PS2 owners: MLB "The Show"

[GrantDawg]

Ok, upon further review, there is still some of the same problems that the game had last year. The computer does a terrible job with player movement (rich teams have starting level talent in the minors). When you look at your player card, your picture is always a black player with gray hair. Your minor league stats disappear the second the season is over. Same old stuff. At least it doesn't crash as bad as last years.

[GrantDawg]

And that sucked. I had 58 saves in AA, and was about to pitch in the playoffs, when the day before the playoffs I get moved up to triple A, where the season was already finished. Grrrr....

[MizzouRah]

GD,

OOTP it is NOT.

I don't thing any console game will ever be as deep as a text or pc game sim.

Nonetheless.. it's one heck of a fun game to play.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

GD,

OOTP it is NOT.

I don't thing any console game will ever be as deep as a text or pc game sim.

Nonetheless.. it's one heck of a fun game to play.

So? I'm not talking deep. I'm just talking preventing complete stupidity. It would take that much to make it a much better game.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

So? I'm not talking deep. I'm just talking preventing complete stupidity. It would take that much to make it a much better game.

Well, what console game has had good player movement? Heck, the famous High Heat had those issues. I believe the lack of memory prevents minor league stats from progressing, but I would hope a HD in the ps3 to let stats go out much further.

[SegRat]

Well my first start in the Majors was a bust. Playing against the Marlins I struck out the first batter, excellent! But that was it. Next batter got a single, third batter hit a 2 run home run, fourth batter hit a 1 run home run. Worked myself out of the inning. Second inning I gave up 3 more runs. Struck out the first batter in the 3rd and was then told to get my rump on the bench.

However I did pitch 5 innings in my second game, gave up 2 runs, had 5 strike outs and got the win.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Got this on Saturday when I was at Best Buy buying TurboTax. Got a chance to play for a bit last night.

Tried the career mode on rookie as a relief pitcher. I was a bit clueless in my first outing, as I had no idea what to do with the pitch meter. Finally started to clue in a bit after a game or two.

Going to try a bit more tonight on the next level up.

One quick question...

• Is it me, or does pitching get nearly impossible if your pitcher either loses confidence or gets tired? I don't know if it was because I was tired or lost confidence (I had pitched three days in a row), but I came into one game, gave up two hits in a row, then noticed immediately that the pitching meter became next to impossible to control.

[SegRat]

I would like to see in career mode the option to either try out for a team as you currently do, or the oportunity to add you name to a draft pool and see where you get drafted like madden offered last year.

[Radii]

I just picked this up last night, jumped straight into a career as a first baseman, I'm in AA with the Cubs.

A few questions:

If you fail to guess the pitch location correctly, can you still hit the ball? I see some stuff above about if you do something wrong you have zero chance of making contact. Is that if you guess the wrong location or something else?

On Veteran, in terms of guessing the location, there are only four "zones" to guess, correct? up/down/left/right? If the pitch is right over the middle, does that count as a correct guess? Do those zones overlap? My thinking is that if I guess up, then any of the 3 top boxes should work, but I swear that I don't get a read on the location sometimes when its in that area. Also, should guessing up, or guessing left give me a hit on a pitch in the top left corner? Is that guessing ability tied to some rating somewhere?


Last question, is everyone that's playing batting careers increasing CPU Pitch Speed?

[CleBrownsfan]

Quick career pitching question… I started my career as a SP and I’m terrible to start (as I figured). My question is – why do I come in relief when I’m a starter. I seem to always come in as a RP 3,2, or even the day before my schedule start. I was hoping there was a way where I just pitch every 4-5 games as a SP. Anyone else have this problem?

[JS19]

Originally Posted by Radii

If you fail to guess the pitch location correctly, can you still hit the ball? I see some stuff above about if you do something wrong you have zero chance of making contact. Is that if you guess the wrong location or something else?

On Veteran, in terms of guessing the location, there are only four "zones" to guess, correct? up/down/left/right? If the pitch is right over the middle, does that count as a correct guess? Do those zones overlap? My thinking is that if I guess up, then any of the 3 top boxes should work, but I swear that I don't get a read on the location sometimes when its in that area. Also, should guessing up, or guessing left give me a hit on a pitch in the top left corner? Is that guessing ability tied to some rating somewhere?


Last question, is everyone that's playing batting careers increasing CPU Pitch Speed?

Not sure if I can be of much help but i'll tell you what I have noticed. As far as guessing the wrong pitch or location, if you miss both then obviously your chances of making contact go down but I have still hit the ball when I didn't guess either one. Usually it's a ground out but there have been occassion when I hit a HR and didn't guess either one. This was mainly on either a fastball right down the pipe or a hanging breaking ball. So from what I have learned it is still possible to make contact although you didn't guess.

I still haven't figured out the zones %100. There are times when i guess fastball low and away and it gives me nothing and sure enough, the pitch is a fastball low and away. Other times i'll guess low and inside and it will show me the pitch is coming high and inside. This is on All-Star level so there are 9 different zones. I am starting to think it might have something to do with whos hitting. It might depend on how good of a hitter is up and his plate discipline/vision and such.

