League Survey

Below are the questions and your responses. Thank you for taking the time to answer. I heard from everyone except the Nads and Glenn's two teams. There's a lot to read here. Enjoy.

First memory of Strat:

(Zaps) 1973, and deciding Jose Cardenas was the perfect Strat leadoff hitter.

(Fungoes) Fungoes first memory of NASOMA strat is after my first draft I faced the FFTs before any other team and after setting my lineup and writing my lineup down and rolling the dice for my first batter I realized I had a great lineup in the game for a RIGHT HANDED PITCHER!  Unfortunately, Terry started a LEFTY!!!!!  I spent the first 6 innings hoping against hope he wouldn’t realize my mistake….then I figured he would just think I’m not smart enough to start Right handed batters against his LEFTY starter!!!!!!

(Killer Bees) Seeing uncle Norm and my brother rolling dice when I was about 8-9 years old wondering what the fuck they were doing.

(Drillers) Playing Derek at his house sometime back in the early ‘70s with the Rangers vs his beloved Tigers.

(FFTs) Dave Kline's kitchen for AL draft.  Went with Klugh on a road trip.

(Sidewinders) managing FFT mail games against Tweeners in Franklin KY when I was 15 or 16. In 1987 meeting Ab and Herman et al for the first time in Cincinnati. (Eric Davis homered in that game.) They got me in the "3rd World League" based in Columbia Mo. A remnant of that league still exists. Drafting for Ab one year,taking Todd Zeile as his prospect pick.

(Warpigs) I first played Strat at Kelly Armstrong’s house in 1968, but my first lasting memories of Strat came a few years later, playing almost non-stop with Derek, Jose, Tim Ferguson, and Steve Boyer. We drafted and played and drafted and played all the time, using the very best cards available from different years. Loved that 1977 Rod Carew card and Roger Freed from the same set.

(Mavs) As a 7th grader trying to interpret the rule for taking an extra base on a base hit

(Rhinos) Back in high school when we played those weekend series and picking out of the brown paper bag...Amazing Rick got Rod Carew again 

(Tweeners) Shortly after we acquired the Trinity Linemen franchise in 1982 and renamed the team, the Oilers talked us into trading him young stud Eddie Murray for Pete Rose (other players were also involved).  We continue our efforts to overcome the Curse of Eddie Murray.

(DVs) The Buckeyes stopped by my desk at work and asked if I was a baseball fan and we started talking about simulation games. At the time Strat had just come out with the PC version that ran on DOS, and we had one PC in the entire department, and somehow he loaded it on the machine (using a 5 and ¼ inch floppy diskette) to show me what it looked like. I was hooked from there.

(Wahoos) Talking with the Oilers at church about the game ... I'm sure Bill Doran was brought up.

(Inmates) @1970. My brother, a next-door-neighbor and I had been playing “All-Star Baseball” for several years, and came across the Strato game in a comic book. We played leagues via the selector set for a couple of years.

Favorite memory of Strat:

(Fungoes) Each draft!  Seriously, the draft is always my favorite weekend of the year!!

(Killer Bees) Winning it all in 2008...I will always remember the year, the same year we lost my dad.

(Drillers) The all night, cussing, slug fests held at the Ponca House in Norman with the “white die” talking the brunt of the damage.

(FFTs) Randy

(Sidewinders) Zane Booner, that MAUBREE kid and Olerud coasters. Breakfast at the Loveless Cafe. Track and Field meet between the Pigs and Bees.

(Warpigs) Herman

(Mavs) Coming back from 14 runs down in the 8th inning against the Fungoes to tie the game only to lose in the 10th

(Rhinos) Every draft weekend

(Tweeners) Hard to choose just one.  I will go with our “unbreakable” record from the 1991 draft in New Orleans when we rolled dice to play 49 games in 48 hours.  I heard a rumor that some guys enjoyed Bourbon Street that year, but I was too damn busy.

