There's no crying in history maker baseball

I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I toss one that ain't never been seen by this generation. — Satchel Paige

Right off the bat (pun intended) I have to tell you something. I am not a big fan of baseball. I have been to about a dozen or so AAA games in my lifetime but I don't have a favorite team and I don't keep up with any stats about MLB or anything. I think this is important to say upfront.

From the publisher

HISTORY MAKER BASEBALL Big League Baseball board game incorporates the intangibles of baseball--team chemistry, hot and cold streaks, player experience, and so on. if a player is on a hot streak, or there's tension in the clubhouse, it's a palpable feeling with noticeable--though not precisely quantifiable--results. HMB reproduces that phenomena using a simple set of easy-to-implement qualities. The result is a story-line drama that we think you'll find to be quite entertaining and captivating--but which doesn't bog downplay, or require copious book-keeping!

HISTORY MAKER BASEBALL expands the scope of the game to include events "outside the innings" which rightly affect what happens during the game. The pitching coach wants to talk "privately" to you about yesterday's starter. Here's the trainer with an injury report. Comments this morning from an outraged local sports talk host will have to be dealt with. The front office can be fickle--maybe they'll give you a "vote of confidence," or perhaps bungle a player negotiation, and you'll have to clean up the mess. All these are real factors in real baseball, and it's built-in to be a real part of HMB as well. This baseball board game offers a universe of managerial choices that includes classic baseball strategy and at the same time supersedes it, expanding into the realm of baseball psychology. Dugout chatter, coaching tips, walking to the mound to chat with the pitcher, arguing with the umpire--all have a place in real baseball, all have a place in HISTORY MAKER BASEBALL Big League Baseball simulation board game.

How to play

Results are found by rolling 3D6 and checking the results in the included game action booklet. Each player is rated on a set of qualities for batting, running, and fielding, while pitchers are also rated on their pitching ability. Qualities include being a "patient" batter or a "prospect" pitcher. The game booklet checks to see if a player has or lacks a certain quality to see what the result of the at-bat will be. If a result is color-coded, (red, blue, or purple), the next at-bat will be resolved on one of the three mini-charts. Either EXPERIENCE(red chart), the RIGHT NOW (blue), or CHEMISTRY (purple). In this game, a team's winning streak could give the players a little extra edge to make a tough diving catch in the outfield. Whereas a losing streak may have the team in a STORMY mood causing players to chase bad pitches or miss the hustle plays. The gamebook covers hundreds of possible plays and scenarios. Not to mention the refs are varied as well (we all know how we feel when a ref blows a call on our team in any sport).

Free Stuff

There are numerous sets to purchase on the website to fulfill your baseball needs (This is my personal favorite). Since 2016 Plaay has put out the two world series teams for free on their website, but there is so much more free content such as extra players, ballparks, and all-star teams. Plus Plaay has a deep homebrew section of fan-made seasons such as Japanese league, Cuban league all-stars, I could go on and on. You can see a lot of fan-made the fan made content here.

The Takeaway

I will say right away that Plaay games have some of the best fan support I have ever seen for any game company. They answer emails extremely fast and always are grateful for their customer base. No matter how big or small of an order they always include a thank you letter. Now despite feelings for baseball, I love this game. If I'm being honest this was quite unexpected for me. The game plays quickly and I find myself engaged the whole time. When I get a rare result I am genuinely excited to see what that result is. I'm looking forward to running some tournaments and there is a homebrew set for an Intergalactic Baseball League which I have printed out (I am already a fan of House Tra’ja’nice because they are 50% automatons). Overall I think this game is a home run for the fan who is a heavy statistician but also a casual baseball fan. It has nearly limitless options for any team in history you want to use and has regular and advanced rules to change the depth and complexity of your plays. This game has a permanent spot in my collection.