When people from work ask me “What did you do last weekend?” and I answer, “I spent it with eight other guys in a hotel”, some eyebrows get raised. That’s okay. I was doing what I enjoy most. On June 24th and 25th, nine members of the Illowa APBA League…
To all the fathers out there, I want to wish you a sincere Happy Father’s Day! The Illowa APBA League has ten men and roughly half of them are fathers. It’s a bit of a secret I keep from my wife but the Father’s Day greetings I treasure most are…
Scott Fennessy found this 1994 Jose Oliva card while very limited, had an impact on our Illowa APBA League. As a rookie, Oliva was not necessarily a standout prospect but obviously had a great card. For the Braves, he hit .288 with six homers and five doubles in 59 at-bats.…
Scott Fennessy sent me this 1995 Matt Williams card which would fit in well in the heart of anyone’s lineup. Now I get it. While 1995 was a strike shortened year, Williams’ playing time was limited by more than labor disputes. The Giants as a team were able to play…
First things first. Jim Fraasch says he finally has a update on the Twin City APBA Baseball Tournament that took place on April 2nd. Hey, I get it. Life gets in the way sometimes. It’s worth the wait. You can read Jim’s recap on his blog, Jim’s APBA Barn. Now…
Mike Coon reached out to me with a suggestion for Monster Monday. It’s Curtis Granderson’s from 2007. Granderson is an Illinois native and an alum of University of Illinois-Chicago, the sister campus of my alum and current employer. Granderson’s card is definitely a strong one but also a little unusual…
This is the second 1981 Monster Card in as many weeks but I couldn’t resist. Courtesy of Scott Fennessy, it’s Mickey Klutts’ 1981 APBA card and from the look of it, it is an XB card still unperforated from the stack. Purists may scoff as Mickey Klutts was not a…
Whether it’s a strike or a lockout, shortened seasons tend to provide fun hitting cards. When Scott Fennessy was bequeathed the APBA baseball set of the strike-shortened 1981 season by fellow Illowa league member Dennis Jennings, he was probably thrilled. Fortunately for me, he’s sending me some good cards from…
Rich Zawadzki had an excellent suggestion for Monster Monday; 2003 Albert Pujols. As long-time readers might remember, I drafted Albert Pujols when he was a rookie in the Illowa APBA League. It was pretty much a no-brainer and he didn’t disappoint. In his first ten seasons, he batted over .300…
The Twin City APBA Baseball Tournament-XVII has come and gone and we have winner. Jim Fraasch sent me a recap and I’m happy to announce that Garth Andersen has piloted his 1908 Chicago Cubs to victory. The TCABT-VII took place April 2 in near Minneapolis-St. Paul area. As you can…