Inside The Mind Of Lyman Sheats
Silverball Chronicles: A Pinball History Podcast
Release Date: 03/02/2022
Silverball Chronicles: A Pinball History Podcast
Want to Support the Show? Visit Our Patreon at or pick up a tee shirt at Last time we spoke about where JJP came from and the rise of Jack Guarneri in Ep 44. When we left JJP they were having financial troubles or ‘needed recapitalization to get off the preorder model’. Enter the investors with the Abass family. Let's talk changing business models, saying 'Brent' Abass instead of Brett Abass a few times (oops), changing artist and creating masterpieces, taking stuff out of games, amazing themes, criminally underrated games and the license to rule them all! ...
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Want to Support the Show? Visit Our Patreon at or pick up a tee shirt at Segasa or Sega S.A. Sonic (or was it just Sonic?) Pinball was Spain’s major contribution to the golden age of pinball. Its products evolved from licensed electro-mechanical arcade designs to original solid-state pinball machines under the “Sonic” brand. Established 1968, Segasa (later Sega S.A. SONIC) initially, imported and distributed American amusement machines before transitioning to local manufacturing due to import restrictions. Production ceased in 1986, marking the end of Spain’s...
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Want to Support the Show? Visit Our at or pick up a tee shirt at Check out for all your pinball needs! Topic begins at 12:28 Episode Summary: Pinball has had a dramatic change since the end of the modern DMD era at Stern. The designers we all know and love from the 80s and 90s have begun to retire, slow down, or leave the industry. A new wave of designers has started to slide in and learn from the masters… The first major new designer to come along was the tournament player Keith Elwin. Some say Keith Elwin is the second coming of...
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Want to Support the Show? Visit Our at or pick up a tee shirt at Check out for all your pinball needs! Topic begins at 7:35 Episode Summary: In the third part of our Pinball Downunder series, we look at Homepin. Homepin was established in 2013 and was born from the hobby business of Mike Kalinowski. It seems like a really smart idea to set up manufacturing in the world's largest manufacturing country, China, but it turns out to be a mixed bag. Ron and Dave play it as straight as the possibility can from a manufacturer who struggled out of...
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Want to Support the Show? Visit our Patreon at or pick up a t-shirt at Episode Begins at 16:52 Episode Summary: Ron and Dave Return to the Gottliebs, one of the best-known names in pinball. But did you know about Michael Gottlieb and the company he started with his father Alvin? Let’s chat about Gottlieb’s sale (again), the changes at the company and why they happened, Cheater the Gottlieb delivery driver, how Michael Gottlieb ended up in pinball following his family's exit, his famous pinball last name, Alvin G. & Co, when did Clowns becoming creepy,...
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Episode Summary: Join us this month where Dave says ‘Swing on Over’ like 40 times in the preamble, Ron spoils JJPs next game with the help of Jersey Jack himself, reviews of 70’s style, Jack’s business building and evolving that business over and over, pinball needing to move to the home consumer market, stripped down … Continue reading Silverball Chronicles Ep 44: Even Jersey Jack Pinball Left New Jersey →
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Have you ever heard the saying, “pinball is hard?” Well, the team at Barrels of Fun hasn’t and they decided to smash on ahead and impress pretty much everyone. It’s been over 24 months since they launched their company and their first licensed game… and (as of this recording) they’ve manufactured all the games they … Continue reading Silverball Chronicles Ep 43: Are Barrels (Of) Fun? →
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Do you find yourself craving? Do you ever hanker for a special little thing? Well, we have had multiple people email and inquire about Hankin, you might say they had a craving for another Australian-based episode. Let’s go down under again with Part 2: Hankerin’ for Hankin and Mr. Pinball! Let travel together down under … Continue reading Silverball Chronicles Ep 42: Hankerin’ For Some Hankin Plus Mr. Pinball →
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The Gottlieb Family is an important part of pinball. David Gottlieb and Alvin Gottlieb made pinball what it is today. David’s vision and spirit, Alvin’s excitement and drive built the Gottlieb name into what it is today; and it will always live on. Join Dave and Ron this month as we talk about the beginnings … Continue reading Silverball Chronicles Ep 41: Meet The Gottliebs: D. Gottlieb & Co. →
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Manufacturing is hard. Pinball is hard and when you’re starting on the other side of the world from all the suppliers and skilled labour, it’s that much harder. COVID-19 did not help Haggis Pinball is the latest cautionary tale of a pinball start-up who promised big and initially delivered but ultimately succumbed to the pressures … Continue reading Silverball Chronicles Ep 40: Pinball Down Under Part 1: Haggis Pinball →
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Episode Summary:
There are many stars inside the pinball industry, but few create such an emotional ripple in the hobby when they pass. Lyman Sheats gave so much for pinball and always wanted to give more. A perfectionist who was often too hard on himself, Lyman was always looking for ways to improve his games.
This month Ron and Dave talk all about the beginnings of Lyman’s tournament dominance, his Data East codes, his first days at Bally-Williams, coding Attack from Mars, teaming up with George Gomez, Lyman’s drive for perfection, “In Lyman We Trust”, the Masterpiece that is Batman ’66 by KaPow Pinball, and his untimely death which rocked the pinball community.
Source:
Pinside at Pinside.com
IPDB. Lyman’s Games List. Here
Past Podcast Appearances:
TOPcast Episode #50
Slam Tilt Podcast #100, #180, #181
Head-to-Head Pinball Podcast #73
Pinball Profile #199
Pinball Wizard Turns 50
LoserKid Pinball #78
Final Round Pinball Podcast #50
The Today Show, Lyman Sheats. Here
DeadFlip Streaming. Lyman, Jack Danger and MKV Playing Batman 66. Here
Replay FX Seminar with Greg Dunlop. Here
Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1982 to Present. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here