The Story Behind the Game
In 1927, my great-grandfather, Lewis A. Bedard, first published Lewis A. Bedard’s Universal Baseball Playing Cards.
He designed the game to capture every play that could unfold in a real baseball game — its intricacies, twists, and turns, all distilled into a deck of cards. For decades, he refined and republished the game, sharing it with baseball lovers until his passing in 1970.
Growing up, I knew about the game, but I had never played it. I’d heard it was complex — so complex, in fact, that I don’t think anyone in my family really knew how to play it!
Then, in the early 2000s, Lewis’s son Charles (my grandfather) handed me a copy — deck, rulebook, and all. He simply said:
“Maybe you can do something with this.”
The rulebook alone was nearly 40 pages of tiny print, packed with details. It was incredibly well-written — the logic was clear, but the language was from another era. So, I started by making photocopies of each page of rules, zooming-in just so I could read the pages properly. Then, I hand-typed every word, breaking it down piece by piece, trying to fully understand it.
Even after typing everything up, the game remained a challenge to grasp. So, I went a step further — I built a simple computer program to simulate it. That led to countless revisions as I worked to translate my great-grandfather’s game into something modern players could both understand and enjoy.
The new rules are streamlined — approximately seven pages long. They preserve the essence of the original game but make learning it much easier. I also structured the game so that, over time, I can reintroduce advanced rules — things like stolen bases and double plays — without disrupting these core rules.
This project wasn’t just about refining a game. It was about honoring my great-grandfather, my family, and the traditions that shaped us.
Lewis Bedard, my great-grandfather, was an extraordinary man.
A trained violinist who played in symphony orchestras, he and my great-grandmother (a concert pianist, who often provided live music for silent films in the local movie theater) had 10 children. Several of the children were considered musical prodigies, earning scholarships to renowned conservatories.
During the Great Depression, when the family lost everything, my great-grandfather repurposed an old barn behind their home into a dance hall. His children sold tickets and the older children played in the band, helping keep the family afloat. Music was always a part of the family and of every gathering.
Lewis served in the Coast Guard during both World Wars. My grandfather, Charles, enlisted in the Coast Guard during World War II at just 16.
My mother, Denise Williams, filled our home with the sound of her piano playing. She often played the patriotic music that Lewis (her grandfather) had written while he served in World War II.
I was born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where my father, Mark Williams, served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the final years of the Vietnam War. I later followed in my family’s footsteps, serving 20 years in the Coast Guard before retiring in 2023.
With retirement, I found the time necessary to revisit the card game: to study it, refine it, and ultimately bring it back to life. The process wasn’t easy. I rewrote the rules multiple times, tested them through computer simulations, and reworked the logic until it felt right.
Any mistakes in this version? They’re mine alone. But what I hope shines through is something much bigger:
Honoring family.
Honoring those who served.
Honoring America and its enduring spirit.
And, of course, honoring the great game of baseball — a sport that has brought people together for generations, across backyards and ballparks, through warm summer nights and crisp autumn afternoons.
I hear music in the breeze… the air is sweet, the diamond is ready, and our friends are all there, bats in hand, gloves at the ready. A few warm-up throws…
I hope this game brings joy to friends and family, young and old.
Now — let’s play ball!
Sincerely,
Joshua Williams