PS2 owners: MLB "The Show"

[Icy]

Dola, i just had my best game so far, in fact i have been struggling until now.

Pitching 5.0 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 5SO 0 HR
Batting: 2-3 with 1 RBI

[Fonzie]

Another scoring problem:

With a runner on first I induced a groundball to the shortstop. The SS promptly threw the ball over the 1B's head and the runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd. No error recorded.

In fact, I've seen a couple of instances in which errors indisputably should have been recorded because the runners wound up advancing, but weren't. I wouldn't normally care about such things in a console game, but as I'm playing in career mode those earned runs matter for my stats line (and thus my training hours, and ultimately my development).

Otherwise this is a fantastic game.

[SegRat]

I had my first problem. I hit the ball to deep center, but the center fielder never moved to pick up the ball. I ended up with an inside the park home run.

[Young Drachma]

Based on the reviews here and what i read somewhere else, I got the PSP version of this today. It's great that it has a career mode and even a multiple season mode. So we'll see what happens, but...hopefully it's better than Arena Football, the game I traded in at Hastings towards this purchase.

[Fonzie]

Does anybody know if there is a way to keep your slider settings stored permanently?

And is there anyplace on the web that actually describes what the sliders do?

Gracias.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Fonzie

Does anybody know if there is a way to keep your slider settings stored permanently?

And is there anyplace on the web that actually describes what the sliders do?

Gracias.

You have to same them within a franchise or career. Weird, but that's the only way to do it.

[Icy]

Mizzou, please can you post the sliders you are using and why?

[jbmagic]

ICY

This game is great so far. WOW, its so addicting

Have you try manager mode yet? Its great. You can watch the game and make managerial decisons like hit and run, tell your hitter to be aggressive, take a pitch, intentional walks, tell your pitchers to pitch around, pinch hit, sub, steal, bunt,etc.

There so many options to choose from when managing the game. The great thing its all in graphic mode while you watch the game..

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Just played two more great games, this is where I'm at.

Difficulty: Veteran
Hot/Cold zones: on
Strikezone: on
Cursor: Fade
Vibration: Off

Pitch count slider: maxed
CPU and Human pitch speed: maxed

Camera views
Pitching: wide
Batting: wide
Fielding: medium

Slides and fielding: manual
Guess pitch: on

I also alternate ump consistency between wide and tight every other game.

The "wide" view when batting as well as the pitch speed sliders all the way up, really make FB pitchers harder to hit. My strikeouts are now normal.

For Icy

I just might move up to all star soon as my hitting seems to be getting better, although I need to play against a premeire pitcher or two first.

[Young Drachma]

It's a great game. Wow...it's by far my favourite PSP game so far and I can see it having me waste lots of time all over the place.

Good stuff.

[SegRat]

For those playing career mode, how long has it taken you to get to the majors? My first year I started off 1AA and was sent up 3 times. 2 of which I was sent back down without playing. The third time I pitched in 4 straight games and was then sent back down. I am in my second season and my team sucks ass. I have been getting rocked and fear I will soon be without a team. Sad as my first year I made the AA all stars as the starting picther.

[Icy]

Originally Posted by SegRat

For those playing career mode, how long has it taken you to get to the majors? My first year I started off 1AA and was sent up 3 times. 2 of which I was sent back down without playing. The third time I pitched in 4 straight games and was then sent back down. I am in my second season and my team sucks ass. I have been getting rocked and fear I will soon be without a team. Sad as my first year I made the AA all stars as the starting picther.

No idea, i'm playing in veteran level and having a hard time as SP. I signed for the Phillies, they sent me to AA and after 3 months i'm 2-5 with a 6.03 ERA. I'm the 5th in the rotation and sometimes i'm used as MR or even Closer.