(DVs) Probably the DVs first draft in Little Rock. All of us stuffed in a double room with the mattresses removed through the window, Esque at the controls and me trying to figure out how the HELL all those damn charts worked (I had never played dice and cards). On top of that, my first game – with Bob Zupcic as my leadoff hitter, saw the Fungoes David Cone spin a 2 hit shutout. I remember thinking – “what the heck have I gotten myself into?” It’s been all downhill from there – LOL.

(Wahoos) Beating the Warpigs to advance to the World Series in 2000. Before that and since then the Warpigs have crushed the Wahoos at every turn including a 15-1 season series one year.

(Inmates) NASOMA. Things have changed over time, but this is still the best thing about Strat-O-Matic.

NASOMA team you most like to play:

(Fungoes) Fungoes love playing the Inmates!  You get so much information while the game is going on and there is always the chance that you may catch a glimpse of the Head Inmate kissing Gracie while you’re at the Baptist Bowl!!!

(Killer Bees) Wahoos

(Drillers) Zappers, lively banter and usually close games.

(Sidewinders) Tweeners

(Warpigs) Inmates.

(Mavs) Fungoes

(Rhinos) DV's

(Tweeners) There is no such thing as a bad NASOMA game; you can never go wrong rolling dice with Da Mavs; but the correct answer is the Sidewinders.

(DVs) Zaps

(Wahoos) Bees or SSWs (highlight of the draft every year)

(Inmates) Everyone, face-to-face.

NASOMA team you least like to play:

(Fungoes) Fungoes hate playing the Warpigs!  If you check our overall record you’ll see why!!!  Fungoes also hate playing against the EVIL white die that the Drillers used against us in the playoffs in 2010!  Who can read that damn die?????

(Drillers) Inmates, “Bases empty…VLADaMEER!  Shit!  1 – 11 groundball A…”  “To where?”  “Hell I don’t know, I already turned the card over!”  LOL

(Warpigs) The Bees. For one, we never seem to beat him, and two, you have to be aware of falling lamp fixtures that are hell on the laptop’s keyboard.

(Mavs) Wahoos

(Rhinos) Warpigs, because it usually equals a notch in the loss column

(Tweeners) the Warpigs, because we usually lose.

(DVs) Buckeyes

(Wahoos) Zaps. His team ALWAYS seems to whip me.

(Inmates) Hybrids. Hands down.

NASOMA team you most like to beat:

(Fungoes) WARPIGS!!!!!  Check our overall record!!!!!

(Killer Bees) Pigs, who else

(Drillers) Pigs.  Bitch always has a good team!  If you don’t beat him you ain’t winning shit.

(Sidewinders) Tie between the Pigs and Zaps

(Warpigs) The Inmates, because then you get to hear how he outhomered and outscored you even though he lost. lol

(Mavs) Inmates

(Rhinos) Warpigs

(Tweeners) the Warpigs (see above)

(DVs) Bees

(Wahoos) Buckeyes/Warpigs. Always hard fought games with the league's best minds. When you win, you earn it.

(Inmates) All.

NASOMA team most likely to return your call/email:

(Fungoes) FFTs, Warpigs, DVs, Wahoos, Bees, Snakes, Tweeners, Buckeyes, Inmates, Zaps and Drillers!

(Killer Bees) Pigs

(Drillers) Zapper

(FFTs) Pigs and DV's

(Sidewinders) FFTs

(Warpigs) FFTs, DVs, Fungoes, and lately – the Rhinos!

(Mavs) FFT's

(Rhinos) Warpigs

(Tweeners) Warpigs

(DVs) FFTs

(Wahoos) Warpigs, DVs

(Inmates) Everyone, eventually.

NASOMA team least likely to return your call/email:

(Fungoes) Fungoes would like to take this opportunity to apologize for not returning your call!!!!

(Killer Bees) Rhinos

(Drillers) Nads

(Warpigs) Nads

(Mavs) tie - Nads / Sultans

(Rhinos) Rhinos

(DVs) Varies depending on how crappy on offer I’ve made - 15 place tie for first and last

(Wahoos) It varies from month to month and year to year

Best NASOMA manager:

(Fungoes) Buckeyes. 

(Killer Bees) Pigs

(Drillers) Buckeyes.  Fucker could win our league with a minor league team!

