A look at Strat-o-Matic Baseball

[@ericbond5276]

Luv the red box. I remember my parents bought me the game in 1972. I don't have that box anymore; life got in the way.

[@keithbishop9759]

Between the ages 10-13, “Strat-o” ruled my summers. We had a league made up of 10-12 guys. We each chose two teams and played full 162 game schedules with each. We kept all the stats for all of our teams. It was an absolute joy and makes me smile just talking about it.

[@4032dbh]

Bought my first Strat baseball set in 1973. Have been playing ever since, although in the late 70s and early 80s I spent more time playing the other Strat games To date I have played 5 American League seasons with 2 more in process. I started playing the computer game in 1987 and have been ever since Thank you Harold Richman. I owe you so much

[@fdsuperstar2547]

Fell in love with the game as a 11 year old kid in 1972& football in ‘73. Been playing ever since. A great form of relaxation for me.

[@barryw2659]

1966 set was the first one for me. Hours upon hours I'd sit and play. After all, I was an Indians fan. How else could I enjoy baseball in those days? :) I remember playing the '27 Yankees vs '54 Indians. Looking at Ruth's card...OMG...I think a 3-6, 3-7,3-8 was a home run! I still remember the stats and had my sister's boyfriend take a scoresheetto his shop class and make 500 copies. Lot of great memories.

[@felixmadison5736]

I'll be 70 years young in January 2019, and I've been playing SOM since 1967. I ordered the game in November of that year and received the 1966 season. The game blew me away at age 18 and one of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn't find out about Strat sooner! Over the past 51 years (this month!) I have tried just about every baseball sim on the market and Strat is always the game I stick with. It was the best and is still the best baseball sim ever made. Thank you Mr. Richman for the enjoyment your game has given me for more than half a century!

[@ClutchBaseball]

That's awesome Oscar! Our game developer grew up on Strat-o and MLB Showdown. You should look into Clutch Baseball! You will regret you didn't find it sooner :)

[@felixmadison5736]

Not as good or as realistic as SOM, but thanks for the tip. BTW, is Clutch Baseball still around? LOL!!@@ClutchBaseball

[@tigerstripe56]

I have been playing this great game since the summer of 1970. I played it regularly until 1980. I took a 13 year hiatus and reintroduced it to my son. We played a couple years until he went to HS. Four years ago I reconnected with friends and we started back up. We meet during the summer every other week for games, lunch, listening to music from our youth and baseball only conversation. It’s like a spiritual retreat to us all.

[@boydotero4239]

I started playing Strat-o-matic baseball when I was 17 years old,I am 73 years old and I still purchase the yearly card sets! That is 56 years that I have been a loyal customer! During that time,I have purchased every card season Strat has printed,going back to the 1915 baseball season! I also have the Negro League Baseball cards,the Hall of Fame Baseball cards/2018,the Baseball Heroes card set,the Diamond Gems A & B card sets,and past seasons which were formatted for only Basic Play! That may put me in the running for Strat's Greatest Fan! As far as statistical accuracy,there is no other baseball game,in my opinion!

[@kevindickson2178]

got the 1970 season in 1971 when i was 13. ordered it from a street and smith's magazine.

[@VL1975]

Hal Richman is like the Hugh Hefner of baseball board games. Started off with a dream borrowing money into a empire.

[@DiceBaseballDigest]

There are so many good inexpensive tabletop games out there? Search cards and dice Baseball. Look at Fall Classic, Deep Drive, Payoff Pitch, Inside Pitch, History Maker and Replay Baseball.

[@johnyvico]

Love it ,been playing for more then 20 years . Nothing else like it .

[@rubinpomade3357]

yesw! same here. we are having tournament today!

[@daviddybalski8674]

I have been playing since December 1967 when I received my 1st Stat-O-Matic game box. I ordered it from an advertisement on back of a comic book, Took 8 weeks to get to me. I was 11 years old Great game; Old timers are great It improved my math skills with adding the dice quickly and all the numbers involved

[@dehartconnections]

im onne playing since 1969 c&d till mid 1990s play the pc version still to this day im 62 now

[@dougmorrisett6489]

Great game made some of my own rules but I keep it simple and realistic.kept most rules

[@ClutchBaseball]

Doug, you should check out Clutch Baseball!

