Good afternoon,
Happy 70th Birthday to APBA.
For those of you in the Northeast, the white stuff will melt. Play APBA instead of shoveling.
When I was younger living in the snow belt of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the first sign of spring was the APBA January mailing with baseball ordering information. The next sign was the Street and Smith Baseball annual magazine in February. The final sign was the first pack of Topps baseball cards in the stores. Unfortunately the Street and Smith annual is no longer being published. The Lindy baseball annual is now in stores.
I understand there is a big game this Sunday. Ray Dunlap and his band of APBA football coaches pre-played this game using the APBA Football basic and master games with additional innovations in some cases. Kansas City won 7 out of 10. Average score was KC 34-28. Ray started doing this with the 2015 Carolina and Denver Super Bowl. Every year since, Ray has added more coaches. To-date, the winner team in the pre-play (Kansas City this year) has won the Super Bowl. Just saying.
One final point: the over/under was a 50-50 split.
Save the date.
The 2021 APBA Convention is scheduled for Thursday August 26th through Sunday August 29th. More information to follow. Room rates and booking information will be available later.
NEW PRODUCTS:
THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL PROJECT VIA APBA
WE HAVE OUR FIRST SEASON 1901 IN THE BOOKS. WE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR ANY 1902 SEASON REPLAYS.
Congratulations to Roger Mills of Geneva Illinois.
Next week we will have complete and detailed write up about the 1901 season.
What is the reality? The real MLB season or the season that played out on your kitchen table? There are folks who agree with both sides of this equation in the APBA community.
We are going to recreate the history of MLB using APBA replays only. We will start with any 1901 season replays. Submit your replay with a detailed write up and stats to custsupp@apbagames. A group of six will review the submissions and select the "Official 1901 APBA season". After 1901 is chosen, we will do the same thing for the 1902 season. After the 1902 season is selected, we will compute "Offical APBA career stats etc.
We are looking for replays with active management not BBW League manager replays where the computer managers make all the decisions.
How many complete seasons of baseball have been replayed by APBA Baseball? This is a multi year project. How far will we get in 2021? Through 1925? 1930? Lets see what we can do.
NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS:
STEPHEN DALTON WINTHROP, MA
ROBERT MAULE WILLOWDALE, ON
CRAIG STEPHENS WOOD RIVER, NE
LAWRENCE ROOF JEROME, MI
BRADLEY KELLER SPRING, TX
THOMAS STEEVER HAMPSTEAD, NC
RICHARD STOTT ARLINGTON, VA
RANDY KROMER NORTH HUNTINGDON, PA
JAMES KACZMAREK CHICAGO, IL
DAVID WILLIAMS LEWES, DE
KENNETH BASS TONAWANDA, NY
SCOTT CHANDLER AVON LAKE, OH
BRIDGET SPICER MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN
JOSH CAMPBELL PALMYRA, PA
JAMES BASSETT EVANSVILLE, IN
RICK PINTER ST ALBERT, AB
KEVIN OSBORNE KIRKLAND, WA
DAVID SHERMAN GREAT NECK, NY
KNLBA
Hello APBA , Fans update on Charlies Negro League Teams , I have a lot cards in for a lot of the teams . next week I will be putting them in envelopes , and counting inventory . I will then contact the guys who have reached out to me . For those of you that are in the north east , We sure have a mountain of snow to clean , I will have my driveways cleaned by the end on the week . Just in time for the super bowl . My Buffalo Bills Played Good , And So did the Cleveland Browns , Baker Mayfield is a very talented QB . I will be cheering on Tom Brady and Tampa Bay . you guys have fun watching the super bowl , stay safe Robert
TOURNAMENT NEWS
APBA Regional Tournament Schedule
The 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. PLEASE NOTE APBA HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE NATIONAL APBA CONVENTION AND TOURNAMENT HAS RESCHEDULED THIS YEARS EVENT TO THURSDAY AUGUST 26 THROUGH SUNDAY AUGUST 29, 2021.
Scheduled 2021 APBA Tournaments
UNDERWAY - Saturday, January 2nd, 2021 -- QuaranTEAMS III, a Video Baseball Blitz Tournament. The tournament theme is Thanks for the Memories; all teams must have had at least one carded player pass away during the calendar year 2020. All games will be played over a video program so that the games are played face-to-face virtually. The prize being played for is APBA's 2020 MLB season (an $85 dollar -- includes the $10 shipping fee). The entry fee is $10 ($11 PayPal) Registration is currently open. If interested or to ask for tournament rules, please contact Tony Stevens at
AandTStevens@Gmail.com.
