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No one could understand why, after the tremendous turnout and success with the 1973 convention in New York, that another convention was not going to be happened in 1974. For whatever reasons (probably financial we would guess), both the game company and the SOM Review decided not to pursue a convention for this year. Therefore, we felt someone has to do something, why not us? In 1974, I had just finished my freshmen year at the University of Illinois (or the U. of I.). Anyway, I had met another strato player named Bob Anderson (not sure if we met at the University or if we knew each other through some of the summer baseball leagues we organized around Chicago, where I lived at this time with my parents) and he and I decided to create a convention as we couldn't just let this tradition die. So we began (before we finished our first year in college and went on summer break), to make inquiries at the University and see how could a person make use of the vast rooms and facilities the University could offer. We discovered that if you were a recognized club within the University, you could rent or request the use of rooms within any buildings on the campus. So we formed ourselves a club (don't ask me what it was called?) and we submitted our request and it was granted. Now during the summer, there are a smaller number of students who attend summer school but basically the campus is not so busy. So we thought that within the Student Union, was a nice ballroom and this was the space we were able to rent for a very reasonable price at the "Illini Union" as it is called), for the location of the convention. In addition, the participants who came, could stay for a very low price at one of the local dormitories. We liked this idea because this meant that most of us would have a chance to be together during the entire weekend of play and be sort of like a strato family. A great way to also meet some new people from all over the country.
Thus, as we proceeded to organize our convention, we
really had no idea how many people would attend and even if we would receive any support from the game
company or the Review. We had concerns if we didn't get any backing
from either of these two organizations, maybe no one would come. However,
the Editors of the Review did allow us to make announcements about the
convention in their publication and we promised that we would send a
report of what took place with pictures. So we thought we had
nothing to lose and Bob and I decided to go for it. The convention was
scheduled from Friday, July 26th through Sunday, July 28th, with the final
guests leaving on Monday, July 29th. We were hoping that we might
have a representative from the Game Company join us, but it unfortunately
didn't happen.
As you will read below, the Game Co.
decided not to offer the convention for this particular year due to the rise in Gas
prices. So please find below the various pre-announcements about how
the convention for 1974 developed including our first announcement
that a group of us were going to make an effort to organize one at the
University of Illinois, which appeared in the Review in May of 1974. You will
notice the name of Harold Roughton listed. He did not go to the
University but lived in the Urbana. He agreed to take the people's
registration and helped us to purchase the trophies we planned
to give to the first and second place
finishers. So once again, please find below the various early
announcements and the articles published
by the SOM Review about the conference and what happened in our first
attempt to be convention organizers.
EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
MARCH ISSUE, 1974 CONVENTION IN LIMBO
With the energy crisis worsening in some areas and gasoline prices
sky-rocketing, plans for a summer Strat-O-Matic Convention have been put
in limbo, with the chances of such a convention growing more and more
remote. (Wolfman's Note: This
appeal at the end got my attention, and I thought why not go for it --
what did we have to lose -- so we explored possibilities at the university
I was attending at the time ...)
WOLFMAN'S PLANS CONVENTION
Just as the May Issue of the Strat-O-Matic Review was
about to hit the presses,
news arrived from Rick (Wolfman) Shapiro that he plans to host a
Strat-O-Matic
Convention this summer (tentatively slated for Friday-Saturday, July
26-27, at the
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL).
WOLFMAN'S CONVENTION SET
Rick (Wolfman) Shapiro has answered the call for a Strat-O-Matic
national convention this summer. He's planning for such a convention
on Friday-Saturday, July 26-27, at the University of Illinois,
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Tentative times for the twin gatherings
are 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. There are many means of transportation to the
University: by bus (Greyhound) or train, although the stations are a few
miles from the dorm; plus Ozark airlines comes into Urbana. Since the (tourney) games will be played at the Illini
Union, Shapiro also points out that other activities such as
bowling, billards, pinball, etc. are available.
JULY ISSUE, 1974 Wolfman's
Host at Urbana, Illinois The
countdown is well under way for the third annual Strat-O-Matic convention,
which this year will be held in Champaign, Urbana, IL, on Friday and
Saturday, July 26-27. Rick (Wolfman) Shapiro, as everyone knows, is
the man behind the organization of this year's gathering of S-O-M
gamesters. Shapiro plans a number of tournaments --
for sure baseball and football -- plus has other activities lined up as
well. Keith Walker (see this month's guest columnist) will be
on hand to discuss his ideas for the formation of a Strat-O-Matic Union,
plus there will be a bowling tournament at the Illini Union during one of
the nights. Brad Furst, remembered for being the first
person toreach Kalamazoo (by hitchhiking) for the first S-O-M Convention,
will be in attendance, officiating and, perhaps playing in the
tournaments. Jeff Fleischman, from Downey, CA, and commissioner of the
well-known GUSSOMO play-by-mail league; Larry Steinberg, GUSSOMO's
vice-president; Bill Hansing of the S-O-M Associates, and Mike Cummins
with his wife and nine other people, have all indicated they would
make the Urbana scene come July 26-27. "A convention
is the answer to a S-O-M player's dreams. The excitement of
competing against others for the title of the best player in your
particular game, a chance to exchange experiences and new ways to play the
game, or just to get away and do something different, is what our
convention offers for you," says Shapiro. Remember
also, inexpensive dormitory living will be available for both men and
women at Urbana; if you drive, either I-57 or I-74 expressways take
you into the university; the convention starts Friday, the 26th, at 10
a.m., and lastly, don't forget to bring two bring two baseball teams you
would like to use if you are entered in that tournament.
