Mecca depends on your faith. To the devout Strat-O-Matic baseball fan, a pilgrimage to be among the first to get their hands on the baseball set is an annual event.

Strat-O-Matic Game Co. occupies a non-descript brick building that might easily be mistaken for a bunker. It's nestled in the North Shore community of Glen Head, N.Y., across the street from the local line of the Long Island Rail Road.

It's a quiet street when not overrun by commuters during rush hour. But on Jan. 26, 2007, hundreds of Strat players descended on Glen Head to be among the first to purchase the 2007 edition of Strat-O-Matic baseball.

Fans made the trek from as far away as Ohio. Even reigning World Champion Hank Smith of Torrance, Calif., was on hand. No one arrived earlier than Bill Nieman and his partners from the Fly By Night Strat league. Nieman of Waterford, Conn., was first in line for the new baseball set, arriving at the company doorstep at 9:30 a.m.

Nearly four hours later, Strat-O-Matic opened for business — to the excitement of fans who braved 9 degree temperatures. The line had swelled to nearly 200 people by that point and stretched down the block.

The wait finally ended for Nieman, who just as quickly dashed to his SUV for the trip home. For those unlucky enough to be at the back of the line, it would take two more hours for their orders to be filled. Even they didn't mind every bone-chilling blast of wind in the end.

For the record, UPDATE! mercifully picked up its Strat fix after an hour-and-a-half wait in the elements. Complimentary coffee and donuts made the rounds, but with fingers too numb to hold anything, it offered the ultimate tease.

Regardless, the mission was a success. The long off-season — followed by the excruciating wait outside the Strat-O-Matic headquarters — is finally over. Time to roll the dice on a new season. Play ball!