Vol. II,
Issue #4 - October 2014
**
GUSSOMO -
The Longest Existing League - Jeff Fleischman
**
(In two prior issues we have shared about this unique
league known as GUSSOMO, an amazing
SOM Baseball league that has lasted since 1971, when we only
had mail leagues. But what is the
most interesting aspect of this league is not that it has lasted this long
but the relationships that have
been
formed between all the members including their families. It is
like GUSSOMO (which represents the
Greater United States Strat-o-matic Organziation) has become its
own family unto itself as this league
offers many in-person gatherings which no doubt have helped its
longevity. Finally, after many months
we were able to track down the leagues commissioner Jeff
Fleischman, to tell us the full story .....)
(Notes from the Wolfman:
As I shared in our May issue when
interviewing Ralph Polumbo, the undisputed champion of GUSSOMO, I met Jeff Fleischman at the
very first SOM Convention in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1971 and again
we hooked up in
Brooklyn at the second convention. We became good friends
in these early years which included a chance to
visit Jeff when he lived near Los Angeles. He also attended our SOM conventions at the University of Illinois and one of the
main members of GUSSOMO, who joined during these early years, Larry Steinburg, was
also a good personal friend when I lived in Chicago. I think
when I visited Chicago in 2008, I attended
one of GUSSOMO's face-to-face meetings where the managers came
together and played their league games via the SOM baseball computer game. I saw Larry at this meeting and also Bob Fidler, who is in our
league in the CBA, my opponet I wound up facing in the CBA World Series
that year and lost in 7 games. So it is finally time to bring the
wiz of GUSSOMO forward to speak directly with our members in this
issue; my old friend who I used to call Fleisch.)
Wolfman:
Today dear members, it is a great honor and pleasure to speak to
one of my most dearest friends in Strat from the early years,
Mr. Jeff Fleischman, the Commissioner of the longest standing SOM Baseball league going on now since 1971. Let us give an
Ultimate Strat Baseball welcome to Jeff Fleischman.
Jeff, have you
always been a big baseball fan? When you were younger did you
play any little league and if so what was your best position?
Jeff:
Yes, I've
always been a big Baseball fan. It's always been my favorite
sport. I did play "Little League", playing on my first team
when I was 8 years old. I played organized baseball from 3rd
grade all the way through my first year of College at UCLA. The
positions that I usually played were 3rd Base, Pitcher and
Outfield. I had a pretty strong throwing arm... but hurt my
knee and couldn't continue playing.
My first uniform number was "25" and to this day, whenever I
play on a team, I always try to get # 25. The MLB jerseys that
I own (with my name on the back) all are # 25.
Wolfman:
When
you were younger where did you live? What major league
baseball team(s) did you root for? When I visited you all those
many years ago you were by LA right? Who were some of your
favorite baseball players that you admired and followed?
Jeff:
I'm originally from (South) Philadelphia, PA and lived in South
New Jersey before my family moved in 1962 to Santa Barbara, CA
and shortly thereafter to Southern California (eventually
settling in Downey, CA -- home of the Apollo spacecraft!).
I guess I was too young to be influenced by my Dad to
become a Phillies fan. The first baseball game that I attended
was between the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies at
Connie Mack Stadium on my Birthday (Saturday... May 31, 1958).
The Phillies with Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn beat the Reds
and Joe Nuxhall by the score of 5 to 4. I probably could have
become a Phillies fan with Johnny Callison and Richie Allen....
but I fell in love with the Los Angeles Dodgers. My favorite
players were (of course) Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Maury
Wills, Willie Davis and Wes Parker. And of course, I still
love listening to the best baseball announcer ever.... Vin Scully.
I used to sneak my transistor radio to school and wire it so the
ear cord ran up my windbreaker jacket and sat in the palm of my
hand... then I could lean on my hand as if I were paying
attention to my class... but in reality, I was listening to the
ball game!!
I used to go to as many games as I could at Dodger Stadium....
when I got my drivers license, and didn't have anyone to go
with... I often would go by myself. I used to buy tickets to
the first game of every HOME series and go to ALL the games
versus the San Francisco (yuk) Giants.
