This recap of September’s Kansas City APBA Baseball Tournament comes a bit late but organizer Jeff Boeding sent it my way so I thought I would post it.
Even better, there will be a second KCABT this spring! Something to look forward to! Some details in Jeff’s write-up below.
Jeff writes:
September 17th saw 24 APBA managers from all parts of the country converge on Kansas City to vie for the inaugural KCABT championship. All 24 managers were bringing some of the best teams in baseball history….so it would be a grind to win the title against stiff competition.
After playing 10 games in bracket play the top 2 from each division would advance to the playoffs. The Buck O’Neill division had the 2019 Astros (Robert Elley) and the 1980 Astros (Marty Lee) advance. In the Satchel Paige Division, the powerhouse 1927 Yankees (Terry Borthwick) and the drought ending 2016 Cubs (Brad Logan) took playoff spots. The Ewing Kauffman Division saw the 1969 Orioles (Kirk Davis) and the 2017 Astros managed by the trash can hitting John “Cooler” Kalous advancing. In the final division, the Denny Matthews, saw the 2021 Dodgers (Bob Long) and the 2021 Astros (John Roberts) squeezing by the 1930 Cardinals (Jim Fraasch) with a better run allowed differential to set the playoff field of 8. The playoff matchups were the 2019 Astros v. the 1980 Astros, the 2021 Dodgers v. the 2016 Cubs, the 1927 Yankees v. the 2021 Astros and the 2017 Astros v. the 1969 Orioles.
The tightest series in the quarter finals saw the 2019 Astros win a tight 3 game set against the 1980 Astros in a battle of division foes. The other 3 series saw the 2021 Dodgers, the 2017 Astros and the 1927 Yankees sweep aside their foes in 2-0 fashion. The semis were set to match the trash can wielding 2017 Astros against the 2019 Astros….and the 2021 Dodgers taking on the 27 Yankees. The Dodgers dispatched the 27 Yankees in dramatic fashion as each game was settled in the 10th with the Dodgers scratching out a run in each game to stop the Yankees run to the title. The 2017 Astros surprised the 2019 Astros in game 1 with a 7-6 win but the 2019 Astros showed their mettle by winning the last 2 to take a hard fought 2-1 series win…. setting up a matchup of current powerhouses…. the 2019 Astros and the 2021 Dodgers.
Game 1 saw the 2019 Astros piloted by Robert Elley squeeze out a tight 3-2 win…with Garrett Cole striking out 18 Dodgers in the win…. but game 2 was a bit easier as they eased past the Dodgers 6-2 to win the coveted initial KCABT championship.
Congrats to Robert Elley for a stellar run to the title against some excellent competition and to Bob Long for getting the most out of his 2021 Dodgers.
The second KCABT tourney will take place tentatively May 20, 2023. Thanks to all the players who made this a successful first tourney!
Congrats to Bob Elley! Jeff, I’m so glad to see another regional APBA tourney spring up. Good luck in May!
How do I find out the date of the Kansas City APBA tournament
tenatively set for May 20th? Is there someone I can get in contact with,
possibly, Jeff Boeding?
Thanks,
Glenn Walsh