British Baseball Beat: Chasing that all-important first win

Never underestimate the importance of getting that first win of the season.  It might just count for 1 in the season standings, but getting a ‘W’ early on takes the pressure off a bit and allows a team to look forward rather than back.  As the Croydon Pirates found last year, the longer you go without a win, the harder it is to get one.

That applies to every team, but especially so to newly-formed clubs and teams that are making a step up to a new league level.  You want to prove to yourself, and your competitors, that you belong.

Two teams entered last Sunday’s round of National Baseball League (NBL) games without a win and both are newcomers to the top tier in 2010.  The Southampton Mustangs lost twice to the Herts Falcons on Opening Day, but they bounced back on Sunday and celebrated hosting the first ever NBL games in Southampton by earning two wins against the Croydon Pirates.  The impact of those wins was reinforced in Simon Fitzjohn’s NBL review on BritishBaseball.org, when the Mustangs’ Ben Davis was quoted as saying that the team was “absolutely thrilled” to get them, adding that “we have some momentum now”. 

The Essex Arrows know the importance of momentum as they bulldozed their way through a perfect 25-0 regular season in AAA last year.  The contrast to their 0-4 start to 2010 is stark, although the Arrows will not be panicking.  It’s a long season and they have started it by playing double-headers against two teams that look set to be fighting for the NBL title: Mildenhall Bulldogs and the 2009 NBL champions, Bracknell Blazers.  Still, the Arrows will be keen to get their first win soon.

That’s something that the Bulldogs, the other NBL newcomer, don’t have to worry about. After picking up opening wins against the Arrows, they marched on and defeated the Richmond Flames twice at RAF Feltwell on Sunday.  That’s given them an early lead at the top of the NBL, with Bracknell Blazers and London Mets sitting one game behind on 3-1 records.

Other debut wins

The Bulldogs aren’t the only team to hit the ground running in a new league.  Their new second team, Mildenhall Bulldogs 2, won their debut game in the AA Midlands League by a score of 13-8 over the Leicester Blue Sox. 

Bracknell Blazers 2 have jumped up from the A League to the AAA League this year and they started their season by winning both games of a double-header against fellow AAA new boys Kent Mariners.  The Blazers 2 took the opener by a score of 12-8 and doubled that run total in the second game, while the Mariners halved theirs to fall to a heavy 24-4 loss.  Meanwhile the Blazers 2’s 2009 A League rivals Essex Archers defeated Herts Hawks 17-7 on Sunday to make it two wins from two following their promotion to the AA League.  Tonbridge won their first BBF League game in the A League with a 17-13 victory against the Guildford Mavericks.

Elsewhere in Essex

Continuing the Essex theme, there were contrasting fortunes for the two new clubs in the area.  Essex Redbacks lost both games of a double-header to a more-experienced London Metros team in AAA South, although the team will be encouraged by the close scorelines in both games (6-5 and 18-14).  In A South, Chelmsford Clippers put an Opening Day 16-11 loss to the Richmond Dragons behind them by romping away to a 37-6 win over Herts Raptors in what the Clippers’ Mikey described as “a thoroughly efficient performance from the side, with only the three errors in the field and far fewer at the plate or on the mound”

Other notables

Braintree Rays have started in impressive form (2-0) in Pool B of A South, while Birmingham Maple Leafs are making the early running in the AA Midlands. 

Liverpool Trojans and Menwith Hill Patriots split their double-header on Sunday, giving Harrogate Tigers the chance to take an early lead in the AAA North.  They were on course to do just that after winning the first game of a double-header against Halton Jaguars 11-0, but their opponents fought back to take the second game 13-11 to leave the Tigers, Trojans and Patriots tied on 3-1 records.

Games this Sunday

A Bank Holiday baseball weekend sounds like a good idea, although the tendency for holidays to be met by rainy skies can’t help but make you a little cautious.  So, subject to the predictably unpredictable British Bank Holiday weather, here are the highlights from this Sunday’s fixture list.

The Herts Falcons are out to bring down the Bulldogs at Grovehill Ballpark, while at the other end of the table the Essex Arrows will look to follow the Mustangs’ lead and get their first win or two on the board at the expense of the Croydon Pirates.  The Mustangs welcome the London Mets to Southampton and we have an NBC grudge match at Connare Field as the Richmond Flames look for a measure of revenge against the Bracknell Blazers.

In AAA, Liverpool Trojans will be confident of moving to a 6-0 start in the North after their double-header against Glasgow this weekend (perhaps the Scots can spring a surprise?), adding extra meaning to the Menwith Hill Patriots-Harrogate Tigers double-header as a sweep by either team would send the other to a 3-3 record.  In the South, the 0-2 Kent Mariners and Essex Redbacks face the 2-0 London Metros and Bracknell Blazers 2 respectively.

At the AA League level, Birmingham Maple Leafs and Mildenhall Bulldogs 2 meet in a contest between the Midlands pacesetters, the Bolton Robots of Doom begin their 2010 campaign against Manchester Torrent in the North and at least one of the Herts Hawks and Brentwood Stags is sure to get their first win of the season in the South as the 0-2 teams meet in a double-header. 

In the A League, Tonbridge will try to build on their debut win with a tough game against the 2-0 Braintree Rays and the Richmond-Bracknell rivalry from the NBL will be carried over in a clash between the Dragons and Blazers 3.

Full details on all the results and fixtures can be found on the British Baseball Federation website: http://www.britishbaseball.org/