The Future of APBA Baseball

You know, I think one of the first signs of getting old is when you begin a conversation with the phrase, "When I was your age...".  Many of us here no doubt have been guilty of saying it including myself.  I was just watching a documentary on the making of the Def Leppard album "Hysteria" this evening.  Listening to some of the songs being played I couldn't help but think how that album and the songs on it still hold up after 22 years.  That album came out in 1987.  I remember 1987 as if it was yesterday.  I was in the 10th grade, 15 years old and that year was the "Year of the Home Run" in Major League Baseball.  Back then I had just gotten a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas after abandoning the Atari 2600 which was now destined for the attic to collect dust.  However, I had also played baseball board games during that time period.  The first one I ever played was called Sherco and the next one was Strat-O-Matic which I received as a birthday present that summer. 

I would eventually graduate to computer baseball simulations with Earl Weaver Baseball and Diamond Mind.  They were fun and it was cool to see the real-life stadium graphics on the screen with statistics compiled for you, but I never lost interest in board games.  To this day I love Monopoly and I'll play anyone for a game if they're interested.  It's always fun to play although when there's a bunch of people there can be games that take as long as a Yankees/Red Sox playoff game. 

Much has been made in recent years about the short attention span of kids and teenagers.  I seem to recall people making similar remarks back in 1987 as well and while it may be true for some, I think it's wrong for people to write off kids and teenagers and sell them short.  I'm always amazed at how younger and younger kids are able to master computer programs and I've got friends who have kids who are just starting school who know how to operate DVD players and computer programs.  FOX Sports seems to think in their infinite wisdom that the way to attract kids and teenagers is by loud, whooshing noises, multiple cameras and a talking baseball.  Needless to say, I think that we all can agree that they whiffed on that one. 

A lot has changed since 1987 in terms of the music, slang, television, movies, culture, clothing and hairstyles.  But for young people the one constant that is a time-honored tradition is the desire to fit in with their peers.  Another is baseball and as far as I'm concerned we're always going to have some kids who are better on the field who would rather play the video games and kids who aren't athletic, but love the game and would rather roll the dice.  I was one of those latter kids.  I wanted to play baseball, but I wasn't that athletic.  And though I don't have an insight to what the young people and teenagers do these days, I'm willing to bet that there are still some out there like me who are more interested in the finite details that a game like APBA has to offer. 

APBA has survived for over 50 years.  Why?  Well, why are Beatles albums still selling after 40 years?  Why do "Star Wars" fans complain about the prequels yet they still showed up to pay good money to see them in the theaters?  Because they're timeless.  I'm not putting down video games.  I'd be a hypocrite and a liar if I did because I played more Tecmo Super Bowl back in the day than was probably healthy.  But there's something almost magical about getting those APBA cards for the first time and rolling that dice for the first time.  Those video games helped me with my hand-eye coordination, but they never felt real or even realistic to me.  This was especially true when Rey Ordonez wound up hitting double-digits in home runs.  But APBA has a strange way of not only giving me a greater appreciation of the game, it also has given me a greater appreciation of baseball managers. 

Of course, I don't have to worry about appeasing players and clubhouse chemistry.  All I do as an APBA manager is fill out lineup cards, strategize and hope for the best.  Yet I also think it takes great imagination to play the game whether you're an APBA manager, coach, player or golfer.  And kids especially have great imaginations which should be encouraged and games like APBA will produce dreamers who someday might become future athletes, managers, coaches, general managers or even owners.  I hope that we can all keep the dream alive for future generations.  In fact, when my wife and I have our first child whenever that may be, we're going to get a t-shirt made that says "Future APBA player."