(FFTs) Buckeyes

(Sidewinders) Tweeners

(Warpigs) The Zapper. He’s the best at making moves just to see how you react to them. Loved watching him catch the Buckeyes trying to re-use a guy in the Series this year.

(Mavs) Buckeyes

(Rhinos) Warpigs

(Tweeners) Buckeyes

(DVs) Fungoes

(Wahoos) Buckeyes

(Inmates) Glenn (Buckeyes). Has shitty players with shitty cards and wins anyway.

Best NASOMA general manager:

(Fungoes) Warpigs for trades.  Rhinos for drafting youth.

(Killer Bees) Buckeyes...how the fuck does he do it every year?  No wait, the whole realignment thing, right.  Nevermind, I will go with the Rhinos (team is always stacked)

(Drillers) Rhinos.  Dude can flat out draft.

(FFTs) Pigs

(Sidewinders) Pigs

(Warpigs) The Rhinos are the best at knowing who’s GONNA be good. The best trader is the Snakeman.

(Mavs) Warpigs

(Rhinos) Snakes

(Tweeners) Warpigs

(DVs) Warpigs

(Wahoos) Buckeyes

(Inmates) Rick (Pigs). Always gets the players necessary to win.

Favorite team to talk trade with:

(Fungoes) DVs!!!!!  Well, I suppose the DVs are pretty much the ONLY team we talk trade with!!!

(Killer Bees) FFTs...easy to deal with

(Drillers) FFTs.  No matter what, there will be a deal made in some form or fashion.

(FFTs) Pigs

(Warpigs) FFTs, DVs, and Wahoos

(Mavs) Hate talking trades.  I do that all day at work.

(Rhinos) Warpigs

(Tweeners) FFTs

(DVs) Wahoos

(Wahoos) Warpigs or FFTs

(Inmates) All.

Favorite player currently on your team:

(Zaps) Chase Utley

(Fungoes) Lance Berkman.

(Killer Bees) Verlander

(Drillers) Buster Posey.  Best name in baseball!  I bet his girlfriend liked it too!

(FFTs) Ichiro

(Warpigs) Wow, this used to be such an easy question. Umm… maybe 2011 World Series hero David Freese!

(Mavs) Jason Heyward

(Rhinos) Braun

(Tweeners) Pablo Sandoval

(DVs) Matt Holliday

(Wahoos) Dustin Pedroia/Johnny Damon

(Inmates) Johan Santana.

Favorite player currently on someone else's team:

(Fungoes) Roy Halladay.

(Killer Bees) McCann

(Drillers) Troy Tulowitzki…  You had two SSs already!  Ya Bastage!

(Warpigs) Albert Pujols. Duh.

(Mavs) Elvis Andrus

(Rhinos) Freddie Freeman

(Tweeners) Roy Oswalt

(DVs) Troy Tulowitski

(Wahoos) Nobody. Seriously. I only recognize my 30+

(Inmates) Whoever’s good.

Favorite player ever:

(Zaps) John Olerud

(Fungoes) Al Kaline.

(Killer Bees) In strat - Miguel Tejada, in real life...Tony Gwynn

(Drillers) Barry Bonds

(FFTs) Andy Messersmith

(Sidewinders) Eric Davis

(Warpigs) Mark McGwire

(Mavs) Roberto Alomar

(Rhinos) Roberto Clemente

(Tweeners) Pete Rose

(DVs) Ted Williams

(Wahoos) Always have pulled extra hard for Johnny Damon

(Inmates) Ernie Banks. He was finishing his career when I had his Strato cards (early 70s Cubs).

Favorite baseball-related websites:

(Zaps) Baseball America

(Fungoes) MLB.com

(Killer Bees) MLB.com, baseballcube

(Drillers) HQ

(FFTs) MLB.com

(Warpigs) mlbdepthcharts.com

(Mavs) mlb.com iPad app

(Rhinos) Can't say, that's a Rhino secret

(Tweeners) http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp ; http://www.baseball-reference.com/ ; http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/index ; http://nasoma.homestead.com/index.html

(DVs) (besides the porn ones) – baseballreference.com; fangraphs.com; retrosheet.org

(Wahoos) Don't really look at any

(Inmates) mlb.com; NASOMA website.

