23
February

APBA Fan Profile: SCBL’s Dan Velderrain

danvFor this APBA Fan Profile, I had the pleasure to get to know Dan Velderrain of the Southern California Baseball League.  I’m glad I did and it makes me wish I could meet him in person (that really goes for pretty much everyone I’ve interviewed.  The fan profile is one of my favorite parts of doing this blog).  When I announced his upcoming interview on the APBA Blog Facebook page, it was met with quite a favorable response.  “Sgt Dan” is held in high esteem it seems and I can see why.

Dan initially contacted me a while back to put up SCBL’s league profile up on the APBA Blog.  Recently though, we got chatting on Facebook about APBA leagues and found that our two leagues were quite similar in age and structure.  The kicker was when we found out that he and I both had Tom Glavine on our respective teams for his career.  The ties that bind!

By the way, for Dan’s fan profile, I’m trying something new.  In addition to some of the normal questions, I’ve asked him some ‘rapid fire’ ones.  Quick questions with short answers and if we’re lucky, maybe not a thought put into them.  :-)

The APBA Blog:  Hi Dan, tell us about who you are when you’re not playing APBA.

Dan Velderrain:  Hello Tom and Thank You for offering me this interview opportunity. I enjoy reading this feature on The APBA Blog and now it really is an honor to actually know that I will be a part of it as well.

I am 47 years old and live in Southern California… in Orange County to be more specific. I am married to my wife, Kristine for the past six years, I do have two children, Amelia who is 15 and Adam who is 12. I am employed as a Sergeant with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and have been there for more then 23 years. My outdoor hobby is golf and my indoor hobby is APBA. I have been doing playing both for more than twenty eight years. I am truly a baseball fan and can actually find something I like in ALL 30 MLB Franchises…. However if forced to pick just one team, then count me as an Angel Fan. I attend several games each year but the highlight of my baseball season is attending the All-Star Game. I have been to six of them, including the last three in a row and I am not sure if I will miss another one… They really are amazing to attend live.

 

TAB:  Tell us your APBA story. How did you start playing and what games do you play?

DV:  Well, in 1983, while a Junior in High School, I purchased a Street & Smith Baseball Preview. As I was reading through every page of that magazine, I noticed many Table Top Baseball Game Advertisements, including APBA, Strat-O-Matic, Pursue the Pennant, etc. If I recall correctly there were like six or seven different games out there. I actually requested information from all of them and within a few weeks I was receiving several letters as if I were being recruited by Major League Teams. After reading through them all, a few times each, APBA seemed to be the clear cut choice for me. What got me I think was how they worded it. “You can run a Major League Team.” I can recall how disappointed how, in my opinion, the California Angels were under achieving. Fresh off the heals of a 1982 ALCS loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, in a series they were leading two games to none. I just knew I could get the Angels into the World Series and I was going to use the APBA Baseball Game to prove it…… However, the $30.00 price tag, the game company wanted for their game seemed just a bit high for someone who was spending all of his money trying to fix up his 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and the game just never got ordered.

I graduated high school in 1984 and enlisted with the United States Air Force. In 1985 my parents got me the APBA Baseball AND Football Games for Christmas that year…. I still count that Christmas and the years I received my Atari 2600 and my Webco BMX Bicycle as the top three best Christmas’ of All~Time.

On Christmas morning 1985 I broke out the baseball game that included the 1984 season. I played the Dodgers against the Angels. In that first inning, Rod Carew singled to lead off the game and a couple of outs later, Reggie Jackson came up and rolled 66 and I have been hooked ever since. I currently own 81 complete seasons and hopefully someday will have them all.

As far as what APBA games do I play? Let’s see I own the APBA Baseball Basic and Master Games, APBA Football, APBA Basketball both new and old, APBA Golf, APBA Saddle Racing and APBA Boxing….. But pretty much play the APBA Basic Baseball Game Exclusively.

 

Rapid Fire Questions with Sgt. Dan

Hand-roll or Dice Shaker?

Neither. I use a Dice Tower to roll my dice.

Designated Hitter or let the pitcher hit?

In APBA the Pitcher ALWAYS hits. :D

With APBA, are you superstitious? Or is it all numbers to you?

Crazy Superstitious…. To a fault.

Baseball Executive from any era you would like to have dinner with…

Hmmm Good question…. Never have given this one much thought… I guess it would have to be Walter O’Malley.

Your choice… Watch baseball on TV or a date with your wife? (careful now)

LOL Since the question is, “watch it on TV”, this one is easy…. Date with my Wife EVERY time.

 

 

TAB:  The league you are in, the Southern California Baseball League, has been around for 35 years. Give us a little history on the league and what makes it so great. What is its secret for its longevity?

DV:  I know there are a lot of leagues out there and some have even been in business longer then the SCBL. But this league holds a special place in my heart. Other than my career with the Sheriff’s Department the SCBL is the one thing that I have done the longest in my life. My team, the Saddleback Sharks is older than my children, been around longer then my wife…. I was a young Deputy Sheriff when I was given this franchise in 1991 and I have had it ever since.

Four friends and teammates on the Cross Country Team at Orange Coast Community College in the city of Irvine in Orange County, started the, “Runners League” in the Spring of 1977. These four young men, each managed two teams, their “A” team and their “B” team. They played a small schedule but didn’t keep stats other than simply, wins and losses. In 1978 they changed the name of the league to the Long Beach APBA Baseball League, gave their A Team and B Teams actual names and started keeping stats. In 1979 the league name was changed to the Southern California Baseball League. As a result of an advertisement placed in the APBA Journal the league grew to 9 members and the SCBL was officially born and underway. League Membership has been as high as 16 although today we are currently at 15 teams.

The SCBL is a Face to Face Basic Game League with many Modifications. We play an 84 game schedule consisting of 14, six game series between March and September. I don’t know if I really know what the “secret” would be…. The SCBL has always been fortunate to have had Managers who truly care about Baseball and APBA with the competitive nature and desire to run their own Major League Franchise but were a little short on the cash, Like me… So the SCBL is the next best thing!

 

TAB:  Give us an example of a modification or idea that the SCBL has used that might be unique to the league.

DV:  We use quite a few. I’ll share two of them in regards to pitching…..

Pitchers are assigned a Hits Rating based on their hits allowed per nine innings pitched. For A pitchers who give up 6.50 hits per nine or less receive a Low or L rating. If they give up 7.50 or more hits then they receive a High or H rating. If there hits per nine fall in between 6.50 and 7.50 then they are neutral or do not receive a rating. For B pitchers the cutoffs are 7.50 and 8.50, for C pitchers the cutoffs are 8.50 and 9.50 and for D pitchers the cutoffs are 9.50 and 10.50.

The L and H ratings ONLY come into play with the Bases Empty Board. With a play result of 36, 37, 38, 39 or 40 against a neutral pitcher the result is a strike, ball or foul ball. Against a L pitcher it would be a ground out and against a H pitcher it would be a single. This way pitchers who are the same grade in APBA, yet don’t give up as many hits as others in real life, get a little bit of a benefit with this modification.

Another one we recently put into place, is the addition of five new pitching grades: A&B-, A&C-, A-, B- and C-, using the Master Game Pitching Ratings. Below is a Table that we use:

Right Handed Pitcher Left Handed Pitcher
Grade MG Rating Grade MG Rating

A&B-

25,26

A&B-

25

A&C-

20,21

A&C-

20

A-

15,16

A-

15

B-

10,11

B-

10

C-

5,6

C-

5

 

For example, if a Right Handed A pitcher gets a 17, 18 or 19 in the Master Game then he is a True A. For the pitcher who gets a 15 or 16 he is an A-. An A- will be an A against all right handed hitters and a B to all left handed hitters and so on with all of the pitching grades except for the D.