Saturday February 20, 2021 - The 2021 Charlie Fouche APBA Shootout, Chattanooga, Tennessee. The tournament will be held in the Hamilton Room of the Embassy Suites by Hilton located at 2321 Lifestyle Way Chattanooga TN 37421. The event will begin at 8 am and conclude about 7 pm. The theme will be Non-World Series Playoff teams with a non-Hall of Fame franchise player optional. The non-Hall of Fame player will be limited to one card per career. For Example: Someone may use Miguel Cabrera's 2012 Season with the 1987 Tigers but no other Miguel Cabrera cards from the Tigers may be used. The 2006 Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins may not be used with the 2020 Marlins if the 2012 Miguel Cabrera is submitted first.) The cost is $20 and includes food, snacks, & drinks. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place. Hand sanitizer will be readily available. Event pages are located at
https://www.facebook.com/events/218256186105241andhttps://cookinwithbobbijo.wordpress.com/events/ or email Steve Ryan at
festsgrber@aol.com.
Saturday March 6, 2021 - 7th Annual Greater Michigan APBA Baseball Tournament, Jackson, Michigan. The tournament will be held at The Loomis Park Baptist Church, 2301 North Elm Road, Jackson Michigan 49201. If interested, please contact Rich Zawadzki at
pastorichz@yahoo.com
Saturday April 10, 2021 - The Twin Cities APBA Baseball Tournament (TCABT-XV), Shakopee, Minnesota. Team selection will begin in January 2021. Tournament details and specific site location will be provided at a later date. If interested or to register please contact Jim Fraasch at
jwfraasch@mchsi.com.
Saturday, July 31, 2021 - Florida RollAPBAlooza, Clermont, Florida. If interested please contact: Tony Stevens at
AandTStevens@Gmail.com
NEW DATE - Thursday August 26 through Sunday August 29, 2021 - APBA National Convention and Tournament, Alpharetta, Georgia. Convention details will be announced in February 2021.
If your tournament is not mentioned above and you are planning a Regional APBA Tournament in the first half of 2021 please forward me your tournament and contact information at
apba66nyslp@yahoo.com and I will be sure to promote your event in APBA's company electronic newsletter. Remember all APBA game tournaments are welcome.
Potential Upcoming APBA Tournaments
POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT IN SEATTLE AREA - If interested, please contact Dave Bednarek at
dbedrock@comcast.net with you name, contact information, and a preference for a Spring or Fall tournament.
POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT IN NEW ORLEANS - If interested, please contact Randy Tabor at
rk_tabor@yahoo.com (note the underscore “_” in email address) with your name and contact information.
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
apba66nyslp@yahoo.com with a brief and concise write-up. Openings or individuals looking to join leagues are as follows:
January 31st Openings
RETRO 90 League Openings - The Retro-90 league is s new APBA, C&D, e-mail league. The league will use the APBA Basic game beginning with the 1990 baseball season. The Starting Pitching Fatigue number will be used for starting pitchers. The league rules will be finalized after the league is formed. They are looking for an initial 10 to 12 owners to start the league from the ground up. If interested, please e-mail David at
jacos13@yahoo.com.
The Central Massachusetts Association Opening - The Central Massachusetts Association (CMBA) is a cards and dice league using the master game with several innovations, that has been in existence since 1975. Currently they have 12 teams, but only 9 owners, and are looking to fill those spots and maybe increase to 14-16 teams. They are moving into the 21st century, and while they will still play face-to-face where they can, they are opening up to online play (any combination of online dice roller, cam, phone, etc), so they are accepting managers located anywhere. The league usually plays 7-8 games per series, to be completed every 3 weeks. They are creating a league web site (current constitution is online, but that is getting modified soon) at -
https://cmba-apba.wixsite.com/mysite/constitution. ; Priority is to those who have Master Game and/or CMBA Pitching Grade Experience, but passion goes a long way! If interested, please contact Rich Lundin at
Me@RichardLundin.com.
The Ultimate APBA (Baseball) League - The Ultimate APBA League (UAL) was founded in 2004 and remains a card & dice league with 24 teams and a salary cap. The UAL has one opening for a manager interested in testing their General Manager skills in creating and approving team trades as well as managing their players on the field. The UAL is using the 2019 baseball season APBA cards on 32-man player rosters. You, as GM, build a roster through trades and drafts but must balance player selection against a salary cap. This salary cap adds another dimension and simulates the real baseball experience. As the manager, you must use pitchers and fielders judiciously as UAL playing time is tied to actual playing time. The UAL plays 160 games from October through March with playoffs in April and May. The new manager will start right in the second third (90 games played) of the pennant race. The UAL plays five game series throughout the season with DH and flexible pitching rotations. The UAL plays three such series each month except two series in December and March. Each manager plays fifteen home games per month but ten in December and March. North Georgia is the available team with a current record of 44 wins and 36 losses. This places North Georgia in fourth place for playoffs out of six teams. This team remains a competitive team. NG has all their draft picks except fifth round for 2020. They have a strong pitching staff (five C starting pitchers + three A*, three B* and three C* relief pitchers. Their hitters include Marcus Semien, Kris Bryant & Hanser Alberto. North Georgia $1.2 million of salary cap space and five non-carded players giving a new manager flexibility in the future. Each manager must also compile series stats and email to opposing managers by 25th of each month. Interested GM's/managers should email their interest to David Beisner at
splendidfriend@yahoo.com with copy to Bob Gordon at
novauofm@aol.com.
