REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

 

The outbreak of the Covid-19 Coronavirus has resulted in the cancellation of The June 2020 APBA National Convention in Alpharetta, Georgia and postponement and rescheduling of many regional tournaments.  See details below for rescheduled tournament information.  This week we posted the results of TCBAT-XIII Tournament, announced a new virtual tournament offering by Ken and Darren Schulz, announced the cancellation of the Linda B. Schulz Tournament and The Old Dominion Baseball Tournament due to COVID restrictions, and announced two openings in a BBW League.

 

The Twin Cities APBA Baseball Tournament (TCABT-XIII) was held Saturday, August 8, 2020.  See details of the tournament outcome below.  The next tournament is The Third Furniture City APBA Tournament (FCAT) in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Legends Sports on Saturday October 13th.

 

THE TWIN CITIES APBA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT (TCABT-XIII)

 

Overall, the tournament was a success (not counting Jim's managing of the '31 UnAthletics, thanks to Fred Johnson for that moniker).  Everyone cooperated with wearing their masks, and keeping socially distant as much as possible.  Above all else, I everybody was just happy to be rolling dice in a tournament again.

 

A special thanks to Gary and Terry Borthwick (both did not play in the tourney) for showing up early (8 am) just to take the group photo outside!  Great to see you guys again, if only briefly.

 

Also a special thanks to Bruce Tyler (who also did not play in the tournament) for donating a large collection of (mostly) baseball books for anyone to look through and take the books they wanted.  He provided 2 boxes of books, and with one box available for this tournament and the other box for the next tournament later this year.  A special thanks to TCABT first-timer, Jim Hall, for making the trek to Elk River, MN, to retrieve these two large boxes of books from Bruce.

 

A special thanks to Dave Jones, for showing up early (7am), to help Jim get the new site set up.  And a special thanks to Rob Skogen, for making sure that his uncle, Darrell Skogen, had a view of the tournament, from the satellite link-up, on Rob's laptop..  It also allowed for anyone to go up to Darrell and talk.  Everyone missed being at Darrell's home, for the first time, during a TCABT tournament.

 

The new site was really nice.  Most or all of the 13 entrants thought the new site was really nice for our event, and they are looking forward to it continuing to be the host site.

 

Thank you to everyone for minding the orders for Covid precautions ... this really was not difficult to do.  With only 13 in attendance, it definitely helped.  A safe environment was guaranteed by all.  And post COVID, there is no doubt this site has plenty of space to host 32+ people for a day long tournament.

 

The tournament divisional results were as follows:

 

Left Field Division

# 1910 Athletics (Norlander)  7-1

# 2019 Twins (Cluff)                6-2

# 1928 Athletics (Jacobs)        4-4

   1969 Twins (Geraffo)            3-5

   1995 Indians (Skogen)         0-8

 

Center Field Division

# 1977 Phillies (Boevers)        6-3

# 2017 Astros (Elley)               6-3

   1976 Reds (Jones)                4-5

   1931 Athletics (Fraasch)      2-7

 

Right Field Division

# 2019 Astros (Lofgren)           7-2

# 1936 Yankees (Arnold)          7-2

# 1967 Cardinals (Andersen)   4-5

   1985 Expos (Hall)                   0-9

 

The '77 Phillies won the Center Field division due to a better head-to-head record (3-0) over the 2017 Astros.  The 2019 Astros won the Right Field division due to a better head-to-head record (2-1) over the 1936 Yankees.  The 1967 Cardinals won the 8th seed (wild card) spot, due to the better run differential (-6) compared to the 1976 Reds (-15).

 

Here are the bracket results ... with the amazing thing being all but one series were 2-0 sweeps.  With eventual champion, Ben Lofgren (2019 Astros) going 8-0 in bracket play and 15-2 overall for the day.  Also, the top 4 seeds all advanced to the semi's.  And the top 2 seeds advanced to the finals.

