US3734501A

US3734501A - Baseball game

Info

Publication number: US3734501A
Application number: US00131249A
Authority: US
Inventors: Monica J La
Original assignee: MONICA J
Current assignee: MONICA J
Priority date: 1971-04-05
Filing date: 1971-04-05
Publication date: 1973-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-22

Abstract

This invention pertains to a baseball game which provides a game board, including indicia generally representative of a typical baseball diamond, two sets of dice, one representing each team and a compartmented ''''dug-out'''' tray for each set of dice. Each set of dice is of a distinctive color and includes nine dice, representing the nine regular batters, and one dice representing a pitcher, one a relief pitcher and one a pinch hitter. All of the dice contain indicia on each facet which indicates various circumstances occasioned during the active playing of a baseball game. The game is controlled generally by rolling the ''''pitcher'''' dice of the ''''out'''' team and the indicia appearing on the ''''up'''' side of the ''''pitcher'''' dice sequentially controls the fate of the ''''batter'''' dice of the ''''up'''' team as they come to bat in a prearranged batting order. The game progresses and is scored in general accord with regular baseball rules.

Description

United States Patent 1 La Monica 54] BASEBALL GAME [76] Inventor: John La Monica, 3387 Mary St.,

Coconut Grove, Miami, Fla.

[22] Filed: Apr. 5, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 131,249

OTHER PUBLICATIONS All Star Baseball Mfg. by Cadaco-Ellis lnc. see Sears 1968 Christmas Catalog p. 468 and Playthings 4/60, page 3.

[111 3,73451 1 May 22,1973

Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerPaul E. Shapiro AttorneyJohn Cyril Malloy [57] ABSTRACT mented dug-out" tray for each set of dice. Each setof dice is of a distinctive color and includes nine dice, representing the nine regular batters, and one dice representing a pitcher, one a relief pitcher and one a pinch hitter. All of the dice contain indicia on each facet which indicates various circumstances occasioned during the active playing of a baseball game. The game is controlled generally by rolling the pitcher dice of the out team and the indicia appearing on the up side of the pitcher dice sequentially controls the fate of the batter dice of the up team as they come to bat in a prearranged batting order. The game progresses and is scored in general accord with regular baseball rules.

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SWING S RIKE STRIKE QNIMS BXIHJS BASEBALL GAME STATE OF THE PRIOR ART Many types of baseball games have been devised in the past ranging from, a pin ball type of game in which a small ball is released and directed toward a batter, to games controlled by cards having printed indicia and battery operated devices which spin dials which contain indicia, directed to various circumstances which arise during the progress of a ball game. Many of the games were quite complicated and expensive to make, some more unrealistic in concept and became boring to the participants after a short period of time because the outcome was left completely to change, providing no actual control of the respective teams by the participants. Other baseball games provided unrealistically high final scores and still others provided means which made scoring so difficult it dimmed the interest of the participants.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The baseball game of the present invention was devised to provide a game which is generally played according to regular baseball rules and provides realistic scores in accord with those occurring in real baseball games. This invention further provides a baseball game in which each participant has a lineup of nine batters, each having different batting averages, the average results obtained by each batter?batter"being substantially commensurate with his average. In this manner, varying results can be obtained by various arrangements of the batting order, thereby providing interest to the game by introducing an element of skill in devising the most proficient batting order as determined by the respective batting averages of each player.

Each batter is represented by a dice and each team includes nine dice representing the nine batters, one dice for the pitcher, one for a relief pitcher and one for a pinch hitter.

Each dice has six facets and each of the batter dice contain indicia on each facet which indicates various circumstances which may result from a time at bat. Each dice has a different batting average and the indicia on the dice is determined by the batting average, the higher the batting average, the more favorable are the results provided by the indicia thereon.

Each pitcher and relief pitcher dice provides indicia on each facet which indicates either a strike or a swing. The game consists of nine innings with each team having an up at bat and an out in the field turn in each inning. The participant representing the out team rolls his pitcher" dice and if a strike appears on the top facet for three consecutive rolls the up" batter is struck out, if it indicates a swing, the participant, representing the up team, rolls the batter dice" positioned at home plate, and the indicia appearing on the top facet indicates the results of that time at bat. The batter" dice provide a variety of indicia indicating a variety of results ranging from, strike outs, walks, various kinds of hits ranging from singles to a home run, and various conventional kinds of outs." Some facets include supplemental indicia to determine the fate of base runners, for instance, when the batter" hits a single or double or grounds or flies out.

