I completed my annual APBA seeded tournament this morning. The Tampa Bay Rays came back from a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 3. Tampa Bay won game 7 by a 4-3 score on an Austin Meadows rbi double scoring Tommy Pham in the 8th. The series MVP was Emilio Pagan who had three one run saves to lead the Rays comeback. The Dodgers had won the last two annual tournament events.

 

Randy

 

 

REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

 

The outbreak of the Covid-19 Coronavirus has resulted in the cancellation of The June 2020 APBA National Convention in Alpharetta, Georgia and postponement and rescheduling of many regional tournaments.  See details below for rescheduled tournament information.  The Second Social Distance Baseball Tournament continues to progress, The Inaugural Rocky Mountain APBA Baseball Tournament has been rescheduled for July, The TCABT-VIII has tentatively rescheduled for August 8th, and The Toledo Glass City APBA Baseball Tournament has been cancelled.

 

2020 REGIONAL TOURNAMENT CALL-OUT - Tournament Directors who are planning an APBA Regional Tournament between January and July of 2020 are requested to forward tournament information to Randy Coryer at  [email protected] for inclusion into the newsletter.  Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

2020 Tournament Schedule

 

The 2020 APBA Regional Tournament schedule is as follows.  Please mark your calendars accordingly and be sure to attend and participate in one of these fine events.  You will not regret the experience of face-to-face gaming and tournament play.

 

TO BE RESCHEDULED WITH DATE TO BE ESTABLISHED (from original Saturday March 28, 2020 date) - The 5th annual Prairieland APBA Baseball tourney will be held in Springfield Illinois. If interested, please contact Eric Berg at  [email protected] for information. 

 

TO BE RESCHEDULED WITH DATE TO BE ESTABLISHED (from original Saturday April 4, 2020 date) - The Old Dominion APBA Baseball Tournament - The Old Dominion APBA Baseball Tournament is postponed indefinitely due to the Coronavirus issue.  When rescheduled the tournament will be held at Jim Saska's home in Richmond, Virginia.  The team theme is any APBA issued team that finished with a regular season record of .500 or below.  The tournament cost and prizes are to be announced.  Please contact Jim Saska via email at  [email protected] to register and give him your team selection.

 

RESCHEDULED TO Saturday June 20, 2020 - The 3rd Annual Heartland Apba Tournament is scheduled for Saturday June 20, 2020 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  The tournament the is any team with a .500 record or worse.  The DH will be used.  You can give Earle your team when you commit.  Three-man rotations will be used and starters must go a minimum of 5 innings unless yielding 5 runs.  Relieve pitchers can pitch one inning each game.  The cost to participate is a $10 entry fee.  Trophy and APBA. gift card to the winner!  Hope to see you there!  For more info contact Earle Shamblin at  [email protected] 

 

CANCELLED - June 25-28, 2020 - The APBA National Convention in Alpharetta, Georgia.  Details are still being worked out and will be available sometime after the new year.

 

RESCHEDULED TO Saturday July 5 or 12, 2020 - The Inaugural Rocky Mountain APBA Baseball Tournament has been rescheduled for a July date in Boulder, Colorado at a location to be determined.   For this year, teams will be selected from the 1993 season (birth year of the Rockies) until present.  No designated hitter will be used when an NL team plays at home. Please contact Ryan Strauss at  [email protected] to sign up today!

 

RESCHEDULED TO Saturday July 11, 2020 - The 2nd Annual Far West APBA Baseball Tournament.  The tournament is open to any team from 1908 to present PROVIDED that 154 or more games were played in that season.  Last year's champion 1930 Philadelphia A's may not be used.  The tournament play is the basic game using the advanced fielding option.  Boards and dice will be provided, bring your lucky dice tower or shaker (They have APBA shakers available). Cost for tournament is $40 and includes lunch, drinks, continental breakfast, trophy, and a day of great fun and camaraderie.  If interested please contact Steve at  [email protected] for more details. 

 

To maintain a safe environment, the gaming tables will be set up to promote social distancing with only one game going on at each 8 foot table.  We will also have plenty of soap and water available to wash your hands frequently as well as hand sanitizer at the entrance.  For our pizza lunch, there will be someone serving you the flavor of pizza you like and they will be wearing food grade gloves so that your food will only be touched by you.  Cold beverages will be in individually sized containers.  The continental breakfast will be individually packaged items and the hot beverages will be available in a self serve manner.  

 

Your health and safety are my utmost concern.  I also recognize that we need to get back to a somewhat normal life and socialize with others.  We can do this, just be aware of what your are doing and be considerate of those around you.  Until July, please stay safe and healthy.  Sixty-sixes to all!  

 

Saturday July 18, 2020 - The Florida APBA Baseball Tournament will be held at Lake Hills Church in Clermont, Florida.  The tournament theme is the Expansion Years 1961-1998 -- (Retired teams 1980 NY Yankees, 1998 NY Yankees -- past winners of FL Tournaments).  The entry fee is $20 which includes refreshments and prizes. If interested, please contact Tony Stevens at  [email protected].

