Vol. IV,
Issue #8 - December 2016
**
Interview with Arnie Pollinger
**
(We hear from the Commissioner of the SOMBILLA Baseball
League,
a face-to-face league that has been around a very very long
time!)
(Notes from the Wolfman:
I
decided starting in the December issue, our last issue of this
year to go back to our roots by doing interviews over the next
few months with face-to-face leagues rather than focus on
computer-based leagues. For us old timers, who started to
play the game we love back in the 1960's or 1970's, this was how
we played our leagues, with dice and cards and face to face
although there were mail leagues too, but really you can't
compare when you are looking at your opponent across the table.
So here we go now with a new view of SOM Baseball Leagues - as
all of the commissioners and leagues I will introduce you to,
came from the SOM website, where they allow leagues to be listed
in a special on-line directory -- here comes SOMBILLA!)
Wolfman:
I would
like to welcome to our newsletter
Arnie Pollinger,
the commissioner of The SOMBILLA face-to-face baseball league
which has existed for 37 years - quite a long time for such a
league.
In addition, Arnie is a USBN member - we always
like to hear from our members. Arnie, thanks for spending
time with us here at the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter.
Arnie:
My
pleasure. Thanks for having me!
Wolfman: Arnie, I normally ask some personal
questions first to give our members a chance to meet you and
know a little bit about your background before we talk about
Strat and your baseball league.
So first, which part of the world do you live in
right now and is this where you grew up and how did you find
yourself in Eastern MA?
Arnie: I grew up in Framingham, MA, and am living
about 5 miles from my childhood home. I guess it’s a
geographical womb of sorts. I’m a Masshole through and through.
Wolfman: When you were younger - did you actually play
baseball and if so what was your best position?
Arnie: I played midget league. They put me in the
outfield, where I could do the least amount of damage. I have
been much more successful as an adult playing softball though.
I’m in two senior softball leagues now – a 50+ league and a 35+
league (playing outfield still).
Wolfman: What about which MLB team did you root for
when you were younger and are you still a fan of this team? Are
there any ball players you really followed or who were your
favorites?
Arnie: The Boston Red Sox of course - 1967 was my
first year as a fan; pretty good year to start following the
Sox. Yaz was my favorite player until he retired. I am proud to
say that 2016 was my 50th consecutive year of
attending at least one Red Sox game in person. My first date
with my wife was a Red Sox-Yankees game in 1982, after which we
came back to my Boston apartment…and I showed her how to play
Strat-O-Matic! She joined the SOMBILLA that fall and is still in
the league.
Wolfman: How did you hear about SOM Baseball? When
did you first begin to play the game?
Arnie: I saw an ad in a baseball magazine in 1969
when I was 10 and sent away for that free brochure. Does anyone
else remember that? I must have read it a dozen times and
somehow convinced my Dad to buy me the entire 1968 season set.
Wolfman: What is your history participating in
leagues (face-to-face or computer based)? Have you ever played
in any tournaments?
Arnie: The only league I’ve played in is the SOMBILLA,
founded in 1979 and still going. I played in one of the
tournaments that John Kreuz ran, before the STAR tournaments
took over. I shared a team with a friend – Jed Corman – another
SOMBILLA member and wouldn’t you know – we won the whole thing!
This was 1987. I quit while I was ahead.
Wolfman:How did The SOMBILLA come into existence?
Where did the name come from for your league and what do the
initials mean?
Arnie: The league began in 1979 with 5 friends of
mine from my home town (Framingham, MA). SOMBILLA stands for
Strat-O-Matic Ivy League League – Advanced due to the fact that,
at the time, all six of us were attending Ivy League Schools –
Harvard, Yale. Princeton, Cornell, and two of us at Penn
(including me).
Wolfman: I read on Strat-o-matic that you have 8
teams and play 3 games per week with a 56 game season - is this
enough games for a season and are any of the managers in your
league right now original managers?
Arnie: The first year of our league was a summer
league – we all had to head back to school, so we knew it would
be a short season. We had a 50-game schedule for 6 teams.
Beginning with the ’81-82 season, the league became a
winter-only league. We start in November after the MLB World
Series and finish up in February, with the playoffs and World
Series in March, so that our draft is just before MLB Opening
Day.
We expanded to 8 teams and a 56-game schedule in
1985 and have been doing it this way ever since. We play
fourteen separate 4-game series. Two vs. each team, one home
series and one away series. It’s not as hard core as many
leagues out there in terms of the short schedule, but it helps
us get through winter in New England. It works well for us. And
of course, with a shorter schedule, we don’t have to worry about
bad teams having to play out the string as much.
Four of the managers have been in the league
since inception. A 5th is my wife who has been
involved since 1982.
Wolfman: What is the name of the team you manage?
