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APBA Games

For 60 years APBA has been the unchallenged King of quality sports simulation products. APBA dates back to the 1930s and a bunch of high-school buddies in Lancaster, PA. The boys played a baseball simulation game invented by one of them, Dick Seitz. His game was loosely based on an old tabletop baseball game called National Pastime. But unlike any previous board game, it combined the randomness of dice with the on-field performances of individual players. The boys called themselves the American Professional Baseball Association. That appellation soon was whittled down to its essential form: APBA. So while APBA is still an acronym for that first baseball simulation league, the word has taken on a meaning of its own. The game is APBA, and the word is pronounced “App’Bah” – a term as slick and condensed as the game. Seitz’s original game went with him to war in the 1940’s. He printed player cards on his own printing press, typed out play charts and played APBA with three comrades in the barracks at Fort Eustis, VA. After the war, Seitz worked as secretary to Lancaster’s mayor and a purchaser for a trucking company, all the while refining APBA and playing the game with a league of friends. The plot twist that took APBA from a handmade diversion to a nationwide phenomenon comes courtesy of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies. The Whiz Kids captured the fancy of Seitz and his wife, Jean, and got them so baseball crazy that they resurrected the game. It played so smoothly that in 1951, Seitz decided to share his creation. The original game offered 20 player cards for each of the 16 major league teams and two play charts. The whole shebang set you back $10. The 150 games sold encouraged Seitz that there was a market for his game so he produced new versions annually from 1952-56. That steady increase in sales encouraged Seitz to quit his job in 1957 to make APBA a career. Year by year, APBA’s fan base grew. As more gamers played exponentially more games, innovations like dual pitcher ratings and double hitting columns were incorporated – but innovations were allowed only to a point. APBA has always trod a fine line between realism and playability, and Seitz stood resolute against wrinkles or gimmicks that would add a smidgen of realism to the game at a cost of five minutes more per played game. As a result, the APBA baseball game played today is not much different than the 1957 version – one played millions of times by players worldwide. APBA changes with the times not only by changing, but by the rolls of the dice.

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Volume 19, #1 "APBA Celebrates 35th Anniversary, Thinking the Unthinkable, The 1985 Baeball Strike and APBA"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

August 1985

Volume 19, #10 "Researching the Catchers, Large Response for '57 Co-op Replay, Turn Back the Clock"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

May 1986

Volume 19, #11 "Defense!, An Analysis of the 1986 Football Card Set, Ahlskog Assumes Control"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

September 1986

Volume 19, #12 "AJ Readers Stretch From Sea to Shining Sea, A Few More Words About Journal Consent, Odds and Ends"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

October 1986

Volume 19, #13 "Annual Baseball Fielding Survey, American League, 1986 Final Unofficial Statistics"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

November 1986

Volume 19, #2 "New Card Sets Review Issue, The Year of the 5, An Analysis of 1985 Football Card Set"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

September 1985

Volume 19, #3 "APBA Showcased in St. Louis Series of Champions, Playing the St. Louis Tournament, Replaying A Personal Memory"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

October 1985

Volume 19, #4 "Rating the Gloves, Playing With the 1984 Football Set, AJ League Match"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

November 1985

Volume 19, #5 "New Presents Under APBA's Tree, Jackie Enters, The Dodgers Leave"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

December 1985

Volume 19, #7 "Rating the Newly Carded Baseball Rookies, Three Way Tie for First in Pitching Contest, Organizing A Co-Op Replay"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

February 1986

Volume 20, #1 "New Presents for APBA Fans, New York, Two More Old Seasons"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

December 1986

Volume 20, #2 "Previewing the New Baseball Cards, Five Tie for First Place, From the Front Row"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

January 1987

Volume 20, #3 "APBA's Newly Carded NL Rookies, APBA Managers Outmanage Davenport, Computer Corner"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

February 1987

Volume 20, #4 "APBA's Carded American League Rookies, 1986 Baseball Set Card Errors, Unruly Rule Rulings"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

March 1987

Volume 20, #9 "Jackie Robinson, A Personal Recollection, Evolution of the APBA Master Game"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

August 1987

Volume 21, #1 "Previewing the 1987 APBA Baseball Set, Robert Tromley Wins Pitching Contest, Focus on Football"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

January 1988

Volume 21, #10 "APBA Master Game Pitching, Annual Out Manage the Manager Contest, Size Change in the Journal"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

October 1988

Volume 21, #11 "Annual Baseball Fielding Survey, AJ Scouting Bureau Rates the Players, Likes the Board Game Over the Computer Game"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

November 1988

Volume 21, #12 "1988 Baseball Card Preview, New Product News From APBA, That Time of Year Again"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

December 1988

Volume 21, #3 "Scouting the National League Carded Rookies, Grading the 1987 Pitchers, APBA Scene"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

March 1988

Volume 21, #4 "Longball Dominates '87 Cards, Top Fielding Grades Stabilize, Vince Coleman"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

April 1988

Volume 21, #5 "Analyzing Error Frequency in the Master Game, The Ever Changing Master Game, Fritz Light"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

