Alliance Sports LLC (“Alliance Sports”), in partnership with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. will provide loans to Minor League Baseball (“MiLB”) teams in need of capital through a newly created fund.
The fund will be for MiLB teams impacted by COVID-19 who need financing. Eligibility criteria includes all levels of MiLB affiliated teams with a trailing EBITDA of greater than $300,000 and a trailing three-year average revenue of greater than $3,000,000. Loan sizes are expected to range from $1 million to $10 million, with a 2 to 5-year term and an interest rate of 8-12%.
“We believe that Alliance Sports is uniquely positioned to provide capital to MiLB teams,” said Larry Botel, President of Alliance Sports. “As fellow owners, we have a deep understanding of the details of the business and have the ability to work with owners to create financings that we believe meet the needs of the teams without being over burdening.”
Alliance Sports, founded by Gary Green (CEO) and Larry Botel, owns and operates the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals; the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the San Francisco Giant’s Double-A affiliate; the Montgomery Biscuits, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Double-A affiliate; and Union Omaha, a USL League One Team. Alliance Sports also owns the digital platform and publication Baseball America Magazine.
This portfolio of business has put Alliance Sports in a unique position to provide capital to the minor league sports industry.
On the heels of its overwhelmingly successful Project 2020, Topps today unveiled the first cards in Project70, a new series which celebrates the 70th anniversary of the first Topps baseball set in a comprehensive program featuring 51 premier artists and designers from around the world each creating 20 cards of their own player and card year design choice. The set commemorates both the initial year of 1951 and the 70 years that it has produced baseball cards, with three new issues daily, each available for 70 hours. Similar to its Topps NOW and Project 2020 products, Topps will print only the number of each card ordered in that time frame.
The set features premium, thick trading cards encased in a protective plastic case, as well as several premium offerings. Each day’s new pieces are available at http://www.topps.com/project70.
The creators selected to participate comprise a diverse group that includes the likes of rap musician Snoop Dogg, graffiti artist Futura, pop artist Ron English, jeweler Ben Baller, painter Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins, comic and album artist Alex Pardee, sneaker artist TheShoe Surgeon, designer Sophia Chang and many more. Nineteen of the 20 artists from Project 2020, including Baller, Chang, Gregory Siff, Fucci, Mister Cartoon and others return for Project70.
In contrast to Project 2020, in which artists were assigned specific player cards to interpret, Project70 allows each creator to choose any player and card design from the last seven decades.
“Project70 is one of our most ambitious sets ever, celebrating 70 years of Topps baseball cards in a contemporary way,” said Jeff Heckman, Global Director of Ecommerce. “Giving these creators the freedom to select the players and designs they want to interpret as they see fit means we will have very different cards from these uniquely and diversely talented individuals.
“We can’t wait to see what their fertile minds will produce, and we know that collectors and baseball fans share that anticipation,” Heckman added.
In addition to the base units, Topps is randomly inserting a limited number of rainbow foil parallel cards, numbered to 70, plus a foil numbered 1/1 Gold Frame for each card, into print runs. Collectors who purchase all 20 cards from an artist will also receive a gold-stamped bonus print featuring all 20 Project70 cards from that artist.
The artists contributing to Project70 include:
Action Bronson, musician, New York Alex Pardee, comics/apparel, Los Angeles *Andrew Thiele, art/design, New York *Ben Baller, jeweler, Los Angeles *Blake Jamieson, pop art/portraits, New York Blue the Great, painting, Los Angeles Bobby Hundreds, illustrator/writer/photographer, Los Angeles Brittney Palmer, model/artist, Los Angeles CES, graffiti, Bronx, New York Chinatown Market, streetwear, Los Angeles Chuck Styles, fine art, Philadelphia Claw Money, public art, New York Distortedd, illustrations, Philadelphia DJ Skee, artist/TV host, Los Angeles *Don C, streetwear, Chicago *Efdot, murals, New York *Ermsy, cartoons, UK and Paris *Fucci, pop painting, Montreal and Toronto FUTURA, graffiti, New York Greg “Craola” Simkins, surrealism, Los Angeles *Gregory Siff, painting, Brooklyn and Los Angeles Infinite Archives, contemporary art, fashion *Jacob Rochester, pop art, Los Angeles Jeff Staple, graphic and fashion designer, New York *JK5, tattoo, Brooklyn Jonas Never, murals, Los Angeles *Joshua Vides, stencils, Los Angeles *Keith Shore, creative design, Philadelphia *King Saladeen, murals, Philadelphia Lauren Taylor, mixed media, Vancouver Matt McCormick, multimedia, Los Angeles *Matt Taylor, poster design, U.K. Mikael B, graffiti, impressions, Copenhagen Mimsbandz, wristband art, Los Angeles *Mister Cartoon, tattoos, Los Angeles Morning Breath, graphics, apparel, San Francisco, New York *Naturel, murals, Washington D.C. New York Nico, filmmaker, New York *Oldmanalan, streetwear, Sacramento POSE, pop artist, Chicago Quiccs, toy design, Manila Risk, sculpture, graffiti, Los Angeles Ron English, pop art, filmmaker, Jersey City, N.J. Sean Wotherspoon, streetwear, Richmond, Va. The Shoe Surgeon, streetwear, Los Angeles Snoop Dogg, rap musician, Los Angeles SoleFly, streetwear, Miami *Sophia Chang, design, New York Toy Tokyo, pop art/toys, New York *Tyson Beck, logo art, Adelaide, Australia UNDEFEATED
La Vida Baseball, the leading multi-language Latino baseball lifestyle media company, today announced the launch of “The Year of 21,” a multi-platform content initiative created to inform, engage and educate fans worldwide about the life, the impact and the legacy of Roberto Clemente.
