APBA
CONVENTION 2005
July 15 - July 17
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
The America’s Best Inn and Conference Center was the site of APBA’s 2005 Convention. APBA fans, some accompanied by their families and representing fifteen states, the District of Columbia and Canada convened on Friday July 15th in the hotel’s Keystone Room.
APBA President Marc Rinaldi officially began the convention with an opening address following dinner. Besides introducing his wife Sandi and APBA staff members Skeet Carr and Veryl Lincoln, Marc brought the crowd up-to-date on the company’s progress and plans for the future, and also announced that plans have already been set in motion for APBA to host the 2006 Convention again in Las Vegas, Nevada Twenty fans signed up during the weekend! Marc then engaged in a Question and Answer session, followed by the announcement that two long-time APBA devotees had been nominated for induction into the APBA Hall of Fame.
Skeet, then Veryl, introduced an inductee and presented him with his plaque. Both were selected not only for their long-time devotion to APBA, but more importantly for dedicating both their time and skills over the years to the APBA Community. APBA’s Hall of Fame proudly added the names of Joe Sweeney (Amherst, NY) and Pete Simonelli (Kinnelon, NJ) to its roster.
Next on the agenda was a review by Veryl of the rules for the APBA Baseball Tournament, set to begin with Saturday morning’s divisional play that would ultimately yield the eight Finalists for Sunday’s Championship Trophy, followed by submission of rosters.
Fifty-four diehard fans faced off at approximately 8:30 A. M. Saturday, managing teams from as far back as 1950 (John Cochrane, Alexandria, VA [Yankees]) to as recent as 2004 (Ron Seamans, East Petersburg, PA and Harry Flawd, Lancaster, PA [Red Sox]), (Chuck Sorce, Succasunna, NJ [Twins]), (Ray Leber, Brookhaven, PA [Phillies]) and (Brian Wells, Wyomissing, PA [Cardinals]). John’s Yankees entry was unique in that it was the team from the original set that launched the company in 1951.
There were three 8-team divisions and five 6-team divisions with each team playing ten games. A round-robin schedule was followed with teams in the 6-team divisions playing each opponent two games, and the squads in the 8-team divisions playing two games against their first three opponents and one game against each of their remaining opponents. (Results
of the Divisional play and the Championship Bracket) The Quarter-Final and Semi-Final Rounds were 3-game sets, and the Championship Round was best of five.
Nineteen of this year’s managers also participated in the 2004 Tournament in Las Vegas, including defending Champ Eric Naftaly (Daly City, CA). Eric’s Champion 1957 Milwaukee Braves were up to the task, finishing with an 8-2 record, but a tie-breaker gave the Orioles Division crown to Brian Wells’ 2004 Cardinals.
Brian’s dad, Greg, also advanced to the Elite 8 on the strength of a 7-3 mark with the 1977 Phillies in the Nationals Division, and it was Greg who advanced to the Semi-Finals Sunday morning where he was eliminated by eventual Champion John Hunt (Hollis Hills, NY). John, playing in his very first APBA Tournament, had won a three-way tie breaker to advance to the Elite 8.
Two other long-time APBA veterans squared off in the other Semi-Final: Frank Welsh (Rosemont, PA) and Bill Blair (Dekalb, IL) with Frank and his 1957 Braves advancing to the Trophy Round. The ’57 Braves were poised to become the first repeat Champion in Tournament History, but John’s 1975 Reds took home the Big Prize in five games.
The crowd on hand for Sunday’s rounds, were provided an extra treat as APBA fan Rod McLeod (Orange, VA) showed home movies taken by APBA founder Dick Seitz, and some video tapes of national and local TV news reports about APBA Games.
Presentation of the Runner-up Trophy and Championship Trophy concluded the weekend’s events. A successful Convention 2005 was in the record books, and the countdown began for APBA Convention 2006. Will we see you there?
Results
of the Divisional play and the Championship Bracket
View
pictures from the 2005 APBA Convention & Tournament in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