Favorite baseball movie:

(Zaps) Eight Men Out

(Fungoes) Bull Durham.  Just barely over The Natural.

(Killer Bees) Eight Men Out

(Drillers) Bull Durham

(FFTs) Bull Durham

(Warpigs) Field of Dreams (by a nod over Bull Durham and Sandlot)

(Mavs) Bull Durham

(Rhinos) The Natural

(Tweeners) Bull Durham

(DVs) Field of Dreams

(Wahoos) Field of Dreams

(Inmates) Major League.

Favorite MLB team from your youth:

(Zaps) Dodgers

(Fungoes) Detroit Tigers.

(Killer Bees) Padres (Gwynn baby)

(Drillers) Athletics/Rangers

(FFTs) Giants

(Warpigs) 1969-71 Baltimore Orioles. Saw them play the Angels in 1969 when we went to Disneyland. Also loved the Red Sox from the mid to late 70s. And I’ve always loved the Cards.

(Mavs) Texas Rangers

(Rhinos) Reds

(Tweeners) Cincinnati Reds

(DVs) Cardinals

(Wahoos) Texas Rangers

(Inmates) Cubs/White Sox.

Favorite MLB team now:

(Zaps) Dodgers

(Fungoes) Texas Rangers.

(Killer Bees) Braves

(Drillers) Rangers

(FFTs) Dodgers

(Warpigs) Cardinals and Rangers

(Mavs) Texas Rangers

(Rhinos) Rangers

(Tweeners) Cincinnati Reds

(DVs) Rockies

(Wahoos) Texas Rangers

(Inmates) Rangers.

Favorite moment ever in the history of MLB:

(Zaps) Gibson’s tater off Eck

(Fungoes) Watching The Texas Rangers win World Series games 4 and 5 at the ballpark.  Hearing the fans chanting NA-PO-LI, NA-PO-LI, NA-PO-LI!!!!!

(Killer Bees) Watching the 1986 Series (at age 9) and seeing the ball roll through Buckner's legs.  At that point, I realized MLB players WERE human and did fuck up like the rest of us

(Drillers) Gibson’s late inning “Roy Hobbs” impersonation tater for the Dodgers.

(FFTs) Saw Hank Aaron and Willie Mays hit homers in same game.

(Warpigs) The family baseball vacation in 1998. We saw major league games in 7 different parks, plus a minor league game, the Negro League Hall of Fame, and we played a pickup game with other families on the Field of Dreams field. Oh, and the Beakless Chicken went along for the ride.

(Mavs) Feliz strikes out ARod for the Rangers first AL Championship

(Rhinos) Attending the Rangers first World Series appearance

(Tweeners) The Sandberg Game.  June 23, 1984, Wrigley Field, Cardinals vs. Cubs.  Against Bruce Sutter in his prime, Ryne Sandberg homered in the bottom of the 9th to tie the score at 9.  Cards scored 2 in the 10th, and in the bottom half with Sutter still out there, Sandberg tied it again with a 2-run shot.  Cubs go on to win in 11.  And they sold beer all the way to the 9th inning in those days.  Picked a great day for my only visit to Wrigley Field.

(DVs) Attending game 4 of the Rockies 2007 NLCS when they clinched the pennant. Prior to that would be going to KC Royals games in the early 70s on the family vacation.

(Wahoos) Feliz striking out A-Rod to go to the World Series

(Inmates) Aaron’s 715^th HR.

Favorite moment ever in the history of your NASOMA team:

(Zaps) Calling a homer roll against JR in the bottom of the 9th, rolling that exact homer, and JR looking across the table and saying Fuck you Zapper. So out of character, but Strat explained it all.

(Fungoes) Winning the Higdon trophy in 2006!!!

(Killer Bees) 2008 WS

(Drillers) Second WS win for a back to back championship.

