Abstract:
The present invention provides a truly entertaining user friendly board game of baseball, which captures the essential fundamentals and rules of baseball, easy to follow, with a simple structural configuration, and few structural elements. Since the board game of baseball of the present invention, does not demand intense concentration, it can be played leaving room for the players to engage in other aspects of an entertaining and friendly interaction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a board game of baseball and how to play said game. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0004]    Baseball board games are known in the prior art. However, past described baseball board games are rather non-user friendly because of hard to follow ways of playing and complex rules, and multiple structural configurations with several elements, as for example, card decks in which the individual cards can easily get lost, etc. In other cases of the prior art, baseball board games dilute the simple entertainment of the games for the sake of incorporating into said games non-essential elements as statistics. 
         [0005]    By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,914 to Lilien discloses a baseball board game, U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,409 to Mayorga discloses a baseball board game, U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,043 to Carter discloses a baseball board game, U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,569 to Frohlich discloses a baseball board game, U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,501 to La Monica discloses a baseball board game. 
         [0006]    While the prior art describes baseball board games, there is not a truly user friendly game, with a simple structural configuration, few elements, and easy to follow rules, but still capturing the essence of the game of baseball, therefore, maintaining a full entertainment value while playing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a truly entertaining user friendly board game of baseball, which captures the essential fundamentals and rules of baseball, easy to follow, with a simple structural configuration, and few structural elements. Since the board game of baseball of the present invention does not demand intense concentration, it can be played leaving room for the players to engage in other aspects of an entertaining and friendly interaction. 
         [0008]    Specifically, the present invention provides a board game of baseball comprising:
       A. A game board with a drawn baseball field on it;   B. A first random generator device, wherein said first random generator device represents a baseball pitch, wherein said first random generator device has imprinted outcomes from a baseball pitch thrown by a pitcher, and wherein the first random generator device when activated generates one of the outcomes;   C. A set of several additional random generator devices, wherein each additional random generator device represents one of the outcomes generated by the first random generator device, wherein each additional random generator device has imprinted plays resulting from one of the outcomes generated by the first random generator device, and wherein each additional random generator device when activated generates one of said plays;   D. A set of supplementary random generator devices; wherein said set of supplementary random generator devices comprised at least one supplementary random generator device, and wherein each one of the supplementary random generator devices represents one situation no directly related to a baseball pitch thrown by a pitcher, wherein each one of the supplementary random generator devices has imprinted results from said one situation, and wherein each one of the supplementary random generator devices when activated generates one the results from said one situation; and,   E. A scoring system to register outcomes, plays and scores according to baseball rules;       
 
         [0014]    Wherein the board game of baseball is played at least by two players, wherein the first of the players in a first step activates the first random generator device to generate one outcome, and immediately afterwards in a second step activates the additional random generator device representing that one outcome to generate a play, wherein the first step and the second step are repeated until reaching three outs, then, the second of the players repeats the first step and the second step until reaching three outs, and each one of the players takes turns alternatively to do the first and second steps until nine innings are completed, and if nine innings are completed and there is a tie game, until an extra inning ends with no tie game, and wherein the supplementary random generator device may be activated by the player that is taking one of the turns. 
         [0015]    In an additional aspect of the present invention, the board game of baseball comprises two tridimensional figures sets, wherein each of the two tridimensional figures sets has at least five figures, wherein the two tridimensional figures sets represent two opposing baseball teams, wherein one of the five figures on each set represents a pitcher, wherein another one of the five figures on each set corresponds to a batter taking a bat turn, and wherein the other three figures on each set correspond to runners on base. 
