HOLIDAY GREETINGS

 

I would like to extend the warmest of Season's Greetings to all in the APBA community and to your families. This is a time of good cheer and we should all be thankful for the blessings in our life. Please take time this holiday season to reflect on those blessings and to truly experience the love of a spouse, family, or friend. Also remember the last day to order from Santa John this year is Friday December 14th by 3 pm. It's been a great year for APBA, tournament play, and league involvement. Thanks to all who have participated in making this year such a success and I anxiously await continued success in 2019.

 

 

REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

 

All scheduled 2018 Regional Tournaments have now concluded for the year.  Repeating from last week, It was a great year in the growth of regional tournaments with Tournament offerings up 23.8% (26 as compared to 21 in 2017) and the number of participants up 12.9% in 2018 (603 vs 534). Again,  I would like to send my personal appreciation to all the tournament directors and for all their dedicated work to offer these tournaments to members of the APBA community.  These results could not be realized without your efforts.  These tournament directors include: Percy Ashcraft, Kurt Bergland, Pastor Rich Zawadzki, Earle Shamblin, Jim Fraasch, Jim Saska, Tony Stevens, Tom Nelshoppen, John Herson, Ray Dunlap, Steve Skoff, Jack Dolan, Rob Spatz, Dale Shreiner, John Cochrane and Dr. Rebecca Peterson, Chris White, Ron Emch, and G. Korreck.  Thanks again folks and we look forward to the 2019 Regional Tournaments.

 

Upcoming Tournaments

 

The next scheduled tournament is The Inaugural 2019 Scenic City Shootout in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  This will be a wide open team selection tournament with a $20 entry fee to cover cost of location, food, and trophies.  Contact Steve Ryan at [email protected] or Mike Kehrer at  [email protected].

 

The 2019 (through June) 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 February 23, 2019 - Inaugural Scenic City Shootout, Chattanooga, Tennessee.  The inaugural event will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at Hamilton Place, 2321 Lifestyle Way, Chattanooga TN 37421.  This will be a wide open team selection tournament with a $20 entry fee to cover cost of location, food, and trophies.  Contact Steve Ryan at [email protected] or Mike Kehrer at  [email protected].

 

Saturday March 2, 2019 - 2019 Greater Michigan APBA Baseball Tournament, Jackson, Michigan.  Contact Pastor Rich Zawadzki at [email protected].

 

Saturday March 23, 2019 - Inaugural Southern California APBA Baseball Tournament, Westminister, California.  Contact Steve Radtke at  [email protected].

 

UPDATED - Saturday March 23, 2019 - The APBA Wisconsin 2019 Spring Tournament, Wauwatosa Public Library, 7635 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Please contact Kurt Bergland to register at  [email protected] before March 1. Registration fee is $20 and registration and team selections are underway and are taken on a first come, first served basis. The theme will be "Steroids? What steroids?"  Any teams from the 1980 through the 1999 seasons may be used.  You are to prepare two teams.  In the morning will be a great teams tourney.   Only teams with a regular season winning percentage greater than .500 may be entered.  In the afternoon, the second tournament takes place.  In "The Dregs" tournament, only teams with a regular season winning percentage below .500 from the years 1980-1999 may participate. 

 

Saturday March 30, 2018 - Florida's Spring Break Reality APBA Baseball Tournament, 4700 Kilt Court, St Cloud, Florida 34769-1607 (southeast of Orlando).  Any team issued by The APBA Game Company created (regular season, GTOP, World Series) or Skeetersoft team is eligible.  There is a $10 entry fee (No food or drink is being provided by the tournament organizer).  Contact Tony Stevens at  [email protected] (preferred) or call 352-600-0974 .

 

Saturday March 30, 2019 - The 2019 Heartland Apba Tournament, Stillwater, Oklahoma.   Any non playoff or World Series team from 1950 to present (excluding 1994). There is a $10 entry fee.  Contact Earle Shamblin at  [email protected] for more details. 