Vol..
IV-7 September 1974 40¢
CHAMPAIGN. IL. -- Bart Ewing, after a 20-hour bus ride from Mississippi, was the first to arrive for the third national Strat-O-Matic Convention. As it turned out. Bart was also the last to leave, arriving Wednesday afternoon and not departing until Monday, July 29th. He didn't leave empty handed, though, as after staying up until 4:30 a.m. Sunday, he was crowned the first national Strat-O-Matic Basketball champion. All told, counting four wives,
(there were) 40 (who) people
attended the two-day (and part of Sunday morning) convention. The turnout
was smaller than hoped for, but all who made the scene immensely enjoyed
themselves, made a lot of new friends and (this) gave (us) more
encouragement toward hosting another such convention (the following) summer -- which
we planned to do. Friday morning I was the first to arrive at the Illini Union on the Urbana-Champaign campus (the location of our convention). The room the tournaments were held in was the nicest a national convention had been held in (so far). Four glass chandeliers jutted out from the ceiling. At the north wall in front of the curtains covering the windows, were four display cases (for Henry's collection), a speaker's stand with a microphone. and three tables to collect scoresheets and distribute the rules and (blank) scoresheets. Lining the east and west walls were a single row of chairs. By the south wall there were three rows of 15 chairs and in the middle of the room were 12 tables. The first people to come in (on the first day) were Mr. and Mrs. Steve Walters (Potosi, MO) and Mr. and Mrs. Chub Gross (Texas). As the day went on Friday, about 35 more people arrived. All told, S-O-M enthusiasts arrived from such states as California, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota, etc..., as well as the host state of Illinois. Robert Henry's card collection was a big hit. He exhibited Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente cards from 1960-1973, plus also displayed same of the older teams, from 1960-63. Four tournaments were held: advance baseball (26 entries), advance football (15), basketball (10) and elementary baseball (18). Both advance baseball and football tournaments were double-elimination--which caused the final rounds of play to stretch into the wee hours of Sunday morning. ELEMENTARY BASEBALL This single-elimination tourney moved rapidly to a completion. I was even forced to play (because of en uneven number of participants). I tried Roy Deiell's method of selecting a lineup used at last year's convention in Brooklyn, NY-- shuffling the cards -- but was soon eliminated. Dena Cummins, wife of Mike Cummins made a strong bid to become the first woman to win a national tourney. She defeated Mike Gilbert, (remember him, with his Old-timer's series?) and Randy Popp in the first two rounds. Then Steve Uher, Urbana, IL, finally forced her to the side lines in the quarter-finals. Steve met the winner of the Stan Austin (Calumet City. IL)- Bob Anderson (Chicago, IL) matchup, with Anderson, behind Jim Bibby's 3-0 shutout of the '71 Cubs from the '73 Texas Rangers, (being) the springboard (for his) success. Remember (in our tournaments) the teams are traded for the second game and the overall winner is the one scoring the most runs (followed by the most hits, or men left on base). Stan behind Sonny Slebert's 1-0 triumph, won the second game but lost the series, 3-1. Uher was using the 1968 Reds for the finals and he quickly jumped on Bibby for eight runs in the first four innings Anderson fought back however, and made it close at the finish, 8-7. Then in the second game, Jim Maloney tossed a three-hit shutout and even smacked s home run in a 4-0 win for Anderson. Bob Anderson had become the new elementary baseball champion! ADVANCED FOOTBALL The 1972 teams were used and, of course, the teams were switched at halftime to make it a true test of football skill for the coaches rather than what team they were guiding. J.G. Preston tasted early defeat in the double-elimination tourney, with Jeff Guterman administering the coup do grace in round five. Another highlight was Handy Polish scoring the most points (44-10) in defeating Steve Walters in another early-round battle. Popp, from Hutchinson, MN, soon lost to Harold Roughton, Urbana, as Roughton, Brad Furst, Al Hartley (Beverly Hilly, CA.) and Jeff Guterman all made their way into the semifinals. Furst, incidentally, had lost 31-3 to Steve Uher in the first round and battled back to reach the semis. In the semifinals, Roughton (starting with Minnesota) outscored Bred (starting with Los Angeles), 38-23, and Hartley (Atlanta) edged Guterman (Pittsburgh), 27-21. For the finals, Roughton pitied the Los Angeles Rams and Al the Dallas Cowboys. Surprisingly, Roughton shut out the stronger Cowboys, in the first half, 10-0. In the second half, Harold took over the Cowboys. and knocked out 20 more points on the way to a 30-3 win and recognition as the new national advanced football champ. ADVANCED BASEBALL Some of the well-known names of the Strato
world -- J.G. Preston, Larry Steinberg, Furst, Bryan Simmons, Jim Chinos,
Robert Henry, Mike Cummins and myself, the "Wolfman" -- were entered, but
not one made it into the quarter-finals. Reaching the quarters were Steve
Walters, Potosi, MO (5-0), Fred Floreth, Litchfield, IL (5-1), Bart Ewing
(4-1) and Bob Calvin. Amherst, OH (5-1). Steve need the 1973 Orioles vs.
