As Strat-O-Matic approaches the 50th anniversary of the game, Baseball Musings is offering free games to lucky contestants. From the company:
Since 1961, Strat-O-Matic has created the most realistic simulation of statistically accurate baseball. Every player is rated by Strat-O-Matic’s unique rating system with statistical precision in each phase of the game – batting, pitching, defense and running.
Strat-O-Matic Baseball is played with the exact same rules as professional baseball. Each major leaguer has his own Strat-O-Matic Player Card based on his overall stats from the 2009 season. The gamer controls every aspect of each play from determining the starting line-up, stealing, hitting and running to replacing the starting pitcher. Instead of a bat and ball, the gamer uses dice, player cards and charts to play the game.
I’ve played for 30 years, since my junior year of college. We drafted leagues, stayed up late at night playing series, and often watched other games with great interest. Along the way we witnessed great plays, unlikely MVPs, clutch home runs, all with a roll of the dice. The game evolved from a very simple one set of stats for the batter, one for the pitcher, to taking account of left and right matchups, park effects, clutch hitting, and better defensive simulations. I play by mail now, but I always look forward to the results arriving in my inbox.
There will be four contests over the next week. The winner of the first contest gets a choice of the classic board game or the latest version of the computer game. This game will be random. Leave a comment with your name and a valid email address. For each comment I will then run the Evil Player program, which simply chooses a random player from those who have seen action in the current season. If I run it for you and it comes up with Joe Mather, you win. I will reply to each comment with the name of the player selected for you.
Why Joe Mather? In college I lived on the 13th floor of Mather House, and my first Strat-O-Matic League was called The 13th Floor Strat-O-Matic League.
As of today, there are 858 players. If you enter and lose, you may enter again by leaving another comment. I will run the comments in order, but I won’t be in front of the computer all day, so you may need to wait to find out if you won. Members of The 13th Floor Strat-O-Matic League, The SOMBILLA, and the PWBL are not eligible.
Update, 4:34 EDT 5/5/2010: This contest has no winner after 24 hours, so I’m modifying the rules. If Joe Mather comes up as the Evil Player, or he is in the top 20 on the list, you’ll win the prize.
Update, 4:48 EDT 5/5/2010: We have a winner! Hans takes home the prize. Thanks to everyone who played!
is available on DVD and 
.