[Icy]

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

Quick career pitching question… I started my career as a SP and I’m terrible to start (as I figured). My question is – why do I come in relief when I’m a starter. I seem to always come in as a RP 3,2, or even the day before my schedule start. I was hoping there was a way where I just pitch every 4-5 games as a SP. Anyone else have this problem?

Even being a SP they use you as Reliever for 1 or 2 innings from time to time. The reason is that your endurance is so low for a SP so when you start in a game, you just play 2 innings or 3. Using you as Reliever in some games is their way to give you more playing time.

I think it's the same in the real life minors, the SP rols are not as defined as in the majors as the kids endurance won't allow them to play enought innings when they are the starters so the coaches play them a few extra innings from time to time to keep them training.

[jbmagic]

Anybody seeing the ERA bug on career?

I am a closer and gave up a couple of runs, no errors and no runners on base when i took the mound.

After the game my ERA for the game was 0.00

[Godzilla Blitz]

Originally Posted by JS19

Not sure if I can be of much help but i'll tell you what I have noticed. As far as guessing the wrong pitch or location, if you miss both then obviously your chances of making contact go down but I have still hit the ball when I didn't guess either one. Usually it's a ground out but there have been occassion when I hit a HR and didn't guess either one. This was mainly on either a fastball right down the pipe or a hanging breaking ball. So from what I have learned it is still possible to make contact although you didn't guess.

I still haven't figured out the zones %100. There are times when i guess fastball low and away and it gives me nothing and sure enough, the pitch is a fastball low and away. Other times i'll guess low and inside and it will show me the pitch is coming high and inside. This is on All-Star level so there are 9 different zones. I am starting to think it might have something to do with whos hitting. It might depend on how good of a hitter is up and his plate discipline/vision and such.

Someone explained it to me a bit on another board...

They said they think that the four-zone strike is divided up into four triangles (up, left, bottom, and right). When you guess "left" for example, you still might not get the guess correct if the pitch is more "down" than "left", if that makes any sense. To get the guess correct, the pitch has to be dominantly left.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Godzilla Blitz

Someone explained it to me a bit on another board...

They said they think that the four-zone strike is divided up into four triangles (up, left, bottom, and right). When you guess "left" for example, you still might not get the guess correct if the pitch is more "down" than "left", if that makes any sense. To get the guess correct, the pitch has to be dominantly left.

Thanks for the explanation. I had things confused, I was not swinging when I guessed wrong, and was obviously striking out a ton. I had the guesses confused with zone hitting where you press in the direction of the pitch to swing, and was thinking if I guessed wrong I couldn't hit the ball at all. Now that I've fixed that I'm in good shape I'm still waiting for my first home run but I'm destroying AA in my first month as a pro ballplayer. I wish the load times were just a bit faster, it would make the career of a hitter more enjoyable, but I'm having fun nonetheless.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Originally Posted by Radii

Thanks for the explanation. I had things confused, I was not swinging when I guessed wrong, and was obviously striking out a ton. I had the guesses confused with zone hitting where you press in the direction of the pitch to swing, and was thinking if I guessed wrong I couldn't hit the ball at all. Now that I've fixed that I'm in good shape I'm still waiting for my first home run but I'm destroying AA in my first month as a pro ballplayer. I wish the load times were just a bit faster, it would make the career of a hitter more enjoyable, but I'm having fun nonetheless.

The load times are a definite bummer on the PS2. Next time I play I'm going to bring something to do while each game loads/unloads. A big chunk of play time is spent waiting.

Also, the manual is nearly worthless. I was getting rocked as a pitcher in AAA and couldn't figure out why. Well, I found out (from a website) that a pitcher should be aiming for the blue zones on the strike zone. I had been aiming for the red zones, which are the zones where the hitter rips the ball. No where is this information explained in the manual.

[CleBrownsfan]

Originally Posted by Icy

Even being a SP they use you as Reliever for 1 or 2 innings from time to time. The reason is that your endurance is so low for a SP so when you start in a game, you just play 2 innings or 3. Using you as Reliever in some games is their way to give you more playing time.

I think it's the same in the real life minors, the SP rols are not as defined as in the majors as the kids endurance won't allow them to play enought innings when they are the starters so the coaches play them a few extra innings from time to time to keep them training.

I do like the extra work in the pen but what’s frustrating is when I come in a game the day before I start. So when I do make my start I have nothing in the tank and rarely make it out of the third inning.

[Young Drachma]

I'm in my 13th season in the majors.

It's really fun to start to contemplate your future, what you ought to do as an elite player, etc.

I won a world series early in my career with the Indians and my first season of a 7-year deal with the Cardinals. I opted out of the last year of my deal with the Cards, in search of a team that I could be the missing link for.

I went to the Rockies and we got to the World Series, but lost in 7 games to the Yankees. So, I took my triple crown and 50 HRs to the Phillies. I only played there a year, it wasn't bad, but...it just didn't feel right.

