Hal Richman '58 is Hall-of-Famer

Hal Richman ’58, founder of the Strat-O-Matic, was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in a ceremony on March 27. The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum honors Jewish athletes, coaches, executives and others who have distinguished themselves in the world of sports.

Richman is celebrating 50 years with his famous invention, and recently introduced a 103-card Negro League All-Star set for the baseball board game. It uses dice, cards and player statistics to simulate play. Gamers, who act as team managers and fill their own rosters, role dice and consult the cards for results. Strat-O-Matic is the progenitor of today’s fantasy sports leagues; the game took off in 1962 and has since developed a cult-like following. There is even a Facebook page devoted to campaigning for Richman’s election into the Baseball Hall of Fame.