In collaboration with a range of media platforms, content creators and unique voices, “The Year of 21” will elevate the living legacy of Clemente’s humanitarian worldview, cultural impact and athletic brilliance through an unprecedented year-spanning reflection of history, current-day vitality and impact well into the future. The season-long celebration launches in April.
“For baseball fans, Roberto Clemente and his number ‘21’ are truly iconic, and the spirit of his legacy is more relevant than ever right now,” La Vida Baseball Managing Director Jesse Menendez said. “2021 is the right moment to elevate and celebrate everything Clemente stands for. Using the entire “The Year of 21” to elevate his legacy is something La Vida Baseball, its platforms, its partners and its community are built to execute better than anyone.”
“On behalf of the Clemente family, we’re excited to be partnered with La Vida Baseball for ‘The Year of 21,’ Roberto Clemente, Jr. said. “We’ve had a great relationship with La Vida Baseball since they launched years ago and they are the right partner to continue our father’s legacy and build upon the growing positive movement of what the number 21 signifies through stories that involve fans, celebrities and generations around the world.”
La Vida Baseball has been acquiring exclusive content assets, securing commitments – headlined by full support of the Clemente Family – and conducting more than 100 in-depth interviews with current and former MLB players, fellow Hall of Famers, star-struck celebrity fans, Clemente family members and others to power the project.
“The Year of 21” programming lineup will include a signature documentary series, a lineup of incredible short-form films, all-star roundtables, a Mi Clemente video series, a dynamic podcast series, energizing live events, memorable regional tie-ins, limited-edition merchandise collaborations and exclusive collectibles, with even more programming elements to be released at key moments during The Year of 21. Additional media, content and sponsorship partners will be announced in the coming weeks.
The La Vida Baseball network was launched in 2017 by TeamWorks Media, the award-winning content studio, and has since become the hub of coverage and community of the Latino influence within baseball, its lifestyle, its players and its fans. La Vida Baseball has created more than a dozen content franchises featuring more than 200 current and former MLB players, baseball media and celebrity super-fans, including “Being Guillen,” featuring the family of longtime MLB star player and manager Ozzie Guillen; “Polvoro, Voz y Diamante,” a rollicking weekly Spanish-language show; the “La Vida Baseball Live” studio show; and wildly popular Instagram Stories and viral moments curated by on-air talent Jennifer Mercedes and Julie Alexandria, widely shared by MLB players and fans.
”In this time of such upheaval and social consciousness both in and out of the athletic world, there may be no more important figure to honor and recognize than Roberto Clemente, and we are excited to be able to work with the Clemente family and a growing list of partners to bring his entire story, as well as those of who he has impacted, and continues to impact to life,” TeamWorks Media CEO Jay Sharman said. “In all our work, we have seen the reverence and respect athletes from all walks of life, and especially Latino athletes, have for Roberto, and we feel that ‘The Year of 21’ will expand the celebration and appreciation of Roberto Clemente to an even wider, cross-generation audience.”
Clemente, the Hall of Fame outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates and one of the most inspiring athletes in modern history. Clemente’s charity work in Latin American and Caribbean countries during the off-seasons, especially his work in his native Puerto Rico with young people, was what he may be best remembered for. On December 31, 1972, he lost his life in a plane crash at the age of 38 while attempting to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The following season, the Pirates retired his uniform number 21, and MLB renamed its annual Commissioner’s Award in his honor; now known as the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.” His impact went well beyond his 3,000 hits and a myriad of other marks in and around baseball and the city of Pittsburgh. His trailblazing work for causes and in uniting peoples of different backgrounds across the Americas is even bigger, than his athletic impact.
La Vida Baseball, the nation’s leading multi-language Latino baseball lifestyle media company, is gearing up to launch its newest show Mas Que Un Juego, on Thursday, January 7, 2021 via La Vida Baseball’s (@lavidabaseball) social media platforms. The new show celebrates the Latino experience through unfiltered conversations with some of the biggest names in baseball including current and former Latino MLB players. This announcement is the first of several new content initiatives and distribution partnerships planned for 2021.
