Good afternoon,

 

Check out this story on Steven Rapp and his effort to "Beat the Streak" Good job Steven. 

 

FOOTBALL IS BACK! Somethings never change. Pats are still the class of field and the Browns are still unreliable.    

 

Home runs continue to fly out of MLB parks.  Some of us were talking the other day about today's Baseball with the three outcomes.  Somebody said that within five years, one team will strike out twenty seven times in a game.  What do you think?  It seems extreme to me but the trend is more toward twenty seven strikeouts in a game than no strikeouts in a game.

 

Four  MLB teams with ninety (90) plus wins and five teams with a winning percentage of less than .400, including one team below .300.  The Tigers are 3 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles for the worst record.  

 

New Products:

 

2018 SEC College football card set. 50 players per team. 

 

The roster sheet will be uploaded later this week.   

 

 2018 Big Ten College Football set.50 players per team.

Get the roster sheet here. 

 

NEW APBA COMMUNITY MEMBERS

 

THIS WEEK IN APBA ("TWIA") RADIO SHOW   

 

John' summer vacation is over.  He is back at work feeding school kids.  I'm not sure who this week's guest is but I know they will be interesting.  John's guest this week is good guy Greg Barath discussing his 12 team 2018 college football playoff replay . Check it out.  John always does a great job. 

 

If you haven't already, download the Anchor Podcast app, then search for the TWIA podcast and begin listening!  Don't forget to "favorite" the podcast, as well!!  

 

TOURNAMENT REPORT 

REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

 

There were no regional tournaments during this past week.

 

 

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

 

The next scheduled tournament is The Indy 500 APBA Baseball Tournament on Saturday September 14th .  See tournament details below:

 

2020 REGIONAL TOURNAMENT CALL-OUT - Tournament Directors who are planning an APBA Regional Tournament between January and May of 2020 are requested to forward tournament information to Randy Coryer at  [email protected] for inclusion into the newsletter.  Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

IMPORTANT UPDATED INFORMATION - EACH TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR OVER THE NEXT YEAR IS REQUESTED TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE ALS FOUNDATION IN THE NAME OF RANDY WALKER - 2019 APBA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE.  RANDY IS IN LATE STAGE OF ALS BUT CONTINUES TO FIGHT THE DISEASE AND ENJOY PLAYING APBA WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF HIS WIFE LISA.  THE DONATION CAN BE COLLECTED THE DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT BY PASSING A HAT OR BY INCREASING THE TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION FEE.  APBA WILL AWARD A PRIZE TO THE DIRECTOR AND TOURNAMENT RAISING THE MOST MONEY FOR ALS.  REMEMBER IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE BENEVOLENT WHEN AN APBA BROTHER IS IN NEED.  I KNOW I CAN COUNT ON YOUR SUPPORT.  MORE DETAILS WILL FOLLOW IN THE COMING WEEKS.

 

DONATIONS CAN BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE ALS ASSOCIATION WEBSITE  WWW.ALSA.ORG/DONATE. ; DONATIONS CAN BE MADE VIA PHONE, CHECK, CREDIT CARD, OR PAYPAL.  PLEASE REFERENCE THE DONATION IN YOUR WRITE-UP.   RANDY AND LISA WALKER THANK YOU FOR THE APBA COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO A VERY WORTHY CAUSE.

 

Upcoming Tournaments

 

The 2019 APBA Regional Tournament schedule is as follows.  Please mark your calendars accordingly and be sure to attend and participate in one of these fine events.  You will not regret the experience of face-to-face gaming and APBA brotherhood.

 

Saturday September 14, 2019 - The Indy 500 APBA Baseball Tournament will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, 9797 N. Michigan Road, in Carmel, Indiana. 1950-1972 teams with records less than .500 are eligible.  Each team roster is to be 20 players with no DH.  Twenty-four (24) teams maximum.  Awards will given for Division, Conference, and Tournament winners.  The cost will be $25 per participant.  The cut-off for tournament registration is August 29th.  Please contact Michael at  [email protected] for more tournament details or to register for the tournament.  Please note Mike Willett will be on vacation August 16-August 27th so any new applicants should contact Dave Chestnut at [email protected] during that period.  Six openings remain.

