Founded in 1960, APBAL is one of the world's oldest APBA baseball leagues.

The Formative Years (1960-1973)

The APBAL has gone through three distinct stages in its growth. The "formative years" began in the fall of 1960 when three high school sophomores met in Locust Valley, New York for the purpose of establishing a dice baseball league. Hardin Davis, the individual responsible for bringing APBA to the Locust Valley area, was named as the league's first president. Hugh Brown acted as secretary while Peter Suda helped with the recruitment of Ted Keefer and Pete Rose to form a five team circuit.

Prior to the start of play several administrative policies had to be formulated. Foremost was the development of a schedule. A sixty-four game season was decided upon for two reasons. This number was ample enough to provide realistic statistics (being 40% of a major league season) while partially eliminating the luck factor, yet was small enough to allow a campaign to be played in four months (i.e. the length of a school semester). The season now traditionally opens on June 1st (October in actual time) and concludes in mid August (early March).

A playoff format was established in order to maintain interest should the first place team finish far ahead of the other clubs. At the conclusion of the regular season the second and third place teams meet in a playoff series for the right to meet the pennant winner(s). This now leads to a best of seven game Championship Series.

The basic APBA baseball rules were used during the league's inaugural season. Pitching regulations were also established to prevent a manager from overusing his better pitchers. As the circuit developed over the years, optional APBA rules were adopted, existing rules were modified and several innovations were introduced. Ted Keefer's use of relief pitcher Fred Allen Green (BY* .375 1-1-1-1) in his 1961 outfield resulted in a rule limiting players to only those positions indicated on their cards. The APBAL suffered through some highs and lows during its early years. An arsonist destroyed half the teams and all the existing records fifty games into the 1962 season. A premature attempt at two divisional play ended with the league folding while in Korea in 1970. But with the APBA League's relocation in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1973 came stability and prosperity.

The Expansion Years (1974-1981)

Between 1974 and 1981 the APBA League went through its "expansion years". Beginning with a four team format, the league  attempted to play both a spring and fall season through 1978. The six team 1978-79 schedule was the first to be played over the winter. The APBAL has remained an October-March league since that season.

During the expansion years the playing boards were modified, an unusual play card was adopted and the MOBORS Factor was introduced. The concept of the league was radically changed with the 1979-80 season. Up until this time managers could pick any team with which to compete, although the league would often restrict this selection (e.g., teams that finished between .525 and .550 in real life). Beginning with the 1979-80 season all the teams came from the same playing season.

Summer leagues were played in 1979 and 1980, but following the 1980-81 season the league had grown to seven teams and was ready to enter the "modern era."

The Modern Era (1982-Present)

Beginning with the 1981-82 season the APBAL split into two four team divisions (the Wasatch and the Oquirrh) named after the mountain ranges that boarder the Salt Lake Valley. Managers were given the option of retaining their franchise from the previous season, although receiving the new card set, or drafting a new team.

The two division format, with intra-divisional play, ushered in a new era as the APBA League continued to grow and prosper. Several more modifications were made to the playing boards to add to the game's realism and a tiring factor was introduced that primarily affected the use of relief pitchers. In 2004 the league created it's own playing boards.

With the start of the 2010-11 season, with the Commissioner having moved to Ivins, Utah and a great number of former managers no longer in the Salt :ake City area, the league opted to use the BBW computer game without the AIM effects so that the statistics produced would more closely mirror the league's history using dice.  This transitions went smoothly for the most part.

The vast majority of APBA leagues in existence today have been created in order to replay specific seasons or to afford the league's managers some player continuity. In contrast to this, the concept of the APBAL is to allow its participants an opportunity to manage a variety of teams against well balanced competition.