Vol. III, Issue #4 -
December 2015
Strat-o-matic Baseball League
Commissioner' Interviews PART III
**
"North American SOM Association" - Glenn Wheeler **
(It is time to meet so more
commissioners from the various SOM Baseball Leagues that are
out there ... as these Baseball Leagues are a key foundation of
the SOM World. We wish
to thank Glenn for joining this column and offering to share about their league
which is going
on their
35th year with most of the original managers still a part of
this amazing league.)
(Notes from the Wolfman:
NASOMA, as Glenn's member call
their league, is a combination league that uses a combination of
different ways to play their games but also (even though their
members are all over the U.S.) does key league functions in
person. At the time of this interview NASOMA (November) is doing their playoffs.
I had a chance to speak to Glenn on the phone before conducting this
interview and I think NASOMA will be one league we will be
hearing a lot more from going forward. We hope you are
enjoying this new series of interviews, and again if there are
other leagues out there who would like to share about their mad
adventures, please feel free to contact us. Ok
Commissioner Wheeler take it away for our members........
)
Wolfman: Now we have the honor to speak with Glenn
Wheeler who is the commission of the
North American
Strat-o-matic Association (NASOMA) that
began in 1980 and still retains most of
their original managers
utilizing various ways to play against
each other. Glenn thanks for accepting
our invitation to share about
your league and your wealth of strat
experiences and stories! Welcome to the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter.
First Glenn, lets talk a little bit
about yourself. Have you always been a
baseball fan? Did you play
baseball (little league or in high school)
when you were younger, and if so what was
your best position?
Glenn:
I've always been a
baseball fan. Growing up in the
Dallas/Fort Worth during my grade school
years there was not a major league team
in the area. There was only the Dallas
Fort Worth Spurs who were a minor league
affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. I
saw players like Don Baylor and Bobby
Grich play before they made the big
leagues. Once the Texas Rangers moved
here from Washington, I've been
attending their games ever since. I
played YMCA baseball growing up. I
played several positions but primarily
was either our pitcher or first baseman.
Beginning in high school I started
playing slow pitch softball. Several of
the managers in NASOMA were teammates of
the slow pitch softball teams I played
on during my college and younger adult
days.
Wolfman: What about rooting for a MLB team?
Which are you most favorite players of
all time?
Glenn:
I've suffered through
many years rooting for the Texas
Rangers. We got close in 2010 and oh so
close in 2011 with back to back World
Series appearances. Still hopeful the
day will come that we can win it all. I
also really enjoyed watching the
Milwaukee Brewers in the early 1980's.
I think that was primarily because I'd
drafted Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, and
Cecil Cooper on my NASOMA team. They
quickly became some of my favorite
players. Others I really enjoyed were
Bobby Tolan and Johnny Bench from the
Big Red Machine and Nolan Ryan, Jim
Sundberg, and Toby Harrah from the
Rangers.
(To your left is a photo of NASOMA's commissioner Glenn
Wheeler)
Wolfman: Now turning to Strat-o-matic Baseball
how did you find out about the game?
What year
did you start? Have you played with
local friends in other leagues or
tournaments
before being involved with NASOMA?
Glenn:
As a 13 year old
baseball fan in 1974, I used to enjoy
reading baseball magazines. I saw an
advertisement in one for Strat-O-Matic.
I decided to try it out and have been
playing ever since. For the first couple
of years I just created leagues and
played by myself or with a couple of
other friends in my neighborhood. I then
responded to an ad in the old
Strat-O-Matic Review and joined a league
where we played everything by mailed
instructions. In 1980 I decided to start
a new league and called it the North
American Strat-O-Matic Association (NASOMA).
I've played in other leagues and
participated in several tournaments
through the years. NASOMA was been
continuously running throughout this
time.
Wolfman: Now tell our readers, a bit of the
history of NASOMA, how did this happen
in 1980. How many
members do you have? What type of league
is it? Has
there been
or is there anyone who is or has been a
member who is a known strat gamer?
Glenn:
When the league started
we had 12 teams. The teams came about
from some local friends that I'd
played games with along with several
people who responded to an ad I put in
the Strat-O-Matic Review. One of those
who responded, Terry Miller, won the
championship that year and is still in
the league today. Another inaugural team
member was Brizz's Bombers managed by
Tony Brizzolara. Tony at that time was a
minor league pitcher who then went on to
pitch in the majors. (Wolfman's
Note: - if you would like to read our interview with Tony,
last year, just click
here)
A few years after
we got started we had several people
express interest in the league. We
expanded to 16 teams and have been a 16
team league ever since. We have several
managers that have been in NASOMA for
over 30 years and most everybody has
been in the league at least 20 years. We
have remarkable stability in the league.
Basically the only turnover we've had
is when a manager passes away.
Unfortunately we've had a few of
those. Those managers are remembered
each year at the draft with a moment of
silence.
We protect as many players as we want
from our prior years roster. The
remaining players are then drafted with
the team with the worst record picking
first and the prior year league champion
picking last. The draft is an in person
draft and is held in March or early
April. League managers stretch from
California to Nashville and from Chicago
to Waco, TX. It is quite a commitment to
get everyone to one location but with
few exceptions everyone makes the time
to attend.