 

Saturday October 5, 2019 - Twin Cities APBA Baseball Tournament (TCABT-XII ), Maple Grove, Minnesota.  Contact Jim Fraasch at  [email protected]. 

 

Saturday October 12, 2019 - The Linda B. Schulz Memorial Apba Baseball Tournament V, Slippery Rock Township Building, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.  Entry fee is $15.  Contact Ken Schulz at  [email protected]. 

 

Saturday October 26, 2019 - The Second Furniture City APBA Tournament will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Legends Sports. Any APBA carded non-pennant winning MLB team. from 1920-1972 is elegible; 25-man rosters, no XCs, plus one player from the dead ball era (1901-19). Draft for team seelction begins on August 31, 2019. For more details or to register, contact GF Korreck at  [email protected].

 

Saturday November 2, 2019 - The DVAL Tournament will be held at Concordia Lutheran Church, 3003 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19810.  Eligible teams are from 1946 to present, excluding 1981 and 1994.  You may begin sending your requests for teams as soon as you like. The tournament will use the DVAL boards (which will be provided) but in the interest of time they will not use MG pitching grades as in the DVAL.  Basic Game pitching grades only.  For those of you unfamiliar with the DVAL boards, there are no changes to the hit numbers 1-11 - the main change is in the fielding.  For some plays where a fielding position is listed in the left margin of the board, you must roll for that fielder and use the MG Fielding Column Finder Chart for the result.  Other playing rules will be sent out shortly to anyone who asked to be on the mailing list.  Tournament cost will be in the $20-$30 and will be finalized once arrangements for lunch are finalized.  Contact Dick Moore at  [email protected] with questions or to register for the tournament.

 

Saturday, November 9, 2019 - The Fall 2019 Wisconsin Tournament will be held at the Wauwatosa Public Library in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.  The tournament will start at 9 am and end at 4:30 pm.  BATS 3 is the tournament theme, with each participant randomly selecting a post-1961 team upon arrival at the tournament that morning.   The DH, 3 man rotations, and 2 inning limits per game for any relief pitcher will be used.  After each player has his or her team, they will have 10 minutes to cut down to a 22 man roster .... and then they will start rolling!   The cost is $20 and includes lots of prizes and good food!  Please contact Kurt Bergland at  [email protected] for details and registration.

 

Saturday, November 9, 2019 in Clermont, Florida 34711 at the Lake Hills Church.  The theme is 100 losses in a single season teams (1903-present).  The cost is $20. If this is your first Florida tournament, the cost is only $10.  A team selection draft lottery will be held in October 2019.  Please contact Tony Stevens at  [email protected].

 

Saturday November 9, 2019 - The Bath City APBA Baseball Tournament in Mount Clemens, Michigan 48043 at The Wilson Gymnasium on 58 South Wilson.  The cost is $25 due by October 1st.  The Inaugural Bath City ABPA tournament will be capped to 36 teams.  Any Major League Playoff team from 1919 - 2018 that did NOT win a World Series may be used.  More information and registration can be found at   http://www.straybaseball.com/bathcity-apba/. ; The tournament director is Stray Corrado and can be contacted at [email protected] or at 810-357-9024.

 

DATE CHANGE - Saturday November 9, 2019 - Inaugural Veteran's Memorial Tournament in honor of USN, CAPT John Scalzo will be held in Leesburg, Virginia.  Cost $20.  Any team during the Cold War 1946-1991 plus a veteran from that team any time (ie. 84' Det plus 1911 Ty cobb).  For more detail or to register contact Rob Wyks at  [email protected]

 

Saturday February 22, 2020 - The 2020 APBA Scenic City Shootout will be held in the Hamilton Room of the Embassy Suites by Hilton located at 2321 Lifestyle Way Chattanooga TN 37421.  The cost will be $20 with the event scheduled to start at 8am.  The tournament theme is The Expansion Era 1961-Present with teams having a Winning Percentage between .475 - .525.  Team selection will begin on November 30, 2019 at Noon.  The rules will be similar to the 2019 Shootout.  APBA Hall of Famer Charlie Fouche was the Inaugural Scenic City Shootout Champion.  Email Mike Kehrer ( [email protected]) or Steve Ryan ( [email protected]) with any questions or to register.