May 1988

Volume 21, #6 "New APBA Football Cards, Product Update,

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

June 1988

Volume 21, #7 "Half Time Baseball Report, Thin Crop of New Football Rookies, Art's Hot Twenty Halftime Hitters"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

July 1988

Volume 21, #9 "Summer Card Set Reviews, Evaluating the 1987-88 APBA Basketball Cards, New Card Time for APBA Bowlers"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

September 1988

Volume 22, #1 "National League Rookie Report, Stuart Foster Wins Pitching Contest, APBA Poem"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

January 1989

Volume 22, #12 "New APBA Baseball Cards and Diskette, The Year That Shook Baseball, Bobby Thompson Recaptured"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

December 1989

Volume 22, #2 "American League Rookie Report, Official 1988 Card Corrections, September '87 AJ"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

February 1989

Volume 22, #3 "New Baseball Card Time in Lancaster, The Games We Play, IPTAY '89"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

March 1989

Volume 22, #4 "1988 Baseball Card Set Review, Fine-Tuning Pitcher Strikeouts, 1988 APBA Fielding Summary"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

April 1989

Volume 22, #5 "Running An APBA League, APBA Saddle Racing, Added Game Features"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

May 1989

Volume 22, #6 "New APBA Computer Products, Why the Recommended Grades?, 1988 APBA Football Cards"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

June 1989

Volume 22, #7 "1989 APBA Football Carded Rookie Players Analyzed, Half Time Baseball Report, New APBAlone Editor"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

July 1989

Volume 22, #8 "Playing the New APBA Computer Football Game, Organization Tips, My Turn"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

August 1989

Volume 22, #9 "Reviewing APBA's Summer Cards, 1988-89 Bastketball Cards, 1988 Bowling Cards"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

September 1989

Volume 23, #1 "First Time Carded Pitchers Analyzed, AJ Pitching Contest, Baltimore Orioles"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

January 1990

Volume 23, #2 "First Time Carded Pitchers Analyzed II, The Story of Wizard, IPTAY '90"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

February 1990

Volume 23, #3 "Pitching in Computer/Master Game, Setting Hub Defenses in APBA Computer Football, Official Card Corrections"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

March 1990

Volume 23, #4 "Baseball Card Set Review, Specialty Cards for APBA Baseball, 1989 APBA Fielding Summary"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

April 1990

Volume 23, #5 "Making APBA Football Cards, Analyzing the QB's Passing Column, Building a Winning APBA Baseball Team"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

May 1990

Volume 23, #6 "APBA Summer Product Releases, Cards & Disks Dominate APBA New Products, Reviewing the Football Cards & Disks"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

June 1990

Volume 23, #7 "Half Time Baseball Report, Who's Who Among the Carded Football Rookies, Statistical Inaccuracies"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

July 1990

Volume 5, #6 "Red Roses in Bloom, Two for the Defense, Mini-Sked Great for Busy Fan"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

June 1972

(coupon removed)

Volume 6, #2 "Reds Keep Machine Rolling, Does Series Pick Champ?, Yanks Come on Strong"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

October 1972

Volume 6, #3 "Extra Stars Boost Cubs to Top, Pitching on Rise Again, Dave Dull"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

December 1972

Volume 6, #5 "Reds Smash Swingin' A's, Convention Lineup, Light From APBA"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

April 1973

Volume 7, #1 "First Convention Big Smash, Dave Hull, Light From APBA"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

August 1973

(cover notated)

Volume 7, #10 "Rating All Runners, APBA Facts, Reprints Two Views"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

June 1974

Volume 7, #11 "Rusher of the Decade, Inter-League Series, Dick Nixon"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

July 1974

Volume 7, #2 "Bench Carlton Most Popular, AJ Focus, Dave Hull"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

October 1973

Volume 7, #3 "APBA's Greatest Home Hitter, Dave Hull, No Playoff Needed"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

November 1973

(lightly notated)

Volume 7, #4 "Triple 1's for New Sultan?, APBA Museum, Remember Choo Choo"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

December 1973

Volume 7, #7 "Speed of the Great Gloves, The APBA Marathon, Three No-Hitters"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

March 1974

(coupon removed)

Volume 7, #8 "Stability Means Quality, Dave Hull, Bunt to Reach Base"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

April 1974

(cover notated)

Volume 7, #9 "Luck Knows A Lady, Ruth vs Cobb, Dave Hull"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

May 1974

Volume 8, #2 "Seasons in Their Hands, AJ Focus, Come Again?"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

September 1974

(cover notated)

Volume 8, #3 "APBA's Top Power Hitters, AJ Focus, Aaron Shomo"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

October 1974

(cover notated)

Volume 8, #4 "First APBA Mail League, AJ Focus, Dave Hull"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

November 1974

(cover notated)

Volume 9, #10 "1976 Leagues Special, Page of Opinions, Mail Leagues - Essence of APBA?"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

May 1976

Volume 9, #11 "Special Convention Issue, Where We Are, Page of Opinions"

By: APBA Games

Product Line: APBA Journal

June 1976