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Picked Up Tough to Find 1981 Minor League Baseball Dice/Board Game (with Unique Player Cards)
Ironmanfan
Posts: 5,431 ✭✭✭✭
Ever since I found out about it's existence a few years ago, I've been trying to find this 1981 Charlotte O's (Orioles AA Affiliate) board game. The Charlotte O's won the 1980 Southern League title (behind a 20 year old Cal Ripken Jr.), so I suspect this game was produced to capitalize on their success....
Their home park was Crockett Field (which tragically burned down in 1985) and this dice game is based on that ballpark. What is really cool is the miniature cards of the actual rostered players of the Charlotte O's and the Orlando Twins (wonder if PSA would slab these?).....
Thought I'd share a couple pictures:
Enjoy
IMF
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That nice. Can you show the cards?
https://kennerstartinglineup.blogspot.com/
These kinds of pieces are some of my vary favorite types of memorabilia; thanks for sharing.
Hiya Bill
As a board game collector - it's always nice to see someone pick one of these gems up.
I've never seen it before and I'm guessing unfortunately, it missed Ripken by 1 year? If the game has Cal? That's a major find for sure.
On the "mechanism" of play - do dice drive both offense and defense/pitching or just offense.
Do the instructions include a "content" list?
A righteous pickup buddy!
Nice find. I like this kind of stuff.
Stone:
Yes, unfortunately no Ripken Jr. (he had moved up to AAA Rochester), but does feature some guys that eventually made it to the Majors (i.e. Storm Davis, John Shelby, Drungo Hazewood, Bill Swaggerty, Tim Laudner, etc.)
As for the mechanism, the dice drives just the offense...What is interesting is that it is dependent on the combination of the dice (in other words if a 8 is rolled, is it from a "4 and 4" or a "6 and 2?") as well as what position the batter is in the order.
The instructions are just on one page and really don't explain the explain the contents of the game.....(it also came with about 10 score sheets)
Another thought I had was perhaps this game was also conceived not only to promote the Charlotte O's from winning the Southern League Championship the year before but perhaps also a way to capitalize on the MLB Strike during the summer of 1981
IMF
2 dice with multiple ways to get to a number does add to the complexity of the "action."
I did a study of 3 dice on a game forum - it's interesting about outcomes and how one can "complicate" the play.
There are guys who play entire seasons - establishing leagues - scheduled games etc.
I never got into that.
I think what ultimately attracted me to board games? The graphics and if the game had a personal history with a kid as found inside the game.
Is there a manufacturer's name on the game?
Stone:
There is no manufacturer info anywhere on the game itself (box, board, etc). The only thing close to a manufacturer is on the rule sheet near the top that states "The Charlotte O's Baseball Game; Copyright 1981 by C.D. Sowell"
Vols1 had asked for some scans of the cards (which are blank backed)...I'd have to venture that for the majority of guys in this set, it very well may be the only cards ever issued of them
IMF
T-Bone!
Only an idiot would have a message board signature.
Those Twins cards look like the inspiration for 1986 Topps baseball.
Great find! You should have a custom Ripken made.
+1