One time when I was Dodger Stadium... after the game.... a buddy
of mine and I were going all around the Stadium and going up and
down the different levels.... when we got to the "service
elevator". It stopped at the press box level and Vin Scully and
Wes Parker got on. I was pretty excited and asked Wes Parker if
he could "sign his name for me real fast". He took my personal
score book (I used to keep score to all the games... even at
Home)... he looked at me.... and said "Yes I can... and I can
also sign it REAL SLOW".... then he proceeded to sign his name
real slow.... talking out each letter of his name. Vin Scully
was cracking up while this was happening. I still have the
score book with both Wes Parker's and Vin Scully's
autographs.... among my many baseball collectibles and mementos.
Wolfman:
Now
before there was an SOM Baseball, did you ever
try any of the other simulated baseball games at the time or
was it that Strat-o-matic first?
Jeff:
It's kind of weird, but I remember playing a couple of games.
One had a long "spinner" that had a wooden baseball attached to
the end of it.... and you would spin the "ball" and then read
your results. I know that there was another game... but
can't remember what it was called.
I also remember going to my Aunt and Uncle's house in a real
nice section of Los Angeles for family events and dinners. Some
kids that were much older than me used to sit at this Counter on
bar stools and play this baseball game. I wasn't asked to
participate, but when I picture what they were doing and what
the game looked like... I'm pretty sure it was APBA.
Wolfman:
How
did you hear about Strat-o-matic - what was
the first year you played? Did you have other friends you
played
with or did you get involve in some mail leagues?
Jeff:
My next door neighbor and I used to draw pictures of
professional baseball players and read a lot of baseball
magazines. I remember that we saw an Advertisement from
Strat-O-Matic... and we both decided to send away for it. (Well,
I had to first convince my parents that "I HAD TO HAVE THE
GAME... THAT I REALLY WANTED AND NEEDED IT!!") That was 1969.
WOW..... has it really been 45 years!!
Wolfman:
What
is there about SOM Baseball that has kept
you an avid fan and player all these years? What do you like
about the game? Which early teams did you get involved with?
Jeff:
It's kind of interesting that you ask this question, because
there is a reason I stayed with Strat-O-Matic. The main reason
I stayed with SOM (compared to other Baseball games) is the
"individuality" of the players cards. Keep in mind that when I
started playing SOM, there was only the "Basic" side of the
Hitters and Pitchers cards. However, I felt that each card (and
player) was different from the next card and next player. In my
opinion, I was comparing SOM to APBA. In the APBA, for example,
I felt that all the pitchers were kind of rated the same (A, B,
C, etc... with some variations as to being a "control" pitcher
or a "strikeout" pitcher. It seemed to lack that individual,
personalized component that I saw with SOM. My friends in
Downey, CA were playing APBA and wanted me to join their League.
(I eventually joined their League, but I originally asked if I
could play MY games using SOM). They said no, so I played some
APBA for a while (only in their League), while I searched out to
play other people that played and enjoyed SOM.
Wolfman:
Now
how did the idea of
GUSSOMO
begin? It was a mail
league to start yes? Did you form it yourself or did you have
some
other friends help you. How many teams did you have in your
first
season.
Jeff:
As it would turn out, I discovered a League in the new SOM
Review. I joined a League that didn't have a League Name. I
think we were playing games for about a month. We had 24
teams... I had the 1971 Baltimore Orioles. We all got a letter
from the organizer of the League (who was in the Air Force at
Travis Air Force Base near Vallejo, CA). He informed the League
members that he was being sent to Germany and wouldn't be able
to run the League. He asked if anyone would be willing to take
over the responsibilities and be in charge of the League. I was
really enjoying things... so I wrote back and volunteered to
take over the League. Again, we had only been playing for maybe
a little over a month. As it turned out, the guy who was
"running the League" sent me three big envelopes full of papers
and statistics that were not totaled. Additionally, he DID NOT
send me the League Dues that he had collected from each
Manager. So... I started out in a deep hole and went about my
way and business of trying to organize things. I guess you
could
say that it has been fairly successful.... as we are now
getting to the point of completing our 43rd consecutive year!!