“As Latinos, it is important that we continue to shape our own narrative. Opportunities like Mas Que Un Juego help us do that,” says Luis Tiant, former Boston Red Sox pitcher.
The first captivating episode features a candid and compelling conversation on culture and identity with Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero and former MLB great, pitcher Luis Tiant.
Mas Que Un Juego is an opportunity for fans to hear the most revered figures in sports openly talk about their experiences and stories. The half-hour long episode features authentic and passionate discussions about the game of baseball and the issues that are important to Latinos and their communities. Listeners are granted unprecedented access as these players share intimate stories about their lives outside of baseball and what it means to be Latino in professional sports in the United States.
“La Vida Baseball is launching Mas Que Un Juego to reflect a time when we’re celebrating all things Latinx and taking a hard look at the lack of inclusion in the United States,” says Jesse Menendez, La Vida Baseball Managing Director. “It’s important to continuously engage the growing Latino audience in authentic ways by sharing our stories and journey – from how we arrived in the U.S., to how our upbringing in our país has shaped who we are, uplifting stories about our beloved communities and hearing how the struggles of being Latinx and immigrants applies to all of us, including pro athletes.”
La Vida Baseball host and producer Jennifer Mercedes (@LaChicaDeportes) is at the helm of this roundtable discussion. Mas Que Un Juego will air on La Vida Baseball’s (@lavidabaseball) social media platforms and LaVidaBaseball.com. The series will run throughout 2021.
For more information about La Vida Baseball and Mas Que Un Juego, please visit lavidabaseball.com.
Now sixty years after Hal Richman launched the first set of Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com) baseball cards, the market leader in sports simulation is set to celebrate its Diamond Anniversary (how appropriate!) with a full lineup of new items, including upgraded seasons, updated popular series including Hall of Fame and Negro League sets, and branded 60th Anniversary merchandise that longtime fans and newcomers alike will enjoy.
Strat-O-Matic, which has become legendary in the gaming industry and in sports, particularly in baseball, since Richman launched that initial set in 1961, will be upgrading the 1972 and 1956 seasons, two hugely popular years based on fan feedback, to Super Advanced status, for board and digital game play, as a highlight of new products for 2021.
The company is coming off a landmark year, which saw baseball board and Windows platform sales, game product sales, Baseball 365 sales and membership all saw steep increases. The 2020 Strat-O-Matic daily baseball season simulation also brought the company unprecedented attention from popular sports and entertainment personalities and media outlets. Basketball, football and hockey board, Windows, and 365 products also saw increases in sales and interest.
“It is hard to believe that it has been 60 years since we launched our first set of baseball cards,” said Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder. “This year’s offerings will be exciting for our fans, and I’m particularly pleased to be upgrading our first-ever ‘classic’ season of 1956, as it holds a special place for me.”
In addition to the classic baseball seasons, Strat-O-Matic will introduce numerous new products to commemorate the occasion. The popular Heroes series returns for a third edition, along with the 2021 Career Historical Update, Hall of Fame 2021 for Windows and three new Negro League seasons for Windows (1918, 1928 and 1943).
And Strat-O-Matic enthusiasts can show their fandom even more and help celebrate the anniversary with hats, t-shirts bearing the new 60th logo and the classic red game box, available in limited quantities.
Pre-orders for these products, as well as the 60-game and imagined full 2020 season sets, will begin on January 26. The Strat-O-Matic Headquarters will be closed to the public, and while pick up will be available “curbside” beginning on March 5, the company strongly encourages ordering via the strat-o-matic.com website for delivery this year.
“While it’s disappointing to not have our annual Opening Day activities that thousands have enjoyed as tradition for years,” added Richman, “we hope that making available the new seasons and products that so many have been requesting will renew everyone’s excitement for the new year as they help us celebrate.”
HBO and MLB announced this week a documentary about baseball legend CC Sabathia, entitled The Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story, to premiere on December 22. The doc will cover Sabathia’s life growing up in Vallejo, California, to his final days with the New York Yankees. MLB is licensing exclusive footage taken from Sabathia’s last year with the Yankees in 2019, when a film crew followed him for special behind-the-scenes coverage.
The latter stages of Sabathia’s career were particularly challenging, as he battled personal issues and a well-documented bout with alcoholism. The All-Star starter overcame his troubles to return to the Yankees as an effective veteran presence on a younger team. In a statement to promote the announcement, Sabathia noted the emotional tone of the project: “I struggled for a long time with alcohol addiction and anxiety, which I pretty much hid from everyone I knew. It’s my hope we can inspire athletes and non-athletes alike to open up … You are not alone.”
