separate the two sides. 

Those results mean that Richmond maintained their one-game lead over Southampton, while holding two games in hand.  All the Mustangs can do now is win both games of their remaining double-header against the Bracknell Blazers on 4 September and hope that the Flames slip up.

The Blazers themselves are still firmly in the playoff hunt as they swept a double-header over the Herts Falcons, albeit with the second victory being a narrow 10-9 win.  Bracknell currently sit in the sixth and final playoff spot; however they have a tough run-in with double-headers against the Flames (this weekend), the Pool B-leading Lakenheath Diamondbacks and their final games against the Mustangs to come. 

That may leave the door open for the Essex Arrows or even potentially the Croydon Pirates as it looks like the Mildenhall Bulldogs will not take any part in the remainder of the season.  Continue reading →

After reporting on the double-header between the Bracknell Blazers and Southern Nationals on Tuesday, the second part of this week’s British Baseball Beat looks back at the rest of the games played last Sunday, and what we’ve got to look forward to this Sunday.

NBL: Flames sweep the Falcons

In the National Baseball League, three of the scheduled double-headers didn’t take place and the home teams were awarded forfeit victories.

Arguably the biggest winner out of that situation were the Southampton Mustangs.  They were scheduled to play the Lakenheath Diamondbacks, who had won thirteen of their previous fourteen games, while the Mustangs’ rivals in the race for the Pool A top spot,  the Richmond Flames, had a double-header against the Herts Falcons.

The Flames duly swept the Falcons, but they didn’t gain in the standings due to the Mustangs being awarded two wins as well.

The Croydon Pirates and London Mets also gained two victories apiece without swinging a bat in anger.

Hopefully we’ll get a full schedule this weekend.  The Mustangs are hosting the Southern Nationals, the Richmond Flames welcome the London Mets to Connare Field, the Bracknell Blazers host the Herts Falcons, the Essex Arrows are playing against the Mildenhall Bulldogs while the Croydon Pirates take on the Lakenheath Diamondbacks.  Continue reading →

It’s a two-part British Baseball Beat this week. 

We start with a report on the National Baseball League games between the Bracknell Blazers and Southern Nationals. 

On Thursday there will be a brief round-up of the rest of the action in the British leagues and a preview of the top games scheduled for the weekend ahead.

The Southern Nationals may be new to the British leagues in 2011, but they are far from being a rookie outfit.  The club was formed over the 2010/11 offseason by Brendan Cunliffe, Jason Greenberg, Will Lintern and Marty Cullen: all experienced members of the British baseball community. 

When the new club was launched earlier this year, Club President Brendan Cunliffe said it was the Nationals’ goal “to fashion a new team that brings out the best” in the game.  Players and coaching are a big part of this, but so are the facilities where the game can be enjoyed and the Nationals’ home was on show in the rain on Sunday.

Northbrooks Playing Field in Harlow is one of a number of examples in British baseball of what can be achieved with the support of the local community. 

The Harlow Neighbourhood Watch committee saw the introduction of baseball as being a way to get more youngsters involved in sport back in 2005.  A successful application to the Barclays Bank Spaces for Sports initiative in 2008 produced the funding required to build a baseball facility with a clay diamond, backstop and dugouts.  The field was in place for the 2009 season and a youth team, Harlow Green Sox, was formed.  Continue reading →

The Richmond Flames maintained their one-game lead over the Southampton Mustangs in Pool A of the National Baseball League after the games last Sunday.

Both teams swept double-headers, over the the Bracknell Blazers and Essex Arrows respectively.  Only the top team will automatically qualify for the National Baseball Championships, so there is more than bragging rights at stake between the sides the rest of the way. 

The Lakenheath Diamondbacks are still on course to make it straight to the NBC from Pool B, but the London Mets split a double-header with the Pool-leaders on Sunday to move into second place and to keep alive their hopes of staging a late charge on the top spot. 