 

Saturday April 6, 2019 - Twin Cities APBA Baseball Tournament (TCABT-XI ), Maple Grove, Minnesota.  Contact Jim Fraasch at [email protected].  Note: This is NCAA Final Four weekend which is being held in Minneapolis so please plan accordingly.

 

Saturday April 13, 2019 - Richmond's Old Dominion APBA Tournament, Richmond, Virginia.  The theme will be Disco 70's/Yuppie '80s.  Jim Saska will provide more information soon.

 

Saturday May 4, 2019 - The Inaugural Mason-Dixon APBA Baseball Tournament, Hagerstown, Maryland.  The theme will be "Between the World Wars 1919-1939.  Cost is $20 and participation is limited to 24 players.  Contact Bill at  [email protected].

 

Thursday June 20 - Sunday June 23, 2019 - The APBA National Convention, Alpharetta, Georgia.  The convention cost and registration information will be posted on the game company web site  www.apbagames.com.  Contact John Herson at [email protected].

 

If your tournament is not mentioned above and you are planning a Regional APBA Tournament through June 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.

 

 

THIS WEEK IN APBA RADIO SHOW 

 

APBA continues to sponsor a weekly broadcast offering insights into the game of APBA and players within the APBA community.  The host is John Asalon, who offers a extremely professional broadcast.  Please join John Asalon and his guests every Thursday night at 8:00 pm (Eastern) for THIS WEEK IN APBA radio show.  There was no show posted this week prior to deadline but it is expected that John Asalon will post a show with he and Ken Kraft discussing, analysing, and debating the 2018 APBA Baseball Card ratings as recently released through APBA GO.  Be sure to tune in for an always interesting and informative discussion on APBA's newest product release.

 

 

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.  Beginning in January 2018 and to better manager newsletter volume, I will run any of your league opening or requests to join leagues for a period of four to eight weeks.  I will be glad to run them longer if you contact me at  [email protected].  Openings or individuals looking to join leagues are as follows:

 

December 9th Openings

 

ABLE League Openings - ABLE is a modern day 20 team BBW League that will begin its 34th season in April, 2019.  A unique feature to the league is that each team is associated with a Major League franchise, and have "first right of refusal" on their rookies.  The new owners will be able to affiliate to any of the following teams for the 2019 MLB season, and begin freezing its rookies with their draft picks beginning with the 2020 draft: Yankees, Orioles, Blue Jays, Rays, Royals, Angels, Nationals, Marlins, Cubs, Reds, Padres, or Rockies. The two teams will create their initial rosters from a pool of 72 players that were on the previous teams, so that each manager can put his own stamp on his new team. The two teams will select their initial 36-man rosters from a mini-draft of the 72 players that were on the previous squads, so that each manager can put his own stamp on his team.  There are some awful good players available, including stars such as Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Charlie Blackmon, Jose Ramirez, Anthony Rendon, Chris Sale, Jason Verlander, Zach Greinke, and many more. The league is very flexible and has laid back schedule consisting of 12 home games a month. If interested contact Tom Battiato at [email protected].

 

MDTL League Opening - The MDTL is finishing it's 46th season. They have one manager that is retiring at the end of the season and are looking for a replacement manager to take over the ownership of this very successful franchise. Players on the team include Moustakas, Abreu, LeMahieu, and Russell. The league is a 20 team league with 25 man rosters. They use the basic boards with a few modifications. This is a very solid league with a competitive but friendly membership. If you are interested in joining the league please email Keith at [email protected] with your gaming history and any questions you may have.

 

OOTL League Opening - The OOTL (ootlapba.com) plays the Master Game face-to-face in the Harrisburg, PA, area. They are always looking to grow their ranks and would welcome additional franchises for their upcoming season. Find out more about their 20+ year tradition on their site or by contacting Commissioner Brandon directly at [email protected].

