Through the years...

Thanks for this thread. Nice to put a little context to some of the names of the players I have been stealing ideas from for years.

Elias Stern is my name. 51 years old, born in Cleveland but living in Washington DC for 25ish years now. I work in exhibits production for the Smithsonian. I first played the board game as a kid with my dad and brothers and after they lost interest, by my self. Started playing online at the very end of ATGI, took a little break when the game moved from TSN to strat, but I couldn't stay away.

Thanks for this thread. Nice to put a little context to some of the names of the players I have been stealing ideas from for years.

Elias Stern is my name. 51 years old, born in Cleveland but living in Washington DC for 25ish years now. I work in exhibits production for the Smithsonian. I first played the board game as a kid with my dad and brothers and after they lost interest, by my self. Started playing online at the very end of ATGI, took a little break when the game moved from TSN to strat, but I couldn't stay away.

Hey Elias- Im in DC-
and have played a few gigs at various Smithsonians over the year most recently the Portrait museum maybe 2 years ago
, also we are about the same age.

Thanks for this thread. Nice to put a little context to some of the names of the players I have been stealing ideas from for years.

Elias Stern is my name. 51 years old, born in Cleveland but living in Washington DC for 25ish years now. I work in exhibits production for the Smithsonian. I first played the board game as a kid with my dad and brothers and after they lost interest, by my self. Started playing online at the very end of ATGI, took a little break when the game moved from TSN to strat, but I couldn't stay away.

Hey Elias- Im in DC-
and have played a few gigs at various Smithsonians over the year most recently the Portrait museum maybe 2 years ago
, also we are about the same age.

Howdy Neighbor

Thanks for this thread. Nice to put a little context to some of the names of the players I have been stealing ideas from for years.

Elias Stern is my name. 51 years old, born in Cleveland but living in Washington DC for 25ish years now. I work in exhibits production for the Smithsonian. I first played the board game as a kid with my dad and brothers and after they lost interest, by my self. Started playing online at the very end of ATGI, took a little break when the game moved from TSN to strat, but I couldn't stay away.

Hey Elias- Im in DC-
and have played a few gigs at various Smithsonians over the year most recently the Portrait museum maybe 2 years ago
, also we are about the same age.

Howdy Neighbor

Do you live in the city too? Im in the Columbia heights/Petworth area

Well my player name is the offset of my real name, Chuck Wannop. I have really enjoyed this thread and got in late because I had pretty much punched out reading the posts. This certainly makes the game much more human and made me think who the heck I am. I started playing with my good buddy back in 68 with the 62, 65 and 67 sets and was hooked right away. Later we played all kinds of seasons, especially the Old Timers with my favorite being the 30 season. I have the paper stats somewhere in the attic.
My Strat addiction didn't help my grades much but I was able to graduate from HS without a clue on what to do. Working Buffalo winters in construction pointed me to college which was a lot more fun. I ended up back in a factory and decided to join the Army which was the best move I ever made. Honestiago, I was an O5H, copying morse code in Hawaii looking towards China. I didn't get in any combat in the sands of Hawaii but was able to get a masters in counseling degree at Chaminade. My claim to fame is that I worked at the same facility about 20 years before Snowden duped all his intel. I missed the lovely Buffalo weather so I moved back home.
After working at a prehistoric community mental health center in Buffalo, I was hired by the VA and started a PTSD program with 2 other brilliant Vet colleagues. It was stone age tools back then in 1992 and I had to turn my head around after being raised by a WWII Marine forward observer. He had been a patient on the same psychiatric floor I worked on years ago when I was a kid and I now was working with all combat Vets. We eventually moved on up to a much better facility in Batavia NY. It was a roller coaster experience hearing Vets stories, bonding and then starting all over with another group of 8. I found my moods cycling to when they would come and go.
After 6 years I decided to move to Williamsport PA with the more pro Vet organization known as the Vet Center. I have been with my extremely supportive wife for 43 years and have raised 3 outstanding son's who I am very proud of. I just learned yesterday that my youngest athletic 18 year old son has been accepted into a fast track ROTC program which will pay for his college at Pitt.
So now I can retire. Reality has hit me and I am caught up with all kinds of emotions, especially after working today and seeing Vets that I have worked with for years, some 22. That's how good a therapist I am! I do not have any specific plans, want to travel and be a free agent. Maybe buy a pick up truck.
First order of business is the Barnstormer league, and like many years before I start out real good and then take a shit at 100 million. This year is gonna be different!
Oh, I got a pal who I used to play Strato with as a kid and introduced him to the Barnstormers -Hank Henry... Bruce you're up!