I've been a Blue Jays fan for most all my life, I came up in the Jays organization, but left to try to get a starting gig (I bounced around the Yankees for a year and the Angels for a season before finally getting my first ML season in Boston, Rookie of the Year...and that's when I bolted for Cleveland) and now that I'm an established Major Leaguer, I decided to opt out of my Phillies deal (it was a 2 yr deal with a player option..I ALWAYS try to get a player option) and signed with the Jays, taking less money (well...down from about $19m to $14 and change..) to sign with them for a 3-year deal.

Anyway, it's still a lot of fun after taking a few weeks off. Just so cool and engrossing to "feel" like a major leaguer. I have a pitching career that I've got saved too and I'll go back to that after I'm done retiring this batter after another 5-7 seasons I figure.

[Young Drachma]

I just wanted to see what I could do if I played all the time. Normally, I SIM some games rather than playing all the time.

I'm playing on All-Star. It's my 14th season (2nd with the Blue Jays) and well, halfway through the year I upgraded to veteran because I figured that it's getting too easy. But really, I just wanted to see if I could have a really gaudy offensive season, but not until the All-Star break when I realized I had a long hit streak. Didn't matter, I have my timing down in this game.

So, I played the last 73 or so games of the season (just simmed to my own at-bats in most games, except in a close game when we needed the win or I wanted to try to get us a win, I'd use all the hitters and maybe pitch the 9th)

My final stats were:

157 Games, 635 ABs, 282 Hits, .4440 BA, 75 HRs, 195 RBI, 15 triples, 52 Doubles, .928 Slugging %, .487 OBP, 140 Runs, 43 Walks.

The Jays hit me in the 3rd spot and I've tried to argue with the manager to move me down in the lineup, but they only have a button that encourages you to get moved up. But if you're up, it'll usually move you down temporarily. But consequently, I think they were reluctant to walk me, though clearly this game doesn't have real life AI to realize you ought to walk a guy who is playing really hot.

He hit .462 against Righties // .387 against lefties.

I know, it doesn't matter. And you could say "arrgh, why didn't you have MORE house rules" or "That's not realistic." But..its okay.

It was a lot of fun anyway.

[Young Drachma]

Dola --

Does anyone playing as a hitter notice later in your career that there are a lot more knuckleballers in the game? It's as if they didn't realize when they made this that not every team has one, but I faced them all the time. And they're not easy to hit, ugh.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Dola --

Does anyone playing as a hitter notice later in your career that there are a lot more knuckleballers in the game? It's as if they didn't realize when they made this that not every team has one, but I faced them all the time. And they're not easy to hit, ugh.

I played as a pitcher, and I noticed an enormous number of knuckleballers in the minors whilst I was learning the ropes. I'd imagine the same was true in your league, and some of them started to make the big leagues.

It really is absurd how many pitchers have a knuckler. Makes me wonder which baseball universe the programmers have been watching...

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Fonzie

I played as a pitcher, and I noticed an enormous number of knuckleballers in the minors whilst I was learning the ropes. I'd imagine the same was true in your league, and some of them started to make the big leagues.

It really is absurd how many pitchers have a knuckler. Makes me wonder which baseball universe the programmers have been watching...

Glad it wasn't just me that saw that. It was driving me nuts as a hitter, because these knucklers were hard to hit. Like, more than normal. I think the developers probably set the pitchers each pitcher gets to random and gave a percentage of each a certain pitch.

That said, you can adapt to them.

But there are WAAAAY too many.

[Radii]

I'm still early in my first career, when I was in AA, I was up against a *ton* of knuckleball pitchers, and none of them could find the plate at all. I drew something like 20 walks in 15 games, I'd just guess knuckleball and if I was right, I wouldn't swing. If they learn to get that pitch over the plate and make it to the majors i'm going to be annoyed.

[Radii]

I'm playing a career as a 1st baseman, towards the end of my second season in the minors(mid-August), I got called up to the Cubs. I pinch hit a few times, and decided "Screw Derrek Lee, I want to play" so I demand more playing time, and yep, Lee is on the bench and I'm in every day. I hit .300 with 4 HRs in about 90 ABs, I took another contract with the Cubs, I really want to take the Cubs to the world series eventually, and I'm starting at 1B over Lee again after demanding more playing time on the second day of the season.

The thing is, I can also play all 3 OF positions. I wonder if the manager actually takes into account the fact that I've only put about 20 points each into throwing strength and throwing accuracy?

I'm really enjoying this game, though at the second level(one up from Rookie, veteran or all-star, whatever it is), I can see I'm going to set all kinds of records. Maybe now that I'm in the majors I'll up the difficulty to the next level and see how it goes. Or maybe i'll try to be the first 700 HR/700 SB man in MLB history

[Young Drachma]

I'm doing a new career, I'm a reliever, in my 3rd season in the majors. Playing for the Yankees, because I signed with them after my first season with the Royals and it coincided with the year they let Mariano go to Detroit.

But I stunk for a while, had a good year and last season, they demoted me for half the year because..I had control issues.

Back in the majors this year and we made the World Series for the 2nd time in 3 years. Facing the Brewers again.

It's Game 7, bottom of the 17th at Miller Park, 3-2 game we lead and I'm on the mound to get the save.

I just had to share that, was the coolest thing I'd ever seen... Game 7, 17 innings. Crazy.

Now let's hope I don't blow the save.