(FFTs) The Clock Chimed vs the Inmates

(Sidewinders) Tie The draft in Louisville 1994 and Is your infIeld?in 1998 WS. Honorable mentions "What in the worrrlldd is that?", FART LINKS COLA. Favorite draft hotel Green Oaks, worst draft sites Tulsa and Shreveport.

(Warpigs) Coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win the 2003 World Series against Barry Fucking Bonds and the hated Drillers in 7 games. It’s his own fault – he should have never dissed the MavGirl.

(Rhinos) The near perfect game (only a walk) by Odalis Perez against the vaunted Driller offense of Vald, Bonds, Rolen, Sheffield....

(Tweeners) I believe the year was 2005; Tweeners rose from the ashes with 16 consecutive victories to end the regular season, forcing a one game tiebreaker with the Sidewinders for the last playoff spot (which we lost – WTF).

(DVs) Winning the 16 inning tie breaker game with the Drillers that clinched the NERD in 2008.

(Wahoos) Winning Game 7 at the Warpigs in 2000 after falling behind 3 games to 2 and winning Game 6 then watching the Pigs take the team out to the pool for a pep talk before Game 7.

(Inmates) The famous softball playoff series vs Drillers. We lost, but the offense was fun. Making the WS in ’94 was fun, too, but we lost that as well, to the dreaded Shriveled Testicle Gang.

Favorite non-baseball sports memory/moment:

(Zaps) Bjorn Borg beating McEnroe in the 5th set of Wimbledon in 1980.

(Killer Bees) The first time I ate pussy

(Drillers) Sooner’s 1985 National Championship win over Penn State watched live in Miami’s Orange Bowl.

(FFTs) Ole Miss beating Notre Dame

(Warpigs) The Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA title last year was pretty sweet.

(Mavs) In person, game 5 of last year's NBA finals; on TV, game 6 of last year's NBA finals

(Rhinos) 1980 winter Olympic US hockey win over Russia 

(Tweeners) In the year 1965, at The Pines par-27 golf course in Duncan Falls, Ohio (now pasture land), an 11 year old named Corky Wheeler won the 3rd Flight Championship, besting 41 year old John Bumpus 2 and 1.  When I rode my bike to the course that day, in addition to my golf clubs I also carried a cardboard box, which I knew I would need to bring home the trophy.  Good thing there was no such thing as “trash talk” in that era.

(DVs) KU winning the ’88 national basketball title with Danny and the miracles

(Wahoos) Watching in person as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Boston Celtics for the first time ever in March 1986. They did it despite Larry Bird scoring 50 and Mark Aguirre sitting at home.

(Inmates) The first time I watched the Harlem Globetrotters in the late 60s. Great entertainment.

Have you ever played Strat in any sport besides baseball?

(Zaps) Basketball and Football

(Fungoes) No

(Killer Bees) Hell no....who has time

(Drillers) NCAA Football

(FFTs) Football

(Warpigs) No, but I played APBA in a league with Tom Grieve. I still have his game box that he gave me.

(Mavs) Basketball and Football

(Rhinos) Yes, Pro Football, actually played it before baseball

(Tweeners) My first Strat-O experience was NFL football with college mates in 1972-73.  My little nephew Glenn introduced me to the baseball game shortly after that, but I was still a raw rookie when I joined NASOMA.  I bought the NBA board game one year, but it failed to capture my interest.

(DVs) Dabbled in football, but the learning curve and need for a human opponent ended it quick

(Inmates) No.

Why do you play Strat?

(Zaps) It is the closest to running my own MLB franchise and managing that I can get

(Fungoes) The closest you can get to playing/managing in the big leagues!

(Killer Bees) to keep up with the game and to compete

(Drillers) To stay young?

(FFTs) my escape.

(Warpigs) Because I can’t imagine NOT playing.

(Mavs) It is just a part of the season now just like all of the Rangers home games.  So I guess that makes it a pastime.

(Rhinos) I enjoy the fellowship and it gives me guys to follow during the season

(Tweeners) What’s not to love?

(DVs) I love to compete, especially with and against guys that share that same quality, while exhibiting good sportsmanship and friendship

(Wahoos) It enhances my enjoyment of baseball. I also enjoy the friendships I've built by playing.