 

Quarter Finals

 

1910 Athletics (1) vs. 1967 Cardinals (8) - A's win 2 games to none

2019 Astros (2) vs. 1928 Athletics (7) - Astros win 2 games to none

1977 Phillies (3) vs. 2017 Astros (6) - Phillies win 2 games to none

1936 Yankees (4) vs. 2019 Twins (5) - Yankees win 2 games to none

 

Semi Finals

 

1910 Athletics (1) vs. 1936 Yankees (4) - A's win 2 games to 1

2019 Astros (2) vs. 1977 Phillies - Astros win 2 games to none

 

Championship Series

 

1910 Athletics (1) NORLANDER vs. 2019 Astros (2) LOFGREN - 2019 Astros win 2 games to none

 

When the dust had settled,  the tournament officially finished around 6pm.

 

As Jim compiles some of the interesting results from the entrants, he will post a longer tournament synopsis in a week or so at his blog site, with pictures.  A few notes about the pictures ... Jim noted he failed to take any pictures during division play, and even forgot to take pictures during the quarter-finals of bracket play.  Jim did take a few pictures during the semi-finals and championship, as did Kevin Cluff.  If anyone else took pictures, that Jim does not know of, please take the time to email or text them to him. 

 

Jim sent the email to John Herson at APBA Game Co. letting him know that Ben Lofgren was TCABT-XIII Champion, and he will be receiving his $100 APBA Gift Certificate via email from Mr. Herson.  And Runner-up, Dave Norlander will be receiving via email, the $50 APBA Gift Certificate from Mr. Herson.

 

As long as the site rental cost remains at $200, The TCABT anticipates keeping their $20 entry fee, their prize money (APBA Gift Certificates) will only increase in size with the number of non-COVID entrants, and the potential to expand the winnings to include 4 semi-finalists, etc.

 

Congratulations to BEN LOFGREN, for capturing his first TCABT Title!!!  The 2019 Astros are now extinct from future TCABT tournaments.  And congratulations to Dave Norlander (1910 Athletics), on making it to his 4th TCABT championship series, only to fall short this time around.  Dave has one TCABT championship under his belt.  Dave left his home in northern MN (Grand Rapids) and made the 3.5 hour drive the morning of, to Shakopee, MN, arriving by 8:30 am.  He would have been earlier still, but he knew he had the first series bye.

 

Jim noted that more is to come on their "October" tournament date ... the actual date is in flux as of now.  But Jim will nail down a date for the Fall 2020 TCABT-XIV Tournament, even if it is not in October.  Jim wants to thank everyone for making this tournament a success.

 

 

New Virtual Tournament Offering

 

It is with great disappointment that Darren and Ken announce the cancellation of the annual LBS tourney which was to be held in Slippery Rock on October 17, 2020. They are a little over two months away, and PA still does not allow public indoor gatherings of over 25 people. Because of all of the tremendous support they have received since the inception of this event in 2015, they know we will be over that number. While they know that this may not be a popular decision for some, they both feel it is in the best interest of the entire community that they try to meet again in 2021. They undoubtedly will miss seeing all the new and familiar faces in Slippery Rock this year, but this is the most prudent decision to make during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

 

That being said, they do have some good news! They put out a survey in early May to see if there would be enough interest to hold the 2020 tournament virtually. With well over 20 people interested in playing using Zoom, Skype, FB Messenger, etc., they plan to crown a new champion in 2020. Will there be some challenges? They have no doubt that may be the case, but they also know the great Apba Community will overcome those obstacles. Whether you are a veteran of playing someone online or a newbie to this experience, this is your chance to give it a shot. While nothing will replace the experience of playing face to face at the same table, this is as close as it gets. 

 

Here are some of the tournament details:

 

Start Date: Thursday, October 1, 2020 (Plan is to have 8-10 divisional games finished by October 17, 2020). 