So in our league it isn’t uncommon to see a Pitcher who is an A-XZH. In a league, using only 10-16 teams on any given season we all tend to have some pretty strong pitching staffs. We have found both of these modifications even it out somewhat and produce a few more base hits without really altering the pitching grades to much.

We also use a called steal with the move to first ratings and catchers throwing arm ratings and we use individual defensive ratings as opposed to total team fielding ratings as in the basic game.

It has been nice because we have increased some of the realism of the Master Game while keeping the simplicity of the Basic Game. This blend has gone a long way in maximizing the whole APBA experience.

 

TAB:  Finally, if you aren’t playing APBA Baseball, what do you like to do that’s sports related?

DV:  When I am not working, spending time with the family, playing league games during the season and various solitaire projects in the off season, I really enjoy going to Major League Baseball Games in person and playing golf. I play about once a week and go on some type of golf trip at least once a year.

Lastly, I would just like to say thank you to you, for writing the APBA Blog and to whoever is responsible for the APBA Baseball page on Face Book. Through these outlets, I have met and became friends with several others who are crazy about this game just like me. On one hand it is probably a good thing we all live so far apart, but then again, Man what kind of league could we put together if we all lived closer??? Oh Man!!! Go Sharks!!!

Many thanks to Dan Velderrain for his time in answering these questions! 

13 comments

8
February

APBA Fan Profile: Kenneth Heard of Love, Life and APBA

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Despite claiming to be “shy and reserved”, Arkansas journalist Kenneth Heard reveals himself in a quite personal way in his blog, Life, Love and APBA. In it, he details not only his 1981 baseball replay but his perspective on baseball and life in general. 

At first, Ken was graciously reluctant to be interviewed for The APBA Blog but I’m glad he changed his mind.  Every APBA fan has a story to tell especially one who can tell it so well.

 

The APBA Blog:  First if you don’t mind, give us a little background on who you are.

Kenneth Heard:  First, thank you for asking me to do this. I’ve spent my life interviewing others as a reporter, so being on the other end of the questions is a bit different. I’ve visited your blog  a lot and love what you’re doing there. Being included in it is an honor.

I’ve held a lot of jobs in my life, ranging from a greenskeeper to a cable installer to a repo man. But mainly, I’ve made a career out of news. I’ve been the northeast Arkansas bureau correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for the past 15 years, having covered the Westside Middle School shootings in 1998, the West Memphis 3 homicides and ensuing court hearings, numerous tornadoes, floods and other disasters, courts, government, features and some sports.

I was born in Pittsburgh in the summer of 1960 and I take full credit for Bill Mazeroski’s seventh game home run in the World Series that year against the Yankees. My family moved to Madison, Wisc., in the mid 1960s where, as a toddler, I became aware of Henry Aaron when he played for Milwaukee.

In 1966, we moved to Minnesota where my baseball foundation was set.

My father retired as a university professor early due to health reasons and we moved to Arkansas where I began writing things to avoid being too weird. I was a Yankee with a huge Northern accent in rural Arkansas. I had to find some hobby to keep my sanity.

I ended up teaching English and journalism for two years and bluffed my way into the Texas Tech University’s English doctoral program. But quickly realized journalism was the only thing I really could do. I dropped out of the doctoral program in October 1991 and scampered back to Arkansas in time to watch my Minnesota Twins play Atlanta in the Series that year. (Notice how baseball is a prevailing theme in my life?)

 

TAB:  How were you introduced to the game of APBA baseball? Was it love at first sight with APBA or did you try out other tabletop sports games too?

KH:  I first got into sports games like most kids with the electric football game. I moved on to electric baseball, but the noise of the magnetic ball smacking the metal walls drove my father nuts. I ended up getting my first real replay game when I bought a Sherco II baseball game in 1975.

A year later, I saw an advertisement in a Smith and Street magazine for the APBA football game. I urged my parents to get it for me for Christmas and I’ve been hooked on the game company since.

I got the basketball game in 1978 and, while most people didn’t like it because of its plodding play, I loved it. I played it all the time.  It became a shelter, a comfort zone, a normalness in the world of dating, goofy girls, teenaged angst and all that accompanied teen life.

I bought the basic baseball game in December of 1998. By then, I became enamored with APBA and realized the magic it holds in its game. I knew the baseball game would be perfect and I have been playing season replays since.

 

TAB: Of the few people I know who write about APBA, I think you are one of the best writers in the purest sense (certainly better than me). With you being a journalist by trade, that would follow. Also, your articles on Love, Life and APBA look at the game from a very personal perspective and I think that appeals to a lot of fans. What was your impetus to start the blog? Where do you see it going?

KH:  Thanks for the compliment! Sometimes, I go off on tangents and explore
ideas and memories that pop in my head with the blog. The impetus of Love Life and APBA is twofold. My wife passed away in 2006 and I went into the depression that ensues the loss of a loved one. But I played the game. I think I was replaying 1932 at that time, and I saw how it helped quell the sadness and the loneliness.

A few years later, a high school girlfriend called me after 30 years apart and we got back together. I began replaying 1977, the year we first dated, and began making comparisons with the season and our high school romance. Sadly, my high school girlfriend remembered me when I was young, optimistic, thin and happy. Not as an old, cynical, broken down fat guy.That breakup was what spawned the term “circling the drain” to refer to our fading romance in the blog that I’ve received
comments on. Again, the game was there for me during our crash. So, I thought of how the game was always there and how it had been the one constant in an ever-changing life and I began writing things about embittered relationships, weird observations and, of course, the replay.

My editor and another friend urged me to write these things in a blog format and on Jan. 1, 2012, I began Love Life and APBA Baseball. Sometimes, it may get off topic and I’ve had a few I didn’t post because they were off-key. Now, I try and do some updates of the 1981 season to keep the thing real.

 

TAB:  I notice from your blog that you are very close to finishing up the 1981 baseball replay. Congrats! What made you choose the 1981 season? Give some details on how you set up your replay.

KH:  I picked 1981 to see what would have happened if the strike that year never happened. Since I live in St. Louis Cardinals country, I hear about how the team didn’t make the oddball playoff system that year, despite having the best record overall.  I do everything by hand. I keep a three-ring notebook for the season and have a page for each team’s schedule. When I complete a game, I write the score on the corresponding line for that date. I also have team pages for the minimal stats I still keep: Home runs, wins and saves. It takes a few days to get ready for a season. I photocopy the roster, write the number of games each player played that season by his name to give me a guide for using them during my replay.

There’s always that hesitation you get when you are about to embark on a replay. You know it’ll take a long time, but there’s an excitement with it. I play a lot of games each day. I generally roll two or three in the morning and two to four each night. It’s both a testament to the greatness of the game and the fact I simply have no other life. I truly think now, at my age and as many times as I’ve been burned in
love, if a girl comes along wanting a relationship, unless she has a lot of money or is built like Beyonce was during the Super Bowl, I’ll just say, ‘Nah, I’ve gotta roll some more games.” Sad, but true.

 

TAB:  Does it give you a big sense of satisfaction to complete such a large undertaking such as a 162-game season replay? What were some of highlights of your 1981 replay?

KH:  I’ve done several replays: 1998, 1987, 1957, 1932, 1964, 1974, 1977 and now I’m about 250 games shy of finishing 1981. I love doing the replays because I learn those seasons.  I can’t tell you the lineup of the current teams, but I’ll know the pitching staff of the 1932 Philadelphia As when I’m doing that season. And I love the quirky things that happen in a season. In my 1981, Richie Zisk is a monster walk-off guy for Seattle. Seems like every time the game is on line and he’s up to bat, he jacks one out.

