History Maker Baseball…Boardgame Heaven

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Christopher Dinkins | November 3rd, 2018

I’m not the biggest video game person you will ever meet, simply because I am used to rolling the dice when I’m trying to win. Alas, there is a board game for sports enthusiasts, more like a sports universe that can be created on your own. History Maker Baseball is a sports simulation board game by PLAAY.com, a company created by Keith Avallone. The games are designed for solitaire play but can be played head-to-head. I have played sports games by other companies, but some of them overcomplicate the process with too many charts and other things that take away from the fun of the game!!! But this game is based on player attributes which makes for more realism and more decisions that have to be made by YOU, the manager.

History Maker Baseball

This game is the closest you will come to managing your own major league team. I guess you are probably wondering how long these games take to learn and play, well let me tell you I read the rules for HMB, which were pretty straightforward. And literally, fifteen minutes later I was playing my first game. The baseball game is designed to give the perspective of what could happen in “real life”, weather effects, injuries, stadium effects, umpires, brawls, and even last-minute lineup changes, things that could affect what actually happens during a baseball season. Players go on hot and cold streaks, or there could be tension in the clubhouse, all of that is replicated in this game The possibilities are endless with this game, for example, the season that I’m playing 1977 New York Yankees is coming along well and I’m getting to manage that squad. You know Reggie Jackson had just signed his free-agent deal, the “straw that stirs the drink” season, Thurman Munson (my all-time favorite Yankee), Ron Guidry, Mickey Rivers, Lou Piniella and of course the American League East is controlled by NY, Boston, and Baltimore.

Imagine being able to manage YOUR team in a tight pennant race. It’s not like video games where the players have ratings that do not change from game to game. In History Maker Baseball a hot streak can come at any time. A game could come down to a pinch-hitting decision or allowing your starter to face one more hitter. You control the lineups, and even the umpires and ballpark can affect certain results. HMB expands the parameters of the game by including events that may happen and change what happens during the game. Your ace pitcher may develop a “blister” on his pitching hand, now what? A sportswriter may have written a negative article, the front office may not agree with the manager, what do you do? Players are rated with unique qualities instead of numbers and it makes for interesting and different results in every game. Umpires have their own individual qualities, and just like in real life an umpire can make a controversial call that can impact your game just like it does in real life. There are many highlight-worthy plays that will add more realism to your season. The game engine is very simple, and if you ask me, self-explanatory. It plays easy enough that you can create your own teams with baseball cards. Yes, put together teams with baseball cards, crazy, right??? All the league leaders will perform as expected, but someone may have a jump in their stats, but they could also tail off. Whatever happens in a real baseball game happens in History Maker Baseball and trust me I have been playing this game ever since it came out in 2013 and I am even a champion, winning the World Series at a PLAYY.com event a couple of years back. This game is just one of many sports simulation games on this site. I don’t want to give away too much. Go check out the site if you are into sports simulation games and want to relive a famous season or seasons. You won’t be sorry.

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