Sabathia is one of the great starting pitchers of the 21st century, having amassed 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts over his time with the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Yankees. He was the 2007 American League Cy Young and won the 2009 World Series with New York.
The HBO documentary is a continuation of Sabathia’s post-career efforts into media. He currently has a podcast on The Ringer with Ryan Ruocco entitled “R2C2.” They cover the Yankees, the greater baseball landscape, and all general sports topics of interest to Sabathia, such as his long-time fandom for the Oakland Raiders. Sabathia also frequently appears as a guest on ESPN’s “First Take.” He is an example of the modern athlete’s proactive approach toward player driven media.
NBA stars have typically been at the forefront of the movement, including Kyrie Irving, a key investor in Players Media Group, JJ Redick, who hosts the podcast “The Old Man and the Three,” and LeBron James, founder of media empire The Springhill Company. Sabathia is perhaps baseball’s largest figure in this arena. He is also a special advisor to Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and is often seen at New York’s home games. His dual roles with the team and as a sportscaster have positioned him as a form of insider into the current state of the Yankees and Major League Baseball.
After first airing on HBO, the documentary will be made immediately available on HBO Max. HBO Max has been growing its exclusive content over the last several months. The service has debuted Max Originals such as The Flight Attendant and new video on-demand availability for Warner Brothers films such as Wonder Woman 1984. The Grapefruit Tree helps build out HBO Sports’ contributions to the service. HBO Max recently added unscripted show The Cost of Winning to go along with staple shows “Hard Knocks” and UNINTERRUPTED’s “The Shop.”
Sports is an ever growing niche genre for streaming services to differentiate themselves. The level of athletes and brands a service is able to bring in greatly defines what the service can provide consumers looking for sports content. For HBO Max, the Sabathia documentary is another significant entry into this foray.
It has been more than eight decades since the Cubs and Yankees met in the World Series, but according to the simulation posted today by Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the leader in sports simulation games, those two storied franchises will survive three rounds of playoffs and match up for the title next month. Chicago, behind four home runs and 10 RBI by MVP Anthony Rizzo, won it in seven games, a two-run single by unlikely hero Victor Caratini in the eighth inning of the deciding contest providing the winning margin in what would be Chicago’s second crown in five years and fourth in its history.
After edging sixth-seeded Miami in the N.L. Wild Card round, two games to one, No. 3 Chicago won its next series more efficiently, 3-1 over Atlanta and 4-1 over San Diego. The Yankees, the A.L. No 5 seed, had a similar run to the Series, sweeping Cleveland in the Wild Card round, taking Toronto, three games to one, and Minnesota, four games to one.
In the World Series, the Cubs took a three games to one lead before the Yankees earned wins in games five and six to set up the winner-take-all finale. Despite two home runs by Giancarlo Stanton, Caratini’s pinch hit put the Cubs up for good in the 8-5 victory. Rizzo hit .483 and also scored seven runs in the series, which pitted the same franchises who were paired in 1932 and 1938.
“It’s been a season unlike any other in so many ways,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic President. “And while these may not be the favored teams in either league, anything can happen in a short series, and the Strat-O-Matic simulation, which has annually been a good predictor of the winner, reflect that.”
Each round’s series results are below; fans can see linescores for each contest at www.strat-o-matic.com.
It was considered one of baseball’s most unbreakable records. But on September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. added to his Hall of Fame resumé by playing in his 2131st consecutive game, eclipsing the mark of another immortal, Lou Gehrig, in front of the home fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Now, a quarter century later, in celebration of the achievement, the all-time great shortstop has worked with TOPPS to curate two special edition collectible card series which tell the story of his journey to 2131, the magical night—which included a Ripken home run—and the day he finally ended the streak four years later.
The Ripken set will be available for a limited time beginning on Sunday, 25 years to the day he passed Gehrig, in a deluxe collector’s edition which includes a Ripken autograph card as well as a standard edition. Cards will depict numerous highlights of his career as well as other players and games Ripken selected as personally most memorable.
“Baseball cards have been a part of my family’s life for years, and I couldn’t be happier to be working with TOPPS to create this set,” said Ripken, whose father Cal Sr. coached and managed and brother Bill also played in the Majors. “I selected cards that represent special moments and people that have made my life in baseball special, and ones that I think fans will enjoy collecting.”
“Cal Ripken’s ‘Ironman’ streak is one of the sport’s classic records, set by one of its most popular players ever,” said Jeff Heckman, Topps’ Global Director of Ecommerce. “We are excited that Cal wanted to commemorate this 25th anniversary with cards that represent what the game means to him, in the context of this achievement.”
Some of the elements selected by Alonso include NYC street art (bright colors, graffiti lettering, bright textures); and “Molon Labe” derived from King Leonidas, leader of the 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae, which Alonso says captures his approach at the plate.