 

Saturday March 7, 2020 - The 6th Annual Greater Michigan APBA Baseball Tournament at The Loomis Park Baptist Church, 2301 North Elm Road, Jackson, Michigan 49201. There is a $20 Entry Fee ($10 Cancellation Fee if you cancel after August 16, 2019).  The tournament theme is any MLB team from 1901-2018 with winning % of less than .600 %.  This tournament still has room for participation (capping at 72) and plenty of good teams remain available.  Please contact Pastor Rich Zawadzki at  [email protected] if interested in attending or with your team selection by December 31, 2019.

 

Saturday March 21, 2020 - The 2nd Annual Far West APBA Baseball Tournament.  The tournament is open to any team from 1908 to present PROVIDED that 154 or more games were played in that season.  Last year's champion 1930 Philadelphia A's may not be used.  The tournament play is the basic game using the advanced fielding option.  Boards and dice will be provided, bring your lucky dice tower or shaker (They have APBA shakers available). Cost for tournament is $40 and includes lunch, drinks, continental breakfast, trophy, and a day of great fun and camaraderie.  If interested please contact Steve at  [email protected] for more details. 

 

POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT IN SEATTLE AREA  -  There is an effort underway to conduct an APBA Baseball Tournament in the Seattle, Washington area.  If interested, please contact Dave Bednarek at  [email protected] with you name, contact information, and a preference for a Spring or Fall tournament.

 

POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT IN HOUSTON AREA - At present, there is no planned regional tournament in Texas.  If anyone would be interested in participating in a baseball tournament in the Houston area in 2020, please contact Ed Hubbard at  [email protected], and provide your name, email address and phone number, and preferred time from March-October 2020 when you could attend such a tournament.  At this point, they are considering an open tournament for any teams from 1946-72, with no DH, and 25-man rosters. They would follow the APBA Annual Convention tournament rules.  Once interest is determined and preferred dates identified, they will obtain a venue and set an entrance fee.  Let's go Houston area APBA players.

 

POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT IN NEW ORLEANS -  Are you tired of only seeing tournaments on the East Coast and Mid-West??  If there is enough interest, a small group of New Orleans players are looking to set up a regional in the NOLA area in 2020, please contact Randy Tabor at  [email protected] (note the underscore "_" in email address).

 

If your tournament is not mentioned above and you are planning a Regional APBA Tournament in 2019 please forward me your tournament and contact information at [email protected] and I will be sure to promote your event in APBA's company electronic newsletter.  Remember all APBA game tournaments are welcome.

 

APBA LEAGUE INFORMATION

 

I am pleased to report that this column continues to assist leagues in finding new managers and pairing individuals looking for leagues.  I will be glad to run your league opening, if you contact me at  [email protected] with a brief and concise write-up.  Openings or individuals looking to join leagues are as follows:

 

September 8th Opening - 21st Century League Opening - The 21st Century APBA BBW Baseball League is now open and recruiting owners. This is a 2 Division (American / National), 2 Conference (East / West) per Division and 5 team per Conference (20 teams' total) league. They play a 150 game season with an All Star break and DH and non DH Divisions. The league utilizes Micromanagers for away or home games. The League rosters consist of 26 active players and 40 total players. The first season starts in spring 2020. The starting year for the League is TBD. If interested, please contact Commissioner Scott Rutherford at [email protected] to join.

 

 

September 1st Opening

 

AABL League Opening - The AABL, a 16 team basic game (with modifications) mail league in its 16th year, is looking to replace a manager who had to resign suddenly for personal reasons.  The open team has some nice buiding blocks like Josh Bell, Charlie Blackmon, and Mike Moustakas...but could use some help on the pitching staff.  With the current season almost over (ends in September) it is likely that the new manager won't have to do anything except play with the roster heading into the winter and the 2020 draft.  If interested please contact Andy at  [email protected].

