Fellow APBA fans,

With the holidays almost upon us, this will most likely be the last post before the new year and certainly before Christmas Day.    If I’m lucky to get some time alone, I might post something next week.  Who knows?

It’s been a year of transition for the game of APBA, the community of fans and especially the company.  I think when all was said and done, the adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” holds true.  We’ve gotten the new disk, the card numbers look about the way they should, and the date for card delivery is right around the corner.  APBA as a tabletop sports game is as strong as ever, in my opinion.

The APBA Blog is a labor of love for me.  Of the several blogs I run, The APBA Blog is the one I enjoy writing for and working on the most.  I’ve learned “how to do it right” (almost).  Most of the credit though, goes to you, the readers.  I enjoy the feedback and interaction.  So thanks.  I wouldn’t have as much fun without you all.  

Finally to the point of this article, I want to take the time to wish everyone, my old friends as well as the people who I’ve had the pleasure to interact with for the first time this year, a happy and safe holiday season.

I’m looking forward to an even better 2012! 

66’s

Tom

Actually, there is one tiny bit of release news.  CEO John Herson has announced on the forum that the 2011 Baseball card set are scheduled to be shipped early next month:

“It is expected that we will start to ship the 2011 baseball cards on the first Saturday in January.”

Not in time for Christmas but hey, any day the cards arrive is Christmas, right?

Meanwhile, while everyone is geared up for the 2011 disk, I’m looking towards the past.  The year 1966 to be specific.  I was thinking of starting up a season replay of a team from the 60s and had my eye on the ‘66 Cubs.  The Cubs went 59-103 that year behind a pretty decent offense and hard luck starters Dick Ellsworth and Ken Holtzman.  Ellsworth went 8-22 with a 3.98 ERA and Holtz was 11-16 with a 3.79 mark. 

Call it the “103 replay”.  My goal is to see if I can improve Chicago’s record from that year.  More on that later, I’m sure.  I’ve just ordered the cards. 

Finally, I got an email from Jim Shaw today that made me smile.  It came with the subject line “Hedge Fund CEOs who love apba”. 

“Just to let you know I am an avid fan. We play in the office every morning @6am (I am the CEO so it’s allowed!) and every evening @6pm. We have a league only with BATS stars.”

Remember, guys.  Let the boss win :)

Update:   LOL, as soon as I checked BTL after I posted this, people are posting grades from the disk. 

The disk has arrived!

"I don’t even know when I decided I was doing all 50 states," said Jennings, who will compete in today’s East Moline Firecracker Run. "I did the first two in Illinois and my sister, Patty, wanted to do the Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota and I did that one. At that point, I said, ‘I could do different states for fun.’"

Jennings played a big part in the Illowa APBA League history.  Not only that, he was the one whose team I took over.  As much as I’d like to claim credit, he was the one who came up with the team name Twin City Thunderchickens.

A pleasant and self-effacing man who yet was heads and shoulders smarter than anyone in our league, Jennings was very shrewd when it came to the came to the game of APBA.  He traded me former Rookie of the Year John Castino for Ryne Sandberg when Ryno was a rookie.  At least that’s how it was pitched to me. 

Sandberg was only one of Jennings’ franchise players.  He managed to accumulate a number of great superstars throughout his IAL career.  Players like Bobby Grich, Harold Baines, Jim Sundberg, Steve Garvey, Kirk Gibson, Ozzie Smith and Mark McGwire and pitchers like Ron Guidry and John Candelaria.

Jennings won with this crew, too.  The Twin City Thunderchickens placed first (in a league of eight teams) in six seasons under Dennis’ management.  Two years they won 100 games. 

I took his first place of 1988 and could only manage a sixth place finish with a 77-84 in 1989.  That if anything, says something (no comments from the peanut gallery :))

So congrats, Dennis on your accomplishment.  And don’t be a stranger… stop by an IAL convention sometime.