I have had a few good games, but i love how hard is to success. I'm feeling like a real pitcher, for example i'm having an awesome no hitter game for 4 innings, then if lose the concentration just a second they hit a double, triple or even HR screwing my perfect game. I love also the confidence feature, if you start to strike them out your confidence bar goes up and it's easy to keep striking them, if you send balls and allow them to hit, your confidence goes down and then it's way harder to pitch properly. One nice thing are the messages from your team mates and manager, for example when they say that the game was lost not because my pitching but because they didn't generate enought runs.

I'm really addicted to the game, in fact my wife is starting to complain for the amount of time i'm expending on it.

[dervack]

Thanks to you bastards, I just bought a PS2. I hope to play it some tonight.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by SegRat

For those playing career mode, how long has it taken you to get to the majors? My first year I started off 1AA and was sent up 3 times. 2 of which I was sent back down without playing. The third time I pitched in 4 straight games and was then sent back down. I am in my second season and my team sucks ass. I have been getting rocked and fear I will soon be without a team. Sad as my first year I made the AA all stars as the starting picther.

Let's see. I'm a leftfielder, who can play 1B/3B, but I'm not a great fielder, because I figured being a better hitter would get me to the majors faster. My first year, I was in the minors until mid-July, then the Blue Jays brought me up for the rest of the year.

I got released and was offered a deal again, but opted to sign with the Yankees. Spent a year there, half of it in the minors, before coming up for a month or so and then being sent down. Then I got released at season's end again.

This time, I signed a 1 year deal with a 1 year player option with the Angels. They brought me up at mid-season and I played until the AAA playoffs and then they sent me down. It was better that way, because they weren't going to the real playoffs and they were just using me as a pinch hitter. In the minors, we won the PCL title.

So, I was able to exercise my option and declined it and became a free agent. I signed with Boston as a non-roster invitee and played my way onto the team in spring training, signed a 1 year deal worth $550k (my first deal was 30k, then i made 50k my 2nd year and 77k my 3rd year..and my option was worth 81k, so i'd say I made a smart move)

The Red Sox were thin on leftfielders and so, I'm playing now in the majors...and have been trying my best to get rookie of the year. I've never enjoyed a career mode in a game as much as I have this one. And the fact that it's portable, makes me really happy.

Good stuff.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by dervack

Thanks to you bastards, I just bought a PS2. I hope to play it some tonight.

Come to the ps2.

I just picked up some component cables to hook the ol' ps2 up to my Sony Wega TV.

[Icy]

Damn i hate being a closer. I'm gaining high respect for closers in real life, i can't handle the pressure and it's just a game. After some bad perfomances as SP, my coach decided to bring me at the bottom of the 9 inning, tied on the scoreboard and with 3 guys on base!! for sure he wants me to fail. I managed to strikeout 2 guys and ending the inning, then i managed to keep them on zero runs for 3 innings more but my team couldn't score a run either, then in the bottom of the 13th i ruined it, they scored 3 runs on me winning the game. I was really tired (not only in the game), my nerves were destroyed.

I so fuck*ng love this game!!

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Come to the ps2.

I just picked up some component cables to hook the ol' ps2 up to my Sony Wega TV.

Does it look better in HD? I honestly forgot if the PS2 can do HD? By the way, I'm probably getting the Sony Wega in a few months too.

[Fonzie]

I'm playing in career mode as a lefty starter in the minors, and I've found it to be quite a challenge on Rookie level. I may have increased my stamina too quickly, which allows me to stay in the game so long that my mediocre stuff gets clobbered eventually. In fact, my manager has really left me out to dry a few times, which pissed me off (in a good, game-appropriate way).

From an immersion perspective I love the fact that I get completely exasperated with my defense - much as I imagine a real minor league pitcher trying to make the grade would. Great stuff!

[Young Drachma]

The more I read, the more I guess being a pitcher isn't the way to go yet.

My teams have always been bad and the Red Sox are dead last in the AL East, but I can see where a player on a 1 year deal is just playing to get well enough to get a good deal to go someplace where he can compete. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be for a player making millions upon millions.