The highlights of the 1981 season so far include an amazing race in the American League East. Detroit is a half game ahead of both Baltimore and Milwaukee. New York is four games back. Looks like a fun dogfight to the end. I’ll be sure to blog about that soon. Also, in my replay, Montreal is the runningest team I’ve ever seen. Tim Raines must have over 120 steals already. That 14 asterisk on his card seems to roll whenever Raines is at bat. Also, I think APBA should put some warning label on the 1981 season to advise the faint-hearted of how bad the Minnesota Twins really were that year. In my replay, they are epically bad. As I go into Sept. 12, 1981, the Twins are 40-101. Very sad.

 

TAB:  What do you see as the biggest strengths of the APBA baseball game? What makes you want to play it? Also, if you could change one thing about the game, what would it be?

KH:  I am probably the simplest APBA player out there. I no longer keep stats after losing a few replays in crashed computers. I play the basic without XBs, and I play with the suggested rosters and don’t do transactions, actual lineups or even injuries. There are so many in the APBA community who do amazing, detailed replays. I just roll the dice and watch. For me to suggest any change in APBA is like a third grade finger painter giving tips on art to Pablo Picasso.

I think the strength of the game, at least for me, is the ease of play and the world you can create with the cards and the season. I get totally immersed in a season and escape. It really helps escaping with the game after I come home from writing yet another news story about a murder, or corruption or a lurid trial. The magic of the game stays with us. There’s been nothing else in my life that’s stayed with me
for so long and through so many personal changes. I don’t know if Richard Seitz imagined the lasting beauty of this game when he invented it more than 60 years ago. I’d like to think he did.

 

TAB:  Lastly, what’s next for you when you finish your 1981 replay? Do you have another replay project planned?

KH:  Wow! What’s next? I’ve never rolled an at bat for Joe DiMaggio, so I have 1942 up next. I hope to tear into that in April. I also want to do 1991 to see if the Twins can do better than they did in 1981. And I just bought 1919, so that’s on the deck too. And, there’s hockey … and someday, I’d like to drag out the old basketball game and replay that first season I’ve ever owned. There’s years ahead for me and plenty of fodder for the blog to keep going on.

Thanks to Kenneth for taking time out from his busy schedule as a newshound to answer a few questions.  Good luck on finishing that 1981 season! 

3 comments

22
January

APBA Fan Profile: Rich Zawadzki aka “Pastor Rich”

MEHOFAs I mentioned on The APBA Blog Facebook page, I’m bringing back the APBA Fan Profile series.  It took a little hiatus but since it was pretty popular, you’ll start seeing more of them this year.

First up is Rich Zawadzki aka ‘Pastor Rich’.  Those of you who frequent the APBA Baseball group on Facebook are most likely familiar with Pastor Rich (left) and his Great Teams of the Past tournament updates.

I’m actually grateful to Rich.  He has always been helpful with suggestions for my Monster Card Monday feature and he certainly has an eye for a great looking APBA card.  Rich is non-stop energetic, loves the games of baseball and APBA, and without a doubt has a kind heart.

Without further ado, here is my Q&A with Pastor Rich.

The APBA Blog:  Rich, give us a little background on you.

Rich Zawadzki:  Well, first of all, thank you so much for asking me to participate in the APBA Fan Profile.

I enjoy and appreciate your work on the APBA Blog, and your efforts through technology and through Social Media to connect APBA Players to one another.

My name is Rich Zawadzki. I am 41 years old and I live in Jackson, MI where I am the Senior Pastor of the Loomis Park Baptist Church. I am married (Kerry – 1996), and have 2 wonderful boys (Eric – 4 and Luke – 3) who love to “roll the dice” on “Daddy’s Baseball Game”.

I am an adopted only child who grew up in Westfield, MA. I was a 3-sport athlete all through school until graduation in 1990. In the fall of 1994, I was a drummer in a heavy metal band, and very happily living in the destructive lifestyle that goes along with it, when a concerned co-worker took a spiritual interest in me. In 1995, at Mountain View Baptist Church in Holyoke, MA, I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. In 1997, my wife and I moved to Pontiac, MI where we both attended Midwestern Baptist College for the next 4 years. We then came back to New England in 2001, to minister in two smaller Independent Baptist Churches (in Holyoke, MA & New Hartford, CT) as a Youth Pastor and Associate Pastor while working a full-time job as an quality inspector for aircraft parts for the next 8 years.  In 2009, the dear people of Loomis Park Baptist Church of Jackson, MI extended “the call” to me to be their Pastor (Full-Time), and my wife and I accepted. So, for the 2nd time in my life, my family and I moved from New England to Michigan.

Moving to Michigan has not transferred ANY of my sports allegiances. WE ARE TRUE NEW ENGLANDERS!

I root for the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots and strangely enough, the Nebraska Cornhuskers (since I was very young) in college football which has put me in a tough spot here since they moved to the Big 10.

 

TAB:  When did you start playing APBA and how did you find out about the game?

RZ:  I started playing APBA at my parents’ dining room table with my Dad. To the best of my recollection, I started playing in about 1979-1980. My Dad (Rich Sr.) was an extremely intelligent, self-taught (he could literally tell you from memory of any of the European dynasties) and analytical man, and I believe APBA appealed to these character traits. It was a hobby that he played for fun. I believe, but am not totally sure, that he discovered APBA Baseball through an ad in The Baseball Digest. He kept score on graph paper and kept the stats after every 3 games (as that is how many games that we could fit on a piece of graph paper) on this giant notepads of green engineering type of paper. I was just a little guy who was really beginning to love baseball, and of course, in the winter or bad weather, you couldn’t play. This was before, cable TV, DVD’s and video games (except pong). So, Dad would pull out this odd shaped yellow and purple box that said, “APBA MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME” “YOU ARE THE MANAGER”, and he PATIENTLY taught me how to play, and really taught me so much about baseball itself (When to sacrifice bunt, when to bring the infield in, executing a double switch, keep score, print neatly, etc.) . He just invested time in me as he would stop and slowly explain the game to me. He had several seasons from the early 1970’s, the 1978 set (Guidry A&C 2XZ which card I still have), but we had the most fun with the 1986 set. Sadly, he passed away in 2009 at the tender age of 61, just 3 days after I became the Pastor at Loomis. Oh how I miss playing APBA with him!

 

TAB:  What is your focus when it comes to APBA? Do you play primarily baseball? Basic game, Master Game or Baseball for Windows? Also, do you like to concentrate on particular eras?

RZ:  I am an “Old-School” APBA Baseball Basic player (with dice, boards, pen & paper – stats on Excel Spreadsheet) exclusively. I tried Basketball in the late 1980’s and it just didn’t take. For me, it was just too much.

The first “project” that I ever worked on was with 3 other guys in high school in 1988. We played a Great Teams of The Past league (I believe about 30 games). I ended up winning with the 1927 Yankees against the 1946 Red Sox. The next project was in 1991, when a good friend of mine and I drafted two teams to play against the Original Franchise All-Stars. We drafted our 2 teams first (1921 Ruth to me – 1911 Cobb for him) and the drafted the other teams after. This is where the idea of the Honolulu Hitmen (The All-Time Best of The Best APBA Team) was born. Many a fun night was had in my room “rollin’ the dice”.

I have always enjoyed playing “The Best of The Best” (Original Franchise All-Stars, All-Time Greats A, B & C, Great Teams of The Past, etc.). Sadly, after about 1992, I really just stopped playing (See answer to first question). I sold most of my Dad’s old sets, as well as tons of teams that I had collected in the 1980’s (OFAS, GTOP, etc.). UGH! However, I kept my boards from 1986 and about 500 of “The Cream of the Crop” that I had collected over the years. They moved with my wife and I several times, though I did not play them, I just couldn’t get rid of them…thankfully.

 

TAB:  I frequently read about your solitaire baseball projects on Facebook. What project are you currently working on?