Included are 20 base cards featuring top stars of today, plus 30 insert cards with Alonso’s season award picks, the 50-homer club (of which Alonso became a member last year), franchise favorites and more, all with strong ties to the second-year Mets star.
With baseball, basketball, hockey and others back on the fields, courts and ice, and football training camps underway, fans have been able to enjoy live sports that the COVID-19 pandemic has denied them. With hopes high that the delayed seasons can continue through to their conclusions, fans’ enthusiasm for Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com) baseball board and digital games set records for sales and engagement, according to numbers released today by the market leader in sports simulations.
For the period of March through July 2020, Strat-O-Matic sales far surpassed the same time frame in 2019:
Baseball Board and Windows platform sales are more than 70% higher
Baseball Board game product sales are more than 85% higher
Baseball Windows platform sales are more than 50% higher
Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales are more than double
New Members on Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 are more than 200% higher
And this past month, as the pro squads were returning, interest in Strat-O-Matic baseball was even more pronounced, as compared to July 2019:
Baseball Board game product sales were more than 80% higher
Baseball Windows platform sales were more than double
Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales were more than double
The Strat-O-Matic daily baseball season simulation also brought the company unprecedented attention from popular sports and entertainment personalities and media outlets:
More than a dozen newspapers and other platforms, including The San Francisco Chronicle, Akron Beacon Journal, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel and others reported the simulation results regularly. Numerous writers were engaged in selecting lineups and also involved their readers via social media.
““I am proud our incredible team was able to pivot in this complex market,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic President. “We are thrilled live sports have come back, and through the pandemic, simulation’s crucial place in sports has become clear.
“We look forward to providing more entertainment and connection for sports fans,” he added. “Strat-O-Matic has been and will continue to be the bridge to fill holes as professional sports leagues awaken and occasionally pause as our country moves through this difficult time.”
The 2020 baseball season will be unlike any other, a 60-game sprint that began last night replacing the normal 162-game grind. And just as that means different strategies and maybe a different outcome than a full slate would have produced, Strat-O-Matic’s (www.strat-o-matic.com) simulation of the truncated schedule meant a new winner, as Cleveland topped Los Angeles, four games to two, in the World Series.
Cleveland, which posted the second-best A.L. record at 39-21, swept No. 7 Boston (29-31) in the expanded first round and No. 3 Tampa Bay (38-22) in the ALDS, then survived a seven-game series with No. 1 Houston (44-16) in the NLCS before topping Los Angeles (44-16), the N.L. top seed, winning the last three games to erase a 2-1 series deficit. Domingo Santana was a surprise hero, batting .417 with two homers in the series, and Franmil Reyes slugged three round-trippers for the winners.
“We figured there would be a difference between the 162- game and 60-game simulations, but Cleveland winning is certainly a surprise,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder. “The upcoming ‘sprint’ season and expanded playoffs mean that truly anything can happen, and Cleveland winning it all for the first time in more than 70 years certainly qualifies.”
Some other statistics and items of note from the season:
Daniel Murphy of Colorado (.380) and Xander Bogaerts of Boston (.345) won the league batting titles, respectively
Joey Gallo of Texas got on a home run roll, blasting 17, matched by his N.L. counterpart, Kris Bryant of Chicago. Carlos Correa of Houston knocked in 46 runs to lead the A.L., and Eduardo Escobar had 39 RBI to pace the N.L.
Charlie Morton won an A.L.-high 9 games for Tampa Bay, while Jack Flaherty’s 10 wins for St. Louis led all of baseball.
Atlanta’s Mike Foltynewicz posted a miniscule 1.27 ERA, best in baseball, while Gerrit Cole of New York led the A.L. at a stingy 1.51.
Four pitchers had 20 saves: Roberto Osuna, Houston; Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles (N.L.); Hector Neris, Philadelphia; and Daniel Hudson, Washington
Division winners were Tampa Bay (38-22), Cleveland (39-21), Houston (44-16), Atlanta (38-22), St. Louis (39-21) and Los Angeles (44-16).
Seven of the first-round series were sweeps, six of those won by the home team/higher seed. Only No. 7 Colorado’s win over No. 2 St. Louis went the full three games.
Strat-O-Matic has experienced unprecedented growth over the past quarter, registering sharp increases in sales, traffic and social numbers. Board and Windows games, digital platform Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365, Website traffic, new users and social media have all seen significant boosts over comparable time periods as fans continue to satiate their thirst for baseball, Strat-O-Matic style, connecting with the game and each other across all of these areas.
Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich’s two-run home run in the fourth inning was one of five circuit clouts in the game as the National League topped the American, 7-2, in Strat-O-Matic’s simulation of the All-Star Game Tuesday night. TV host Drew Carey (American) and musician Slim Jim Phantom (National) managed the teams during a live video stream on Wizard World Virtual Experiences.