It's really awesome how well they've done this. I usually hate these modes, but this is so good.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Does it look better in HD? I honestly forgot if the PS2 can do HD? By the way, I'm probably getting the Sony Wega in a few months too.

No the ps2 can't do HD. Although this is just a normal Sony Wega TV, which will soon be in our bedroom as I make room for the 50" Sony Grand Wega SXRD.

In MLB news, I just swept the Reds and although I keep saying I'm moving up to AS, Veteran is still just fine stat wise. After 12 games, I do have the highest BA right ahead of the Yankees, but I haven't really played against any top notch pitching yet. I'm like 5th in team ERA as well. Many more games need to be played before I think I need to change anything at all.

:rockband:

I like these new smilies.

[jbmagic]

You guys controlling everyone when playing as a created player or you guys simming ahead to your at bats and when you pitch only?

[Young Drachma]

I sim ahead to my at bats.

[Icy]

I'm a pitcher and sim ahead to my appearances.

[MizzouRah]

I lost my last game, but I think I'm ready for AS level, everything else will stay the same.

[Icy]

One question, in the AA, do you play different leagues during the season? i'm in July now, i have played like 20 games, simmed all the ones where i didn't appear, etc, like 60 total games or so.

Then i saved and when i came back to play, in the standings my team is 7-2 and seems all the teams have played only 9 games. Not sure if it is a bug or that the season ended and we started another season after 3 months or so.

I haven't been paying attention to the standings until now, but i see it a bit weird. The players stats etc are correct, for example the games played, but the games played in the standings are not.

It's 2 am here so maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me but could you guys check it in your games?

[Young Drachma]

In some minor leagues, they reset the standings at mid-season. They have 1st half and 2nd half champions, with both going to the playoffs.

[hukarez]

Anyone playing Franchise mode notice anything peculiar about the business management aspect of things? More specifically, the promotions?

I started out with scheduling a promotion (Bobblehead night) for my home game against the Giants on April 4, and played my game out. I won the game (a night game at that), and thought I'd go ahead and check out how the promotion went - but I still saw a message that said something to the effect of: "You'll find out results of how your promotion went after tonight's game!"

...which, I had already played.

I'm pretty positive I didn't have this promotion scheduled for 4/4/2007.

[gkb]

Ok, I suck at this game. I started in Franchise mode and am playing the Rockies. I've played 3 spring training games so far on ROOKIE level and I've lost 2 of them. I've never had difficulty winning on the easiest level of a game before and usually move up pretty quickly. I'm afraid I'm getting old and slow...

[Young Drachma]

Just tweak the settings until you get used to it or whatever and then gradually increase the difficulty. After all, it's about your own enjoyment, not trying to please the masses or anything. But from what I've read, Rookie in this year's version is equiv. to All-Star in past years and All-Star is harder than that and then the hardest level is hard enough that you'll need to play a lot to master it.

So..it's not meant to be super easy like Rookie in most games are.

[johnnyshaka]

Yup, picked up a PS2 tonight...bastards!!! Will pick this game ASAP...again, bastards!!! Also want to get MVP 06 NCAA Baseball right away. Boy, my wife is going to be pissed!!!

[gkb]

I have a quick questions about the hot and cold zones. When I press the Select button and check the hot and cold zones shown there, they don't match what I see overlaid in the strike zone when I'm batting or pitching. Which one is correct?

[Icy]

Originally Posted by gkb

I have a quick questions about the hot and cold zones. When I press the Select button and check the hot and cold zones shown there, they don't match what I see overlaid in the strike zone when I'm batting or pitching. Which one is correct?

I was wondering about that too.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by gkb

I have a quick questions about the hot and cold zones. When I press the Select button and check the hot and cold zones shown there, they don't match what I see overlaid in the strike zone when I'm batting or pitching. Which one is correct?

