2013: Remembering and Recognition

Here’s wishing a Happy New Year to everyone out there.  2013 has really been quite a year in a lot of different ways. 

2013 Illowa APBA League All-Star Game in September

On a personal level, the Illowa APBA League is just finishing up another successful season.  It’s looking like a tight race for the last playoff spot and believe it or not, I’m in the middle of it.  After a slow start (my Thunderchickens were 29-43 in June), we bucked up had came through when it mattered.  My team is done for the season and has gone 83-79 but our season isn’t over yet.  I’m waiting for the standings to play out.  Waiting is so hard to do. 

In other IAL news, we were fortunate to welcome Nick Tegeler whose reputation precedes him, into our league.  We’re all looking forward to March when we start our 40th year of existence.  I’ve said this before but this league has been one of biggest constants in my life.  I’ve been part of it since I was a sophomore in high school.  Thanks to all the managers in the IAL especially commissioner Mike Bunch!

Chicagoland Tournament winner Scott Fennessy with runner-up Clark Eichman in November

For the APBA community in general, this year has to be the ‘Year of the Tournament’.  There was the APBA National Tournament where Kevin Cluff, Bill Blair and Dusty Welsh were inducted into the APBA Hall of Fame.  Later in the summer, APBA Football Club’s Geoff Giordano assembled APBA Football fans for a convention and tournament at Canton, Ohio no less.  To top that, Doug Schuyler and Jim Saska put together the Chicagoland APBA World Series Tournament which was wildly successful.  Congrats to Scott Fennessy who won the tournament championship with his 1905 Giants.  There have also been gatherings in Florida and Philadelphia as well as talks of future events in Michigan. 

This was the year that APBA finally came out with its online product appropriately called “APBA Online”.  I haven’t tried it yet so the jury’s out on whether it will replace dice APBA for me (don’t count on it).  I have signed up for it though.  I’ve even agreed to join Shawn Baier’s new APBA Online league which will be starting up soon after the new year.  No doubt you will be hearing from me on my experiences. 

Both the APBA Baseball and APBA Football games went through a formatting change this past year.  While the game engines weren’t touched at least for the baseball game (the changes for the Football game were minimal), the boards were enlarged and the text font is now bigger.  From a design perspective, the Company has decided to standardize on a design theme across the board for all sports with defining differences for each sport. 

Again, APBA CEO John Herson has committed to put out more seasons for sports, especially baseball and football.  In 2013, APBA continued to put more seasons to further the mission set forth the previous year of carding every modern baseball season.  Furthermore, it has been announced, that APBA plans to do the same for football.  For those interested, here is the list of baseball sets available and here are links to available football seasons.

Another big step in regards to card set availability, APBA has responded to the demand for college football sets.  They are now them available for pre-order. 

Some Due Recognition

As far as The APBA Blog goes, I’d like to extend some recognition to people who really deserve it.  First, thanks to the APBA Company and CEO John Herson.  All this all wouldn’t be possible if we couldn’t get our cards and games delivered to us and we have you to thank for that. 

I wish to thank APBA Blog contributor Scott Fennessy for his prolific and tireless updates on his fantastic 1905 replay.  I know a lot of people look forward to them.  I just hope his 1905 Cubs can pull it out.  I was glad to meet Scott at this year’s Chicagoland Tournament. 

This year, I was fortunate to make contact with Scott Veatch from Wyoming and he’s opened our eyes up to some great archival APBA brochures from the 1960s and 1970s.  My contact with Scott V. is a good example of APBA community building.  Scott V was ready to contribute; he just needed to be asked.  As a result, we have a rapidly growing archive of APBA brochures and lineups sheets that most of us have lost or inadvertently thrown away. 

And what would I do without Pastor Rich Zawadski pitching Monster Card suggestions at me?  Pastor Rich has a keen eye for the monster card and loves sending on suggestions to me.  His fervent love for the game of baseball and APBA is only surpassed by his dedication to his faith and his growing family. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize fellow bloggers who write about APBA.  It’s people like them who indirectly make this blog better.  Geoff Giordano’s APBA Football Club filled a niche that I couldn’t and is the go-to place about APBA Football.  It was just a year or two ago when Greg Barath asked me about how to set up a website.  I gave him a few hints and now, he has a fantastic APBA Football replay blog. 

Paul Dylan’s One for Five covers both APBA and Strat-o-Matic and is a good place to get a view from a different perspective.  He also does some coverage of APBA Soccer.  Finally, The Boys of Summer blog, written by Shawn Baier (left), is one of my favorite sites now.  He really has a flair for writing that makes me think I’m there.  And while, Kevin Cluff isn’t exactly a blogger, he provides a most important role, the moderator of the APBA- Between the Lines forum… a tough job sometimes to say the least. 

Most importantly, I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you readers and commenters of The APBA Blog which in in existence since 2008.  I get a lot of nice feedback from people.  Some have played this game for decades, others are just starting out.  It’s great to hear from all of you. 

It really has been a year of renewing friendships as well as establishing new ones.  In short, I appreciate getting to know all of you.  The APBA community is a tight-knit group but I see it growing every day. 

Double Sixes in 2014!

Tom