When I first met Tedd some 36 years ago Tedd was hanging out in the Computer Lab at Northeastern Illinois University where I was a new student trying to figure out life. I didn’t know Tedd from Adam as the saying used to go, but Tedd immediately made me feel welcome as the discussion turned to APBA baseball. I was a History major wondering where that would get me while “Cutting Edge” Tedd was a Computer Science Major (as it was called back then) which was the perfect recipe for a successful occupation for the 70’s and beyond.
Tedd had placed an ad in the “Print” newspaper, the University’s Student paper, about starting a new APBA league ( for those that don’t know what APBA is by the way, it’s the first but probably not, but definitely the best simulated major league board game ever invented and marketed in my humble opinion. It is played with dice, charts major league player cards and yes even strategy, smarts and luck).
At this time, Tedd and other members of the Illowa league were looking for prospective members to start up a second new league which would be called the Midwest League. Tedd was already a member of the Illowa league which had members from both Iowa and Illinois- get it? (That league and perhaps the whole 1970’s culture thought that more was always better, so why not start a second league and have two leagues going at the same time?)Tedd apparently believing in the Norman Vincent Peale approach of positive thinking had named his Illowa league team the Champions and the name has stuck and been very appropriate if not prophetic. Tedd’s teams have won 11 Illowa league championships, which is far and away the most in league’s history and probably always will be.Players like Mike Schmidt, Luis Tiant, Cal Ripken, Greg Maddux, Gary Carter, Dennis Leonard, Eric Davis and even failed prospects such as Brad Komminsk and everyone’s mid-80’s favorite Cory Snyder and recent pasteboard heroes such as Alex Rodriguez and Tim Lincecum and Ken Griffey Jr. (Sr. played for the Champs too) have graced the diamond for Mgr. Mallasch.
After considering it all for about four seconds, I took the bait and accepted the invitation to join the new league which led to a membership in the aforementioned Midwest League. Teams were drafted out of the leftovers or undrafted players from the Illowa League.As leftovers go, this wasn’t all too bad as future Hall of Famers (remember when the Hall actually elected players?) players such as Robin Yount, Nolan Ryan, Dave Winfield and Carlton Fisk were all available for the draft. Tedd was going to be a charter member too. I guess the initial thought was that this league was to be something of a “farm team” for the existing Illowa league while as a point of fact, there were a couple of members of the Midwest who were members of both leagues. (Remember that back in the dark ages of the 70’s we were stuck without any digital devices to occupy our time, hard to believe eh? There was no cable, no PCs or no iPods, just good old fashioned network TV, newspapers, magazines and radio (non-satellite variety of course) to while away the hours. (It’s no wonder then, that board games like APBA and Strat-O-Matic and leagues that featured these games were thriving around that time). (After a year in the Midwest League, I also joined/was promoted to the Illowa League which was also a good thing too cuz the Midwest League eventually folded after a 20 year or so run due to squabbling, discord or possibly just general malaise).
While waiting for the Midwest League to begin, Tedd and I still had to show up for a few classes at Northeastern U.- at least most of the time. I remember sitting with Tedd in the back of J. Fred MacDonald’s TV as a Historical Perspective or was it The History of Sports in America with Prof. Steve Reiss? As fate would have it, we were both taking a couple of the same classes. While our instructors were expounding on the things that professors like to expound on like why and how the Vietnam War came into our living rooms via TV each night or why Bear Baiting was indeed considered a “Sport”, Tedd was describing the merits of selecting Jim Umbarger or Jerry Augustine for his Illowa league team. Augustine could start and relieve and was graded a “B” or maybe a C/B. Not much information was to be shared about the new league yet, however.
We would both be vying for the same players (not really since Tedd knew how to draft and I didn’t) so our cards were held close to our chest so to speak. Unfortunately for Tedd he usually couldn’t keep quiet about hot (this term was used a little differently back in the day) young rookies and inevitably I’d learn about another great major league prospect. Also at that time, Tedd knew players that I didn’t even know existed. Today, even the most obscure rookie is touted somewhere!
