Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

[SportsTop]

I almost always guess high or low and watch for dirt to come up from the catcher moving inside or outside if I guess wrong.

[delusional]

I can hit in practice....

in game...its either a weak ground ball right to a player or a pop up to the infield ( pitcher, 1b, catcher ).

Frankly it is pissing me off.

[jbonax]

MLB09 the Show Slump
Posted on March 29, 2009 at 03:08 AM.
(6) [Comments]
Inevitably, in the real chronic doldrums of a baseball season, hitting slumps appear. Just as soon as you've committed with varying degrees of focus that you will never pick your head up again before the fastball arrives at the plate so that you may crack solid contact with the core of the white sphere, you do. Consequently, you top the baseball into a Sunday two-hopper to shortstop (for you right-handed batters). That one flaw steals your center of attention and throws your concentration off. From that point on, sometimes for games upon games, you are in an official hitting slump. The same thing can happen in MLB09 the Show.

I was bragging to my son-in-law the other day, “Hey, I scored 12 runs against San Fran. Chipper and McCann went yard. I had 19 hits! I’m unstoppable!!” And was I ever. For four or five games, the baseball looked in slow motion. The lighting effects that were placed into the game were positioning just the right amount of shadow on the ball. My eye was focused. I was pulling fast balls onto the white-chalked line, punching late sliders to the opposite field, and propelling change-ups at the pitcher’s head like size-ten Iraqi sandals at our former president.
Then, as silently as a US Navy Stealth bomber comes the slump. At the time, I was only 2 games behind the Mets; I could read a few neck tattos from that distance. Actually, the slump came as I blew a four-run lead in game one with them; then, it happened. Suddenly, I was swinging at everything like swatting at attacking killer bees. Fast balls under my chin were irresistible. Tailing sliders sucked me completely out the batter’s box and across home plate. I was making two solid cuts at each change-up, and low splitters that made divots in the dust and richochetted off the backstop, I committed to with my bat. (Don’t bring up the 2SFB!) I lost six out of my next seven games. My players’ batting averages begin to nose-dive. Injuries followed. Chipper went down for nine games, then Kotchman. I had to make hash of my 40-man roster. HELP!

To attempt a come-back, I changed to Rookie level. I figured I could get my timing back down with lots of practice. I took batting practice before each game. (Hey, that’s what the big boys do.) Eventually, after night-mares and self-inflicted guilt trips, I switched back to Veteran. Finally, after a long drought, which took me from that 2 games out to 8 games out, I got my eye back. I learned to be patient at the plate. I could see the ball again. Just a few minutes ago, before I began this blog entry, I beat San Fran 5-2. I had 11 hits, including one double over first and one over third. I pulled two high-and-inside fast balls out of the park. I am invincible, baby! I can not be stopped. I am on top of my game now. To think, I’m only 7 games behind the Mets, and I know they feel my heat. Hitting slump? What hitting slump? Gotta go, boys…game two with the Giants is calling me…just refer to me as David the shepherd boy, you do recollect what he did to the giants, don't you?

[coachpars]

Quote: Originally Posted by jbonax

MLB09 the Show Slump Posted on March 29, 2009 at 03:08 AM. (6) [Comments] Inevitably, in the real chronic doldrums of a baseball season, hitting slumps appear. Just as soon as you've committed with varying degrees of focus that you will never pick your head up again before the fastball arrives at the plate so that you may crack solid contact with the core of the white sphere, you do. Consequently, you top the baseball into a Sunday two-hopper to shortstop (for you right-handed batters). That one flaw steals your center of attention and throws your concentration off. From that point on, sometimes for games upon games, you are in an official hitting slump. The same thing can happen in MLB09 the Show. I was bragging to my son-in-law the other day, “Hey, I scored 12 runs against San Fran. Chipper and McCann went yard. I had 19 hits! I’m unstoppable!!” And was I ever. For four or five games, the baseball looked in slow motion. The lighting effects that were placed into the game were positioning just the right amount of shadow on the ball. My eye was focused. I was pulling fast balls onto the white-chalked line, punching late sliders to the opposite field, and propelling change-ups at the pitcher’s head like size-ten Iraqi sandals at our former president. Then, as silently as a US Navy Stealth bomber comes the slump. At the time, I was only 2 games behind the Mets; I could read a few neck tattos from that distance. Actually, the slump came as I blew a four-run lead in game one with them; then, it happened. Suddenly, I was swinging at everything like swatting at attacking killer bees. Fast balls under my chin were irresistible. Tailing sliders sucked me completely out the batter’s box and across home plate. I was making two solid cuts at each change-up, and low splitters that made divots in the dust and richochetted off the backstop, I committed to with my bat. (Don’t bring up the 2SFB!) I lost six out of my next seven games. My players’ batting averages begin to nose-dive. Injuries followed. Chipper went down for nine games, then Kotchman. I had to make hash of my 40-man roster. HELP! To attempt a come-back, I changed to Rookie level. I figured I could get my timing back down with lots of practice. I took batting practice before each game. (Hey, that’s what the big boys do.) Eventually, after night-mares and self-inflicted guilt trips, I switched back to Veteran. Finally, after a long drought, which took me from that 2 games out to 8 games out, I got my eye back. I learned to be patient at the plate. I could see the ball again. Just a few minutes ago, before I began this blog entry, I beat San Fran 5-2. I had 11 hits, including one double over first and one over third. I pulled two high-and-inside fast balls out of the park. I am invincible, baby! I can not be stopped. I am on top of my game now. To think, I’m only 7 games behind the Mets, and I know they feel my heat. Hitting slump? What hitting slump? Gotta go, boys…game two with the Giants is calling me…just refer to me as David the shepherd boy, you do recollect what he did to the giants, don't you?

Now that my friends is good stuff!!!! ( i love this game...)

[Braves Fan]

Great tips but I'd also suggest lowering pitch speed. It gives you a longer look at the baseball. My biggest problem is swinging at junk and as a result I have to many k's. When I make contact I usually do pretty well, making contact is my problem.

[Buckeyes_Doc]

The problem I'm having is I have no problem making contact, but almost every time I make contact it is right to a defender. I know this happens in "real" baseball a lot, but when it happens at-bat after at-bat it is just irritating. I always check my timing and it says I make solid contact most of the time ,yet my player is hitting .196....

[Ohpityme]

Good stuff.
I'm decent at batting and play on All-Star.
I like the fact that my batting avg. is 280.-290. ish but my OBP is 330.-350. ish.
Thats because you can actually choose to take walks if youre patient.
Also another tip is:
On a pitch inside if its coming in pretty close....then check swing and your batter will turn onto the pitch and get hit.
My only problem is that I seem to ground out to 2nd far too much...not that I'm grounding out...but that I constantly ground out to the 2nd baseman.

[michfan16]

The most fun game is playing on HOF with no guess pitch. I