Apba Baseball

APBA Baseball

APBA baseball has been around for years and has a rich history. The APBA baseball league has been around since the 1800s. These games can be great to play even today. In 1973, it was a fertile year for home run boys. No fewer than four robust little boys who each was to grow up to hit more than 500 major-league home runs were born in that year. Willie Mays, Eddie Mathews, Mickey Mantle, and Ernie Banks. The tall, lean right-hander with the incredibly strong, quick wrists was playing for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League when the Chicago Cubs, looking for their first black player, spotted him.

APBA Baseball Board Game

The APBA baseball board game is great fun for the entire family—or even for a group of 12-year-olds to play sitting around a kitchen table. The Cubs decided that Ernie was ready for the big leagues, right now. The hard-hitting shortstop never played in the minors, one of a handful who started at the top and got better and better. Five times between 1955 and 1960, Banks cleared the 40 mark in home runs, peaking with 47 in 1958, the year he won the first of his two straight Most Valuable Player awards. Swinging against powerful competition, Banks twice led in home runs and twice in runs batted in.

APBA Baseball Cards

The APBA baseball league released baseball cards throughout its history that you can collect. You should check with your local sporting goods store or sports collectibles store to find out where you might be able to find APBA baseball cards in your area. In 1955, Ernie set a major-league record by hitting five grand slammers in a season. His 47 home runs in 1958 gave Banks the all-time record for shortstops. In 1962, Banks, in deference to aching knees, switched over to first base, where his slugging seemed more appropriate. Bad knees or not, Ernie was always a durable performer, playing in 150 or more games a season 12 times. That was the year the Cubs made a strong run for the pennant, only to fade in the stretch and be bypassed by the Mets. It was the closest Ernie was to come to a World Series in his 19-year career. Along with his hard and steady hitting, Banks endeared himself to Chicago fans through the congeniality of his disposition, to the extent that he was voted the Greatest Cub ever, and Banks retired after the 1971 season.