         [0016]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the board game of baseball comprises:
       A first random generator device representing a baseball pitch wherein said first random generator device is a dice which has six faces, wherein each one of the faces has a different color, wherein each face has imprinted an outcome for a total of six outcomes, wherein the outcomes are “strike”, “hit”, “ball”, “foul”, “out”, and “bunt”;   A set of additional random generator devices, wherein the set of additional random generator devices comprises five different colored dices, wherein each of the different colored additional random generator dices correspond to one face of the first random generator dice;   wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “hit” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “single”, “single”, “single”, “double”, “triple”, and “home run”, respectively;   wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “ball” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “ball”, “ball”, “ball”, “ball”, “ball hit batter”, and “wild pitch”, respectively;   wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “foul” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “foul”, “foul”, “foul”, “foul”, “flyball out”, and “out”, respectively;   wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “out” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “out”, “out”, “flyball out”, “pick up”, “double play”, and “triple play”, respectively;   wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “bunt” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “out”, “out”, “advance to first”, “advance to first”, “strike”, and “double play”, respectively;   A supplementary random generator device set, wherein the supplementary random generator device set comprises at least one supplementary random generator device which is a dice colored with a color different from any other dice in the game, wherein the supplementary random generator dice represents a “stealing base” situation, wherein the “stealing base” supplementary random generator dice has six faces with six results which are “out”, “out”, “out”, “one base steal”, “one base steal”, and “two base steal”, respectively.       
 
         [0025]    Objectives and additional advantages of the present invention will become more evident in the description of the figures, the detailed description of the invention and the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows the preferred embodiment of the board of the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  shows a preferred embodiment representation of the first random generator device of the present invention, wherein said first random generator device that corresponds to the “ball (baseball) pitch”, a dice, which in this case, for illustrative purposes, has six unfolded faces for six outcomes which are “strike”, “hit”, “ball”, “foul”, “out”, and “bunt”. 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  shows a preferred embodiment representation of the additional random generator device that corresponds to the “hit” outcome, a dice, which in this case, for illustrative purposes, has six unfolded faces for six plays which are “single”, “single”, “single”, “double”, “triple”, and “home run”. 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  shows a preferred embodiment representation of the additional random generator device that corresponds to the “ball” outcome, a dice, which in this case, for illustrative purposes, has six unfolded faces for six plays which are “ball”, “ball”, “ball”, “ball”, “ball hit batter”, and “wild pitch”. 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  shows a preferred embodiment representation of the additional random generator device that corresponds to the “foul” outcome, a dice, which in this case, for illustrative purposes, has six unfolded faces for six plays which are “foul”, “foul”, “foul”, “foul”, “flyball out”, and “out”. 
           [0031]      FIG. 6  shows a preferred embodiment representation of the additional random generator device that corresponds to the “out” outcome, a dice, which in this case, for illustrative purposes, has six unfolded faces for six plays which are “out”, “out”, “flyball out”, “pick up”, “double play”, and “triple play”. 
           [0032]      FIG. 7  shows a preferred embodiment representation of the additional random generator device that corresponds to the “bunt” outcome, a dice, which in this case, for illustrative purposes, has six unfolded faces for six plays which are “out”, “out”, “advance to first”, “advance to first”, “strike”, and “double play”. 
           [0033]      FIG. 8  shows a preferred embodiment representation of the supplementary generator device of the present invention wherein said supplementary random generator device is a dice that corresponds to the “stealing base” situation, that in this case, for illustrative purposes, has six unfolded faces for six results which are “out”, “out”, “out”, “one base steal”, “one base steal”, and “two base steal”. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]      FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of the game board of the present invention, wherein said game board has baseball field drawn on it. In addition to the preferred embodiment, there may be other embodiments such as an electronic board, a board displayed in a computer monitor, etc 
         [0035]    The present invention also provides a first random generator device, wherein said first random generator device represents a baseball pitch, wherein the first random generator device has imprinted outcomes from a baseball pitch thrown by a pitcher, and wherein the first random generator device when activated generates one of the outcomes. 
         [0036]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the first random generating device is a dice with six faces, wherein each one of the faces has a different color, wherein each face has imprinted an outcome for a total of six outcomes, wherein the outcomes are “strike”, “hit”, “ball”, “foul”, “out”, and “bunt”, as it is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0037]    Alternate embodiments of the first random generator device are possible. Alternate embodiments may have more than six outcomes. Examples of the first random generator device alternate embodiments are a roulette, a computer programmed with software, etc. 
         [0038]    In another aspect of the present invention, the board game of baseball provides a set of several additional random generator devices, wherein each additional random generator device represents one of the outcomes generated by the first random generator device, wherein each additional random generator device has imprinted plays resulting from one of the outcomes generated by the first random generator device, and wherein each additional random generator device when activated generates one of said plays. 