RZ:  As a Pastor, my time is very limited. My Church is kind enough to let me take Monday’s off, but I usually try to spend it with my family. There are many people to visit, much reading, Bible study, services to conduct, programs and special event, not to mention preparing 4 sermons a week. So really the only kind of projects that I can do, are solitaire projects. I would love to come to the convention and play in the tournament, but Sunday’s are “a work day” for a Pastor.

I really got back into APBA through Facebook. Through the APBA Baseball group.  I connect with many players who would share what they were doing, and I started playing again.

Through EBAY I began buying sets (1981, 1988, 1979 World Series, 1994 Playoff teams, GTOP). Through reading of Dan Velderrain’s March Madness Tourney, I thought that’s something that I could do in my “spare time”.

In 2012, after rebuilding my previously sold collection of GTOP, I played 3 64-team single elimination tourneys (no stats). The 1st was won by the 1967 Red Sox on a walk-off by Tony C. The 2nd was one by the 1911 Giants and the 3rd was won by the 1969 Mets. Interestingly, the 1911 Philadelphia A’s have made it to the Final Four in all 3 tourneys.

I am currently 54 games into a single season 162 game schedule for 1 team, the  Honolulu Hitmen (The All-Time Best of The Best APBA Team) against all (140 teams – and replaying the teams that beat the Hitmen) my GTOP.

The 25-man Hitmen consists of the following unbelievable players…

Ty Cobb – 1911, Mickey Cochrane – 1930, Joe Cronin – 1930, Joe DiMaggio – 1937 (Single Column), Hugh Duffy – 1894, Jimmie Foxx – 1932, Lou Gehrig – 1927 (Single Column), Josh Gibson – 1931, Rogers Hornsby – 1924, Nap Lajoie – 1901, Babe Ruth – 1921, Al Simmons – 1930, Sam Thompson – 1894, Pie Traynor – 1930, Honus Wagner – 1900, Ted Williams – 1941.

Walter Johnson – 1913, A&B (1 YZ)
Ed Walsh – 1908 A&B (2 YZ)
Ron Guidry – 1978 A&C (2 XZ)
Lefty Grove – 1931 A&C (1 YZ)
Grover Alexander – 1916 A&C (2 Z)
Smokey Joe Wood – 1912 A&B (2 XZ)
Sandy Koufax – 1966 A&C (1 XYZ)
Dennis Eckersley – 1990 A&B* (2 XZZ)
Bruce Sutter – 1977 A&C* (2 XYZ)

Currently the Hitmen are 48-6 and some of the stats are unreal. (Cobb has 32 steals and Gehrig has 93 RBI’s). I’m sure everybody has a player or two whom they’d like to add, but I feel that my club is “solid”.

 

TAB:  As a pastor of your own church, do your parishioners know of your love of APBA Baseball? What kind of reactions do you get when you describe this game to them?

RZ:  In my Church, there are all kinds of types of people. Some like working with their hands, some like hunting and fishing, and many have other hobbies. I have many times said that “To like APBA, you have to enjoy (but really love) baseball.” Many people in our Church have no clue that I love APBA. We do a game night at our Church a couple times a year where everyone brings their favorite board games. I bring APBA. We have a Church-Wide Campout one week a year. I bring APBA. Late last year, I had a bunch of the guys from our Church softball team over to my house for some pizza and wings and they played a little 8-team GTOP tourney. 1961 Yankees defeated the 1927 Yankees. I kept score and walked everybody through it. Most folks that I have showed it to are initially a bit intimidated by its complexity, but after they play, they are impressed by its simplicity.

 

TAB:  You seem to be a connoisseur of APBA Baseball cards. What is your favorite APBA card of all time? Why?

RZ:  Thank you! I used to think that the best card ever was a the 1930 Al Simmons (From the All Time Greats Team) with 7 on 31 & 51 and 6 on 55, followed very closely by the 1921 Babe Ruth (3 1’s and 8 14’s) and 1911 Ty Cobb (4 11’s & 5 31’s) depending on whether or not you wanted speed or power and on-base percentage.

gehrig27However, having recently been exposed to the Original Single Column cards, I must conclude that the 1927 Lou Gehrig card is the greatest APBA Baseball card of all time. This card is just simply a monster. 1 on 11 & 66, 3 on 33, 5 on 22 & 44, 6 on 15 & 55, 7 on 25, 10 on 31 & 51. It also has a 41 on 32 and 5 14’s. It does have a weakness though…”A weakness for doubles.” A case could be made for the 1931 Josh Gibson card, with his speed too, but he has a J-4 injury rating, whereas, Gehrig has a J-0 and where Gibson is pure speculation…with Gehrig, the numbers are in! I have long maintained that Gehrig’s 1927 season is the greatest by any player in the long and storied history of baseball.

  • .373 AVG
  • 218 Hits
  • 117 Extra Base Hits (52 2B, 18 3B, 47 HR)
  • 175 RBIs (Amazing considering that Ruth cleared the bases 60 times right before he came up)
  • 109 BB
  • 10 SB
  • .474 OBP
  • .765 SLG
  • 1.240 OPS

 

TAB:  Finally, let’s get philosophical. As a man of the cloth, do you draw any analogies between religion and baseball?

RZ:  As a Pastor and Preacher of the Gospel, the illustrations that baseball provides are seemingly endless.

  • The sacrifice bunt (Giving yourself for the team)
  • Doing your part within your ability (not everybody is a power hitter)
  • The inerasable consequences of a slipup, mistake or bad decision (Curt Flood’s slip in 1968 World Series, Bill Bucker’s error in the 1986 World Series, etc.)
  • The importance of the little things (Dave Robert’s steal in the 2004 ALCS)
  • Perseverance and faithfulness (Cal Ripken’s streak)
  • Grace when tragedies come (Lou Gehrig’s speech in 1939)
  • Never giving up (2004 ALCS)
  • Pride goeth before destruction (Goose Gossage thinking he could blow away Kirk Gibson in the 1984 World Series)

…and I could literally go on and on and on!

But really, there is one that I use over and over when leading people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and is the metaphor of HOME or being SAFE AT HOME. Just like in baseball, you have to touch every base, and once you step on the plate and come HOME…YOU’RE SAFE AT HOME. Biblically, to get Home (to Heaven), you got to personally touch…

1st Base – All mankind (including you and I) are sinners

(Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”)

2nd Base – All mankind (including you and I) owe the just payment for sin

(Romans 6:23A “For the wages of sin is death…”)

3rd Base – God loves all mankind (including you and I) and proved it by sending His Son, Jesus to die on the cross to make our payment for sin

(Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”)

(John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Home Plate – Any person (including you and I) can believe and ask God to save them from their sins, and when they do…they are SAFE AT HOME!

(Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”)

(John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”)

Thank you again for interviewing me for the APBA Fan Profile.

With affection and gratitude,

Rich Zawadzki – Senior Pastor, Loomis Park Baptist Church – Jackson, MI

I appreciate Rich’s time and effort in answering these questions.  I’ve been familiar with my fair share of ministers in my life and knew if I chose Pastor Rich, he wouldn’t be at a loss for words.  :)  Thanks for the awesome interview, Rich!!

5 comments

29
November

Call for interview questions for APBA CEO John Herson

APBA Company CEO John Herson has agreed to do an interview before the holidays.  I’m open to any ideas for anything you might want to know about APBA (the games, the company, whatever).

A quick note about my thought process when formulating questions to ask Mr Herson:

When I make a call for ideas or questions when this time comes around, I get a wide range of suggestions.  Sometimes they are specific and that’s ok.  However, I may re-formulate the question to encompass a broader issue.  For example, instead of “Why did so and so get rated as an OF-1?” (that was just an example; I don’t think anyone actually asked that), I might ask a more general question about the general trend of how fielding rating has changed over the years.   Put simply, Herson’s presence here is valuable and I want to make the most of it for everyone’s benefit.