 

CANCELLED - Saturday, July 18, 2020 - The Fourth Annual Lancaster World Series will be held in Millersville, Pennsylvania.  The tournament theme is "Wait til Next Year," any team from 1920 - 2019 that did not make the playoffs.  Teams are first-come, first-serve.  The registration fee is $20.  If interested, please contact Dale Shreiner at  [email protected] 

 

Friday July 30, 2020 through Sunday August 1, 2020 - The Vegas APBA Tournament is back; Live from the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas.  Each team is guaranteed 11 games and then the playoffs will begin with the winner getting a Bonus Prize of $250.  Contact Chris White at  [email protected] or call him at 702-491-4838 for more information. This years theme is any carded team from 1960-2019 that has a winning percentage of .475 to .525.

 

TENTATIVELY RESCHEDULED TO Saturday August 8, 2020 - The 13th edition of the Twin Cities APBA Baseball Tournament (TCABT-XIII) will be held Saturday, June 6, 2020, at the usual location in Maple Grove, MN. Interested parties can contact Jim Fraasch at  [email protected]. 

 

CANCELLED - Saturday August 8, 2020 - Chicagoland Tournament is cancelled for this year due to the Covid-19 virus.  The next Chicagoland Tournament will be held in the Summer of 2021.  Please contact Rob Spatz at  [email protected] should there be any questions.

 

CANCELLED - August 14-16, 2020 - Houston APBA Baseball Tournament - Because of the continued impact of the coronavirus and it's impact on the tournament directors schedule, we are sorry to tell you that the Houston Tournament is cancelled.  If anyone had already made a reservation with the hotel, he or she should be able to get a full refund but please cancel within the next two weeks.  If you experience any issues please contact Ed for assistance.  If things change as the spring unfolds, Ed may try to schedule a smaller one-day tournament for the same weekend to be held at his house for those who can easily travel to the Houston area.  If this option should arise we will post information here.  Again, any questions regarding tournament cancellation should be referred to Ed Hubbard at  [email protected].

 

RESCHEDULED TO Saturday August 22, 2020 - The APBA Mason/Dixon Classic Tournament has been rescheduled for August 22, 2020 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  The tournament will be held at the Days Inn - Gettysburg located on 865 York Road in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325.  The registration fee is $20.  The tournament theme is: "Expansion/Relocated Teams until 2013 season" with World Series, Playoff, and Wild Card teams ineligible.  Please contact William Sagle at  [email protected] for a list of eligible teams, full tournament details, and to register.

 

CANCELLED - Saturday, August 29, 2020 - The 6th annual Toledo Glass City APBA Baseball Tournament (GCABT-VI) has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The 2021 Toledo Glass City APBA Baseball Tournament will be held Saturday August 26, 2021 at the Maumee Elks Club located at 137 West Wayne Street in Maumee, OH 43537.  Please contact Ron Emch via email at  [email protected] or text/call at 419-349-0649 if you have any questions concerning cancellation of the tournament. 

 

Saturday October 17, 2020 - The Linda B. Schulz Memorial APBA Baseball Tournament VI will be held in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.  The tournament theme is any APBA issued MLB teams from seasons 1901-2019 that had a winning percentage under .585 (approximately less than 95 wins in 162 game season and less than 90 wins in 154 Game Season). Teams are first come first serve. Retired teams are not eligible (1909 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1929 Philadelphia A's, 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers, 1975 Cincinnati Reds, 1977 Philadelphia Phillies).  If interested or to register please contact Ken Schulz at  [email protected]

 

Saturday October 17, 2020 - The Third Furniture City APBA Tournament (FCAT) will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Legends Sports.  Any team from 1901-1960 is eligible; 25-man rosters, no XCs, plus one player from either the 1961 American League or the 1962 National League.  Draft for team selection begins on August 30, 2020.  For more details or to register, contact GF Korreck at  [email protected]

 

NEW TOURNAMENT LISTING - Saturday November 7, 2020 - The 1st Annual Salisbury APBA Baseball Tournament - The 1st Annual Salisbury APBA Baseball Tournament will be held in Salisbury, Maryland at a location to be determined.  The tournament theme is Manager's Mayhem.  Each entrant is to field a 25-man roster (no XB's) from one NL and one AL team from 1950 to 2015 (teams can be from different years).  The teams must be less than a .555 winning percentage.  The composite team must have a minimum of 10 players from each team.  Four man pitching rotations are required.  Each team will play a minimum of 8 games in pool play with playoff games to follow.  The registration fee is $60 and includes tournament entry, a t-shirt, lunch, and trophies for the top four finishers.  Registration is open until September 25, 2020.  If interested and to register, please contact Chester Davis at  [email protected].

 

If your tournament is not mentioned above and you are planning a Regional APBA Tournament in 2020 please forward me your tournament and contact information at [email protected] and I will be sure to promote your event in APBA's company electronic newsletter.  Remember all APBA game tournaments are welcome.

 

Potential APBA Tournaments

 

POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT IN SEATTLE AREA  -  There is an effort underway to conduct an APBA Baseball Tournament in the Seattle, Washington area.  If interested, please contact Dave Bednarek at  [email protected] with you name, contact information, and a preference for a Spring or Fall tournament.

