| WSUCougar |
03-18-2004 09:48 AM |
This is an old article, but still worth reading:
Quote:
The lead pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies is a wargamer.
Not only is Curt Schilling a gamer, but he plays Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) and, like another famous personality, he liked it so much that "he bought the company."
Curt Schilling is the lead pitcher for the Phillies and the founder and head of Multi-Man Publishing Company. They are the current and future producers of Advanced Squad Leader, Great Campaigns of the Civil War and, hopefully, several other classic titles formerly produced by The Avalon Hill Game Company.
In a recent telephone interview, Schilling, the right-handed pitcher who just turned 33, explained that he got into wargames originally as "a childhood hobby." He says he picked up a copy of Panzerblitz from a hobby store bench when he was 10, and then moved on to play Squad Leader – and he has not stopped playing since. A native of Anchorage, Alaska, the 6'4" 215-lb professional athlete plays in more than 160 ball games a year, but still has time (at least in the off season) for board games. He plays with his old friends Brian Youse and Carl Fago, and a few other guys. What do they play? Avalon Hill games – especially Advanced Squad Leader.
I did not ask Schilling if his career stats at ASL match those of his baseball career (99 wins, 83 losses in 12 years since debuting in 1988), but it is apparent that he likes gaming almost as much – and perhaps even more – than baseball.
Schilling liked that game so much that a few years ago he went to Baltimore and tried to buy the rights to ASL. He says he was not happy with the support ASL was getting and he wanted to do it right. Jack and Eric Dott, then the owners of The Avalon Hill Game Company, rebuffed his original offer, but then inquired if he wanted to "do it out of house." Schilling turned to Youse and joined Multi-Man Publishing. Unbeknownst to most people in the hobby, Multi-Man took over publishing ASL support materials as early as 1996.
When Hasbro took over Avalon Hill, Schilling pitched his proposal to Hasbro and "we were rewarded – or punished" (he laughs) by getting the license.
Schilling put his own money into this operation and told me that when he is done with baseball, he would like to make this his full-time career.
Only 33, Schilling is sure to have a number of good seasons left in him – even if he did miss the last two months of the '99 season because of a sore shoulder. Sports writers blame that injury on Schilling's being overworked. In an October interview with the Associated Press, Schilling is quoted as saying that he wanted "more depth" in the pitching staff.
The same is true at Multi-Man. In the game team, at least, he appears to have plenty of the "depth" he needs.
Multi-Man, which Schilling says is "five guys and a wife" (Brian's wife, LuAnn) has been contacting designers, gamers and artists in the field to playtest and polish the ASL line. Schilling says that off-season he spends about three hours a day on the phone, talking to distributors, stores and other game-related business people. He also puts in about eight hours at his computer, working on ASL and other items acquired from Hasbro.
Schilling was back at Hasbro last month for more negotiations. He says they are a good bunch of guys, and want to keep the hobby alive. Only a handful of the classic AH titles will get the Hasbro treatment (plastic, toys, big print runs, mass market advertising campaigns), and that Hasbro knows this. They don't want to see the classic line die out. Hasbro's top boardgame executive, Mike Hirtle, says this is a "no lose" situation for both companies, and that gamers (like Hirtle and Schilling and the rest of us ) will be the big winners.
After extensive but pleasant negotiations with Hasbro, Multi-Man has acquired the rights to produce the entire ASL line. Schilling says the comprehensive ASL 2nd Edition rule book will be out in April.
Multi-Man Publishing is not stopping at ASL; they have already moved ahead with Joe Balkoski and Ed Beach, the designers of the Great Campaigns of the Civil War series. A number of other top AH games will come out under Multi-Man's banner, and although Schilling talked freely about the titles and deals, he did so "off the record." You will have to wait a few weeks until Schilling, Youse and the rest of the boys (and the wife) at Multi-Man spring the news.
For now, go check out their web site at Advanced Squad Leader.
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