 

End Date: Goal is to have the three game series championship via Zoom on Saturday, October 31, 2020 or sooner if possible. If you are not in the final series, we hope to set it up so you can still watch these games if you are interested. 

 

Participants: To Be Determined - The goal will be to ensure that each participant will get to roll between 8-10 games during the divisional round. As you will see below, they have some interest, but now they are looking for commitment. Because communication via email and/or text will be critical in getting these games completed, they would like to keep the divisions to 4 or 5 members total. Additionally, since this is their first endeavor in trying to manage this type of experience, they may have a max number of participants. Time will tell. 

 

Theme: Any APBA-issued MLB teams from seasons 1901-2019 that had a winning percentage under .585 (approximately less than 95 wins in 162 game season and less than 90 wins in 154 Game Season). Teams are first come first serve. Retired teams are not eligible (1909 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1929 Philadelphia A's, 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers, 1975 Cincinnati Reds, 1977 Philadelphia Phillies).

 

Cost: Free 

 

Prize: Personalized plaque to be awarded in-person at the 2021 LBS VII tournament or mailed to you if that is not an option.

 

Materials: In addition to having your team and the 2013 copyrighted Apba Baseball board results booklet, all players must use Apba-issued dice (not the original ones from the 50s as they are too small) with a dice shaker or dice tower. You must also have reliable Internet access on a device with a camera (i.e. a laptop with a camera that works well). The camera must be angled so your opponent can see the dice roll within a dice tower or a box. If you are not sure how that can work, please contact Darren or Ken and they will show you how that can be accomplished. Don't let this keep you from signing up if you are interested. 

 

Need more information? Please contact Darren or Ken as soon as possible with any questions or concerns you may have. All they ask from you is to have fun, keep an open mind to this new experience, and please be committed to communicating effectively with your divisional opponents to schedule your games. If you have never played Apba this way before, this is your chance to give it a shot. Don't delay! This is the list of names (with selected team if applicable) we have from the May survey who expressed an interest. 

 

Rick Roeth Jared Herfel Gregg Wiseburn (1979 Boston Red Sox) Brian Murphy (1902 Cincinnati Reds) Dick Moore (1930 Brooklyn Robins) Rodney Woodward (2015 Los Angeles Dodgers) Evan Woodward (2014 Los Angeles Dodgers) Mike Sparks Mark Boucher Hank Boucher (1996 New York Yankees) Richard Golden (1982 Baltimore Orioles) Steve Skoff (1931 New York Giants) Jim Saska (1969 Chicago Cubs) BJ Wanlund Matt Boucher Johnny Andreas (2018 Los Angeles Dodgers) Joel Medvidovich John Schoeb Mike Kehrer Ryan Liddell (1973 Oakland Athletics) Kurt Bergland Zach Zavela David Varricchio (2002 Boston Red Sox) Chuck Sorce John Stubblefield Phil Geraffo Brad Jones David Small (1921 St. Louis Cardinals) Randy Kromer (1969 Atlanta Braves) John Mikulas (1930 New York Yankees)

 

WHAT DO WE NEED FROM YOU? 

 

If your name is listed above, please reply privately to Ken at [email protected] with your confirmed participation, your team choice, and time zone.

 

If your name is NOT listed above and you want to join the fun, please reply privately to Ken at [email protected] with your name, team choice, and time zone.

 

If you have no interest, do nothing. Once they have the final list of participants, they will start a separate email chain of communication. They will, however, email all of you at the conclusion of the tournament with a 2020 summary and details for the 2021 event. 

 

PLEASE NOTE: They do have several people who signed up for the event in Slippery Rock who have already selected a team. If they contact us for online participation, they will still have first rights to that team. Please have a few options in mind that fit the theme as you may not be able to get your first choice. Thank you!

 

Whether you choose to participate in the 2020 virtual version of the LBS tournament or not, please know that Darren and Ken thank you for your continued support.  God Bless! They hope this message finds each of you and your families safe during this challenging time period. 