The draft is held on a Friday
night and then the remainder of the
weekend is spent playing games. Managers
bring computers so we have the computer
game and traditional dice games all
going on in the conference room. We have
4 divisions with each division winner
and 2 wild card teams reaching the
playoffs. The 2 division winners with
the best records get a first round bye.
The playoffs are held in November or
December and are also done face to face.
Following draft weekend, games are
played either by dice, in person using
the computer game, or via NetPlay. This
is determined by whatever method is most
convenient for the teams involved.
Wolfman: Tell us about some of your members? Is
there one or two strat managers who tend
to win
your league or is it new people all the
time? What level or skill are you
managers, is it
tough to win your league?
Glenn:
We have some of the most
intelligent SOM gamers playing today.
With the experience and tenure of so
many managers it is very difficult to
win the league. Rick Lackey's Warpigs
have won the title a record 11 times. My
team the Buckeyes have won 7. Terry
Miller's FFTs and Tristan Traviolia's VivaZaPastas have each won 3 times.
There are several other managers that
have won once or twice.
Wolfman: Do
you have any special stories or
experiences you can share with our
readers -- please tell us about
some special stories
or exciting game play that has taken
place within your
league?
Glenn:
After 35 years we have a
number of stories and exciting times in NASOMA. I'll share a couple of my
favorites. The first involves a playoff
series a number of years ago. As often
happens the series went 7 games with one
team leading by a couple of runs going
into the 9th inning. The team trailing
got a runner on base. Although trailing
by a pair with 2 out in the 9th
inning the manager elected to steal. It
was a 1-18 chance but that run wasn't
important since they needed 2 to tie.
The opposing manager elected to throw
and as you might guess, the runner was
called out. At the home where the series
was played there was a coo coo clock
right in the room. As the 20 sided dice
landed on 20 the coo coo clock went off
repeatedly going coo coo coo coo coo
coo! This stands today as the infamous
coo coo series.
The second is a story about one of our
managers that sadly passed away a few
ago. He was an intense manager and was
playing a series face to face with dice.
It was getting to be a long day as their
team was getting soundly defeated.
Following another close loss, the
manager said he needed to excuse
himself. He took his team's cards and
went out into the garage. He was
overheard yelling at his players one by
one telling them each how horrible they
were. This manager was forever known as the manager who thought his strato cards were actual people.
Wolfman: What makes you league special or unique
in your opinion - what are you the most
proud of?
Glenn:
I'm most proud of the
relationships we've built over the
years. Most of us started this as young
adults. Had we not had NASOMA we'd
likely lost track of each other if not
for NASOMA. We have fun competing
against one another but also knowing we're
there for each other when times are
difficult. My dad was a league member
starting in year 2. When he passed away
a few years back it was the guys at NASOMA that really rallied together in
support of him and what he meant to the
league. It was awesome. I'm also proud
of the longevity of so many of the
managers. It's really never a question
if a manager is going to stay in the
league from year to year. Everybody just
always makes plans to get to the next
year's draft.
Wolfman: We also ask those we interview if they
have any tips how to build strong teams
in their league,
strategies used and such that might help
some of our younger readers and any of
our members who are relatively new to SOM Baseball?
What advice or tips could you offer for
our members. For example what type of
teams tend to win
your league.
Glenn:
Generally teams that win
in our league build teams that match the
ballpark they play in. For example, a
winning formula is a team that plays in a
small ballpark with a power hitting team
and lots of ballpark homers with
their pitchers having few ballpark homers. The
ballpark factor is significant in SOM.
You play half your games in your own
park. Get players who get better because
of the park they are in relative to
everyone else.
Wolfman: What do you personally find is the
reason you enjoy playing Strat-o-matic
Baseball and
have done so now for over what 30-40
years?
Glenn:
I enjoy the strategy
part of the game. It is very enjoyable
when you decide to say pinch hit for
someone and they deliver a winning hit
or pull off a suicide squeeze play to
win a game. I think SOM has also made me
a more knowledgeable baseball fan.
When a player comes up to bat I know if
he can hit a lefty or not. I know if he's
a bad fielder or not. It gives me a
greater insight into a game that I enjoy
watching and keeping up with.
Wolfman: Does your league ever do anything
socially together - are all your members
within close
approximation of each other -- or do
have some members who are quite far
away?
Glenn:
At the draft, every year,
most of the managers go out for a big
dinner on Saturday. That's usually a
great time to catch up and get everyone's
thoughts on the upcoming season. I also
enjoy the opportunities to go to games
with the managers. This past year I was
in Los Angeles on business and met up
with Tristan who lives in Los Angeles.
We took in a Dodger vs. Mariner game. I've
had the good fortune to attend many
games with Cliff Collier who manages the
Mavs. Another long-time manager in
NASOMA, Cliff was best man at my
wedding. From George Wright to Mario
Mendoza, we've enjoyed many Ranger
games together including being in
attendance for Mike Witt's perfect
game against the Rangers on the last day
of the season.
Wolfman: Is there anything else you wish to share
about yourself or your league which you
feel
might be important for our readers to
know that was not asked in my prior
questions?
Glenn:
Strat-o-Matic is a great
game. Whether it is rolling dice or
clicking the mouse button the game is
the best of its kind. In some ways I
think with all the sabermetrics,
baseball is catching up to what
Strat-o-Matic has always been about.
Playing the percentages is at the core
of being a winning manager in strat. I
think major league teams are doing a lot
of the same things now through the use
of advanced statistics.