.......and got to witness Frank Viola's greatness as well - the memorable pitching duel with Ron Darling of Yale being the highlight game way back in 1981......

Here is a look back at the game on its 40th anniversary. With some commentary by Roger Angell.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/bas ... 0-years-on

Love this thread. My name is Tony Toscano, I'm 63 years old and have lived in Minnesota my entire life. I have been married for 40 years, have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Our youngest child (26) is autistic and lives at home with my wife and I, which takes up a lot of our time and makes most other everyday things a little more difficult. My first experience with strat was as a kid when I purchased 1967 set. Played for hours on end with friends and truly enjoyed the game. Completely lost track of the game until I stumbled upon the online game several years ago. I tried the Barnstormers Tournament in 2014 and have played (although not that well) ever since. I am still trying to figure out many of the strategies in the game but am enjoying the process. Barnstormers is all I play and even that is almost more than I can keep up with. I hope to continue to improve my game but most of all am just looking forward to more fun.

So most of you won’t know me at all but I’m getting there. I joined 365 last year as I needed some baseball without the real thing happening and my friend Hamilton brought me over. I have played mostly with friends I’ve met along the way in private leagues but have started branching out into things like the mystery tournament (in which I performed horribly) and barnstormers (which I’m doing ok so far). Also joined one of Andy’s continuous leagues (13).

I played Strat a little in college but not a whole lot. Played a computer version of sim baseball back on my Apple II+ (48K) back in the 80s. Even did a Bill James simulated league where they would mail you the results every two weeks (I think it was with Stats Inc).

As for me I’m 9 years into my second marriage. Going well most of the time. Which puts me ahead of the game I think. Have a 21 year old junior daughter at Allegheny College with my first wife, a 17 year old junior in high school step son with the second and a four year old to complete the yours, mine and ours. I’m on my sixth career at this point. Went to law school did my internships, passed the bar and walked away. Went into baseball, grounds crew in Little Rock (Arkansas Travelers AA), concessions in Wilmington De (Wilmington Blue Rocks AA). Concessions at Kemper Arena in Kansas City and Concessions in Davenport IA (Quad City River Bandits). Got married and couldn’t drag a family around the country so came home and joined the travel agency that my mother and uncle owned. Then came 9/11 and a struggling industry died. So my wife and I founded a barter exchange. Built it up for two years as the marriage fell apart. Left her the business and started rehabbing houses. Which was fine in 2005 when I could get loans as needed. By 2008 loans became almost nonexistent except under certain circumstances and while I pushed on for a few years it was using my money and constantly living hand to mouth while a project was ongoing. Nice check at the end but it wasn’t sustainable that way. So I jumped into the insurance game. I’ve been 9 years here and at 52 expect to retire from it eventually. I do mostly Medicare and life and the reality is, for most people, I know more about Medicare than everyone you’ve ever spoken with combined. I can talk on Medicare or a life insurance for hours on end but most people would rather I didn’t so I talk about baseball, my true passion, instead. I wrote several baseball team histories when I got divorced 15 years ago and I’m thinking about rewriting them again. Never published them but they were fun for me to do.

Still learning the HAL stuff and I might be improving but we shall see Hope to see you guys around

I think this is the most amazing thread ever posted here. Tremendous nod of the cap to Last Druid, who's elicited so many cool mini bios of fellow players. Round of applause to everyone who offered up

I'm just jealous that other Strat owners live such interesting lives. Who knew!