The Pastime League (Deadball)

[MoonlightGraham]

Hi, everyone.

I've recently discovered a very intriguing baseball game that's played with a set of roleplaying dice. It's called Deadball. It's the creation of W.M. Akers, a writer and game designer who sought to create a fun, playable game that captures the essence of baseball. After rolling a few "spring training" games, I think he's achieved his goal.

Deadball can be played with real or fictional players. It lends itself beautifully to the creation of fictional leagues, and that's what I've decided to do. I'm calling my creation the Pastime League.

The eight cities of the Pastime League are completely fictional. They're located somewhere in the United States, in a part of the country where summer nights can be cool and refreshing. They aren't big cities; they're more like good-sized towns. The local team is an integral part of the town's life, part of its identity and a source of civic pride.

The league is set in the present, but my version of the present is, admittedly, ideal. People have smartphones, but they don't stare at them constantly. If They'll choose an outing at the ballpark, with family and friends, over just about any other outdoor activity. At a Pastime League game, you'll see all kinds of people. Grey-haired couples, married for years, sit in the same seats they occupied on their first date, 45 years ago. A family with young kids sits beside three young men who work together at a warehouse. In front of them are a dentist, with his son and grandson. You'll see people keeping score and, if you decide to keep a scorecard, the fans seated around you will gladly tell you what happened if you miss a play.

The people who run the Pastime League know about the analytical side of baseball management, but the style of play looks like something from the 1980s. There's an appealing mixture of pitching and hitting, slugging and speed.

Pastime League cities are located close enough together to travel easily by train. There's something appealing to me about ballclubs traveling this way. A team can board a train after a day game and arrive at its next destination in time for a good night's rest. Or, they can leave in the morning and get to the ballpark in time for an evening game.

I'm not yet sure about the kind of story I'll tell about the Pastime League. I might cover the league as a whole, creating a chronicle of its history, year by year. I might pick one team and follow its fortunes in greater depth. Or I might choose a single player, and focus on his career. Whatever I choose, I'm hoping I'll have fun with it, and if you read along, I hope you'll have fun, too.

I'll be back soon with some information about the eight clubs that make up the Pastime League.

P.S. I'll be continuing Graham Sims' FBCB story, too.

[MoonlightGraham]

Here are the eight teams of the Pastime League.


Bridgeley Paladins
There was a bridge at the site of what became the city of Bridgeley before there was a settlement there. The beautiful stone bridge that spans the Bagley River is a popular site for tourists.


Clarendon Red Lilies
There's something about the soil near Clarendon that has made it the center of a thriving nursery industry. Clarendon farms produce dozens of varieties of lilies.


Coventry Colonials
Coventry was founded in 1636, making it the oldest town in the region. The historic area of Coventry features about a dozen buildings that were built as long ago as the mid-1700s.


Linden Heavyweights
This team takes its name from a bear who was occasionally sighted in the forests around the city of Linden over a century ago. Named "Heavyweight," the bruin was said to be the largest bear old-timers had ever seen, and nobody ever harmed him.


Riverglade Willows
Riverglade fans chose the name "Willows" to honor the beautiful willow trees that line the banks of the Bagley River as it winds past their town.


St. Crispin Terriers
In 1902, a writer praised the scrappy, undersized players of the St. Crispin club as a "pack of terriers." The name stuck, and the local teams have been known as the Terriers ever since.


South Shore Whistlers
The original "South Shore Whistler" was a vaudeville star of the early 1900s named Hugh Lampshire, who wore a resplendent auburn mustache, whistled popular tunes, and imitated a wide array of bird calls.


Stonewich Dreamers
The quiet town of Stonewich was the birthplace of Henry Shelton, who wrote the beloved song, "Dream With Me." Shelton was also a talented amateur pitcher.


My next step will be creating the 200-odd players I'll need to stock the rosters of these clubs. That might take a while, and I'll return once I'm finished.

[JetsIn06]

Deadball is a great game! The writing and vibe of the rule book is fantastic, and I love how easy it is to create a team of fictional players by rolling dice.