Trading Card Baseball (1959)

This is a relatively complex die-rolling version of baseball. Pitcher rolls 1D6: 1-3 = ball; 4-6 = strike. Batter may take or swing. If he swings, rolls 1D6: matching the pitch number is a square hit; rolling an adjacent number is a weak hit. On a hit, player rolls 3D6 for a weak hit and 4D6 for a square hit. The total indicates a location on the field, each of which is either an out or has a picture of a die with a target number from 2 to 6. The defending player rolls a D6, and if he rolls >= the target number, the player is out. If not, the batter gets at least one base. The defender rolls again, adding the result to the previous, and if the total still fails to reach the target number, the runner gets another base and a third roll is made. Batting totals of 19, 22 and 24 are home runs. The unique feature of the game is that it is designed to be played with regular baseball trading cards, so that players can use their favorite real-life players in their line-ups and keep statistics on their performance over a season. The game includes 18 generic cards (2 for each position) that can be used as is, or customized with names. There are additional rules for double and triple plays, sacrifice bunts, base stealing, clutch pitching and slugging.