I believe the ones in the select menu are career hot/cold zones and the ones in while playing the game change due to the batter being hot or cold.

btw, I'm back to veteran level as I strike out on AS too much.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by Fonzie

In fact, I've seen a couple of instances in which errors indisputably should have been recorded because the runners wound up advancing, but weren't. I wouldn't normally care about such things in a console game, but as I'm playing in career mode those earned runs matter for my stats line (and thus my training hours, and ultimately my development).

Otherwise this is a fantastic game.

I actually had a fairly amusing case of this last night: a batter hit a single to right to lead off an inning. The right fielder threw the ball in to 2nd, but it sailed over the second baseman's head into foul territory in left. The runner advanced to 2nd. The 3rd baseman who fielded the errant throw then throws back to 2nd, and the ball again sails over the second baseman's head and back into right field. The runner advanced to 3rd.

No errors recorded on the play.

[johnnyshaka]

Ok...just got back from my local EBGames and traded in a couple of games and picked up MLB '06 and can't wait to crack it open tonight!!! Decided against NCAA Baseball and grabbed GT4 instead...figured one baseball was sufficient...and by the sounds of this thread, I've picked the right one.

[johnnyshaka]

DOLA -Well, played MLB '06 until 5am...YOU BASTARDS!!!! Definitely addictive.

Started a career as a 3B in the A's organization and after a great spring training I signed with them and started in Sacramento, AAA. After the first month of the season, half of which I missed to do an ACL injury, I wasn't doing too badly, batting .260 or so and had more good feedback than bad...so, pretty happy with that. But, when I finally decided I'd better get to bed, I went to save and completely forgot to make room on my memory card...ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh well...just have to start over...woohoo!!!

For those playing in career mode, are you all starting off as a youngster?? I think I'm going to start this one as a "real life" career...31 years old, overweight, slow, no range, but with a decent arm and decent ability at the dish. I'm curious to see where I'll end up.

Anyways, very fun game, can't wait to get home and play some more tonight!!!

[Bee]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Based on the reviews here and what i read somewhere else, I got the PSP version of this today. It's great that it has a career mode and even a multiple season mode. So we'll see what happens, but...hopefully it's better than Arena Football, the game I traded in at Hastings towards this purchase.

Hey DC, just curious if you know of anything the PSP version doesn't have. I know they usually cut stuff, I was just curious what was cut in this game.

[heybrad]

Originally Posted by Bee

Hey DC, just curious if you know of anything the PSP version doesn't have. I know they usually cut stuff, I was just curious what was cut in this game.

According to my brother, who bought it for the PSP, it doesn't have the full franchise mode.

[CraigSca]

No Full franchise mode? That's unfortunately not going to sway me enough not to buy a PSP and the PSP version of this game when I get home .

[MizzouRah]

Difficulty: Veteran
Hot/Cold zones: on
Strikezone: on
Cursor: Fade
Vibration: Off

Pitch count slider: maxed
CPU and Human pitch speed: maxed
CPU contact and power: +1
CPU and Human errors: +1

Camera views
Pitching: wide
Batting: wide
Fielding: medium

Slides and fielding: manual
Guess pitch: on

I also alternate ump consistency between wide and tight every other game.

The "wide" view when batting as well as the pitch speed sliders all the way up, really make FB pitchers harder to hit. My strikeouts are now normal.

Added a tad more offense from the CPU, or at least hoping to. Just had a game where the CPU team had more hits than I did.

STL 3 7 1
PIT 4 10 0

Quite a great game, 1 homer a piece, they K'd me 9 times total, I K'd them 6. Izzy blew a 10th inning tie with a bases loaded passed ball.

[MizzouRah]

Damn Cubs! Tied once again in the 10th inning and Matt Murton smashes an Izzy cutter into the stands. Ass munch threw his bat up in the air and mocked me around the bases. I lose 5-3 and once again I was out hit.

These settings are working well. I might go to a +2 on errors though if I don't see any next game.

It's great to know that even great pitchers like Carp can have off nights and little confidence. I couldn't hit any spots tonight with him and walked 4 hitters.. never did that in MVP before.