 

POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT IN NEW ORLEANS -  Are you tired of only seeing tournaments on the East Coast and Mid-West??  If there is enough interest, a small group of New Orleans players are looking to set up a regional in the NOLA area in 2020, please contact Randy Tabor at  [email protected] (note the underscore "_" in email address).

 

APBA LEAGUE INFORMATION

 

I am pleased to report that this column continues to assist leagues in finding new managers and pairing individuals looking for leagues.  I will be glad to run your league opening, if you contact me at  [email protected] with a brief and concise write-up.  Openings or individuals looking to join leagues are as follows:

 

May 17th Opening

 

Player Looking for a League - An APBA player is interested in getting into a computer baseball league. If you have an league opening please contact Dan at [email protected].

 

May 10th Opening

 

The Quick Replay Confederation - The QRC is looking to gather a group of players to start and complete replay of an entire season in less than 3 months.  Each player will be assigned a team (first by choice, then by assignment) and expected to complete that team's home schedule in 81 days (7 home games must be played every week -- yes, you are allowed to play ahead).  Players are expected to keep statistics of their team's players and organize statistics accumulated by the visiting teams' players and emailed to the player who has been assigned to that team.  This will be a cards and dice league.  Injuries and usage of players will be discussed and decided once the league has been assembled.  First game will begin on Monday, June 1st.  The league ends on Saturday, August 22 (84 days).  If interested, please contact Tony Stevens at  [email protected].

 

May 3rd Opening

 

1968 Retro League Opening - A 1968 retro league which is about to begin its 23rd year has an opening.  The 16 team league has a managerial opening for the New York Yankees.  While in reality the 1968 Yankees were beginning to sink in ability and standings, this team has excellent pitching and a solid team of veterans to compete.  The draft will begin sometime in July which will allow the new manager to become familiar with the league and this team.  The league plays a 154 game schedule that ends about March 1st every year.  If interested contact Peter at [email protected].

 

April 12th Opening

 

Individual Looking for a League - We have an individual looking to join a C&D league.  This individual has league experience from 1995 up until 2010 and would like to renegade in league play.  If your league has a position to fill please contact Dave at  [email protected].

 

March 28th Opening

 

KISS League Openings - The KISS ( Keep it simple stupid ) winter play APBA league is looking for three managers.  They are a current AIM league with a twist just starting playoffs in our initial season.  They have lost three managers, all to health reasons!  The twist is all players have expanded usage but they play full AIM and game injuries.  Position players are set to 930 pr unless higher.  Starters are set to 900 BF unless already higher.  Split grade and relievers also get boosted.  But with full AIM and game injuries you better have a bench because the injuries will hit.  If interested, please contact Robert the league commissioner for additional information at  [email protected]

 

AOMBL League Opening - 1993 AOMBL is getting ready to draft up expansion.  There is two established clubs and four expansion clubs available.  The AOMBL is a Non-Aim league which applies DH Rules and Baseball for Windows 5.75.  Games are played in blocks.  The league has been around since the 1957 season.  Each team only protects 15 for expansion, so yes you will have a much better club than most leagues for expansion.  Also each club drafts high in the rookie draft, so you get rookies too.  If interested in the league openings please contact Max at [email protected].

 

February 23rd Opening

 

Players Looking for a League or Local Play - Edgar and Fran live in Grand Rapids, Michigan and are looking to play APBA baseball on occasion or join an APBA baseball league at some point (they live on the East side of Grand Rapids near 3600 E. Fulton Street SE so anyplace in the area would be great).  They have not played in a while but read often and know most of the cards and teams for years and use to play all the time.  If interested or looking for periodic local play please Edgar and Fran at [email protected]

 

February 17th Opening

 

ICBL League Openings - The ICBL has openings for 3 teams, two (2) in the American League and one (1) in the National League. The ICBL is a Computer Baseball League using the APBA game format of BBW Version 5.75. The league has been continuously running since 1989. The ICBL is composed of two twelve-team leagues, each containing three four-team divisions. The DH is used in the American League while pitchers must bat in the National League. The ICBL is a continuous-ownership league using all current MLB players as well as six (6) prospects per team.  If interested, please contact Brian at  [email protected]

 

January 12th Opening

 

COBL League Opening - The COBL APBA Baseball league is looking for a couple of new managers!  The COBL has been around for over 20 years and has a strong core of GMs.  It is an auction league - players are signed to contracts of from 1-5 years in length.  It is a fantastic way to acquire and manage a roster.  There are a couple opening so more than likely there will be a dispersal draft for the new GMS.  The teams in question include one team that won well over 100 games this past year, so there are a lot of very good players available.  The auction is a unique experience!  If you are interested please contact John at [email protected].

 

I trust this column is continuing to bring many APBA players together be it through regional tournaments or league play.  I am glad that we can continue to provide this service to the APBA community and further promote brotherhood within our beloved hobby of APBA gaming.  Please remember to stay safe and healthy during this most difficult time for our country.