         [0039]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the set of additional random generator devices comprises five different colored dices, wherein each of the different colors of the additional random generator dices correspond to one face with the same color of the first random generator dice; wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “hit” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “single”, “single”, “single”, “double”, “triple”, and “home run”, as it is shown in  FIG. 3 ; wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “ball” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “ball”, “ball”, “ball”, “ball”, “ball hit batter”, and “wild pitch”, as it is shown in  FIG. 4 ; wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “foul” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “foul”, “foul”, “foul”, “foul”, “flyball out”, and “out”, as it is shown in  FIG. 5 ; wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “out” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “out”, “out”, “flyball out”, “pick up”, “double play”, and “triple play”, as it is shown in  FIG. 6 ; wherein the different colored additional random generator dice that correspond to the “bunt” face of the first random generator dice has six faces imprinted which six plays which are “out”, “out”, “advance to first”, “advance to first”, “strike”, and “double play”, as it is shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0040]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention there is no corresponding colored dice for the face that has imprinted “strike” on the first random generator device dice. “Strike” is an outcome which follows no further plays. 
         [0041]    There may also be alternate embodiments for the set of additional random generator devices, such as an electronic device or a computer programmed to randomly generate different plays from the outcome generated when the first random generator device that correspond to the baseball pitch is activated. 
         [0042]    In a further aspect of the present invention, the board game of baseball provides a set of supplementary random generator devices; wherein said set of supplementary random generator devices comprises at least one supplementary random generator device, and wherein each one of the supplementary random generator devices represents one situation no directly related to a baseball pitch thrown by a pitcher, wherein each one of the supplementary random generator devices has imprinted results from said one situation, and wherein each one of the supplementary random generator devices when activated generates one the results from said one situation. 
         [0043]    In the preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a board game of baseball that comprises a set of supplementary random devices with at least one supplementary random generator device which is a dice colored with a color different from any other dice in the game, wherein the supplementary random generator dice represents a “stealing base” situation, wherein the “stealing base” supplementary random generator dice has six faces with six results which are “out”, “out”, “out”, “one base steal”, “one base steal”, and “two base steal”, as it is shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0044]    Alternate embodiments of the present invention may provide a board game of baseball that comprises more than one supplementary random device. 
         [0045]    In one more aspect of the present invention, the board game of baseball provides a scoring system to register outcomes, plays and scores according to baseball rules. Said scoring system, in one embodiment, may be just a notebook. Other possible embodiments of the scoring system could be incorporated into a programmed electronic device or a computer. 
         [0046]    In an additional aspect of the present invention, in a preferred embodiment, the board game of baseball comprises two tridimensional figures sets, wherein each of the two tridimensional figures sets has at least five figures, wherein the two tridimensional figures sets represent two opposing baseball teams, wherein one of the five figures on each set represents a pitcher, wherein another one of the five figures on each set corresponds to a batter taking a bat turn, and wherein the other three figures on each set correspond to runners on base. 
         [0047]    In other embodiments the board game of baseball may comprise two tridimensional figures sets with up to nine, or more than nine figures on each set. The figures can be made of plastic with distinctive coloring. The figures can also be replaced by chips or tokens, or any other appropriate gadget. 
         [0048]    The board game of baseball of the present invention is played at least by two players, wherein the first of the players, in the preferred embodiment, throws the first random generator dice to generate one outcome, and immediately afterwards, in a second step, throws the additional random generator dice representing that one outcome to generate a play, wherein the first step and the second step are repeated until reaching three outs, then, the second of the players repeats the first step and the second step until reaching three outs, and each one of the players takes turns alternatively to do the first and second steps until nine innings are completed, and if nine innings are completed and there is a tie game, until an extra inning ends with no tie game; and wherein the supplementary random generator dice, that corresponds to “stealing attempt”, may be thrown at any moment by the player that is taking one of the turns. The figures (pitcher, batter, and runners) of the team figures set that corresponds to the player that is taking the turn at throwing the dices are placed on the board in accord with the rules of the game of baseball, aoutcomes, situations and plays that develop as a result of said player throwing of the dices. 
         [0049]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a board game of baseball with a structural configuration comprising just a game board, 7 dices, and two sets of five figures each; complemented with a simple way to record the game data (e.g., a notebook). 
         [0050]    While the description presents the preferred embodiments of the present invention, additional changes can be made in the form and disposition of the parts without distancing from the basic ideas and principles comprised in the following claims: