- BGG rank
- BGG #5,879
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Paydirt
- 1–2 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1970
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,650
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Sports Illustrated Baseball
1972
Rules assistance for Sports Illustrated Baseball
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 45 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Sports Illustrated Baseball
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sports Illustrated Baseball is a board game released in 1972 for 1–2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by David S. Neft and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Tabletop baseball simulation game. In 1971, Time Inc (owner of Sports Illustrated magazine) published their first baseball game, titled Sports Illustrated Major League Baseball. It included 20 players on each at-that-time current (1970 season) baseball team, presented on tri-fold color charts. The following two years, they released new editions to cover the most recent season. For 1972, they switched to teams of 25 players each, on double-sided color charts without folds. In 1973, The game title was changed to Pennant Race and the team roster size was reduced to 19 or 20 players per team. The team charts were replaced by individual player cards on perforated sheets, with no color coding. Also in 1972, Time released a set of 16 All-Time All-Star Team Charts (in the same style as that year's edition), for each of the original American League and National League franchises, each with the 25 "best" players from that team's long history. In 1973, the same All-Time charts were released in a separate All-Time All-Star Baseball game. This product was popular among tabletop managers. The All-Time All-Star game was then changed to an individual card format and retitled as Superstar Baseball. This was later transferred to The Avalon Hill Game Co when they picked up the entire line of sports games from Time. This also granted The Avalon Hill Game Co the right to use the words "A Sports Illustrated Game" on any The Avalon Hill Game Co sports product, even if it wasn't part of the original Time, Inc line of games, which led to some confusion for titles such as Baseball Strategy, Football Strategy, and Pro Golf. Special dice with results ranging from 10 through 39 (often called 10-39 Dice, see How to make a set of SIBB dice -- A Tutorial) were required to play this game, and sister games in the original Sports Illustrated sports simulation line.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
- Sports Illustrated
- Time Life
Questions and answers
Sports Illustrated Baseball supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Sports Illustrated Baseball is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Sports Illustrated Baseball for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Sports Illustrated Baseball has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Sports Illustrated Baseball belongs to these categories: Dice and Sports. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Sports Illustrated Baseball are: David S. Neft. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Sports Illustrated Baseball as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.