Here is how I came up with the name G.U.S.S.O.M.O. It seemed
that a lot of the Leagues I was reading about in the SOM Review
were calling themselves "the Greater (whatever the City they
lived in) SOM League". Since we had members all over the
United States … I just figured The Greater United States
Strat-O-Matic Organization would be a good name and fit things
(going on at this time) pretty well. By the way, we have had
members in Canada and Europe over the years too!
Wolfman:
I see
you live in Colorado now and you are the manager
of the Piney Creek Palookas - but I see you had several teams
out of San Jose, California (then you moved) in your early days.
How do you come up with your team names. Have any of
your boys won a
GUSSOMO
championship?
Jeff:
Over the years,
I've had a number of team names. Most of the times, I came up
with a name that was the name of the City where I lived.... or
was connected to the City or Region in some way. Sometimes, I
was just having fun and came up with a "silly" name. After we
went to a Draft Team (as opposed to a straight team league), my
first team name was the San Jose Gringos. I then changed it to
the San Jose Sultans. I had that name for a long time. I
thought I had a pretty good "team logo" (see attached).
Remember... before the Computer version of SOM and the use of "CM's"
or Computer Managers... we had to send our instructions to our
opponents via the U.S. Mail.
One year my team was called the San Jose Replacements (in honor
of the Major League Baseball Strike) because my team was about
as good as the replacement players that were being used by MLB. The
team name changed to the Aurora Sultans and then the Aurora
Borealis (when I moved to Aurora, Colorado). I changed it to
the Mile High Maggots (because my team was soooo bad). I am
currently the Piney Creek Palookas. Piney Creek is the
development that I live in (Centennial, CO).... and the Palookas
is because I felt my team was getting stronger.... and you
better not mess around with a team that will kick your butt!!!
Wolfman:
What
type of team do you like to play with in
GUSSOMO?
What was your best team you had - who were some of the players
on that team?
Jeff:
I like to play with a team that has good pitching, some batters
that hit for and average... has some speed and at least a few
decent pitchers. I always want to be competitive... but I've
made a lot of trading mistakes in the past. My thinking was all
wrong. I'd "give up" on a lot of young talent and go after a
"seasoned" player that I liked a lot.... I guess you could say,
some of the guys that I traded for were one their way DOWN....
I don't do that any more. I try to go for the best players....
as opposed to trying to fill my immediate needs. I'm always
willing to make trades.... but I really try (at least) to be
smarter about any moves that I make.
I think my best teams were back in the earlier 80's when I had
guys like Ricky Henderson, Tim Raines, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry,
Don Sutton, Amos Otis (remember him), Cal Ripken, Jr. .... and
others. Keep in mind, I didn't have all these guys at the same
time. The first player I every drafted was Steve "Captain
America" Rogers from the Montreal Expos!
Wolfman:
We
ask each person we interview for tips to help the
members of our newsletter. What are some of the key strategies
you have used in building your team in
GUSSOMO and to winning
games. Would you recommend a hitting team or a pitching team,
or a combination of both?
Jeff:
Well, given that I haven't won a championship in 43 years, I
think you might be asking that question to the wrong person!!
LOL.....
Maybe you got the answer
to that question when you spoke to one our long-term Managers
(Ralph Polumbo) who has won 10+ Championships! However, my
answer to this question would be.... "Don't make trades with
Ralph Polumbo!"). I used to jump at making trades for
some of the "big names" that I liked. To this day I still feel
the pain of another trade I made... not with Ralph, but with the
Seattle Manager (Jim Phelps). I needed a Catcher REALLY
BAD.... so I traded Adam Wainwright for Kenji Johjima and a
draft pick... I think a # 2. Ugh!!! Who got the better
of THAT deal???
Wolfman:
What
are some of your fond memories from attending
the early National SOM Convention?