Fans can watch a replay of the contest on Twitch, Facebook or YouTube.
Yelich’s shot gave the N.L. a 2-0 lead. One out later, Matt Carpenter of St. Louis followed with another blast for a 3-0 edge for Phantom’s squad.
Carey’s Junior Circuit team pulled to within 3-2 in the sixth, but three runs in the bottom of the frame put the game out of reach.
“It’s just great to be part of this,” said Phantom, an avid baseball and Strat-O-Matic fan who hosts a fantasy baseball show on SiriusXM Radio, following the victory. “It’s keeping baseball going. We were all going crazy, and Strat-O-Matic was so helpful, we’ve been able to play fantasy ball all year. The same thing I love about Strat-O-Matic when I was a kid I love about it now.”
“I’ve been playing this game since the ’70s,” added Carey, a member of several Strat-O-Matic leagues, including one with Phantom. “I used to play my brother all the time, some of my fondest memories of growing up and always loved the game.”
Max Scherzer of Washington earned the win with a scoreless inning. Gerrit Cole of the Yankees gave up the three fourth-inning runs and took the loss.
Strat-O-Matic will continue its simulation of the regular season until the teams return to action on the field. Fans can follow the action, updated daily at 2 p.m. ET, at https://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/.
As Strat-O-Matic’s (www.strat-o-matic.com) simulation of the 2020 baseball season moves past the halfway point and with the All-Star Game less than two weeks away, award winners for June were announced today. Mike Trout of Los Angeles and Freddie Freeman of Atlanta were selected as A.L. and N.L. Players of the Month, respectively, while Charlie Morton of Tampa Bay and Max Scherzer of Washington earned League Pitcher of the Month honors.
Tampa Bay (53-34, 9.5 game lead over New York), Cleveland (54-32, nine games ahead of MInnesota), Houston (MLB-best 56-28, six games ahead of Oakland), Washington (51-35, six games better than Atlanta) and Los Angeles (57-29, 8.5 lengths past San Diego) remain atop their respective divisions, while Milwaukee (45-39) moved into the N.L. Central lead with a 14-11 month, percentage points ahead of Chicago (46-40), a game ahead of St. Louis and four better than Cincinnati in the tightest division race to date. Strat-O-Matic updates results and standings daily at www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/.
Trout earned the A.L. honors by hitting .327 with 10 home runs and 24 RBI in the month, while posting a 1.136 OPS. Freeman was even better, slashing .378/.461/.724 for a 1.185 OPS in June. Morton won all four of his decisions, pitching to a 1.06 ERA and 0.82 WHIP, fanning 36 across 34 innings, while Scherzer went 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, whiffing 53 in 38 innings in the month.
The wild card races are very tight in both leagues, with Oakland (51-35) in first place in the A.L., Minnesota (45-41) one game up on Kansas City (44-42) for the second spot, two ahead of New York (43-43), 2.5 up on Los Angeles (42-43) and three ahead of Boston (42-44). In the Senior Circuit, San Diego (48-37) sets the pace, with Central-leading Milwaukee (45-39) and Chicago (46-40) a game better than St. Louis and Atlanta (45-41) and three ahead of Arizona (43-43) for the second slot.
Some of the individual league leaders through June 30 include:
Shogo Akiyama, Cincinnati, N.L. batting (.349);
Nick Madrigal, Chicago, A.L. batting (.342)
Trevor Story, Colorado, N.L. home runs (31); runs (75)
Jorge Soler, Kansas City, A.L. home runs (31); RBI (91)
Keston Hiura, Milwaukee, N.L. RBI (73)
Mike Trout, Los Angeles, A.L. runs (77)
Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles, N.L. victories (12); ERA (2.25)
Danny Duffy, Kansas City, A.L. victories (10)
Gerrit Cole, New York, A.L. victories (10); strikeouts (158)
Blake Snell, Tampa Bay, A.L. ERA (2.18)
Jacob deGrom, New York, N.L. strikeouts (153)
“Just like on the field, the teams have started to separate themselves at the top of each division, but there are still close races and unexpected results in the Strat-O-Matic simulation of the season,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder. “With some of the league’s superstars like Mike Trout, Max Scherzer and Clayon Kershaw among the leaders along with newer faces in Shogo Akiyama, Nick Madrigal and Keston Hiura, the last three months of the season should be as exciting and interesting as the first three have been.”
N.L. Pitcher: Stephen Strasburg (April), Luke Weaver (May), Max Scherzer (June)
About Strat-O-Matic
Strat-O-Matic was invented by 11-year-old Hal Richman in his bedroom in Great Neck, N.Y. in 1948 as a result of his frustration with the statistical randomness of other baseball board games. He discovered that the statistical predictability of dice would give his game the realism he craved.