Arnie: North Dakota. I’ve always had an odd
fascination with the state. I even took the family on a vacation
there (Theodore Roosevelt National Park) about 10 years ago.
Wolfman:Can you describe the structure of your league
and how the playoffs work?
Arnie: With a 56-game schedule, limits are important.
Batters with < 400 plate appearances and pitchers who are not
"*" receive 42% of their plate appearances or innings. The top 4
teams make the playoffs: #1 plays #4 and #2 plays #3 in a best
of 7 and winners play for the championship. (There are different
rules for the post-season limits in the league’s bylaws). We
draft in reverse order of the post-season results. That is, the
champion gets the 8th pick, not the team that
finished 1st (if different). I’ve never understood
why major league sports teams draft via the regular-season
standings and not post season.
Wolfman: How do you create your teams? Can you
discuss the rules of your league and how you build you team
(players you keep from year to year and your draft and trades)?
Arnie: Each team has a 45-man roster. We have a
12-round draft on the Sunday that the MLB season starts. Then,
each team cuts their roster down to 45 about three days after
the draft, and the following weekend we have a waiver draft of
all the players available from the cut list.
Wolfman: Now why did you decide to play a shortened
season, is it because it is hard to find a day each week to get
all your members together?
Arnie:
With a face to face league, we try to maximize the number of
managers who are playing simultaneously. Winters in New England
are long and snowy and cold, and conducive to rolling the dice
indoors. By the time April rolls around, everyone wants to be
outside and go on vacations. So part of it is as you said, it’s
hard to get people together to be indoors and play Strat-O-Matic
in the summer.
After all these years, we’re all used to parting
ways in April and watching our Strat-O players perform in real
life. No worries about burn out over too many games, which I
imagine could be the case with a 162 game schedule. When the
final out of the MLB World Series occurs, the fever hits and
everyone is raring to go for a new season.
Wolfman: When you play your games -- do you use the
computer or just use dice and cards with scoresheets?
Arnie:
Dice and cards and scoresheets. One guy had an app on his phone
that he used to score the games, but when you’re over different
people’s houses to play its nice to just start playing without
having to boot up a computer.
Wolfman: We can understand why 37 years ago you
started a face-to-face league but with all the new updates with
the computer game why have you decided to keep your league
face-to-face?
Arnie: With computer leagues, you may not even know
your opponent and you play with little to no personal
interaction. There’s nothing wrong with that and that works well
for many people. But our league consists of people who have
known each other for many years. We catch up on each other’s
family, their jobs, we joke about the Red Sox, etc. We say hi to
each other’s spouses when playing at their house; we drink beers
together. It’s just a different vibe.
That said, one of our original members moved to
the Washington, DC-area about 15 years ago and, after being the
GM to the local manager, took over full time ownership of the
team when the manager quit the league. So, we do play on the
computer with him (we always call him on the phone while playing
though, instead of using the computer chat).
Wolfman: Have you ever tried to contact other face to
face league in your area of MA to have league champions play
each other?
Arnie: No. But that’s not a bad idea. But it would
also have to be an eight-team league for obvious reasons.
Wolfman: What is your life as the commissioner of The
SOMBILLA like? How much time does it take, what are your duties?
Do you have other officers in your league?
Arnie: I create the schedules, trying to maximize the
amount of teams playing at the same time. Not the easiest thing
trying to balance everyone’s work and family obligations. Until
20 or so years ago, I did all the stats for the league, crazy as
it sounds. When we had kids, I put the kibosh on that. Now, each
team is responsible for doing his or her own stats. I also do a
summer newsletter each year that has all kinds of SOMBILLA and
Strat-O-Matic studies. See http://www.sombilla.x10.mx/studies.htm
|
Above is a photo of
the offical league trophy
given to the league champion each year
called the SOMBILLA Richman Cup. |
Wolfman: Arnie have you ever been close to winning
the champion of The SOMBILLA - when did this happen and what
type of team did you have? What type of team do you generally
like to create? How did your team do last season?
Arnie: I’ve won the Championship 5 times in 36
seasons, which is pretty close to average I guess. Most recently
I won back to back in ’12-13 and ’13-14. I try to have a balance
between pitching and hitting, but you do need strong defense at
SS and 2B. Some teams like a deep bullpen – 12-or even 13-man
pitching staffs. I’m the opposite. If I can get away with it, I
like just 4 "starred starters" (those who can start every 4th
game and have unlimited innings according to our rules) and 5
relievers. Of course that’s getting harder to do because MLB is
changing. With 16 batters you can platoon a great deal and also
don’t have to worry as much about being nickel and dimed by your
opponent’s bullpen. Even better is when you have a player at a
positon who hits both sides well and has great D, so he never
has to come out. That’s the holy grail. The more of those
players you have the better, then you just have to platoon the
rest of the slobs.
|
Wolfman: How is the relationship of your members
amongst each other? Do you ever do public activities together
like go to Red Sox games?