[@Stratfan1969]

Greatest sports game on the market. I have been playing since 1969. I have Eddie Matthews from the first set (1960 stats).

[@RDarth]

Strat is way better and more realistic than any baseball video game I've played...

[@ednelson2501]

That is because video games are based on how they look. Strato is based on reality

[@Chekmate99]

Have you played Earl Weavers Baseball by EA (1987)? That game killed it - the graphics were simple but the gameplay/managerial aspect and options to customize player ratings and ballpark where amazing (Commissioners Disk). I wish they would reissue that game and leave the graphic as is (circa 1987) - that’s how good it was.

[@horaceball5418]

I played the 1969, 71 and 72 seaon. But the most exciting thing was waiting for special delivery mail to send me the 1922 giants, 24 senators, 27 yankees, 31 A's 34 Cardinals, 35 Cubs, 46 red sox 46 cards 48 indians 53 doger 54 Giants 60 pirates 61 yankees, 62 mets. Guess what my favorite team was? the 31 a's follwed by the 53 dodgers they were great!

[@extramile150]

I've been playing since the 1963 season cards, released in 1964!

[@extramile150]

Im one of the 50-year plus players! actually 55 years.

[@patrickgirard8698]

There is somethink Nice about strat. Poor défense players could you cost à lot , congrats to Hal , what he build is as i called donjons and dragons baseball , IT is fluid, no flowers just insind un mind .... So Nice .

[@zachhogan6287]

I have a league with 4 guys - we each play our fav team and a 2nd team in an opposite league. so 8 teams each playing 162 games. most of us keeping stats and all- with playoffs and champion trophy (few other awards for HRs, Batt avg, etc) - we use a set of league rules and our own dice with our own scorecards. Best Game Ever. It can get INTENSE ha

[@stevenkramer4762]

$5,000 in 1960 is like $41,000 today....

[@ace942]

I remember a version of this game that had a spinner and players are round circles. I thought it was this version but this appears to be something else. Does anyone know the name of the game?

[@VictorRodriguez-yg4lw]

You’re are thinking of All Star Baseball. It was made by Cadeco. Fun game

[@ace942]

@@VictorRodriguez-yg4lw Thank you :)

[@indianastan]

I have been playing stratomatic baseball off and on since 1970.

[@ClutchBaseball]

You should check out Clutch Baseball!

[@chickenandwaffles09]

Why are those guys playing the basic level... Man up and play advanced!

[@felixmadison5736]

Exactly!!! Once I played the Super Advanced game I could never return to the basic game. It's like watching T-Ball and then going to Fenway to watch a MLB game!

[@pgrabar]

"The original fantasy game"? I don't think so. APBA, All Star Baseball, National Pastime, all were around before SOM.

[@stevenkramer4762]

+pgrabar No other game has even come close to the success of Strat so the claim of original fantasy sports games goes unchallenged, regardless of who came first in terms of years before they came out with the first game.

[@pgrabar]

+Steven Kramer Apparently you don't understand the definition of "original". It's different than "best selling".

[@felixmadison5736]

I really don't care which game was first, but I DO care about which is the best and most realistic simulation of MLB...and that is Strat-O-Matic, hands down.

[@stevenkramer4762]

The inventor of fantasy sports played Strat first and till this day plays Strat baseball, board version. That's why it's the original sports fantasy game. You won't find ABPA in the National Baseball Hall of Fame like Strat is...

[@hurakagame9195]

What? ...I can be added to a team? #lineup #position #team #SignMeUp

[@MrOldheadtom]

2:56 that yankees lineup in 2013 😫🤣

[@camairsoftman3390]

I wonder id he counld make me a card like that

[@dawafflesupreme]

That is the most BORING shit I have ever seen, and I love board games.