(Inmates) It’s fun.

Ever played in a SOM baseball tournament?

(Zaps) Nope

(Fungoes) Yes

(Killer Bees) No

(Drillers) No

(FFTs) Yes

(Warpigs) Yes

(Mavs) Just the one hosted by the Warpigs

(Rhinos) No

(Tweeners) No

(DVs) No

(Wahoos) No

(Inmates) Yes.

Are you in other leagues besides NASOMA?

(Zaps) Yes

(Fungoes) No

(Killer Bees) No

(Drillers) No

(FFTs) just one, 32 years also

(Sidewinders) No

(Warpigs) Yes

(Mavs) No

(Rhinos) No

(Tweeners) No

(DVs) Nope

(Wahoos) Yes

(Inmates) No.

Would you continue to play Strat if there were no more NASOMA?

(Zaps) Yes

(Fungoes) Somehow, someway, YES!!!

(Killer Bees) probably not

(Drillers) No

(FFTs) only in SOMNADA

(Sidewinders) No

(Warpigs) Yes

(Mavs) No

(Rhinos) Probably not

(Tweeners) Most likely, if I could find an established league that would have me.

(DVs) Most likely would play historical (30s,40s and 50s) replays

(Wahoos) Yes

(Inmates) Probably.

Do you prefer face to face dice & cards, shoulder to shoulder PC, netplay, or CM play by mail games? And why?

(Zaps) Computer face-to-face   I love the flight of the ball on the computer.

(Fungoes) Face to Face dice and cards!  Imagine what you would miss playing the Inmates on netplay!  What if the Cookoo game was played by netplay!  Who would even know of the Cookoo game???

(Killer Bees) Shoulder to shoulder PC...dice is too fuckin slow and I like to keep an eye out for all you fucking cheaters

(Drillers) FTFD&C because I like to see my opponent squirm under pressure.

(FFTs) No Opinion

(Sidewinders) Face to face with dice

(Warpigs) FTF with dice, but sometimes, when my team really sucks, knocking them out on the computer is less painful.

(Mavs) Shoulder to shoulder PC because you get to visit but don't have to take time to do the stats

(Rhinos) Shoulder to shoulder PC

(Tweeners) Face-to-face, rattle the dice, read the cards, read the charts.  The way God and Hal intended when it was created.

(DVs) Face to face with D&C – it really gives you the feel of the game, much more realistic.

(Wahoos) I prefer face to face dice. It's the way I learned to play the game. It makes the game PURE chance. It's the way Hal intended for it to be played.

(Inmates) Face-to-face dice and cards is always best, but anything allowing me to keep my own scoresheet and have a live opponent is better than CM play-by-mail games. It’s just more fun to have a live opponent.

Which of those four methods do you actually play more? Is it your preference? And if not, why not?

(Fungoes) PC version.  Dice and cards are my favorite though I do understand how much better pc versions and netplay are to the out of towners!!!

(Killer Bees) CM play by mail games...dont have a lot of time at this point in my life to play netplay.

(Drillers) CMPBM is my preference at the moment due to time obligations demanded by Seth’s year-round sporting endeavors.

(FFTs) Computer.  No Opinion.

(Warpigs) I prefer dice, but I probably play more PC games. I still like doing stats, and even if I play the game on the computer, I do my own stats.

(Mavs) CM play by mail games.  It tends to work out better in terms of scheduling and it gives me something to do when I'm traveling so it's ok with me.

(Rhinos) Shoulder to shoulder PC, Shoulder to shoulder PC, I like that there is never a question with the dice

(Tweeners) Probably CM play.  There would be a lot more dice rolling if I lived closer to more managers.

(DVs) Netplay due to the geographic limitations – which would be my second choice behind face to face with the D&C. It’s still better than beating the crap out of HAL’s computer manager.

(Wahoos) In my other league it's 90 percent netplay. In this league it's limited netplay with some computer face to face and some dice face to face and some computer manager.

(Inmates) @50-50 ftf and netplay. See above.