APBA New Year Resolutions

What would New Year's Day be without making resolutions that, invariably, end up broken within a few weeks.

We all make the same ones annually as if the turning of a calendar page exonerates the sins of our previous years and hits the reset button of life. The ritualistic pledges to lose weight, stop smoking, be kinder and cut the cursing are popular and righteous, but they are also far-fetched. It's hard to bust habits that have been going on for lifetimes.

It's also hard to view Jan. 1 as a new beginning, a chance to redeem oneself and take charge of his or her new life while glued to the television watching the plethora of football games. We should get a pass for New Year's Day and start the promising stuff on Jan. 2.

With all that in mind, I offer my APBA New Year Resolutions. Obviously, losing weight is atop the list. I do that every year. I also resolve to quit smoking. Since I've never smoked in my life, I think I'll be able to maintain that one.

These resolutions are more sports-based, and shouldn't life be that way?

So, here are is the 2014 version of my APBA resolutions.

1. Play more games. That's a given for everyone who plays the APBA sports games. We have scores of seasons to replay, but not enough time. I'm not advocating quitting a job or forsaking eating, bathing or socializing to garner more time for the games. I resolve to just pick up a few more games a day instead of lazing around in front of the television, or staring into space, or zoning out, or just wasting time.

2. Diversify. For the past 15 years, I've mainly played the APBA baseball games. I began this great hobby with the football game and then a year later I began my obsession with the old basketball game. I picked up hockey in 1993 and played that constantly for the ensuing five years. It's time to bring out those other games again. I really want to roll a few basketball games again to recreate what I loved as a kid.

3. Maybe, just maybe, do stats on my next replay. I know, readers of this blog will be stunned. I've done stats before, but each time my computer has crashed. I'm not techno savvy enough to save statistical work on backup drives or Google sites. I may end up doing pen to paper stats. I know it sounds old time, but so be it. If I can find my slide rule and bread loaf-sized Texas Instruments calculator, I may just do stats on my next replay.

4. Convince my editor at the newspaper where I work to get into APBA. He's considered doing it a couple of years ago, but has yet to make up his mind. He's a huge baseball fan and I know he'd like playing the game. But, two years to decide upon a game? Sheesh, I'd hate to see him debate over buying a car or a house. It'd take decades. I have never met anyone in person before who plays APBA. Might be nice to get another Arkansan involved in the game.

5. Buy another season of baseball. I have card sets for each decade, but I have a few gaps between years. For example, the only season set I have for the 1940s decade is 1942. The next year I own is 1950. Maybe I could buy 1947, the first year Jackie Robinson played, to bridge that gap. I also have a space between 1932 and 1942. The 1938 set, with Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg and his 58 home runs, Jimmie Foxx and the rest would be fun.

6. Play a season with Ralph Kiner. In all the years I've done APBA baseball replays, I've never rolled an at bat for Pirates, Cubs and Indians outfielder and first baseman Kiner. His career stretched between 1946 and 1954. I've played the 1957 season and am on the 1942 season. I own 1950 and 1954 seasons, so it's possible to play a season with him in it. Of course, finding time and juggling the other seasons around may be an issue.

So there are some resolutions for the 2014. Will I keep them all? Probably not. But then keeping other resolutions aren't easy either. These will be much easier to keep than losing weight or stopping smoking.