The Prairieland IV teams have now been chosen! The draft for Prairieland IV which will be held April 13 in Springfield, Illinois was a little unique. In three rounds, each participant chose: a pitching staff an infield an outfield/catcher Each “squad” could be drafted from a different franchise or year.…
Growing up in Flint, Michigan in the 1980s, I was very aware of Jim Abbott. I saw Abbott pitch while he was in high school at Flint Central. As a young teenager, I was impressed with his ability to switched his glove from one hand to the other and field…
A few weeks ago, John Asalon had a very special guest on an episode of This Week in APBA: Jim Kaat. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed Kaat as a broadcaster. I think he brings intelligent insights to his viewers and listeners. It’s possible his success as a broadcaster could one…
It’s been a while since I’ve done a fan profile and there’s probably no one more deserving than Chicagoland APBA Tournament organizer Rob Spatz. If you have met Rob, you’re probably his friend. He is that kind of guy. He’s humble, self-effacing yet at the same time, has made the…
Mel M. noticed that I had yet to feature Ken Griffey Jr. in a Monster Card Monday column. With his help, I am about to rectify that. Here is Junior’s 1997 APBA card. The Donora, PA native had one of his best seasons in 1997 helping the Mariners to a…
The Boys of Summer APBA Baseball League (16-team, BBW) has started their draft for the 2019 season. And well, it should not be too much of a surprise how the first round is going. It’s the usual gang of usual suspects. Ronald Acuna has gone first, a solid pick by…
If you’re a reader of the APBA Blog, you’re probably a big sports fan. More than likely, you’re a big baseball fan too and have met a few big leaguers over the years. Most of the time, we meet professional athletes at autograph signings or other team functions. Rarely do…
Roger Maris was the Harold Baines of the 1960s. Both were quiet, unassuming, productive professionals, who often were overlooked for their accomplishments. Even though he played ten fewer seasons than Baines, Maris’s productivity was eerily similar. Baines’s career WAR: 38.7; Maris’s career WAR: 38.2 Baines’s career OPS+: 121; Maris’s career…
In the “Because-it’s-fun-to-watch-guys-talk-about-APBA-cards” department, here’s a couple videos submitted by Steve Stein of the Transcontinental Baseball League. The TBL is a 24-team play-by-mail league and its name is no misnomer. Members of the league span the continent from New England, Midwest and the West. These two videos were recorded after…
There is a first baseman, who played from 1958 to 1974, had 379 career homers, an .849 OPS, 133 OPS+ and 50.4 WAR and is in the Hall of Fame. Should a different first baseman, who also played from 1958 to 1974, had 377 homers, an .862 OPS, 139 OPS+…