With live sports still on hold (though hopefully coming back soon!), fantasy leagues have been looking for ways to keep their members together, combining their love of baseball and football with the camaraderie that goes with participating with friends. And for the first time, the popular Baseball 365 and Football 365 products from Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, give commissioners the tools to manage leagues of recent and all-time great rosters, with games simulated daily, just like regular fantasy sports.
Commissioner league users can invite specific guests to compete, incorporate league settings, draft teams at any pace, and even fill out spots with computer-controlled “bot” teams. Players serve as GM and manager, setting lineups, pitching rotations and managing styles (baseball) or starters, schemes and tendencies (football) for a realistic fantasy experience.
Baseball 365 Commissioner leagues can choose from the 2019 season, a new “All-Time Greats 9” set of more than 5,300 cards, additional single-seasons of 1982, 1986, 1999, 2007 through 2018, or mystery card sets from every decade from the 1960s through the 1990s. Football featured cards include the 2018 season, as well as an All-Time Franchises set with greats dating all the way back to the 1940s.
“Many Strat-O-Matic players are also huge fantasy sports fans, and just like Strat-O-Matic leagues stay together for years, a lot of the fun of fantasy is playing with your friends” said John Garcia, Strat-O-Matic’s Director of Research and exec-in-charge of 365. “There’s nowhere else to go right now to buy out a fantasy league in baseball or football with your friends.”
“The Commissioner leagues combine the excitement and strategy of Baseball 365 and Football 365 with the convenience and control that keep leagues and friends together,” said Bernie Hou, Director of 365 for Strat-O-Matic.
Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, continued an unparalleled month of growth and recognition this week, being selected by People.com as “Best Board Game for Sports Lovers” amongst their list of iconic games that have gained steam during these unusual times. The list includes other classics such as Monopoly, Candor, Scrabble and Candy Land. The entire list can be seen here https://people.com/entertainment/best-board-games/
“While the events of the last six weeks are certainly not what anyone wanted or expected, we continue to forge ahead by providing quality and engaging content on a daily basis, not just for our traditional players, but for thousands of new consumers of every demographic who have found us for the first time or returned to us after time away,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder and president. “We are honored to make this list. and are continuing to find new ways to have consumers connect not just with us but with each other; a connection that we believe will continue into the future.”
In addition to the recognition, the increased interest is also reflected in sales, traffic and social numbers, which continue on the upswing. Board and Windows games, digital platform Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365, Website traffic, new users and social media have all seen significant boosts over comparable time periods as fans continue to satiate their thirst for baseball, Strat-O-Matic style, connecting with the game and each other across all of these areas.
Some Strat-O-Matic by the numbers highlights include:
Baseball Board and Windows platform sales from March 15-31, 2020, are more than 50% higher compared to the same time period in 2019
Baseball Board game product sales are more than 60% higher comparing second half of March 2020 to first half of March 2020
Baseball Windows platform sales are more than 45% higher comparing second half of March 2020 to first half of March 2020
New Members on Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 are more than 75% higher between March 17-31, 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019
Traffic on Strat-O-Matic.com from March 27, 2020, was 472% higher compared to March 27, 2019
Since MLB’s scheduled March 26 Opening Day, traffic on Strat-O-Matic.com has been 380% higher compared to the same time frame of 2019
Since MLB’s scheduled March 26 Opening Day, new users on Strat-O-Matic.com have been 781% higher compared to the same time frame of 2019
Fans with questions about any facet of the Baseball Daily and Basketball simulations can contact Strat-O-Matic at [email protected].
The Topps Company and its fast-growing on-demand platform TOPPS NOW™ today announced one of the most unique, transformative and eclectic offerings in company history: “Project 2020,” a first of its kind effort that combines some of the most iconic cross-generational cards in the company’s nearly 70 year history with baseball, re-imagined by some of the world’s most influential, creative and eclectic artists, cartooners and pop culture influencers.
Some
of the notable artists on the list include celebrity jewelry designer
Ben Yang…aka Ben Baller; Chicago based designed Just Don,
who has worked with Kanye West and Nike on major projects; Mexican
American tattoo and graffiti artist Mark Machado, known as Mister
Cartoon; Australian Tyson Beck, whose recent resign of the
NBA logo in the image of Kobe Bryant became an international cause
célèbre; New York native and design artist Sophia Chang and
L.A. Based streetwear artist Joshua Vides.
The
first two cards, issuing today, include Ben Baller’s Ichiro (2001)
and Jacob Rochester’s Sandy Koufax (1955).
Each
of the 20 artists will reinterpret 20 cards, representing
baseball’s greatest stars from the 1950s to
the present day. The cards will only be available for a 48-hour
period from the time each is introduced.