The NBL’s playoffs will be contested between the third to sixth-best teams by win-loss record regardless of which Pool they are in.  Right now, that would pit the Southampton Mustangs against the Bracknell Blazers and the London Mets against the Southern Nationals over the weekends of the 10th and 17th. 

This Sunday, the Diamondbacks host the Southern Nationals, the Arrows host Herts Falcons and – in what may be a NBL playoff preview – the Mustangs host the Bracknell Blazers.  Continue reading →

Last weekend’s weather put a considerable dent in the British baseball schedule.

The planned contest between the two Pool-leaders in the National Baseball League, Richmond Flames and Lakenheath Diamondbacks, was postponed, as was all but one game on the NBL fixture list.  The Essex Arrows defeated the Croydon Pirates 7-3 before heavy rain brought an end to the day’s play, despite the best efforts of those involved.

Other games that did survive the weather included a 9-4 victory by the MK Bucks over the Nottingham Rebels in the AA-Midlands, two wins for the Sheffield Bladerunners over the Humber Pilots in the AA-North, two wins for the Latin Boys against the Sidewinders in the AA-South and the much-anticipated game between the top two sides in Single-A.

Royals reign in the Cambridge rain

The Southampton Mustangs II and Cambridge Royals quickly established themselves as the teams to beat in Single-A this season.  After ten attempts against the Mustangs and eight against the Royals, the rest of the league hadn’t been able to inflict a defeat on either. That left it to the first encounter of the season between the two teams to decide who would be dealt their first loss and who would keep alive hopes of finishing the regular season unbeaten.

Gloomy skies and an even gloomier weather forecast couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm as the two teams finished their preparations, talked through the Coldham’s Common ground rules and then took to the field. 

Thoughts of a tense, low-scoring affair were quickly pushed to one side as the scoreboard ticked over (or would have if there was one) in the opening exchanges.  Continue reading →

Last weekend in British Baseball was dominated by the annual London Tournament. 

The National Baseball League’s Croydon Pirates came out on top at their home event, defeating the ‘Pride of the North’ Liverpool Trojans in the final by a score of 9-4.

Rob Jones has provided a full report on the final at the BBF website, combining it with the news reported here by Joe Gray that Croydon’s field has been re-named in honour of their manager Dave Ward.  The whole event was a great way to celebrate the Pirates’ thirtieth anniversary and, judging by reports, all fifteen teams enjoyed their weekend of baseball.

The Liverpool Trojans took plenty of photos over the weekend and they can be found on the Photo Galleries section on their website, while the Birmingham Maple Leafs have added 194 to the collection on their Facebook page.  You can also take a peak there at some potential designs for the Maple Leafs’ new uniform courtesy of Hawk Sport.

And in the tournament that kept on giving, a chance meeting in the burger-van queue at the London Tournament allowed Joe Gray to add the story of the Birmingham Maple Leafs’ name to the Project COBB archive.  If you can add any more to the list, do get in contact with Joe.

Mets and Blazers take one win apiece, Archers and Bisons get victories as well

While most teams not involved in the London Tournament took the opportunity to rest – a British version of the All-Star Break, perhaps – there was some league action in both the National Baseball League and in Double-AA.

In the top-tier, the London Mets (8-5) and Bracknell Blazers (5-7) split a double-header at the former’s Finsbury Park field.  The Mets took the opener 14-7, but their hopes of a sweep were thwarted in the second game as the Blazers bounced back to win 7-4.

The Essex Archers (6-7) hit the target against the Brentwood Stags (6-8).  The battle of Essex ended 15-4 in the Archers’ favour and saw them leap over the Stags into second place in the Pool A standings.  Meanwhile the Thames Valley Bisons (8-4) secured a 10-8 victory over the Richmond Dragons (2-10) to lift them within two games of the Pool-leading Guidlford Maverick, with two games in hand.

