Math Whiz Breaks Strat-O-Matic's Code

PITTSBURGH - Mix computer baseball with a disgruntled player who also happens to be a math whiz and you've got a formula for trouble.

John Stonebraker, a 25-year-old web-page designer, cracked Strat-O-Matic Game Co.'s encryption code and threatened to distribute compatible disks, the company said in a copyright complaint.

Strat-O-Matic thinks that could put it out of business. The Glen Head, N.Y.-based company got a temporary injunction from a federal judge, and both sides have agreed to try to resolve the case before a hearing Jan. 30.

The game, played with cards and dice since 1961 and copyrighted as a computer program last March, is popular with baseball fans because it allows players to create teams using the statistics of real stars. The stats are purchased in the form of roster cards or disks.

Stonebraker cracked the code Strat-O-Matic uses to protect its formula for determining a player's potential performance. With the formula, Stonebraker designs disks so he can use any player he chooses, even ones who are not on the Strat-O-Matic roster. That eliminates the need to buy Strat-O-Matic's disks and programs.