 

November 25th Opening

 

Philadelphia Area League Openings - A face-to-face Master Game league in the greater Philadelphia area is looking for new managers in a well-established league.  The 12-team league, playing a 99-game season mostly on "League Nights" in one of the manager's homes, has been in existence since the early 1970s and has included notable managers, such as Thatcher Longstreth and David Eisenhower.  Most of the managers live along the "Main Line", though one commutes from Reading and another lives in Allentown.  In addition to the 12 active teams, there are 2 inactive teams that are available to new managers.  It is a keeper league, using the new card sets.  Draft occurs in early February, and the season begins shortly thereafter, winding up in November with playoffs and "World Series".  If interested, please contact Dusty Welsh at  [email protected].

 

TUBLUSA Opening - The TUBLUSA has two openings. 24-team current-day BBW league.  The league has a 40-man rosters, no offseason cuts, no salaries, and uses official disk.  The league has been in existence since 1998 with stable ownership.  Most managers have been in the league for quite some time.  Once we identified the new owner, there will be a dispersal draft of the two vacant teams.  If interested please contact Michel at [email protected].

 

FRENCH TRANSLATION - Ouverture TUBLUSA-le TUBLUSA a deux ouvertures. 24-Team actuel-Day BBW League.  La Ligue a un 40-Man alignements, pas de coupes intersaison, pas de salaires, et utilise le disque officiel.  La Ligue est en existence depuis 1998 avec une propriété stable.  La plupart des gestionnaires sont dans la Ligue depuis un certain temps.  Une fois que nous avons identifié le nouveau propriétaire, il y aura un projet de dispersion des deux équipes vacantes.  Si vous êtes intéressé, veuillez contacter Michel à [email protected] 

 

November 18th Opening

 

The Iowa Baseball Confederacy (IBC) Opening - The IBC has two openings for their upcoming 32nd season that starts in March.  The IBC is a 24-team, present-day BBW draft league utilizing full AIM.  The IBC features 42-man rosters, minor league drafting, live internet play via Team Viewer, and a great group of managers.  The drafting of minor leaguers and the live internet play are the heart of the IBC, and that does mean devoting a bit more time, it usually takes 2 to 3 hours to play a series live and they play one series a week from March to September.  Obviously not everyone can play every series live, but they do try to encourage it as much as possible as opposed to using micromanagers.  Their draft is held in January/February so if you join now you'll have plenty of time to prepare for the draft and to start making trades.  The league is a very active trading league, averaging about 100 transactions per year over the past 10 years.  The IBC has a web site with rosters and lots of IBC history, records, draft results, and pictures.  The web site is  http://ibc-apba-baseball.com/ibc_index.php. ; The available teams are Mile High City and Pocket City.  If you are interested in joining please send Bob Scharnberger an email at  [email protected].  

 

November 4th Opening

 

Looking for a League in Orange County California - Lewis is moving from New York to Orange County California and is interested in finding an APBA Baseball league(s) to join.  Anyone with a league in Orange County with an opening please contact Lewis Myers at  [email protected].

 

October 28th Openings

 

ABL Opening - The American Baseball League (ABL) is looking to add one or two managers for their 2019 season. The ABL has been in existence since 1982.  It is a face-to-face basic game (w/ modifications) league. If you live in the Butler County, Ohio or greater Cincinnati area and are interested, contact Greg at  [email protected].

 

TRABL Opening - The TRABL has two openings. 24-team current-day BBW league with no DH and no wildcard.  The league has 46-man rosters, no off-season cuts, no salaries, and uses official disk with Merlin run on pitchers.  The league website is www.strovel.com/trabl. ; The league has been in existence since 1998 with stable ownership.  One six-team division has no owner with less than 18 years in the league. The league draft is conducted through a web app beginning on or around 12/1. Please contact Chris Strovel at the website above if interested.

 

October 21st Opening

 

JABLUSA Opening -JABLUSA is a BBW 5.75 League which has been in continuous operation since 1988.  The current season is based on the 2017 disk is underway and each team has played approximately 24 games.  The league has experienced an unexpected opening.  If you would be interested in joining, please contact David Wilson (Commissioner) at (207) 480-9089, or at  [email protected].