 

August 18th Opening

 

OAPBA (Orlando APBA Assn) Opening - The OAPBA is seeking one or two new managers to expand the five-team league in 2020.  The league ( www.oapba.org) has been in existence since 1988 and is one of the longest-running leagues in the U.S.  It's face-to-face, Master Game, with some minor adjustments.  Thirty-three (33) player rosters with a pool of 30 players active and a three-play "farm system" (inactive, basically a futures list).  Detailed records for the entire lifetime of the league.  One needs to be knowledgeable about MLB and baseball strategy and APBA.  Contact Rod Caborn at  [email protected] or Dave Larson at [email protected] if interested.

 

August 11th Opening

 

Central New Jersey League Opening -  The 16 team face to face APBA league is based in the Philadelphia/South and Central New Jersey area and has been in existence for over 40 years.  This is a face to face league although league play using Computer rolling is also permissible.  The league plays a 162 game schedule and begins when the cards come out and ends the regular season by October 15th.  Anyone interested please contact Ed Dress at  [email protected]

 

August 4th Openings

 

ART League Opening - ART ( Almost the Real Thing League) is a 24-team BBW computer league looking for 3 (Brahmins, Compromise and Winos) dedicated managers.  The league follows the majority of MLB rules.  Each roster has 40 man ML and MI rosters.  Players follow option rules, teams work within budget guidelines ( based on wins), drafts for International FA, "First Year" draft, Rule V, and Free Agency.  The league has been in existence for 15+ years and all three franchise are either currently competitive or built for success long term.  If you are looking for a year round commitment with a fun group, you will enjoy what this league has to offer and they would love to have you join them.  If interested, contact Lanny at " [email protected]".

 

July 28th Openings

 

TSL League Opening - The TSL has a great opportunity for a new manager.  They are a 12-team draft league, currently at the halfway point of their 2019 season.  They are a cards and dice league, playing the basic game with only the most commonly used modifications (things like the optional fielding rules).  Don't miss this chance to join a league with 40+ years of history!  If interested, please contact Dan Spangler at  [email protected].

 

July 14th Openings

 

TSL League Opening - The TSL has a great opportunity for a new manager.  They are a 12-team draft league, currently at the halfway point of their 2019 season.  They are a cards and dice league, playing the basic game with only the most commonly used modifications (things like the optional fielding rules).  Don't miss this chance to join a league with 40+ years of history!  If interested, please contact Dan Spangler at  [email protected].

 

APBA Science Press Plus (S.P.P.) League Opening - The APBA S.P.P. League has an upcoming managerial openings. They are based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and have existed over 40 years.  The league is looking to add at least two new teams for the upcoming season. This is a face to face league although league play using Skype is also permissible.  The league plays a 160 game schedule and begins when the cards come out and ends the regular season by Oct. 15th.  Anyone interested please contact John at  [email protected].

 

June 9th Openings

 

LABL League Openings - Ken Schulz is considering a restart of an existing cards and dice league but using APBA Go.  There are potentially up to 6 open spots with pre-existing rosters that have some very big names from the 2002 season.  This league would be an 84 game schedule, 2 divisions (1 AL only and 1 NL only), and a small draft prior to the start.  If you would be interested in competing in a league using APBA GO Collections to compile stats, please contact Ken at  [email protected].

 

May 19th Openings

 

KPML League Opening - The KPML has a current managerial opening.  The AIM BBW league is currently playing the 2015 season.  If interested, please contact Gene at [email protected].

 

UAL Opening - The UAL is an APBA Basic League with optional fielding looking for two managers.  The league has been in existence since 2004 and has 24 teams.  The league applies controls on player usage and a salary cap using actual MLB player salaries for the applicable season.  The 2019 UAL Draft (2018 season) draft is in July and will use the 2018 season (30 cards; No XC's).  The season runs from October through March with April playoffs.  That's about 15 home games a month and the sending of instructions for another 15 road games.  If interested or questions on the league, please contact Larry Wilson at [email protected] for further information.

 

I trust this column is continuing to bring many APBA players together be it through regional tournaments or league play.  I am glad that we can continue to provide this service to the APBA community and further promote brotherhood within our beloved hobby.