January 24th Openings
IMAL Opening - The IMAL is the only Master board game league in the world playing remotely, as far as we know. The IMAL is a draft league with continuing rosters, NL only, playing a 108-game season using current cards and CMBA pitching ratings. Games are played solitaire using emailed instructions, or FTF via Skype if both players agree. The league has eight teams with 34-man rosters; three of them are available including the current league champion. These teams are up to date and should be competitive. Rosters are available on request. An auction of players who were previously carded in the AL is held in early March via Skype, followed by an email draft of unowned carded players. If interested, contact Eric Naftaly at
ajericn@mail.com for rules and information, or to join.
The World Baseball Organization Opening - The WBO is looking for a replacement manager for the upcoming 2021 season and beyond. They are a current year play keeper league, using the old fashioned cards & dice. NOT a face-to-face league, but rather solitaire style play (instructions and pitching rotations sent to opponents by email). Ballstat/Ballscore computer program is used for gameplay and stat-keeping (very easy to learn/use). Full 162 game season running generally from March/April - October/November. The league uses the Basic game with lots of interesting modifications. This is an opportunity to be part of a truly great league that has been around for a long time, with high character guys. League information can be checked on their web site:
http://wboapba66.wixsite.com/wbo-baseball. If interested please contact Dan Levine, Commish, at
drl@pbl-law.com. The available team features a great young core of players including: Realmuto, Ozzie Albies, Javy Baez, Eugenio Suarez, Eddie Rosario, Ramon Laureano; pitchers include Blake Snell, Kluber, Stroman, Syndergaard, Amir Garrett, Lucas Sims.
Fiscal Sanity Baseball League Opening - The current season draft league seeks one new owner. The Fiscal Sanity Baseball League (FSBL) is getting ready to start their 19th consecutive season. The FSBL is a 20-team BBW league that uses AIM and a salary cap. This is a good league for those GMs who like the added strategy of balancing talent with your teams budget. They are starting to plan for the upcoming season. Available team has all their own draft picks. For more info, please reach out to Don at
ljolesd@comcast.net.
TSL Opening - The TSL has an opening for the 2021 season. The TSL is a basic 12 team, continuous ownership baseball league with very few board changes - they basically play "right out of the box". They will be entering their 45th season of play. The open team players include Altuve, Vlad Jr., Moncada, Swanson, Acuna and others. This team also has the 2nd pick in each round (except round 4) of the rookie draft. New owner can step in right away and be just in time to begin wheelin' and dealin' (which begins Dec 1) and preparing for the February rookie draft. Trading season is going on right now so a new manager can start to mold the team to their liking right away. If you are interested in joining a well-established mail/email APBA league, or have questions or need more information about the league, contact Dan at
relgnaps13@hotmail.com.
Fly By Night Baseball Association Opening - The Fly By Night Baseball Association (FBNBA) is looking for a new manager. The FBNBA is a 24-team, current season, BBW/AIM league that has been around for over 40 years. A large majority of the managers have been in the league over 10 years, and more than half have been in the league over 20. They do not use the 930 rule so they are focused on roster-building, which results in a robust trade market and a strong bond among managers. The available team has the #4 pick and owns all his picks plus a few more. Draft is last Saturday in February. If interested, please contact Jeff Kuenstler at
jeffk.fbn@gmail.com
January 17th Opening
COBL Openings - 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. With two teams available they would typically have a dispersal draft depending on the wishes of the new GMs. COBL uses the current season of the computer game. The auction is a unique experience that is highly recommended! If you are interested, please contact John at
johansonj@hotmail.com
January 3rd Openings
Player Looking for an APBA GO League - An APBA GO player is looking for a league playing 2018, 2019, or the upcoming 2020 season. If any leagues are needing a manager, please contact Gregg at
greggwiseburn@hotmail.com
December 13th Announcement
It is with a heavy heart that this week I removed a league managerial listing for The Southern APBA Baseball Association (SABA) as I was informed by an APBA Hall of Famer that the league contact Larry Grant passed away from COVID last month. May God bless Larry's soul and provide his family the strength to move forward in the face of this terrible virus.