[bossfan2000]

I have this for my psp and am addicted.

Started out playing in season mode with the braves and was 3-3. Then decided to try out the career mode after reading this thread early in the week. Bad move. Now i cant get anything else done...i didnt think career mode would appeal to me, but man is it awesome.

I started out as a C for the Cubs on Veteran mode...went through spring training and hit around .200. Got offered a 30k 1yr contract..i countered with 40k and they said now way, and offered 1yr at 31.8k, which i took to play for the AAA team. I started off cold, then got hot, then cold, and now have been consistently pretty good. I'm at May 20th of my first year..just playing my at bats. Being a catcher, i dont play everday..so i am assuming i am not on the leaderboards because i dont have enough at bats. Man, the feeling of hitting my first homerun was awesome. As was being named player of the game the first time. And talk about frustration..based loaded, 9th inning, down by one with 2 outs. Ripped a ball hr distance, but foul. Struck out on next pitch and we lost. Feels like I am IN the freaking game. awesome stuff.

Right now i lead AAA all star voting for catchers, hitting .333 with 6 hr and 28 rbi. I started out 6th in the lineup, then 5th, then 2nd, and now i usually hit cleanup. Cant wait to see if i get called up later in the year. Both the team and the mgr bars are maxed out at Pleased. About time for my next slump to kick in. And i sorta regret being a catcher, since i have to rest so often..didnt think about that when i created my player. Hoping i'll get moved to 1b at some point.

Is it just me, or do you keep saying..just one more game its only 4 ABs..then the next thing you know its been 2 hours?

[MizzouRah]

More ramblings...

I'm moving errors up to +2 from defaults, but so far everything else is really looking good. For once in a console game, my team's not 1st in every friggin stat category.. the only few have to do with pitching. I do see CPU HR's are coming up now as well as CPU hitting in general.

Zambrano and Mulder were on today, but Zambrano left two low FB's over the plate for John Rodriguez and he knocked 2 HR's and drove in 3 runs as we win Game 2 3-1.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Bee

Hey DC, just curious if you know of anything the PSP version doesn't have. I know they usually cut stuff, I was just curious what was cut in this game.

According to what I read in a review -- and the only reason I bought it -- it has everything the console does except like one of the special hitting modes or something.

Curiously, the PSP game is still missing a few of the features that the PS2 game has. Some of them are no big loss, such as the rivalry mode or the two legends teams. Also not so bothersome is the lack of a franchise mode, since the season mode does at least let you perform many of the functions that a traditional franchise mode would. You can draft rookies, make trades, sign free agents, negotiate contracts, shuffle players back and forth between the minors, and juggle lineups and injuries. What is bothersome, however, is the outright absence of any player- and roster-editing functions. The PS2 game has a full range of editing functions so that players can keep the game up-to-date. That these functions were left out of the PSP game is absurd.

- From here

The career mode is great, though. It's worth it for a game on the go, no doubt.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by bossfan2000

I have this for my psp and am addicted.


Is it just me, or do you keep saying..just one more game its only 4 ABs..then the next thing you know its been 2 hours?

I've been playing this like crazy. I'm in the majors and its 2014. I became a regular in 2009. After a year in Toronto (31k), to the Yankees for a year (55k) then, to the Angels (77k), I opted out of my deal in Anaheim and took a chance to make the team in Boston. Signed a deal there and got (550k) to play 123 games.

Rather than re-signing, I signed a three-year deal with the Indians and started in 2010, but only hit .260, yet the team made and won the World Series. So that was really cool.

I came back to Cleveland for the 2nd year of my deal with them (I think my two-year deal with them was worth about $3 million in all) and they had the nerve to demote me to the minors for the minor league playoffs in 2011. We ended up winning the AAA title, because I was a beast and AAA pitching -- at that point -- had become old hat.

The demotion pissed me off and so, I was out of there at the end of the season and so, I left Cleveland (I had a player option for year 3) and tried to make the Cardinals.