 

If you have any questions/concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to Ken Schulz at [email protected]

 

 

2020 REGIONAL TOURNAMENT CALL-OUT - Tournament Directors who are planning an APBA Regional Tournament between January and December 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.

 

2020 Tournament Schedule

 

The 2020 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 tournament play.

 

Listing of Cancelled Tournaments due to COVID-19 virus

 

1.  The 3rd Annual Heartland Apba Tournament - Earle Shamblin at [email protected].

2.  The APBA National Convention [email protected]

3.  The Chicagoland Tournament - Rob Spatz at [email protected].

4.  The 4th Annual Lancaster World Series Tournament - Dale Shreiner at [email protected].

5.  The Inaugural Houston APBA Baseball Tournament - Ed Hubbard at [email protected].

6.  The 6th annual Toledo Glass City APBA Baseball Tournament (GCABT-VI) - Ron Emch at  [email protected] or text/call at 419-349-0649. 7.  The Vegas APBA Tournament - Chris White at [email protected] or call 702-491-4838.

8.  The Mason-Dixson Classic Tournament - William Sagle at [email protected].

9.  The Inaugural Rocky Mountain APBA Baseball Tournament - Ryan Strauss at [email protected] 10.  The 2nd Annual DVAL Tournament would have been Saturday November 7th. - Dick Moore at [email protected] 11.  The Linda B. Schulz Memorial APBA Baseball Tournament VI would have been held Saturday October 17th. - Ken Schulz at [email protected] 12.  The Old Dominion APBA Baseball Tournament - Jim Saska at at [email protected].

 

Listing of Tournaments to be Rescheduled due to COVID-19 virus

 

1.  The 5th Annual Prairieland APBA Baseball Tournament - Eric Berg at [email protected].

 

Listing of Current Scheduled Tournaments

 

Saturday October 17, 2020 - The Third Furniture City APBA Tournament (FCAT) will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Legends Sports.  Any team from 1901-1960 is eligible; 25-man rosters, no XCs, plus one player from either the 1961 American League or the 1962 National League.  Draft for team selection begins on August 30, 2020.  For more details or to register, contact GF Korreck at [email protected]

 

Saturday November 7, 2020 - The 1st Annual Salisbury APBA Baseball Tournament - The 1st Annual Salisbury APBA Baseball Tournament will be held in Salisbury, Maryland at a location to be determined.  The tournament theme is Manager's Mayhem.  Each entrant is to field a 25-man roster (no XB's) from one NL and one AL team from 1950 to 2015 (teams can be from different years).  The teams must be less than a .555 winning percentage.  The composite team must have a minimum of 10 players from each team.  Four man pitching rotations are required.  Each team will play a minimum of 8 games in pool play with playoff games to follow.  The registration fee is $60 and includes tournament entry, a t-shirt, lunch, and trophies for the top four finishers.  Registration is open until September 25, 2020.  If interested and to register, please contact Chester Davis at [email protected].

 

Saturday, January 2nd, 2021 -- QuaranTEAMS III, a Video Baseball Blitz Tournament.  All games will be played over a video program so that the games are played face-to-face.  All rolls must be shown on the video camera.  The prize being played for is APBA's 2020 MLB season (an $85 dollar -- includes the $10 shipping fee).  The entry fee is $10 and you must have a computer that is able to connect to a video program (i.e. Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, etc.).  If interested, please contact Tony Stevens at [email protected].

 

SAVE THE DATE - Upcoming 2021 Regional Tournaments

 

Saturday March 6, 2021 - 7th Annual Greater Michigan APBA Baseball Tournament, Jackson, Michigan, Contact: Rich Zawadzki at [email protected]

 

Saturday, July 31, 2021 - Florida RollAPBAlooza, Clermont, Contact: Tony Stevens at [email protected]

 

If your tournament is not mentioned above and you are planning a Regional APBA Tournament in 2020 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.

 

Potential Upcoming APBA Tournaments

 

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 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).

