I have invented 3 table top games in my lifetime. My first, a football game. I was 15 years old, living in Boston when I invented Foto Football which was picked up by a huge game company ( Cadaco Ellis )I was "bought out"for $5,000...a big sum for a 15 year old boy in 1957. My second game was a soccer game. I built the original stadium in San Francisco in
1965 and was "Commissioner" of the league for 5 years in San Francisco. My third game was a baseball game which I invented in Petaluma in 1971.
I received a U.S. Patent in 1974. I started a " league"
in 1971 and took on a partner in 1974. Dennis Stearns a long time friend and VERY talented designer, artist and builder helped me to take my game to a whole new level. We built 20 custom stadiums for some very elite folks...such as ; George Lucas, Huey Lewis, Bill Graham , rock star Steve Miller and 1987 N.L. Cy Young award winner Steve Bedrosian. I met my partner Dennis Stearns back in the Haight Ashbury in 1967...he was a brilliant artist
who did, among other things, Rock posters for the Straight Theater on Haight St. He started working for George Lucas in 1975 and oversaw the building of Skywalker Ranch and still works for George to this day.
We needed a name for our baseball game...one day while building our second stadium it came to us...
" Get Small Baseball "...BRILLIANT ! I formed a league
in 1971 which was comprised of 16 teams. 8 in the American League and 8 in the National League. Each team had an owner...such as Chris Samson ( owner of the Yankees) myself ( owner of the Red Sox). Each team played a 20 game season followed by a playoff
series and the finalists going to a 3 out of 5 game World Series. The "league" was made up of characters from ALL walks of life...I, being the Commisioner, hand picked the "owners". We had policemen, rock musicians, an insurance manager, an Xray technician, guys from the medical profession, a karate champion...ALL great guys!
Every Opening Day, we drew close to 1,000 people to our property on Dickson Hill here in Petaluma. We would set up 3 stadiums outdoors on our 1 acre lot.
One stadium was for the parents and their kids to play on. The other 2 stadiums were for actual league games that the fans could watch. Opening Day ceremonies included the singing of the National Anthem by one of my " special guests", a short
speech by the mayor, a short speech by the commissioner and the guest dignitary throwing out the first ball. Some of the special guests included,
Stan Musial, Rollie Fingers and 1987 National League
Cy Young award winner Steve Bedrosian. After Opening Day, we would move into the 50 foot 3 floor water tower on our property ...the home of " Get Small Baseball." I made sure that everyone who ever
attended a game sign his name on the water tower wall.
After 17 years of attendance, we had hundreds of names on the tower's walls...such as...rock stars Huey Lewis, Steve Miller, Elvin Bishop, Mickey Thomas and Buddy Miles...baseball stars...Stan Musial, Rollie Fingers and Steve Bedrosian.
Opening day drew the media as well. Channels 2,3(Sacto),4,5,7,36 and 55...Bay Area Backroads,( 5 times)
Evening Magazine, the S.F. Chronicle,
the S.F. Examiner, the Press Democrat and our own
Argus-Courier. Popcorn was sold from Rob Hilligoss'
1937 popcorn truck, the Petaluma Market served various savory treats and Lagunitas Brewing provided the beer and commemorative "T" shirts were sold. One year the Fire Dept. set up some grandstands for the fans to view the games.
Once the playoffs started, we would hook up closed circuit television in the tower so fans on the first and second floors could enjoy watching the game that was played on the top floor. We would get 75 fans in the tower screaming and yelling for an entire game.
By the end of our "run"in 1990, we had gotten tons of recognition in the Bay Area and abroad. We were hoping to market the game after having made 20 stadiums for such people as Bill Graham, George Lucas, Steve Bedrosian and Steve Miller but in 1990
I had to call a "rainout" as my 2 year old son was fighting for his life battling leukemia.
It has been 18 years since the " rainout" but maybe some day in the future, we will hear the call of..."let's
GET SMALL!" At that time I will dust off my old stadium, which hosted hundreds of games, and we can start Spring Training.
If there is anyone out there who might be interested in talking to me about marketing this fabulous game,
please contact me at pwelker@sonic.net
Until my next " Petaluma Flashback"...