Grand Slam

Grand Slam, designed by Greg Kmiec with artwork by Doug Watson and software by Rehman Merchant, was released by Bally Midway in March 1983, debuting at the Amusement Operator's Expo in Chicago that same month. This solid-state baseball-themed game was built as what Kmiec himself called an "economy" title, meaning Bally didn't invest heavily in either its design or its promotion.

The playfield offers three flippers, two pop bumpers, eight standup targets, four star rollovers, a five-bank of flyaway targets, a spinning target, and a right crossover return lane. Unusually, the game has no slingshots, a cost-saving touch consistent with its economy-game origins.

Grand Slam's production history is one of its more interesting stories. It began life as a 2-player game, but with sales lagging, Bally converted the latter part of the run to a 4-player configuration; the roughly 1,000 confirmed units include both versions under the same model number, 1311. The games were built in the Midway plant using Midway's serial numbering system, and Bally even produced a promotional set of six baseball cards for the title. Its blend of baseball nostalgia and unusual production story makes it a curiosity for collectors of early-1980s Bally games.