Final Card Friday: 2019 Ichiro Suzuki
Season Totals Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP 2019 Totals 2 2 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .167 .000 .167 0 0 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original…
Final Card Friday: 1956 Bob Feller
For this week’s Final Card Friday, my twin brother, Kirk Weber, is our guest contributor. Thanks, Kirk, for taking the pressure off of me in a busy week of umpiring and teaching. It seems appropriate as we open the 2019 MLB season to look back at some Opening Day greatness…
Prairieland IV teams drafted for April 13
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.…
Final Card Friday: 1999 Jim Abbott
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…
Final Card Friday: 1983 Jim Kaat
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…
APBA Blog fan profile: Rob Spatz
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…
Monster Card Monday: 1997 Ken Griffey Jr.
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…
Acuna matata! Yeah, you know who goes #1 in BOS draft!
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…
Final Card Friday: 1999 Brent Gates
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…
Final Card Friday: 1968 Roger Maris
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…