Jeff:
I had a great time at the National SOM Convention in New York
City (Abraham & Strauss Department Store). I look back on it as
a 19 year old kid who is now 59 and remember doing all the
things you probably shouldn't have been doing in New York
City.... like having our Hotel room on the East Side by the
River in the Red Light District. We shared our room.... one
room.... with about 4 or 5 League members! We traversed New
York City.... doing whatever we wanted.... riding the subways at
2:00 A.M. I remember losing in the tournament to some "kid"
that was 10 or 11 years old. Yep.... I was a great Manager!
BUT..... he beat me with my 1971 Baltimore Orioles...... so I
guess in a way.... I wasn't all that bad.
During this vacation/experience, I met Larry Steinberg from
Skokie, Illinois. In fact, prior to going to New York, I spent
a few weeks at Larry's house during the Summer of 1973. After
the New York Convention, Larry, who was also at the Convention
and is still a League Member.... flew with me back to Los
Angeles and spent a few weeks in Downey, CA. To this day, we
are still very good friends and have shared a lot of life
experiences.... marriages, births of children, Bar Mitzvahs,
College, etc.. etc...
Wolfman:
One
of the things I wish to complement you and
GUSSOMO
is that you try to setup live meetings with your managers to
play
games as well as go to outings together -- where did the idea
comes for this. Do you find by having your members meet
in person, that this has helped the longevity of
GUSSOMO?
Jeff:
I think the idea basically came from
a few of the Managers talking about it and saying, "Hey, let's
see if we can get a few of the Managers together and play our
games face to face. It actually started with about 5 or 6 of
the Managers getting together in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Those Managers were Ralph Polumbo (Jersey Gents), Bob Galvin
(Maumee Comets), Earl Brock and his great team name (Manchester
Big D's), Larry Steinberg (Skokie Sluggos) and Dave Hendricks
(Moylan Monks).
Since then, we've pretty much gotten together every single
year... I think the first get-together or long weekend was in
1983. So we've been doing it for about 30 years. In that time,
we've been to most of the Major League ball parks. I think
we've been to San Francisco (new stadium), Seattle (new
stadium), Colorado, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit,
Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia and all
the other ones in between!
The truth of the matter is that the get-togethers have really
helped solidify the connections and friendships that the members
have with one and other. As I said before, we have experienced
A LOT of events in each other's lives. I think it's the
friendships that have been formed that have lead to the success
of our League. Where else can you find something.... a game....
that has created a connection that has bonded people together
for over 40 years? Thank you, Hal Richman!!
Wolfman:
Is there any other reasons why you believe
GUSSOMO
has lasted so long - what do you see the keys for your success?
Jeff:
I think I have answered this question with my previous answers
but also I have shared an article that I've posted below which
also explains it all ....
However,
I do think the success of G.U.S.S.O.M.O. has been through our friendships and
open communication. Running the League is like running a business.
It has taught me, to some extent, on how to deal with people.
It has also taught me about communication and organization.
It's funny how and where you learn/acquire some of the skills
you use in other parts of your life.
Wolfman:
Do
you have any
GUSSOMO
stories - special games or
experiences you had during league play that were unbelievable
or quite amusing you could share with our readers. Who is the
most famous member of GUSSOMO that had a team in your league?
Jeff:
Special games? There are way to many to recall. However, I do
remember playing with the old time cards when they came out...
and I suppose many people did what I did.... that was "matching
up" the 1927 New York Yankees against the 1962 New York
Mets. The thing I remember was that I played the game.... or at
least started the game.... and then had to go to dinner (Sizzler
restaurant) with my family. I came back to complete the game a
couple of hours later.... and the game was my very first NO
HITTER..... believe the Yankees won by a huge score....
something like 12 to 0... with the winning pitcher being Waite
Hoyt.... and yes, Babe Ruth DID hit a HOME RUN.
I don't know why I remember this... but there was a League game
in which Steve Garvey hit 4 Home Runs against Larry Steinberg...
and I just had to call him LONG DISTANCE (yes, it cost a lot of
money to make Long Distance calls!) to tell him about it.