“When
we think of the collectible world and where it has evolved today,
sports and pop culture continue to collide,” said Jeff
Heckman,
Global Director of Ecommerce. “We could
not think of a better way to expose trading cards to a new audience
than working to reinvent some of the classic baseball cards and
personalities of the game of baseball through the eyes and hands of
many of the world’s greatest pop culture figures of today. ‘Project
2020’ will be a must have for core and casual baseball fans, and
will more importantly showcase the names and stories of the artists
and the players on the cards to a global audience whose interests lie
well beyond the sport. It is a transformative move we are very
excited about.”
“Roberto
Clemente and his story have always been inspirational to me,” said
Mister Cartoon, whose hometown high school mascot was the Pirates,
adding to his longtime connection to the Pittsburgh slugger and made
working on the Clemente card extra special. “I want to take each of
these classic cards and supercharge them!”
Monkey Knife Fight, which bills itself as North America’s fastest-growing sports gaming platform, confirmed today its plan to redefine the baseball experience with the debut of hundreds of daily prop contests for every Major League Baseball game.
Monkey Knife Fight launched with last fall’s NFL season, and has already registered more than 10 million entries on football, basketball, hockey, and golf contests, with projections to top more than $100 million in gaming through the upcoming baseball season.
Sports fans play against the house with contests such as, “Will Bryce Harper have more than 2.5 total bases?”, “Who will have more RBIs and home runs on Thursday night: Mike Trout or Khris Davis?”, and “Will Chris Sale have more or less than 9.5 strikeouts?”.
Industry’s Fastest-Growing Sports Gaming platform
Since its launch in Fall 2018, Monkey Knife Fight’s dynamic new prop contests have quickly become the go-to destination for sports fans. With Monkey Knife Fight, fans avoid annoying salary caps, position quotas, and, best of all, having to play against the sharks that dominate traditional Daily Fantasy Sports sites. Real sports fans actually have a chance to win real money since they’re playing against the house – not ringers.
The Monkey Knife Fight platform is the brainchild of owner Bill Asher and President Nic Sulsky – two sports fans who have been frustrated with Daily Fantasy Sports sites because of how hard they are to play and how difficult it is to win.
“The fan reaction to Monkey Knife Fight has been overwhelming. We’ve had more than a few Holy Sh#t moments. We hit a million plays almost overnight and have had fans flocking to us at an amazing rate ever since,” says Asher. “Playing prop games always makes watching sports so much more entertaining. I mean, drinking beer is still the top thing to do when watching sports, but playing Monkey Knife Fight is definitely second.”
NAB Show is introducing the “Esports Experience,” a new exhibit floor destination located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The interactive area features exhibits, a theater and educational programming that showcase the latest online gaming trends and content delivery technologies. The 2019 NAB Show will be held April 6-11, with exhibits April 8-11.
Starting with the 2019 season, the deal, which encompasses media and gaming rights at both international and domestic levels, propels MLB content into a new era.
Across international markets outside of the U.S., Sportradar will have exclusive distribution rights for official MLB real time game statistics, as collected at every ballpark via the league’s proprietary technology and stat operators, to both media companies and regulated sports betting operators. It also will have exclusive rights to distribute live industry standard audio-visual game feeds to gaming operators outside the U.S. in territories where sports betting is legal.
Credit: Flickr/Sam Churchill
In the U.S., Sportradar will have the same exclusive rights for official real time statistics distribution to media entities in their coverage of Major League Baseball. Sportradar will also serve as the official supplier of MLB’s real time betting data feed in the U.S. where distribution to regulated sports betting operators will be on a non-exclusive basis through Sportradar and additional authorized distributors.
The combination of MLB’s highest quality official data and statistics and state-of-the-art live collection methods with Sportradar’s world-class technology backbone and extensive distribution network will deliver a significant competitive edge to sportsbooks when it comes to in-game betting and liability management.
In addition, with unique access to MLB’s Statcast data, among other statistics, Sportradar will collaborate with MLB to develop and distribute exciting new products to further engage fans and drive additional interest in the sport.
Alongside the commercial partnership, MLB will incorporate Sportradar’s Integrity Services into its existing game integrity protection measures. Sportradar will be monitoring and analyzing every MLB game via its award-winning fraud detection system and providing the MLB with educational components, as well as access to its intelligence and investigations services.
“A high-quality, reliable, and fast official data feed is the building block to creating engaging gaming products for MLB fans,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB Executive Vice President, Gaming & New Business Ventures. “Sportradar, a proven industry leader in data distribution, is perfectly positioned to help MLB deliver an exceptional Official MLB betting feed. We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership will unlock as the sports betting landscape continues to unfold in the U.S.”
“We are truly excited to be working with Major League Baseball as its official global data partner,” said Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar. “This is not only a tremendous opportunity for Sportradar, but ultimately it opens up new doors for MLB fans who have historically shown a proclivity for sophisticated data. We look forward to utilizing our vast global experience as the global leader in the data, AV, and integrity spaces to give fans and partners an unmatched experience.”
