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The following was written and / or photographed by league members of the Buffalo Pinball League.

Buffalo Pinball League Mid-Season Report – December 2013

Western New York pinballers have come out in full force for the inaugural season of the Buffalo Pinball League (BPL). The group is filled to capacity with 22 players total, with eight hosts graciously sharing their collections and homes with others who are just as passionate about the game.

The season kicked off in September, when John Barsh hosted the first ever Buffalo Pinball League night with his outstanding collection of games. Craig Kroll took the top spot and the trophy for the month.

Things got creative in October when Jamie Brundage brought a few games to supplement host Kevin Manne’s collection. Jamie hauled in Attack from Mars, Monster Bash and a tent, and set them out on the back patio for a little outdoor pinball action. The setup worked out well for Jamie – he was the top scorer for October and earned the right to take the trophy home.

When the trophy returned at Neil Parrish’s house in November, it came back as a 6-foot tribute to pinball greatness. John Barsh put up a great score and claimed it until December.

A little snow wasn’t enough to stop the BPL from getting together in December—Buffalo ‘ballers drove through a winter storm warning to get their game on at Chris Pugh’s house. At the end of the night there was a tie for the top spot so, after a three-way playoff on Addams Family between Neil Parrish, Bruce Nightingale and Jordan Nittoli, Bruce was triumphant and took home the trophy.

December marks the midpoint of the season for the league. As we head into the second half of the season, the top 11 players will be assigned to the A division based on their play during the first half of the season, and the rest will be assigned to the B division.

Right now there is a three-way tie at the division cutoff so Jay Fairbrother, Chris Pugh and Greg Sisti will go head-to-head in a one game playoff in January. The top two scorers will make it in to the A division for the rest of the season.

Momentum for pinball in Buffalo continues to build even beyond the league. The second annual Buffalo Pinball Open, scheduled for Jan. 25, 2014, sold out in just 10 hours. In addition, league president Nick Lane was interviewed for a story in Buffalo Spree magazine (http://www.buffalospree.com) about the resurgence of pinball in the area. Look for the story in the January issue of Spree.

The area also saw its first new pinball machine on location in more than six years. Stern Pinball’s Star Trek pro was unboxed on Dec. 18 at Pocketeer Billiards (http://www.pocketeerbilliardsandbar.com) in West Seneca, N.Y. and Buffalo Pinball showed up en masse to show their support and play the hell out of it.

Visit http://www.buffalopinball.com to learn more about the league, get info on upcoming tournaments or find places to play in Western New York. Or, talk pinball with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/buffalopinball.

–Kevin Manne, BPL Statistician

Photos by Phil Hubert, Bruce Nightingale and Kevin Manne