Fred's 1972 Phillies. Baltimore led 2-0 in the top of the ninth when Paul
Blair committed a two-base error and Oscar Gamble socked a three-run homer
for an eventual 4-2 win for Fred. Fred won the round
via a 7-5 run margin, but both advanced- A possible meeting between the
two could occur in the finals -- if both
continued to win. The rematch between Steve Walters and Fred Floreth pitted the same teams as before. The first game, matching Carlton and Jim Palmer ended in a 1-1 tie, with both teams leaving seven (men) on base. The second game and most exciting of the tournament had both teams scoreless going into the top of the ninth inning. Then Fred loaded the bases with two outs and Don Baylor at bat. It was a long drive -- going!, going!, GONE! A grand-slam homer gave Fred Floreth the advanced baseball championship. ADVANCED BASKETBALL Only eight people vied for honors in the first hardwood tournament at the national level. Early results had Furst ousting J.G. Preston, Mike Cummins trimming Bryan Simmons, Bart Ewing defeating Larry Steinberg and Harold Roughton stopping Jim Chanos. Next, Bart, starting with Los Angeles and switching to Chicago in the second half, eliminated Roughton, 110-104, to ensure Roughton couldn't win two tournaments. In the other semifinal, Brad's Warriors tied Mike's Lakers at halftime, 39-all, before Brad rolled up a 65-44 second half advantage to win, 104-83. So the finals matched Bart Ewing and Brad Furst. Brad started with Boston and Bart Baltimore, with Brad seizing a 62-57 halftime lead in a slow, deliberate game that was to eventually take five hours to complete. Ewing had a big third quarter, however scoring a whopping 44 points -- a one quarter high for the tourney -- and moved in front, 101-93, going into the fourth period. Brad couldn't close the gap and Bart finally won 128-123. Leading scorers were Phil Chenier 27; Dave Cowens, 23; Don Nelson, 23; Don Chaney, 20; John Havlicek, 22; Mike Riordan, 20, and Archie Clark, 24. Bart Ewing is now the reigning basketball champ, and he's only 15 years old. The five-hour marathon in the finals of basketball contrasted noticeably with the advanced football final, which, was all over in 45 minutes. The new basketball rules (with the greatly reduced playing time elements and elimination of moat or the pawn moving) will certainly be a welcome edition. Right Brad and Bart, both of whom were rollin' dice as the clock struck: 4 a.m. Sunday? NEXT MONTH: Pictures of the convention held at Champaign-Urbane, IL, will be presented in the October issue of the Strat-O-Matic Review. Also, report of the meeting that took place at the convention regarding a Strat-O-Matic "Union".
(Notes from the Wolfman: So we were able to successfully host our own convention and the people who attended told us they really enjoyed themselves. Therefore we thought, why not go for another one in 1975 and since we had the club setup and knew the ropes, we setup another convention again. We still had hopes that one day, perhaps the Game Company or the Review would come back and offer their own convention. We hoped by offering this events, that they would see the strong interest by SOM game players all over the country to participate in national tournaments. However, as you will continue to read through the next few years, this unfortunately didn't happen again. If someone would have told me in 1974 we would still being organizations through 1980, I wouldn't have believed them. However, being the devoted gamers we were (we had a really good group of people from Chicago helping us to continue), we were determined to keep the tradition going , no matter what. Once again, please find a link below to read the report of the 1975 Convention as it was published in the Strat-o-matic Review:)
1975 Strat-o-matic
Convention #4 A View of the 1974 National Convention (written by Elizabeth Walters, our only female contestant)  (click above)
To correspond with the "Wolfman" feel free to send him an email at:
To view the leagues that the "Wolfman" is competing
in, feel free to visit:
To read the article entitled "The Wolfman's Return to SOM", which
deals
Or to read his article about Wolfman's first experience at the
Star Tournaments http://www.v-j-enterprises.com/startournament_chi1.html
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