Arnie: Well, I’ve been sleeping with one of the other
managers for 34 years. As noted above, we are pretty close
friends. We’ve had some summer barbecues to observe SOMBILLA
anniversaries – 10th, 20th, 25th
and 30th I think. Occasionally, a few of us will
attend a Sox game.
Wolfman: Is there any team (via their manager) that
has dominated your league? I noticed on your website the North
Dakota team has been one of the top teams in recent years.
Arnie: Future Wax always has a strong team. They’ve
won 13 championships. Its current manager, Randy Divinski, has
the league’s best all-time regular season winning percentage
.593 (633-434). Eric Robinson (who changes his team name almost
annually) has won 9 championships and has the best post-season
winning percentage, 588.
Wolfman: When you have had a successful
(playoff-bound team) what were the keys to your success with
this team (or teams)? Are there special strategies you use to
build your team? And special strategies you use when playing
your games?
Arnie: Trying to play in the correct park is always
useful. Our league allows managers to design their own ballparks
(constrained by the actual Strat-O dimensions. For example, the
max lefty vs righty HR differential allowed this year is 9.) In
September, prior to our season, I run thousands of computer
simulations trying to figure out the best park for my team. That
doesn’t guarantee anything, you still have to roll the dice. At
the end of the day, I’d rather be lucky than good.
Wolfman: We always ask those we interview if they
have any special tips or advice for our members that could help
them with success with their own game playing?
Arnie: Have fun, learn from your mistakes, keep it in
perspective. And do not drink too much beer while you are
playing; this can impact your decision making. I suspect you
were asking about actual in-game strategy, but honestly, much of
that comes with experience. It’s more important to have fun and
enjoy the game itself. Easier said than done when you roll a 20
on a 1-19 HR chance that would have won the game.
Wolfman:
Have you
ever tried to play in the on-line baseball leagues that
Strat-o-matic offers, other leagues (face-to-face or via the
internet)?
Arnie: I have not tried the on-line baseball leagues
or other leagues. We do use Internet Strat-O for one of our
franchises as noted above, and the game has come a long way; I
applaud the Game Co. for its continual improvements in the
Computer and Internet games.
Wolfman:
What do
you like about The SOMBILLA? What is the key for the longevity
of your league?
Arnie: The fact that I have known these folks most of
my life, grew up with many of them, and am happily married to
one has enmeshed the league into my personal life.
Wolfman:
Have you
had any special experiences (certain games that stand out in
your mind that you played or series you played) being a manager
in The SOMBILLA that were amazing or very unusual games, or
something you are proud of. Maybe some key trade you made ...
Arnie: Winning my first SOMBILLA World Series was the
best moment, back in 1996. I had wallowed through years of
crappy teams and heartbreaking losses to that point (see below).
I even remember the final out – I brought in lefty reliever Dave
Leiper to face Barry Bonds, who rolled a 3-11 for a strikeout to
win me my first championship.
Two years before this, I was in the World Series
against the same team. My wife, Robin, had traded her best
pitcher, Dennis Martinez, to this team during the season, and he
won two WS games against me. This created a small amount of
marital friction between us (until I won the WS 2 years later,
winning the finale against Martinez). In game 6 of this series,
I thought that Bernard Gilkey had hit a game-winning 2-run homer
in the bottom of the 9th. I jumped up, ran around the
room screaming, whooping it up, celebrating. When I finally
returned to the table to prep for game 7, my opponent, Andrew
Nowell, calmly pointed out that I was looking on the wrong side
of Gilkey’s card and he had in fact struck out, the World Series
was over, and I had lost it.
Wolfman:
Why do
you personally like playing SOM - do you try other baseball
games like SOM?
Arnie: The same reason I’m sure many of your readers
like it - it’s so realistic! Being a manager and a GM of a
Strat-O-Matic team enhances my interest in real baseball.
Finally, Strat-O has been such an integral part of my life and
marriage, I can’t imagine life without it.
I think I played APBA once when I was a kid; I
also remember electric baseball. Anyone else play that? The
players ran along the basebath when the field vibrated. Electric
football was better, but also pretty silly.
Wolfman:
Finally
is there anything else you would like to share with our members
that I didn't ask you before that you think is important to let
them know about about The SOMBILLA?
Arnie: The league was featured in the Strat-O-Matic
Review back in 1985, and I think 5 of the 6 members of the
league back then are all still active in the league.