Big games in NBL and Single-A

The highlights of this Sunday’s fixture list come from the NBL and Single-A, where the top two teams in the respective Pools at each level are scheduled to meet.

In the NBL, the Richmond Flames finally took sole possession of top spot in Pool A following their win against the Southampton Mustangs on 3 July.  Their credentials for staying there face a stern test on Sunday as they host the Pool B-leading Lakenheath Diamondbacks. 

The D-Backs defeated the Essex Arrows last time out for their tenth win on the spin and will be looking to make it a dozen in the first meeting with the Flames this year.  The Mustangs will be hoping Lakenheath succeed and that they can earn two victories on the road against the Bracknell Blazers to regain first place straight away.

While the Flames and Diamondbacks meet in the NBL, ‘The Big One’ finally takes place in Single-A on Sunday. Southampton Mustangs II (10-0) and Cambridge Royals (8-0) were scheduled to meet in Southampton on 12 June; however the game was postponed due to heavy rain so the much-anticipated clash between the two unbeaten teams couldn’t take place. 

Undeterred, both teams have remained unbeaten since that point so their first meeting of the season will still decide which of the top teams in Single-A is handed their first loss of the year, and which is likely to go on and have a perfect regular season.  The game will take place on the Royals’ field at Coldham’s Common in Cambridge, with first pitch set for midday.

AAA: Trojans and Badgers aim to keep on winning

The Liverpool Trojans may have lost out in the London Tournament final, but they showed their strength and skill over the weekend and still have a great chance at recording an unbeaten regular season in the AAA-North.  They put their 11-0 record on the line in the latest instalment of their rivalry with the Manchester A’s.

In the AAA-South, the Bristol Badgers have a 5-game lead in the standings going into their double-header at home against the Oxford Kings.  The Kings are in third place currently, with the second (Essex Redbacks) and fourth (London Metros) placed teams meeting for two games this weekend.

AA: Latin Boys v Sidewinders, Bucks v Rebels, and the Robots of Doom are on tour

In the AA-South, the top match-up of the weekend pits the Pool-A leading Latin Boys against the Sidewinders, who have only recently been usurped in the top spot in Pool B by the Guildford Mavericks. The Mavericks look to keep hold of, and possibly extend, their half-game lead over the Sidewinders as they travel to Kent for two games against the Mariners.

In the Midlands, there’s a great game in prospect in Milton Keynes as the Pool-leading Bucks host the Nottingham Rebels.  The Rebels are on a five-game winning streak and it was in the first game of that sequence that Nottingham inflicted the only defeat of the Bucks’ season so far.

Finally in the North, the Sheffield Bladerunners travel to Hull to take on the Humber Pilots, while the Oldham North Stars face the Manchester Torrent.  The Pool-leading Bolton Robots of Doom will be representing British baseball in the Netherlands as they take part in the Birds International Tournament.

Richmond was the setting for the latest National Baseball League ‘Special Event’ and it proved to be a special Sunday for the home team. 

Meanwhile the Essex Redbacks Youth Academy hosted international opponents and we look ahead to this weekend’s London Tournament.

NBL: Richmond take sole possession of the top spot in Pool A

The Richmond Flames were the big winners at the second ‘Special Event’ of the National Baseball League season.

The Flames have shared the top spot in Pool A with the Southampton Mustangs for several weeks, but they now lead the Pool on their own following a 13-3 victory over the Mustangs.  

Southampton started the season with nine straight wins before Richmond brought that run to an end by defeating them twice in succession. They’ve now made it three wins from three against the Mustangs and Southampton will be keen to recapture their early season form as quickly as possible, having lost five of their last seven games.

The one saving grace for the Mustangs on Sunday was that they retained a four-game cushion over the third-placed Bracknell Blazers.  The Blazers suffered a 14-5 loss against the Croydon Pirates.  The Pirates have now won four of their last five games, a sequence preceded by an eight-game losing streak.  Continue reading →