So ask away.  If you don’t eventually see your exact question, read between lines.  I may have taken your question and re-worded it to place it in the broader spectrum.

If you do have a good idea… something YOU want to know, leave it in the comments below, on The APBA Blog Facebook Page or email me.  I’ll be working on the questions for him this weekend.

thanks all!

18 comments

11
September

APBA CEO John Herson talks about Baseball 5.75, company direction and the new Baseball card set schedule

apbalogoAs he does from time to time, APBA Company CEO John Herson answered a few questions for The APBA Blog.

In this interview, there’s a focus on the latest changes within APBA in the last year or so.  Mr. Herson talks to us about the APBA Company’s online presence and direction and their new approach to card sets.   Of course, we discuss the new APBA Baseball 5.75 release and we find out more about the different release schedule for the upcoming 2012 Baseball card set.

The APBA Blog:  The APBA Baseball 5.75 disk has just shipped.  I’ve played it and find it quite enjoyable but I’m a hard core APBA dice and boards player.  What has been the general response from long time BBW players? 

John Herson:  Positive and happy that it runs on Windows 7.

TAB:  Have there been any issues with migration from version 5.5?

JH:  A few have had issues.  One of the biggest challenges with migration is for disks that we not offered by either APBA or the Millers.  We are working on helping folks resolve these issues.  

TAB:  Also, you’ve already come out with a patch for the APBA Baseball 5.75.  Rather than see it as a mea culpa, I’m glad to see the Company has addressed the issues so quickly.  That said, are you satisfied you found all the major bugs in the entire package? 

JH: First I disagree that there were any major bugs in 5.75.  This was a real challenge for the programmer because of the age of the program and documentation was an issue.  Example 5.5 had changes made in say League Manager but not in the baseball game.   I ‘m very happy with the programmer’s efforts and the results with the efforts of the testers.  Sometimes you get buried in the trees and don’t see the forest.  The testers tested for a year on a complicated program.  I would have preferred no issues but everyone tells me that this unheard of in software.  But I am happy with 5.75 after the past two efforts.   

There have been more calls about Wizard  than anything with the game itself. Wizard and Baseball are two separate programs.  I was not going to delay the release of Baseball for 10 to 12 months for a new Wizard program.  In the next version of the game, one will be able to create a player and/or edit a player.  But there will be no ability to import a season with one or two key strokes.

A bigger frustration with 5.75 is with the post office.  We use a Pitney Bowes machine, the same one was also used in Lancaster for years.  For some reason, certain post offices in the New Jersey, Connecticut and Idaho area have asked for more postage.  We have sent the same disk to California for a $1.30 with no issues.  I’ve asked our local mailman to review how we determine postage for the disk.  He had no issues.  It is frustrating for everyone, APBA and customers, that certain regions of a federal system are inconsistent in apply the same rules.  This was also an issue with the 2011 season disk in the same areas.  We are working with the local postal folks to resolve this issue, if we can.  If you have customer service issues like this, please email us or call us on the 800 number.  We do not use the message board for customer service.  Matter of fact I have not been to the message board since mid-February.  We can only resolve your customer service issues if you contact us at the office.  Never hesitate to contact us.  The only way we can resolve something is if we know about it.

TAB:  The 2011 Football season set has been delayed by a printer snafu.  What’s the current status of that situation?  Also, you recently mentioned the possibility of reprinting the Negro League set.  Is that still in the works? Are there other projects in the works? Do I dare ask about online APBA? 

JH: The Negro League reprint set has been available for at least a month. We are still waiting for the printer of the card backs to fit us in their schedule.  The printing of the card shells was done in late May to fit that printer’s schedule.

You can always ask about online APBA.  When we have something to announce publicly we will do so.   Anything said now would be premature.  We do have plans for an online presence with the entire portfolio of APBA games including sports that we no longer offer as board games.

TAB:  In the past year, it seems that the APBA Company is changing how they are looking at APBA card sets.  In addition to your commitment to seeing all current baseball sets being reprinted, we’re now seeing roster lists posted online.  You’ve expanded the roster to 30 players per team and done away with the delineation between XBs and regular cards for future sets. 

JH: We will still designate the XBs players going forward at the request of many fans.

TAB:  Are the wheels still turning? Can we expect to see other changes in terms of card set availability?  I know Master Game symbols integrated with the cards has been a request brought up by some customers. 

JH: Beginning with the 1910 season, we offered an option with all new sets going forward (not reprint sets) of either a basic game or master game card set.  The next new season is 1903.  There will only be one set for 1903 with all the players offered instead of a base set and XCs. At some point, we will begin to offer XCs as cards instead of sheets.  Since we now have the season year on the card, going forward the 12 will have a permanent home.

TAB:  Speaking of card sets, APBA has recently employed a marketing method called “pre-play” that is, giving away a limited card set based on a current sport season for APBA fans to play for free.  We’ve seen it with APBA Soccer’s UEFA Championship Series as well as with the 2011-12 NHL Finalists.  The concept of “pre-play” seemed to be pretty popular (free is always good, right?).  Will this be a regular thing with APBA? 

JH: Probably.  This continues the tradition of the old sample cards.

TAB:  Can we expect a pre-play MLB World Series download in 2012? 

JH: No.  The process of making baseball cards is different than the other sports.

TAB: Your online presence has changed quite a bit in one year.  With two significant web site upgrades, apbagames.com is now updated regularly and we now (finally) get links to those updates via social media sites like Facebook.  Along with the updates which give us a better idea what’s happening in Alpharetta, APBA fans can even give feedback on the web site in the form of comments.  That’s a quite an overall change.  Has it helped in how customers interact with the Company? 

JH: I don’t know if the new website has helped or not.  Frankly, I get more constructive comments (positive and negative) when people call or take the time to write a detailed email directly to me. I appreciate all constructive comments.  We consider all comments even though we don’t do what is suggested.

TAB:  Do you think it has helped in shaping the direction of APBA? 

JH: I have a sounding board of three to five long time customers that I use to discuss ideas etc. Besides being long time APBA players, these men all have a different area of expertise in their professional lives.  One man is an expert in E-commerce.  One is in logistics, etc.

I do have a plan and vision for the company that I’m committed to. (No I will not share the plan for various reasons). It is a challenge to move a company forward at the same time pay homage to its tradition.  Times are different.  The way things were done in the 60s is too expensive today.  We have started to make some products available electronically with more challenges than I would have thought.  Some are APBA’s doing and some are the customer’s doing.  But we are committed to making the accessories, lineup sheets schedules, transactions and park effects available electronically. Eventually all the cards sets will be cards not sheets.  We will never offer PDFs of cards for various reasons.

TAB: Anything else you would like to share before we wrap up?

JH: I’ve announced this in one of my newsletters but I want to announce it here also.  The 2012 baseball cards will not be available until after the first of the year.  For various reasons last year, it was important to have the cards available as soon as possible.  We will not push the production process to start deliveries at an earlier date this year.  What has happened is that meeting the accelerated date detracts from producing a quality card set.  I want people to know this now so they can plan their league drafts accordingly.  Remember January is still earlier than in the old days.  As the 2012 season winds down we will announce a delivery date for the 2012 season disk.

Thanks to John Herson for taking time from his usual busy schedule to answer some questions!

11 comments

22
July

Interview with Bruce Norlander, prediction guru and minor league carder

imageby Mike Estep

We are honored to have as our guest an APBA fan who has been keeping alive the history of past minor league seasons by producing APBA cards for past minor league seasons. We will be interviewing Mr. Bruce Norlander.

Mike: Hello Bruce, welcome to the APBA Blog.

