Chevrons and Diamonds

Baseball Assistance Through Bourbon

VetCollector
2–3 minutes

The Association of Professional Baseball Players of America (ABPBA) is an organization that is near and dear to Chevrons and Diamonds heart. Similar to the mission of providing assistance to armed forces personnel and their families by the Army and Navy Relief Societies, the APBPA, in operation since 1924, has been helping those former players who are in need.

One may think, “ballplayers earned a lot of money during their careers” or, “the Major League Baseball Players Association should take care of them,” but there are so many circumstances that arise in a lifetime, after their pro careers concluded, that leave them with nowhere to turn for assistance. Many players’ careers fell outside of union protection and pensions.

The mission of the ABPBA, “is to furnish financial assistance to the sick or indigent ballplayer or member of the baseball family when he becomes of an age where he is no longer able to provide for himself and has no other source of income. This includes any ballplayer or member of the baseball family who may contract an incurable disease, irrespective of age, who has no other source of income or relatives to provide for him. We are proud to provide emergency assistance for a broad range of circumstances one may encounter in their life.”

Ahead of a game with the Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) whose star hitter is Joe DiMaggio. Chuck Stevens, first baseman for the Long Beach-based 6th Ferrying Group poses with DiMaggio behind him who is talking to the 6th’s manager, Charles “Red” Ruffing, Joe’s former Yankees teammate (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).
In a partnership between the APBPA and Three Chord, this special blend of Kentucky Bourbon was crafted.

Many of the ballplayers featured in Chevrons and Diamonds biographic articles were ABPBA members and several artifacts featured in our collection were obtained from the collection of the Association’s past secretary, former St. Louis Browns and Hollywood Stars first baseman, Chuck Stevens.

ABPBA and Three Chord Bourbon Partnership|
The ABPBA announced a partnership with Three Chord Bourbon to produce a special blended bourbon in commemoration of the Association’s 99th year in operation and to raise funds in support continuing their mission. This special ABPBA 99th Anniversary bourbon will only be bottled through August 21, 2023, and will begin shipping the week of September 18.

Visit ABPBA to get your orders in before this fantastic bourbon sells out.

Recently featured on the Instagram channel, @Bourbon&Baseball hosted by creator Jason Beck, the popular Instagram Live stream welcomed APBPA President, Kameron Loe, Nick Corso, ABPBA Board Member, Treasurer & Vice President, and Ryan Gill, Barrel Manager from Three Chord Bourbon to discuss the Association and partnership with Three Chord that brought about this special blend of bourbon to help raise funds in support of the mission to assist former professional ballplayers.