Speaking of phone calls.... I did wind up playing what
supposedly was the first SOM game played via Long Distance on
the phone.... where both managers rolled their dice and read the
results. I'd have to go back and look for the name of the other
Manager.... but he was from Ohio.... and I didn't know he was
using his family's WATTS line for business.... and I got phone
calls later.... trying to find out how come the bill was so
high.... Needless to say.... I was like "Sergeant Schultz"....
"I KNOW NOTHING".... but it was kind of scary almost
getting in a lot of trouble with the Phone Company.
Oh,
yeah.... I have to remind YOU, Wolfman.....that I actually met
YOU in Skokie, Illinois. Remember we (You, Me and Larry) flew
together to New York City for the Convention. Oh, and then
there was our "feud" as to who was the better baseball player
and pitcher. You may have struck me out..... and maybe you were
pretty good.... but I do recall I had a way better curve ball.
Oh... and I'll take my lumps on this one. Yes, there was a
Summertime "crush" with one of your local females.... and you
had to tell everyone that I got kind of dumped.... but it
actuality... it was mutual.... but we had fun.
We haven't had any really famous people join our League. I've
been tempted to write to some of the famous people that play and
see if they would want to join us... but I've never gotten
around to doing it. We did have Mike Allison (Co-Editor of the
SOM Review) as a member.
Wolfman:
Does
GUSSOMO
have any future plans to make changes
to the league structure or rules. Can you refresh our memory
briefly
how you organize your league and build your teams?
Jeff:
No plans to change. We've been through many changes along the
way. We were a STRAIGHT TEAM LEAGUE.... then we went to
24 teams. Went down to 16 teams when we made the our League a
DRAFT TEAM LEAGUE. Over time, we expanded to 18 then 20 and
then back to 24 teams. We also implemented a number of rules
that eventually became part of the SOM game. We revised and
made our own injury rules, balk rules, pick off rules, outfield
throwing rules... as well as some other unique rules that we
came up with.
If I could do anything else with SOM, it would be to establish a
tournament whereby the winners of different Leagues (that had
the same basic format) would compete at the end of their seasons
and play the winners of other Leagues in order to see who REALLY
HAD THE BEST TEAM... and who was the BEST MANAGER. Maybe some
day I'll be able to make this happen.
Wolfman:
Jeff,
do you have any future goals for your team - a plan
to help build a championship squad or to try different
strategies?
Jeff:
Just keep on trying to make the right moves... be patient....
and hope that one day, I'll be able to say that I was the
Champion in my own League... and someone will give ME a
TROPHY!!!
Wolfman:
If
you were drafting for your team next year (2015) which
players (if you can say) would you keep your eye on to make
Palookas?
Jeff:
Oh, I really can't and don't want to say. I'm really trying to
improve my team and be a better Manager. I think I'm
(finally) heading in the right direction. I mean, I lost over
100 games the past two seasons (48 - 114 in 2012 and 52 - 110 in
2013... ouch!!). This year, I've kind of turned it around. I
thought I might have a chance for the Playoffs... but I just
don't have enough "fuel" to compete with the really strong
teams..... but I'm building up my talent and have a lot of good
players that have good futures ahead of them. I've already won
72 games this season and I'm on track to maybe win 85 to 90
games. So a turn-around of about + 33 or more games is a REALLY
good indicator that I'm doing a better job (I think) of building my team!!
Wolfman:
Is
there anything else that has not been asked before,
that you feel would be important for our members to know that
you would like to share?
Jeff:
Wolfman.... I don't think so..... I think I've touched on just
about everything. I'm pooped. I've got to get back to my REAL
JOB before I get in trouble..... I'm in sales (Region Manager).
Wolfman:
If
our members wanted to get in touch with you or had
question how could they do so. What is the website of your
league?
Jeff:
Our web site is located at:
www.gussomo.com
My e-mail address is:
gussomo@comcast.net
Wolfman:
Thanks Jeff for taking time out of your busy schedule to
give us another look at your amazing league and all the Strat
experiences
you have had over the years. All the best.
(.... see
below the article written about GUSSOMO by Glenn Guzzo, author
of
Strat-O-Matic
Fanatics. )
They Have Lived and Loved
the History of Strat-O-Matic
By Glenn Guzzo
(sometime in 2008)
What is likely the longest-running nationwide Strat-O-Matic
league with founding members has completed its 37th
consecutive season of baseball and ballet.
GUSSOMO (for the Greater United States Strat-O-Matic
Organization), formed in 1971, is so old that it is a
self-described “generational league”¯ – four of its members are
sons of other managers and weren’t even born when GUSSOMO began.
"When the league began, Strat-O-Matic had only single-sided
cards and the Major Leagues had only 24 teams" said Jeff
Fleischman, GUSSOMO’s commissioner since the end of its first
season. "Though the 2008 season was the 15th since
Carlton Fisk retired, and Fisk played 24 seasons before that,
this Strat-O-Matic league was born before Fisk hit his first
Major-League home run."¯
The league has evolved in other ways. It began as a board-game
league, of course, and now uses the computer. It has 22 teams,
with the latest, two-team expansion this year (both new clubs
piloted by sons of longtime GUSSOMO managers). It began as a
stock-team league, but has been a draft league most of the time.
Its members are spread across the U.S., but about half meet for
face-to-face games. The managers are serious about Strat-O-Matic,
but when the whole group convenes annually, they make social
time with families, sight-seeing and more, such as the ballets.
When GUSSOMO was a stock-team league in 1971, the franchise
names duplicated the real Major League teams. In Year 37, the
class of the league with 107 wins was the Sin City Bounty
Hunters, but only four games better than the Richmond Banshees.
The Concord Grape and the Chicago Mob could not keep up.
The extraordinary thing about this league, said Ralph Polumbo,
whose sons John and Will also manage GUSSOMO teams, is "its
longevity and the average tenure of the members" who have
"shared life events" in each other’s families, such as marriages
and births.
"The personal relationships and friendships," ¯manager Larry
Steinberg echoed, "held GUSSOMO together through some of the
tough years in the past ", when other leagues might have folded.
Steinberg should know. He and Fleischman have been in GUSSOMO
since the beginning, although other managers have been involved
for 25 years and the average tenure is 20 years. His son Evan is
one of the new managers this season.
"The fact that about half the league has been active since 1990
is remarkable in itself ”, manager Vern Coffman added.
The long-timers were in high school (even junior high school)
when this began. Naturally, the memories are precious:
Fleischman, who lives in Colorado after a couple of moves, was
on vacation when he first visited Polumbo in his Connecticut
home. There in the kitchen was a son in a high chair. Today,
that son is a GUSSOMO manager.
The "crazy teenagers" of GUSSOMO, riding the New York subway at
2 a.m. during the days of the 1973 Strat-O-Matic convention at
the Abraham & Strauss department store.
Long before the computer game, Fleischman (then living in
Southern California) playing the first league game by phone with
an opponent in Ohio. Each player rolled dice for his own team
and announced the roll over the phone.
Since then, the many times that league members, while traveling,
went out of their way to connect with nearby league members for
face-to-face Strat.
Steinberg recalling that it’s only because of the annual GUSSOMO
league meetings that he and his family have visited such places
as Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Freedom Hall in Philly, Cedar
Point in Ohio and the St. Louis Arch. "Best of all ",¯ he
recalled, "meeting Buck O'Neil and Double Duty Radcliffe in
KC."¯
The annual get-togethers, which has attracted league members
(often half or more) to such sites as Chicago, Atlanta,
Philadelphia, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Detroit, St. Louis,
Milwaukee, Denver, San Francisco/San Jose, Minneapolis and
Pittsburgh. The events typically include a "convention" hotel
that includes a meeting room dedicated for intense Strat play –
with laptops everywhere – but also a Major League Game, a family
barbecue at the host manager’s home and more.
"While playing our games is what the get-togethers are all
about ", Fleischman explained, "we have made it a point to
promote a certain level of style and culture for our members.
Over the years, we have made time to attend some of the best
local ballets, including the little-known, but very popular
'Cowboy Show' in Windsor, Ontario."
The gathering in Detroit this past summer was the best-attended
of all, suggesting that, like other things of enduring value,
GUSSOMO keeps getting better with age.