The pinch hitter dice contain indicia similar to the regular batter" dice and the game progresses according to regular baseball rules and runs are scored and outs made as dictated by the dice indicia.

Each team is provided with a compartmented dugout tray for all of its players, each tray providing two parallel rows of compartments for maintaining the batting order in its preselected order at all times as well as removable tabs indicating the batting averages for the respective player dice. Additional space is provided in each tray for the pitcher, relief pitcher and pinch hitter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the baseball game board of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a compartmented dug-out tray with the various player dice and batting average tabs contained therein;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the game board, indicating the manner in which a typical player dice is nested within a cut-out recess as provided at home plate and first, second and third bases;

FIG. 4 is a layout view of a typical batter dice; and

FIG. 5 is a layout view of a typical pitcher" dice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like or similar parts throughout the various views, the numeral 10 generally indicates the game board of the present invention which includes indicia generally representative of a typical baseball diamond. The infield is indicated at 12, the outfield at 14, the fowl lines at 16 and 18, the catchers box 20, the pitchers mound 22 and cut-out recesses 24, 26, 28 and 30 indicating home plate and first, second and third base respectively.

FIG. 2 illustrates a typical compartmented dug-out tray 32 containing all of the dice 34 representing one baseball team. It is to be understood that at least two trays 32 and sets of dice 34 are provided with the game, however, as they are exact duplicates only one has been illustrated which will be described in the singular.

The tray 32 provides a bottom wall 36, front and back walls 38 and 40, a longitudinal partition 42 and a plurality of transverse partitions 44 which divide the main body portion thereof into two parallel longitudinal rows of 9 compartments each, the front row compartments being designated 46 and the back row compartments 48.

Each team 34 includes nine batter dice 50 which are normally positioned in one of the rows, preferably the front row, at the start of the game. A slide way 52 is provided in the front of the tray adjacent each batter" dice which is adapted to removably receive a tab 54 which displays the batting average 56 of each of the batter dice.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each batter dice also displays a batting average as at 58 and the batting average tabs 54 are disposed relative to the batter dice to indicate the batting average displayed on the respective dice 50.

Each batter" dice provides six facets and, as illustrated by the layout view in FIG. 4 of one of these dice, each facet indicates the batting average of that particular dice such as 0.345. In addition, each facet of each batter dice provides indicia 60 presenting the result of one time at bat. The indicia 60 in addition to indicating the direct result to the batter dice, indicates,

when necessary, the resulting action of base runners. For example, when a batter walks, triples or hits a home run, the resulting action of base runners is well known by anyone familiar with baseball, but when a batter dice hits a single, double, flies or grounds out, the advance, if any, made by base runners is variable and in all such circumstances is indicated on the batter dice as seen in FIG. 4. Various other plays such as ground outs", force outs, double plays", etc. are indicated.

While a layout is illustrated for only one of the batter dice, each one provides indicia on all six facets indicating various results of a time at bat, however, as illustrated in FIG. 2, each batter dice is provided with a different batting average" and in keeping with the game of baseball, the indicia on the high batting average dice provides more favorable results, providing more hits and runs, than the lower average dice. For instance, on the 0.345 average dice illustrated, five of the six facets provide favorable results while the lowest batting average dice may provide but one facet indicating a favorable result with the intermediate average dice providing favorable results in direct proportion to their respective averages.

Each tray 34 provides an enlarged end compartment 62 for a pitcher dice 64, relief pitcher dice 66 and a pinch hitter dice 68. The pinch hitter dice contains indicia much like the regular batter dice but may not include a batting average. As illustrated in the layout in FIG. 5, each pitcher dice preferably provides swing or strike on all six facets. FIG. 5 illustrates the indicia on the regular pitcher dice, providing swing on three facets and strike on three facets, however, this proportion of swing and strike facets may be varied on the relief pitcher, dice to give him an advantage over the regular pitcher dice. For instance strike may be on five of the facets and swing" on only one.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the 0.345 batting average dice 58 nested in one of the cut-out recesses such as 24 as previously described.

Two or four people can play the game, if four play, they act as two teams of two. One pitches for each team and acts as score keeper when his team is up and the other player for each team handles the batters".

Each of the team dice comprising the nine regular batters" may be of a distinctive color and the regular pitcher," pinch hitter and relief pitcher may likewise be of various distinctive colors.