 

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:

 

August 9th Opening

 

CMBL Openings - The CMBLII, a BBW League, has two team managerial openings.  This is a franchise based winter play league.  Continuous ownership where you keep debut players from the franchise you're tied to.  Draft coming soon and would like to fill positions quickly.  If interested please contact Eric Meister at [email protected]. or Bob Jacobus at [email protected].

 

August 2nd Opening

 

Jersey Central League Opening (corrected site address) - The Jersey Central League is a cards and dice current season league that has been in existence since 1979.  Theyare a 14 team league that has been playing face-to-face in the metropolitan Philadelphia and South Jersey area.  Due to COVID-19, they have been playing league games using the Rolz dice roller online, and with 1 opening, they are looking for a manager not necessarily in their physical area.  The league plays the basic game with many master game variations and play the games using an incredible scorebook program.  If interested, please contact Larry Sitron at [email protected], and visit the league web site at www.jselmon.com/JerseyCentralLeague/home.asp. 

 

July 18th Opening

 

Patriot League Opening - A BBW 12-person NL only league needs one new member.  The Patriot League was established in 1971 and is very reliable.  The team you would be inheriting is currently one game out of the division and has a roster for long-term success.  The league is unusual in that they have a first round draft as well as a blind bidding process for undrafted players.  They also have historical statistics since the inception of the league.  If interested in joining the Patriot League please contact Brian Hey at [email protected].

 

June 28th Opening

 

CCBA League Openings - The CCBA, a BBW continuous ownership league, is looking for a few good managers.  The league has been in existence since 1998 with several original managers.  There are three teams open at this point.  The teams are at the 70 game mark of the current season.  The three teams available are Puget Sound, Texas, and Quinsigamond.  Please check out the rosters athttp://ccbabaseball.freehostia.com.  If interested please contact the League Commissioner Chip Bingham at [email protected].

 

May 24th Opening

 

New League Looking for a Manager -  A well-known regional tournament co-director is putting together a new cards & dice league which is looking for a manager.  The league will begin with the 1980R season and work backwards in years.  The league will play 84 games with playoffs (One 3-game series per week).  The unique feature of this league is each player can only be used 52% of actual time played.  Games may be played face-to-face or via skype/zoom/google.  More information including draft instructions will be forwarded once the league is filled.  If interested please contact Ken Schulz at [email protected].

 

May 17th Opening

 

Player Looking for a League - An APBA player is interested in getting into a computer baseball league.  If you have an league opening please contact Dan at [email protected].

 

April 12th Opening

 

Individual Looking for a League - We have an individual looking to join a C&D league.  This individual has league experience from 1995 up until 2010 and would like to renegade in league play.  If your league has a position to fill please contact Dave at [email protected].

 

March 28th Opening

 

KISS League Openings - The KISS ( Keep it simple stupid ) winter play APBA league is looking for three managers.  They are a current AIM league with a twist just starting playoffs in our initial season.  They have lost three managers, all to health reasons!  The twist is all players have expanded usage but they play full AIM and game injuries.  Position players are set to 930 pr unless higher.  Starters are set to 900 BF unless already higher.  Split grade and relievers also get boosted.  But with full AIM and game injuries you better have a bench because the injuries will hit.  If interested, please contact Robert the league commissioner for additional information at [email protected]

 

AOMBL League Opening - 1993 AOMBL is getting ready to draft up expansion.  There is two established clubs and four expansion clubs available.  The AOMBL is a Non-Aim league which applies DH Rules and Baseball for Windows 5.75.  Games are played in blocks.  The league has been around since the 1957 season.  Each team only protects 15 for expansion, so yes you will have a much better club than most leagues for expansion.  Also each club drafts high in the rookie draft, so you get rookies too.  If interested in the league openings please contact Max at [email protected].

 

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 of APBA gaming.  Please remember to stay safe and healthy during this most difficult time for our country.