See
https://s3.amazonaws.com/digital_museum/Strat+Review/Strat-O-Matic+Review+December+1985.pdf
(beginning on
page 11 "Gamer introduces future wife to SOM Baseball on first
date")
And 5 years ago, the Boston Globe did an article
on Strat-O-Matic in which our league was mentioned and I was
quoted.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/03/04/strat-matic-baseball-still-has-great-appeal/hUB39NOH8pB4Cb7VhWBClM/amp.html
As I stated back in that original Strat-O-Matic
Review article, we may not be as hard core as some other leagues
(56-game schedule anyone?) but with childhood friendships
reaching back 45 years and a 30+ year marriage, I think we have
something unique.
Wolfman:
So
thanks Arnie for spending time with us. Good Luck in the next
season of The SOMBILLA with another exciting season of play!
Arnie: Thank you for having me! And I’ll take all the
luck I can get.
Wolfman:
And if a
member of the newsletter wanted to contact you or had some
questions for you, is this possible and if
so what is the best way to do it?
Arnie: Send an email to
arniep@verizon.net
Wolfman:
Can we
share your league website with us?
Arnie:
http://www.sombilla.x10.mx/
Wolfman:
All the
best and thank you Commissioner Pollinger!
|
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Contained inside this exciting issue of Ultimate Strat
Baseball Newsletter:
(to view the various interviews, articles, columns and special sections click on
the links {underlined}
and this will take you to the appropriate
webpage)
♦
RETURN TO NEWSLETTER MAIN PAGE
♦
INTERVIEW with SEAN PLOUFFE, HITTING A BASEBALL,
Sean is a pro hitting consultant who works with various minor
league and major league players to help them with their swing to
be able to be more efficient in hitting a baseball. In
this interview we discussed how Sean was able to become this
hitting consultant. Perhaps Sean can help some of our
members hit a baseball better in your physical baseball leagues?
♦
SOM/MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD NEWS with WOLFMAN SHAPIRO
, editor of "The Ultimate Strat Newsletter"
roams the world for interesting news linked to SOM or MLB. For
this month he shares some gems he found on the Strat-o-matic
website, offers two more "Stat of the
Week" bulletins through Baseball Info Solutions (John Dewan
and Bill James), a special announce of a new draft guide coming
out in January through our team in conjunction with
Strat-o-gists, new videos on our Youtube channel and a gift shared with our members by a former
contributor.
♦
ARTICLE with WOLFMAN
SHAPIRO - How to Setup Your Draft League Team,
as we all wait for the new 2017 cards (based upon the 2016 MLB
Season) to come out, to our members who are in a Keeper's Draft League,
during our off-season we always ponder how to make our teams better.
This article is probably more for GMs wanting to win their
first championship, as the Wolfman let's you in on his strategies
for building his Skokie Wolfmen in the CBA .... if you are in the CBA
don't read this article please ...
♦
EARLY SOM
BASEBALL CARDS with TOM NAHIGIAN,
Wolfman's old Strat Friend, Tom Nahigian, known as the
"Collector" in Guzzo's book, returns to us as we share
images of some of the early SOM baseball cards made for the
1960 season, before Strat-o-matic created the advanced cards
that we all know today. This is one of our favorite
periodic columns by our members, also check the links on this
page to view the previous release of the early card image
from 1960 and 1961.
♦
SOM BASEBALL LEAGUE REPORT with WOLFMAN SHAPIRO
--
the editor of "The Ultimate Strat Newsletter" and 2012 CBA
Champion, turns his attention to talk to members of various
face-to-face
Strat-o-matic
Baseball Leagues that he has discovered through the league
registry service offered on the Strat-o-matric
website. Each commission speaks about
the history of their league and their experiences. To read these interviews, click on the links below:
INTERVIEW with ARNIE
POLLINGER, Commissioner of SOMBILLA
(Face-to-Face)
INTERVIEW with BLAIR
CONRAD, Commissioner of Halifax Strato
(Face-to-Face)
♦
ARTICLE with Chuck
Tinkler,
Chuck is one of our most popular contributors and is back with a
new article for his column, "The Chuck Stop", as he shares
with us part one of what he calls "Old Guys Rule".
This article deals with the value of a 1st round draft and more - Chuck
always entertains our readers with his insightful and colorful
stories and experiences - check his new article out now!
♦
RECOMMEND
ON-LINE SOM RESOURCES
--
On-line Strat-o-matic and Baseball related websites
that offer amazing information, special tools and products to improve
your game play
that we strongly recommend. In most cases, we have had personal contact with
these sources who agree with the principle to work together and help promote each other.
♦
BOOKS TO
DIE FOR and Become a BASEBALL GURU
-- This page
is
specifically about special books we are finding that either will
expand your insights about the game of Baseball, help you in the
creation of your current league teams or with your replays and
learn more about the Strat-o-matic
Baseball Game and Game Company's
history. We
have a special arrangement with Acta Sports, who is a publisher
of a number of great baseball books (including Bill James
Handbooks) to offer for our members
a 10% discount. We will continue to add more books to this page in the future
as we uncover other gems our members should know about.