Bruce: Hi, thanks for having me. I love the APBA Blog.

Mike: How long have you been an APBA fan and when did you begin playing APBA?

Bruce: I guess I was introduced to APBA over 40 years ago by my brother and some neighborhood friends. We started with All-Time sets and the first year I remember a full season set was 1970. I still play in a BBW keeper league with my brother and the two brothers who started it all.

Mike: What made you decide to produce APBA cards for past minor league seasons?

Bruce: At first I did it to scout minor leaguers for my BBW teams but my love for minor league baseball started in my hometown of Duluth, Minnesota. We had the Duluth Dukes, a Class C team back then an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. The Northern League had some great players come through like Aaron, Brock, Cepeda, Palmer, Carlton and the Tigers McLain, Freehan, Northrup, Horton and more. I wanted to make cards for those players and once I got the stats I did a Greatest Northern Leaguers set.

Mike: Where did you find the stats for those past minor league seasons?

Bruce: Now most everything is online at Baseball Reference but at first the stats needed to make accurate APBA cards were in the Sporting News Baseball Guides but I didn’t have them. Then I found books by Marshall D. Wright with all the stats from a large number of seasons for the American Association and International League and I started buying the Baseball Guides on ebay or getting stats from people that have the guides.

Mike: What do you find exciting about playing with the minor league sets?

Bruce: There are several things, like seeing what Joe DiMaggio’s can hit in the 1935 PCL when he batted .398. or Willie Mays in 1951 hit .477 for Minneapolis before his promotion to New York and Ted Williams who won the Triple Crown for Minneapolis in 1938. I also love learning about players I knew nothing about including one of my favorites from Minnesota, Joe Guyon, an NFL Hall-of Famer who hit .329 in his 12 year minor league career. Another thing that drew me to doing minor league sets was the rivalry between the Minneapolis Millers and St. Paul Saints in the American Association thus the name ArchRivals Baseball.

Mike: What leagues have you produced so far and what will be coming out in the near future?

Bruce: I started doing minor league sets in 2001 and have done over 50 sets. I have Great Team sets for all the top minor leagues, 1938 American Association (Ted Williams’ Triple Crown Season, 1951 American Association (Mays, Mantle), 1952 Northern League (Hank Aaron’s first year) and many others including my latest project, the 1959 season for all AAA and AA levels. I just completed my yearly Futures Game set and I am currently updating some older sets like the 1957 PCL and 1970 International. I am still looking at the next project…maybe the 1961 season?

Mike:  What is your favorite minor league team of all time and why?

Bruce:  I have a few but my favorite would be the 2002 Edmonton Trappers. Being a Twins fan the Traps won the PCL championship, had a 81-59 record and had prospects and power. They hit 202 HRs led by an outfield of Michael Ryan with 31 HRs, Michael Restovich hit 29 and Michael Cuddyer hit 20. Thirdbaseman Casey Blake hit .309 with 19 HRs, catcher Javier Valentin added 21 HRs and 1B Todd Sears hit .310 with 20 HRs. Pitching was led by 12-0 Scott Randall, #1 pick Adam Johnson won 13 games and Johan Santana was 5-2, 3.14 ERA.

Mike: Your annual card predictions on APBA Between The Lines Forum have become extremely popular. What led you to start doing those predictions and sharing them on the forum?

Bruce: Well I suppose it was the long winter days in Minnesota waiting for the mailman to finally deliver the new APBA cards that we started predicting what the cards would look like. We read the APBA Journal and got the card making formulas but pitching was tough to predict so I started to reverse engineer the numbers and ask questions especially after the old formulas didn’t work. I figured out an accurate way to do control ratings and then MG grades. About 15 years ago I just threw my ratings out on the forum and have ever since.

Mike: I will not ask you to divulge any of your card making secrets, but given your popularity on your forum posts each year, your method appears to be right on target! In your opinion, what makes you the “go-to guy” for APBA baseball fans once a year? The fans maybe needing a fix in regards to their psyche before the cards come out?

Bruce: I think that’s one of the things. We just can’t wait, can we? I’m glad people enjoy my predictions. I try to be as accurate as I can but the formula always seems to change or something else is accounted for like win percentage or the W is given more weight in determining a grade. It’s fun to see the debate and sometimes it makes me see things different. Others do predictions but I put my butt out there every year.

Mike: How might someone get in touch with you that is interested in your sets?

Bruce: You can email at bnorlander@comcast.net and I can send a list of all my sets. I will post frequently on the Between The Lines forum and my sets are also listed on the APBA Yahoo Group under Files. I wish I had a website but I’d rather spend my time making sets. [ed. here is a list of sets in pdf format]

Mike: Thank you Bruce for agreeing to being interviewed. Thanks for delving into the too often overlooked area of minor league baseball. I am enjoying my set of American Association cards representing the year 1959. They are tremendous fun.

Bruce: That’s why I do them, for fun. There are many minor league fans that remember the old minor league days in their city like New Orleans at Pelican Stadium or Nashville at the Sulphur Dell. There are also minor league fans from today like those in Lancaster, PA who wanted to play their championship team from the 2006 Atlantic or those who would like to play a 2012 season and see if Billy Hamilton can break the stolen base record.

2 comments

2
July

Get to know new APBA Between the Lines moderator Kevin Cluff

 

imageAs some of you know, the APBA Company has recently withdrew official support of the APBA- Between the Lines forum hosted on the Delphi Forums site.  The popular forum needed a new moderator.  Enter Kevin Cluff. 

Kevin stepped up to the plate and assumed the responsibilities of maintaining ABTL and moderating the forums.  If my memory serves, Kevin and I have traded emails quite a few years back.  So I thought I’d send him an email and see if he’d be up for answering a few questions about his new role with ABTL.

Kevin graciously agreed and I’m glad he did.  

The APBA Blog:  If you don’t mind, give us some background on Kevin Cluff. When you did you start playing APBA? What games do play? Are you in a league or do you focus on replays?

Kevin Cluff:  I’m Baseball only. I started playing APBA in 1973, at the age of 9. This occurred for the simple reason that my older brother felt that the league he was in with two other neighborhood boys needed another manager. Previously they had played All Star Baseball, and when they switched to APBA in 1972 I inherited my brothers All Star game and had been playing that for a while. After the 1973 league concluded, my brother gave me the cards (1972 cards) and my solo efforts switched from All Star Baseball to APBA.

My brother and I started playing a draft league again when we were adults, which lasted from 1985 until I moved from Southern California to Minnesota in 1994. I miss it. The best part of that league was the time I got to spend with my brother.

Now I spend most of my APBA time on a project with normalized stats and cards I create myself, though I will occasionally mix in a draft league using BBW’s auto-drafting capabilities to draft the other teams in the league. My kids are ages 5, 6 and 7 and the time I have for APBA these days is limited, so I have to be creative in when and how I get to play.

TAB:  What was behind your decision to take on the moderator role of APBA Between the Lines?

KC:  The APBA game company has given me so much in my life. I spend hours on the game, and even more hours thinking about it. My understanding of the game of baseball, and the enjoyment I get out of it can be traced directly to APBA. Baseball and APBA were strong bonds between my brother and I. I feel a personal responsibility to “give back” to the APBA game company. However, to be honest, I had no intention of volunteering to become the moderator of APBA Between The Lines. I thought of a few people who would be good at it, but I that was as much thought as I gave it.

John Herson forwarded an e-mail to me, where someone had suggested my name to him, and he asked me if I was interested in doing it. I had some reservations about it. I was most concerned about the time it takes. I have never been able to read every post, for example. I’m not sure if anyone can keep up with every post, there is a lot of volume on ABTL. So, I talked to some people whose opinion I respected, to see how much time they spent on the forums they moderate.

