Thinking about how I got into playing cards and dice tabletop baseball is a nice stroll down memory lane.
I suppose that’s why we like thinking about what got us started in the hobby.
How I got into playing.
As a kid, I filled notebooks with baseball players’ stats.
I would create my own player and then come up with his stats each season. I would go through my baseball cards and write down stats from those cards.
My Dad also had a baseball computer game that ran on the MS-DOS operating system. I think it was called “Diamond Mind Baseball.” Anyway, I would play games on it - I would create “All-Time Greats” leagues and input players and their stats from my baseball reference books.
Later as technology advanced, my Dad bought Baseball Mogul for our computer. 2003 is the earliest year I can remember playing. Not only could you play through multiple seasons, but you also got to be the general manager for the team - which I really loved.
I still enjoy playing Baseball Mogul on my computer - but over the last few years, I’ve been watching guys on YouTube like Dave Gardner and Kurt Bergland (among others), and they got me interested in tabletop card and dice baseball games.
So when I talked to my wife about maybe buying Strat-O-Matic baseball, she bought the 2016 season for me as an early Father’s Day present, and I’ve probably played 10-15 games since then.
My oldest son (he’s 8) has always loved baseball, and he’s also gotten into playing with me. He’s very animated and hates to lose - one day, I will record a game when we play together, and I will let yall get a kick out of hearing my son’s in-game commentary.
Why I love playing.
Going back to my childhood, I’ve always loved creating my own little “baseball worlds.” Whether it was creating a player’s career, building an imaginary team out of all-time greats, or managing my own team on the computer - it allowed me to live in a world of baseball, at least for a few minutes.
Playing these tabletop cards and dice baseball games allows me to tap back into that part of my childhood that I guess never really went away - I just forgot it was there.
Also, I like playing because I’m a bit of an introvert - and playing games like Strat-O-Matic baseball is a relaxing way for me to retreat occasionally into my own world.
My job puts me in contact with many people quite often - so it’s helpful for me to take time to be alone and play some games.
Why do you enjoy playing?
Is it just because it’s something to pass the time, or do you think there’s something more to it? I suppose this is a little bit of a deeper look into who we are as people - these games help us on a deeper level than merely providing entertainment.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts!
Have a great day!