 

Looking for BBW League - Individual is looking to join a BBW retro league. He has been playing APBA since '72 and has been in several BBW leagues over the years.  Please contact Bobby at [email protected] if you have an opening. 

 

October 7th Openings

 

Manager looking for a Retro Baseball League - Individual looking to join an APBA Baseball League from the 1960's - 70's - 80's.  If your Retro league has an opening contact Kevin at  [email protected].

 

O.Z. League Opening - The O.Z. League, an APBA Baseball group created in 1982, is always looking to add new members to their family.  Currently the league is at 12 Franchises; if you live on the East Coast and want to join a fun but dedicated League this is one you should inquire about. They use BBW, MG, and the hybrid Paul Marino Boards as preference of the Home Team.  This league was featured in the N.Y. Daily News in 1988 and plays a 162 game schedule from February to October. The Annual Draft is held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ronkonkoma every February. If you are interested contact Dom at  [email protected].

 

September 16th Opening

 

The Twenty-First Century Baseball Association - The TCBA is a stable 24-team BBW league in existence since 1975.  Openings are rare in TCBA, but we do have one team available now.  The TCBA features continuous ownership of a 35-man roster, a written constitution, and an informative league web site ( www.TCBA.info).  Both a rookie auction and free agent draft are conducted at the annual TCBA meeting held in March, typically in Harrisburg, PA.  The TCBA plays a full 162-game season, with an 8-team playoff culminating with the final rounds played during the annual meeting.  The prime directive of our constitution requires us to promote "friendship and competition."  To that the TCBA has been fully successful.  Long-standing friendships, intense rivalries and mutual respect are given qualities of the TCBA experience.  While twenty-two of our managers have been TCBA members for at least ten years, five of us are in the 25-to-40-year old category.  It is from that demographic that we wish to add a new member. Please visit our web site  www.TCBA.info to get a fuller idea of what TCBA is all about.  If you are interested in joining us, please contact Bob at  [email protected] or Mike at  [email protected].

 

August 18th Opening

 

Vast Horace Baseball League Opening - The Vast Horace Baseball League is a computer based league approaching its 40th anniversary this November with its annual meeting to be held this year in Cooperstown on November 8-11.  The league is expanding and in need of new managers!

 

The league features permanent ownership of 40-man roster teams, with face to face play strongly encouraged/rewarded;  several mid- season gaming sessions occur annually in the MD/PA/VA/OH regions.  With a 162 game schedule, the league is currently expanding from 12 to 16.

 

Four team openings - 27 of the 40 man roster 'skeleton' has been selected with some pretty decent talent on the rosters.  Expansion managers will enjoy free agent drafting advantages, as well as league awarded money for the closed bid of rookies!  First task of the new managers will be to fill out the roster to 40 players at the drafting table.  The trading of players, draft picks and money has become a highlight of ownership over our 40 year history - come join the fun!  If interested, please contact Rick Judd at  [email protected] and/or Mark Shelley at  [email protected].

 

August 11th Openings

 

The Bob Alexander League - The Bob Alexander League a continuous ownership BBW League, which has been in existence for over 40 years is looking for some good managers.  Experience in APBA is a must and experience with BBW is preferred , but not required.  While many of the league members are based in NJ, that is not a prerequisite as managers often play via Team Viewer.  The league plays an 80 game season, broken down into 10, 8 game series with playoffs and World Series.  If interested , PM or email Steve at  [email protected] for a league directory (including available teams) and our current rule book.

 

Manager looking for a Retro League - Randy is looking to Join an APBA 1920's - 30's - 40's - 50's or 60's RETRO Baseball League.  If you have a Retro league opening contact Randy at [email protected].

 

I trust this column is continuing to bring many APBA players together be it in regional tournaments or league play.  I am glad that we can continue to provide this service to the APBA community.