Ultimately, the decision came down to this: I was/am capable of doing it, and the forum is important to the APBA community, and I believe, to the game company. So, I told John I would do it.

TAB:  In your introductory note on the forum when you formally took over your duties as moderator, you not only introduced yourself but re-established the rules and protocol of behavior. Most importantly, you said, “Be courteous, be respectful”.

You also made mention of ABTL posts that are “unfairly critical of or hostile to APBA, APBA’s products, APBA’s customers, APBA’s ownership or APBA’s competitors will be removed.” but insist “open discussion on APBA products is encouraged, even if they are negative”. In your opinion, what is the key to the balance between a free and open forum but also a forum that is informational and useful for everyone?

KC:  Oh, I suppose there are a few keys. First, those who frequent the forum need to be interested, invested, knowledgeable and have a desire to be helpful. APBA Between The Lines has always had participants who fit this criteria.

In order for the forum to work for the largest majority of APBA fans, it has to be a safe environment. That may seem like a strange requirement for an online community, but it is paramount. It has to be ok to speak one’s mind, but the ideas expressed have to be on point. That is to say, ideas are discussed, not personalities. Someone can say an idea is unworkable while still respecting the one who brought the idea forward. The closer to that ideal we can get, the more information will be presented, new ideas, old ideas, twists on old ideas, etc.

At the same time, no one should post an idea or thought on a public forum if they are so sensitive to having their post criticized that every negative comment is viewed as a personal attack. It can be easy to take negative posts personally, of course.

Finally, there are some hot topics that will just naturally cause hurt feelings. These are, usually, beyond the scope of the forum. Topics like politics, and religion almost always result in hurt feelings and personal attacks. There are forums designed for this sort of thing, fortunately, so there are places to go for such discourse.

TAB:  Personally, I find the ABTL forum a good starting point for people new to APBA. An APBA fan can ask any kind of question and usually get a good answer. The Classifieds section is also a good feature too. In your opinion, what are the strengths of APBA Between the Lines?

KC:  The strength of APBA Between The Lines is the people. The APBA Community is well represented. There is a wealth of knowledge about APBA and the games on the forum every day. I can’t remember the last time a question was asked that didn’t get a knowledgeable response. If you want to toss around an idea you’ve been thinking about, or want to know if a card or rating is in error, ABTL is a great place to go. A place where your idea or question will not only be well received but you will get insightful responses, often from the brightest minds in the hobby. The depth and quality of the people that one has access to via ABTL is tremendous.

TAB:  Finally, did APBA CEO John Herson impart any advice or suggestions as he handed over the reins to you as moderator?

KC:  I asked him what his expectations were, and he said he thought my own expectations would exceed his, so no, he really didn’t offer any suggestions.

Prior to my “introductory post” where I talked about the rules of the forum, I searched through all of Marc Rinaldi ‘s posts where he discussed the rules and/or admonished people for taking things too far. That is how I came up with the content of my post. The idea was that this would be a seamless change, that no one would notice a difference in the rules. I specifically didn’t want to represent a change. It is not my desire to leave my imprint on the forum, or in any way to make it about me. I want ABTL to continue to be what it was always meant to be, about APBA and those who love the APBA games. The forum makes no sense, to me, otherwise.

First of all, thanks to Kevin for doing the forthright interview. 

More importantly, thanks also for his help in keeping ABTL alive.  If what Kevin says above is any indication, I personally think the forum is in pretty good hands. 

4 comments

23
June

APBA Football Facebook page has Howard Ahlskog interview

Geoff Giordano of APBA Football (a great resource for any APBA fan not just football buffs) on Facebook has posted a two-part series on thoughts from former APBA Journal editor and publisher Howard Ahlskog.

APBA According to Ahlskog: Part 1

APBA According to Ahlskog: Part 2

Some interesting stuff there… even hints on modifying the game for your football replay:

“We limited running backs and receivers to their long gains,” he asserted. “You give a guy who caught 70 passes and his long was 25 and the APBA game in those days — you throw to him long you get a 1 (and) it’s gone … 70 yards. No way. Some of these guys were 250-pound running backs.

Ahlskog doesn’t hold back on his thoughts on the game in his interview.  Well worth the read. 

Also, you can now find the Bridesburg APBA League on Facebook now!  Brian Cavanaugh has created a Facebook page for the league which runs out of the Bridesburg Boys and Girls Club in the Philly area.

Brian has been uploading the team logos lately.  Very fun!

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2
June

Interview: APBA CEO John Herson talks about…

APBA Game Company CEO John Herson is almost always willing to answer a few questions for The APBA Blog.  He took a few minutes to answer a couple on a variety of topics. 

Thanks to Mr. Herson for his time!

…the updated APBA web site

The APBA Blog: Let’s talk about the new web design.  Personally, I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction.  It seems to have a more modern feel and more importantly, it’s being updated.  The downloadable roster lists are a nice touch, too.  First of all, do YOU like the changes?

John Herson:  I like being able to update the home page.  The biggest issue from the transition to Georgia was the website went into limbo.

TAB: Second, what has been the overall response from the APBA community?

JH:  All positive. Most negative comments are delivered via the forum which I no longer visit.  

TAB:  Are there future plans for more features for the site?

JH:  The site is still a work in progress.  Eventually the site will celebrate the history of APBA while trying to attract new fans.  The historical sections will have copies of old advertising materials and articles and downloadable copies of old football and basketball rosters.  We will begin to use YouTube videos to attract new fans.  The first video will be of two pre-teenagers playing the baseball game.  In the near future, we will start a search for a YouTube Voice of APBA.  The other addition to the website will a section featuring APBA leagues. It is really impressive what some leagues have done with their websites and/or publications.

 

…new and upcoming APBA products

TAB:  Speaking of updates, I see the APBA Company has been announcing a few new products.  The 1910 baseball set (both cards and disk) is the newest release to be announced.   I also see the 2011 Golf card set is out.  Are there any products on the horizon you can talk about?

JH: We will announce a Franchise All-Star set for hockey next week.  Later in June, we will complete the conversion of all the golf card sets to cards from sheets.  We will initially offer a bundle of all the golf card sets except the 2011 season.  We still have to determine the price.  The 2011 pro football set will be available at the  end of July early August.

TAB: Will there be any releases of past seasons or All-time Great Teams for APBA Soccer?

JH:  We are focusing on releasing the current season sets for the recently completed European seasons.  We will be offering both the 2012 Men and Women Summer Olympics sets.  After the current sets are done, we have identified two historical seasons and a group of 16 great teams.

TAB:  Is there any news on online play for APBA Baseball that so many fans are clamoring for? 

JH: It is premature to address this at this time.

 

…APBA on mobile devices

TAB:  Along the same lines, I hear a lot from APBA fans who are hoping to play APBA on their iPad/iPhone.  Is the Company looking into developing for the iOS or other mobile devices? 

JH:  We are deciding what is the next format for the games.  Is it tablets?  Cell phones?  If cell phone what platform Apple or Droid?  Social Games?   We are working with a group to decide what is the best course for the game to offer its portfolio of games including games not currently offered.

 

…APBA Between the Lines

TAB:  The APBA Company decided to withdraw official support from the Delphi Between the Lines forums.  Why?

JH:  I had wanted to do this for at least five years and I allowed myself to be talked out of it each time.   I was tired of dealing with a certain element on the forum.  Life is too short.

 

… (not) tweaking the APBA card formula

TAB:  Personally, I’ve found APBA Baseball Basic Game’s accuracy with hitting pretty top notch.  Have you ever considered revamping the pitching grading system? Perhaps making it more granular or basing the grades on more modern statistics than just (presumably) ERA and wins?

