As you may have read, three APBA fans tied for first place in the 2021 Pitching Grade Challenge. Mark Fitzkee, Shawn Robuccio and Nick Tegeler each correctly guessed 19 pitchers out of 20.
Fortunately for all of us, all three have agreed to be interviewed! Today we are graced with an interview of Red Sox fan Shawn Robuccio.
The APBA Blog : Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Shawn Robuccio outside of the realm of APBA?
Shawn Robuccio: I am a huge sports fan, with baseball and football taking my top spots. I love the Red Sox, Patriots, Boston Celtics, Boston College Eagles and Penn State Nittany Lions. College football is my favorite sport and I rarely leave the couch on Saturdays in the fall, unless I’m in the stands at Alumni Stadium.
I have a 15 year old son who plays on several baseball teams and I love watching him play.
TAB : Congratulations on your Challenge victory! Did you have a system or formula that led to your high score? Clue us all in!
SR: I have no system. I focus mostly on ERA, although I know win/loss plays into it. I’ve always been able to look at the ERA and wins and come pretty close on my guesses.
Rapid Fire Questions with Shawn
| Favorite sports team? | Red Sox |
| Baseball player you would like to have lunch with (past or present)? | Teddy Ballgame |
| Best APBA baseball card of all time in your opinion? | Hard to beat 1927 Babe Ruth |
| Do you use a dice shaker, dice tower or hand roll? | Hand roll |
| What’s one MLB rule you would change? | Universal DH! I do have a respect for the small ball that the NL is forced to play, but there are just too many really bad hitting pitchers. I think universal DH is really good for the game. |
TAB : How long have you played APBA? What first led you to the game?
SR: I’ve been playing APBA since 1985. My dad played as a boy and he loved it. He introduced me to it when I was 12 and I was instantly addicted…the rest is history!
TAB : What APBA projects or activities are you involved in?
SR : I played APBA football for many years when I was younger, but it’s just baseball for me now.
TAB : Finally, because of your APBA expertise, you have won a season set from the APBA Company. Which season did you choose and why?
SR: I chose the 1967 season. As a diehard Sox fan, the Impossible Dream season was an easy choice, with Yaz winning the MVP and Lonborg the Cy. I thought it would be fun to have a season with all-time greats included in it as well, such as Mays, Clemente, Banks, Gibson and Mantle.
This is the first time I have communicated with Shawn and I liked his energy in our correspondence. It’s always great to make contact with APBA fans I have not met before. New APBA friends!
Congratulations Shawn and thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! Stay tuned for two more interviews from our winners!