Well, here it is 36 years later and tonight as I write this we’re going to be rolling on the white table top surface that has seen its share of many of the games, and facing off for the last time for our January Illowa league series. Over the past 35 or 36 years Tedd and I have faced off against each other by my count an estimated 630-675 times in the Illowa League regular season, 50-60 times in the Midwest League and probably another 50-75 times for playoff and World Series games. This doesn’t even take into account a handful of APBA football games. That’s over 800 games or a whole lot of rolling folks! There have been no-hitters perfect games and walk off victories along the way. There is no money to be had after our victory or defeats but the passion to compete has always been the name of the game with Tedd.
Games were typically but not always played at the familiar white table top stadium/aka Cracker Jack Park at the Mallasch residence on North Whipple although other venues to name a few over the years, included the Illinois Bell building in downtown Chicago, a fellow league member’s house in Davenport, Iowa, Colona/Green Rock in The Quad Cities and even a hotel room in Minneapolis.
Let me tell you a little something now about the Mallasch residence which houses White Table Top Stadium or Crackerjack Park, if you prefer; you would enter the residence from the back stairs. Upon entering the back door (you’re polite and knock but it’s always “come on in”) you will invariably be greeted by one of the likeable Mallasch dogs. (It’s a shame that the pig has long since passed away- or you would have gone past him in the yard- don’t ask!) The names and breeds of the canine may have obviously changed over the years but the roll call is impressive. Let’s see it could go something like this…’On Cleo, on Gracie on Abby and Sam on Chico and Missy and don’t forget Benji and many more that passed through these portals. Why there was even been a cat named Troubles and a fighter (I think) named Van Gogh. The lists are almost as extensive as the Champion closers over the years (most recently Valverde or Romo).
After you’re inside the house and in short order you will be exposed always to Mallasch hospitality. Food was offered and the word no was not taken for an answer. Hospitality was paramount and extended by all members of the Mallasch household to the invited APBA guest. (This was akin to being “fattened up” for the slaughter in some cultures.) The heat is always ratcheted up to seemingly unbearable levels in either the summer or the winter and more often than not a relative or a family friend would drop by during the series. Still, the Whipple house will be remembered fondly for all the APBA games rolled with in its- dare I say it “friendly confines”.
I find myself getting a little emotional about tonight’s meeting as we play this “silly board game” for what may perhaps be the last time while sitting across the table from one another. Tedd announced two months ago that he was stepping down from the Illowa league after 36 years. The reasons why are varied but I guess in short, the fun was gone.
While the last series will mean little or nothing for my squad, the Hitmen, it quite possibly will be the last shot at the playoffs for Tedd’s team the Champions. Playoffs or no playoffs, Tedd has indicated that in any event this is his last series. I was hoping that he would make the playoffs and manage the team to the title one last time because that’s the way a career like that is supposed to end yet I will try as always to defeat him because our competitive natures compel us to do this. I do feel honored though that Tedd’s last league series will be the Champs/Hitmen for one last go ‘round.
To understand Tedd’s management style and passion for the game of baseball I think about a quote that our fellow manage Todd V. uttered a few weeks ago when we were playing our series via Skype. (You see although we play a 1970’s type board game we do it with 2013 technology or maybe 2006 technology). I had just complimented Todd for a nice managerial move and as a byproduct his team benefited by this managerial maneuver. After he digested the compliment he realized that his team benefited almost inadvertently by his maneuver and not necessarily by design so he stated if I had known that this was going to occur then I’d been in Todd’s words, “Tedd Smart”. Tedd could use any and every advantage (all within the APBA rule book) to help his squad.
This won’t be the end of the friendship between Tedd and I after all he is my son’s godfather but it will be the end of to quote Tedd- a phase.
Just remember old friend – never say never cuz even MJ put back on his old #23.
Let’s raise our glasses to the legend of Teddy Ballgame as he lays down his dice for the last time!!