2022 Baseball America

Posted on June 26, 2022 by Chris S.

One of the first non-APBA/Stat-O-Matic games that I picked up was History Maker Baseball.

It came out 10 years ago, and as PLAAY Games usually does, they introduced a fictional league for this game called Baseball America.

I opted not to get that league, instead picking up the Century League along with the 2012 MLB season.

As it’s the 10th anniversary of History Maker Baseball, it’s also the 10th anniversary of Baseball America, which they commemorated with a deluxe card set, with bigger cards and names of the teams on the cards.

I picked up the PDF of the standard edition, having recently picked up their new basketball game.

And of course I created my own variation on the fictional league, keeping most of the existing team names, and retaining the rosters intact.

I took all the unsigned players and distributed them equally among the 12 teams, giving each of them 27 players on their rosters.

Here are the teams!

My additions were Portland, Detroit, Terre Haute, Seattle, and Bay City (San Francisco).

As to when I’ll start up this league?

Stay tuned!

1921: Giants Replay, Games 54-58

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Chris S.

Let’s Play Five!

I decided to play catchup today on my 1921 Giants season replay, which, because of COVID, I should have been finished before the 100th anniversary of the season, but for some reason I never committed to finish this one or the 1971 season, on it’s 50th anniversary.

Heck, I should have had these finished in 2020.

And I played Game 54 back in February of this year.

We’ll see how it goes from here, but I’d really like to finish one of these replays by the end of the actual 2022 baseball season.

Finals from Wrigley Field:

Continue reading →

Statue

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Chris S.

I never saw Tom Seaver pitch.

I was born his rookie year in 1967. I don’t recall the 1969 World Series, though Dad once told that my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents probably rooted for the New York Mets because they were the National League team.

I really started paying attention to baseball long after his time as one of the dominant pitchers of the game. And I didn’t become a Mets fan until 1984.

But I know how much he means to the Mets. You don’t get called ‘The Franchise’ for nothing.

The only interaction I ever had with Seaver was when he was a broadcaster for the Mets in late 1980s. I was in a group of autograph hounds near the visitors’ dugout at Candlestick Park. He came onto the field during batting practice, I spotted him, and screamed, “Hey, Tom, can you sign a few?” to which he looked our way, smiled, waved, and said “Sorry!”

At the time I was a little miffed that he snubbed us, but years later realized that the guy was probably doing his job, maybe setting up an interview or just imparting some knowledge to some of the current Mets.

I just watched the last half of the Tom Seaver statue ceremony from Citi Field. It was nice, but I honestly don’t feel the same emotional bond that so many other Mets fans have for the man.