JH:  Not really. I believe the playability of the basic game is the most important aspect of the game.  I know others think there should be more than 6 different pitching grades which the master game addition offers.   I don’t think there is a huge difference between the number 4 and 5 starters and long relievers. Maybe there should be more pitching grades but I’m not sure what the gain would be. 

TAB:  …or is that a sacred cow and such a change would cause too much confusion and chaos?  Generally speaking, do you pretty much take a “leave-it-alone” attitude toward the game engine with all the sports games unless there is a real need since the APBA game relies so heavily on tradition? 

JH:  I want to avoid at all costs another football game situation where certain seasons purchased no longer are compatible with the current version of the game.  I have an obligation to make sure that if you purchase APBA cards the cards will play with the most current version of the game.  Some may disagree with this conclusion.  As I’ve said many times, you can make your own changes to your APBA game to meet your needs.

Thanks to Mr. Herson for his time.  You can keep up with what’s happening at APBA at their (yes, updated) website or Facebook page.  Rumor has it they may start using Twitter (@APBAgames) more, too. 

8 comments

28
May

Five Questions for One for Five’s Paul Dylan

strat with the girls-001

Paul Dylan spending “quality time” with his two daughters

If you haven’t seen Paul Dylan’s web site, One for Five, you’re missing out.  He covers a sizable number of sports gaming territory including Strat-O-Matic baseball and APBA Soccer.  He’ll also touch on general baseball and soccer topics as well as tabletop sports game issues when they are interesting and relevant.

Paul obviously isn’t a zealot in the sports tabletop gaming wars. He sees value in what games give him pleasure.  Currently, Paul is replaying the 1953 Dodgers using Strat-o-Matic and has recently simulated the 2012 Championship Final using the APBA Soccer Game.

 

The APBA Blog:  Give us a little background on you. How did you get involved in sports tabletop gaming?

Paul Dylan: First of all, let me say thank you for being interested enough to ask these questions.  As you know, I’ve been a fan of The APBA Blog since I first discovered APBA Soccer and started looking for a community of other players.  It’s a pleasure and an honor to have been asked to do this interview.

When I was seven, my school district had an invention contest and I made up a baseball game that involved a spinner on the pitcher’s mound.  One of the judges was from a toy company (Mattel, I think) and a couple years later I came across a game that looked suspiciously like the game I had invented for the contest.  I vowed then and there to invent the best baseball game ever.

At age 10 I invented a baseball game that was played with a deck of playing cards.  I loved it and I played thousands of games, keeping meticulous records. It was a simple game, though, and I always felt like it could be so much better, but I just lacked the skills to make it so.

Of course, every year I got the new Street and Smith’s and the Sporting News baseball annuals, and I studied every word of that Strat-o-Matic ad that ran in each magazine, but my family didn’t have money for stuff like board games.

I ordered my first Strat-o-Matic set when I was in college, but didn’t get really hooked until about a year after college graduation, when I first tried to stop drinking and needed a diversion in the evenings.  The sobriety didn’t stick that first time around, but the love of tabletop-sports did.

That was more than 10 years ago, but today I am sober (19 months now) and I’ve used tabletop gaming and the website specifically as an important tool in my recovery.  I occasionally do write about the process of recovery from alcoholism and offer up my experiences sometimes in a kind of raw way, and, without fail, the feedback I get from those posts is tremendous.

It doesn’t surprise me anymore, but at first I was really surprised at how many of us that have taken to this hobby have struggled with addiction or otherwise had someone else’s struggle affect our lives.  As always, though, this community continues to inspire and encourage me with its collective strength and hope.

TAB:  I enjoy your website, One for Five.   I find something fun and different every time I visit.  You’re either writing about Strat-O-Matic, APBA Soccer or just baseball and soccer in general.  What do you see as the “mission” behind your site?

Paul:  Mission number one is just to provide the kind of site that I would like to visit.  To me, more than anything, this means a site that offers current news about the hobby, as well as – and even more importantly – compelling stories about the games, the sports, the history and the people that are so interesting to us hobbyists that we sit with pen and paper or at our computers for hundreds of hours a year reliving, replaying, and imagining new universes for them.

I think that because I don’t have ulterior motivations – I’m not selling anything, and I don’t allow advertisements on the site – I have the opportunity to just write the stuff I want to read from my honest perspective and hopefully others will be as interested as I am.  As far as I can tell, there isn’t another site quite like oneforfive.com.  The APBA Blog is probably the most analogous site, but the main difference is that The APBA Blog is much more focused.  That’s what all the “how to blog” articles in the world tell you to do, so that’s probably why you’re so much more successful at this than me!

TAB:  What’s your quick review of the APBA Soccer game as it stands now?  I saw you did a review of the pre-play 2012 Champions set between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.  The move to make that a free download had to be a good marketing move on APBA’s part, no?  What improvements need to happen before the next release?

Quick review:

  • The initial release was poorly managed (this seems to be a common theme with the APBA Game Company – see also: the initial rollout of the new website, but I digress), but to the company’s credit, most of the initial bugs of the game have been ironed out in the newer card sets, so you have to throw out most of what you find online when reading the early reviews of the game

  • It is a very fun game to play once you get the game flow down and work out a good way to flip charts.  I say that because there are a lot of charts and until I photocopied most of them onto 2 regular 8.5″x11″ pages, I could really see how all the chart flipping could be an annoyance.

  • If you like cards & dice, there isn’t another soccer game on the market that does the job as well as APBA Soccer.  It has it’s flaws (to be discussed momentarily), but it’s the best C&D soccer game there is.

  • The game fills a mid-level realism niche that I was desperately looking for.  The gold standard in soccer realism is a game by Time Travel Games called “Classic Soccer,” but Classic Soccer was too much game for me.  I was looking for a more streamlined game that gave me player cards, a full game experience (ie, not a highlights game) and a complete set of reasonably accurate stats.

  • The number one complaint about the game is the lack of individual defense ratings on player cards.  A number of us tinkering with the game have come up with homebrew rules that some of us really like.  I’d encourage others to tinker or to get on the Delphi Forums to see what innovations are popping up.

I follow Major League Soccer here in the US.  I’m a huge fan and watch as much as I can.  After playing the 2010 set and now getting a bunch of games done with the 2011 set, I can tell you there is a significant – exponential, even – improvement in the 2011 cards over the 2010 cards.  Not only do the players and teams seem to have more accurate ratings to my eye, but the player result numbers seem to give a better depiction of player styles (eg I seem to notice that defensive midfielders have more PRN results in the 30s than a holding mid, for instance).
If this evolution just from one year to the next is any indication, I have a good feeling about the future of the game.

TAB:  You have really been one of the champions of the APBA Soccer Game while still being open about its initial flaws.  You have organized one of the first known leagues in existence.  The APBA Company has to like that kind of exposure for its relatively new product, right? 

Paul:  I hope so, I don’t know.  I’ve spoken with John Herson personally just once, when I called him.  He graciously granted me a long and forthright interview, but I never published it on the site because the timing wasn’t right.  The APBA Blog had just published an interview with him, and I didn’t feel there was enough new or juicy information in mine that was worth another whole interview being published online.

TAB:  Finally just to stir the pot, what prompted you to choose Strat-O-Matic over APBA Baseball?

Paul:  It wasn’t a conscious decision – meaning I never weighed the pros and cons of the two games against each other.  I may have heard of APBA by the time I bought my first Strat-o-Matic baseball set, but Strat was the game that I had pined for as a kid reading those Street & Smith’s baseball guides.  I ordered my first APBA Baseball set just today, actually, just to give the game a try and see what I may have been missing.  I have so many Strat sets now, however, that I bet I could never buy another card set again and still be set for life.  So it isn’t likely that I’ll be jumping ship to the APBA side, but you never know.

Thanks to Paul Dylan for doing the interview.  His website is Oneforfive.com and you can find him on Twitter @heyblue.

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