November 29th Openings
RETRO 60 League Opening - Retro-60 is gauging interest in starting a new Retro APBA, C&D, e-mail league. The league will use the APBA Basic game with modifications, playing full seasons, starting in 1960, moving forward. They are looking for an initial 10 to 12 owners to start the league from the ground up. Further expansion is possible as MLB expands. Excel experience for keeping statistics and information sharing a plus. E-mail Parris at
twimmd@yahoo.com for details.
November 22nd Openings
CCBA League Openings - The CCBA has two openings for the upcoming season. The league has been in existence since 1998. The Tomoka and Denver franchises are available. The rosters can be viewed on the league website
http://ccbabaseball.freehostia.com/. ; If interested contact the League Commissioner Chip Bingham at
ecwizards@comcast.net.
JLML League Openings - A twelve (12) team continuous ownership, DH A.I.M league needs two GM’s to oversee two existing rosters, make trades and conduct the draft which will is tentatively scheduled for March. The JLML is starting its 42nd year with nine (9) of its members residing in Texas, primarily in San Antonio. The league features 45 man rosters, a 30 man active roster, and you are able to carry 5 un-carded players in a three division format with six (6) teams qualifying for playoffs. Games are primarily MM simulated which is also a requirement for first year members. This is a no-drama league. Rosters of available teams will be provided upon request. If you have any questions or are interested in joining the league, please contact Lawrence Payne at
Lpayne@spurs.com.
November 15th Openings
Frontier League Opening - The Frontier League, a continuous ownership APBA league in operation since 1979, is looking for a new manager. The league uses 5.75 with monthly C-Files. Over the past few years, they have phased in a novel Salary Cap and Contract structure. The effect is managers must be proactive and effectively manage player performance against cost. We are looking for a new manager to step into a team with some excellent players and a lot of flexibility in taking the team in new directions. Please contact League Commissioner Steve Jones at
pdxlumberjacks@gmail.com if you are interested.
http://fl.bleacherbums.info/ ;
The Southern California APBA Baseball League (SCBL) Openings - The SCBL has openings for 2 managers for the upcoming 2021 replay season. The SCBL is a 16 team, card and dice, face to face, keeper league, using a slightly modified basic game format. The SCBL has its winter meeting in November, draft in February, and plays from March to September. If you are interested, please contact Rich Hottel at
Sultans@scblapba.org.
November 8th Openings
APBA Player Looking for a BBW League - An APBA Player is looking for a BBW league that has all the players that ever played available to draft in a franchise setting. He is open to franchises that are available but grew up a Pirates/Indians fan. If you have such a league opening, please contact Ted Krueger at
rkruegerjr@gmail.com.
October 25th Opening
S.P.P.L. League Opening - The S.P.P.L. is looking for a new manager to take over an established team. This team will have the 1st pick in the upcoming draft. This is a face to face league but you can also skype or duo. The league runs an 160 game schedule and starts when the cards come out and the regular season ends October 15th. If interested, Contact John at
dudude7@gmail.com.
October 18th Openings
TCWBA Winter League Opening - The TCWBA has been a premier winter APBA league since 2001 and opportunities to join the league are few; but one now exists. The league is a C&D league which only applies the APBA basic game with the latest available card set. The league has 18 teams in three divisions playing a 162 game schedule that begins in October and runs through March. The league applies a few modifications to the APBA basic game that are all listed on our Constitution web page. Team rosters are 35 with 30 held from year to year. The league rolls about 12-16 games each month. Knowing EXCEL or similar program is required due to its heavy use for instructions and results. The TCWBA maintains an excellent web site. The site gets updated during the season almost daily and the statistics page monthly. A free agent draft is held in June via e-mail. The season is underway and you’ll need to jump right in, get instructions out and roll some games. You can view the available team roster here:
http://www.rcmba.com/tcwba/tw-rosters/riverwolf.html. ; If you would like to join the league, please contact John Briggs at
JWB@RCMBA.COM.
1957 BBW League Opening - More than one franchise is open in a start up BBW league. Please email John Cress at
johncress@ymail.com if interested in details.
October 11th Openings
2021 OAPBA (Central Florida) - The OAPBA is entering its 32d season in 2021 and is seeking a manager to take over a vacated franchise. The manager does not need to live in Central Florida and can play the entire schedule via FaceTime. The OAPBA plays a total of 80 games, two 40-game halves, using Master Game cards, with minor modifications (e.g. error randomizer). The manager must be able to compile team statistics and submit them in a timely fashion. To learn more about the OAPBA go. to
www.oapba.org or contact Rod Caborn at
rcaborn@mac.com or Dave Larson at
tazlarson@aol.com.
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 fanatical hobby of APBA gaming. Stay Positive and COVID Negative as vaccinations are now beginning to be delivered!