At the outset of the game, each side arranges any desired batting order of nine batters" longitudinally in the front compartments 46 and places the tabs 54 respective to the batter dice to clearly indicate the batting averages to their opponent or opponents.

Various methods can be devised to determine which team is at bat first, for instance one player may make a blind choice between two different color dice with a prearranged color giving the player a choice or making the actual determination.

The batting orders are preferably arranged from left to right in the opponents respective trays 34. The person representing the team which is at bat places his lead off batter" dice in the recess 24 at home plate and his opponent rolls his pitcher" dice. If a strike appears on the top facet thereof he continues to roll the pitcher dice until he either throws three consecutive strikes, or swing" appears on the top facet. If

swing appears before three strikes are thrown the person representing the batter picks his dice out of the home plate recess and rolls it and does whatever is indicated on the top facet of his batter dice. This procedure is followed by both sides for nine innings and outs are made and runs are scored as provided by the indicia on the batter dice as previously described and the team scoring the most runs wins, with extra innings being played to bring the game to a decision in the event of a nine inning tie.

Each time a batter is out or scores, the dice are sequentially placed in a compartment of the back row of the dug-out tray corresponding to the front row compartment from which it was removed, so that the entire batting orders eventually are positioned in the back row at which time the process is reversed and the dice are sequentially moved back to the front row after each out or run. This facilitates retaining the same batting order throughout the game.

The dice always indicate the action of the runners on base under circumstances when the amount of advance by a runner or runners is in doubt.

Various rules may be applied to the game regarding the insertion of a pinch hitter or relief pitcher for instance, the pinch hitter may replace any batter in the line up from the beginning of the sixth inning until the end of the game. He remains in the line up and takes his regular turn in the order of the hitter be replaced. Another rule could provide for the pinch hitter dice to be rolled immediately without being pitched to.

As stated previously, the relief pitcher dice may provide five strike facets and only one swing facet, in which event both sides would be limited to using the relief pitcher dice for any two innings of the game, but in only two innings after the opposing team has scored at least one run in the inning.

While a preferred form of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1: The structural elements of a baseball game comprising,

A. a game board providing 1. indicia representing a baseball diamond including, a. a path defined by home plate and first, second and third base positions;

B. at least two sets of play pieces representing two baseball teams, each set including at least nine play pieces, representing batters, for individual movement about said path,

C. at least one play piece representing a pitcher,

D. each of said batter and pitcher play pieces comprising a dice including six facets, and various indicia on each of said facets indicating respectively a result of a time at bat or a pitch by a pitcher, and

E. a compartmented tray for each of said sets of dice providing front and back longitudinal, parallel rows of compartments, each of said compartments being sized to receive one dice with each row providing one compartment for each of said batter dice.

2. The structural elements of a baseball game as defined in claim 1 in which a portion of said indicia on each of said facets of each of said batter dice comprises a batting average.

3. The structural elements of a baseball game as defined in claim 2 including a plurality of tabs and means adjacent each of said compartments in said front row for slidably receiving one of said tabs, each of said tabs including indicia consisting of a batting average corresponding to the batting average of said batter dice in said adjacent compartment.

4. The structural elements of a baseball game as defined in claim 1 in which each of said sets of dice includes one dice representing a relief pitcher and one tinctive color.

Claims

1. INDICIA REPRESENTING A BASEBALL DIAMOND INCLUDING, A. A PATH DEFINED BY HOME PLATE AND FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD BASE POSITIONS; B. at least two sets of play pieces representing two baseball teams, each set including at least nine play pieces, representing batters, for individual movement about said path, C. at least one play piece representing a pitcher, D. each of said batter and pitcher play pieces comprising a dice including six facets, and various indicia on each of said facets indicating respectively a result of a time at bat or a pitch by a pitcher, and E. a compartmented tray for each of said sets of dice providing front and back longitudinal, parallel rows of compartments, each of said compartments being sized to receive one dice with each row providing one compartment for each of said batter dice.

4. The structural elements of a baseball game as defined in claim 1 in which each of said sets of dice includes one dice representing a relief pitcher and one dice representing a pinch hitter.

5. The structural elements of a baseball game as defined in claim 4 in which each of said compartmented trays provides an enlarged compartment for the reception of said pitcher dice, relief pitcher dice and pinch hitter dice.

6. The structural elements of a baseball game as defined in claim 4 in which the dice representing the pitcher, relief pitcher and pinch hitter are each of a distinctive color.