Not only did I make the team, I had a breakout season (2012) hitting 47 homers, 123 RBI and batting .371. I really wanted to bolt and try to get a big payday, figuring there was no way -- my guy is mostly a singles hitter - I'd ever come close to replicating those numbers (specifically, the homers) again.

I made a return trip to the World Series that year with the Cards and we won it all. Good stuff.

But knowing I wanted to stay in St. Louis, with them being good (still) I opted to stay for the 2nd year of my option, so I "only" made about $5 million that second year. I hit a solid .308, hit 32 homers and 95 RBI. We lost in the 1st round of the playoffs.

They were loyal and I decided I knew I wanted to stay in St. Louis and apparently, they wanted me too. They offered me a 7 year deal worth $140 million, no team came close to that. (Most only offered me 3 years, some less..) And so, I opted for the security and signed the deal.

I've made the All-Star team as a starter (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014) and won my first Gold Glove in 2013.

We're playing the Tigers in Game 7 of the Series in a little bit.

Did I mention this game was really engrossing?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Ugh. I wish I had some money. The video store from which I've been renting games doesn't have it in stock, and I can't afford to buy it. I guess I could get it using my Gamefly account, although I'm thisclose to cancelling Gamefly. Grr.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Ugh. I wish I had some money. The video store from which I've been renting games doesn't have it in stock, and I can't afford to buy it. I guess I could get it using my Gamefly account, although I'm thisclose to cancelling Gamefly. Grr.

I traded Arena Football at Hastings and used that towards it.

Hehe...but then, I'm not the die hard fan you are, Pumpy.

[SegRat]

My pitcher is getting killed now. I am in my third season. First year was so so. Second year I started out very slow but got hot and helped lead the team to the playoffs. Third year I signed on with the Reds and was sent to AAA. My record is 1-5, with a 5.55 ERA.
Not good, but determind to make the majors.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

I've been playing this like crazy. I'm in the majors and its 2014. I became a regular in 2009. After a year in Toronto (31k), to the Yankees for a year (55k) then, to the Angels (77k), I opted out of my deal in Anaheim and took a chance to make the team in Boston. Signed a deal there and got (550k) to play 123 games.

Rather than re-signing, I signed a three-year deal with the Indians and started in 2010, but only hit .260, yet the team made and won the World Series. So that was really cool.

I came back to Cleveland for the 2nd year of my deal with them (I think my two-year deal with them was worth about $3 million in all) and they had the nerve to demote me to the minors for the minor league playoffs in 2011. We ended up winning the AAA title, because I was a beast and AAA pitching -- at that point -- had become old hat.

The demotion pissed me off and so, I was out of there at the end of the season and so, I left Cleveland (I had a player option for year 3) and tried to make the Cardinals.

Not only did I make the team, I had a breakout season (2012) hitting 47 homers, 123 RBI and batting .371. I really wanted to bolt and try to get a big payday, figuring there was no way -- my guy is mostly a singles hitter - I'd ever come close to replicating those numbers (specifically, the homers) again.

I made a return trip to the World Series that year with the Cards and we won it all. Good stuff.

But knowing I wanted to stay in St. Louis, with them being good (still) I opted to stay for the 2nd year of my option, so I "only" made about $5 million that second year. I hit a solid .308, hit 32 homers and 95 RBI. We lost in the 1st round of the playoffs.

They were loyal and I decided I knew I wanted to stay in St. Louis and apparently, they wanted me too. They offered me a 7 year deal worth $140 million, no team came close to that. (Most only offered me 3 years, some less..) And so, I opted for the security and signed the deal.

I've made the All-Star team as a starter (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014) and won my first Gold Glove in 2013.

We're playing the Tigers in Game 7 of the Series in a little bit.

Did I mention this game was really engrossing?

Great read! We're glad to have you here!!

[Philliesfan980]

They had plenty of copies down at the CC when I was out laptop shopping. I'm so close to cracking for this game and paying essentially $210 for a single game.