Batting up for this season's baseball games
By Sid Lipsey
CNN Headline News
(CNN) -- There are 30 Major League Baseball teams, and each one plays 162 games over six months. Even with a satellite hookup, multiple televisions and an extended leave of absence from work, you couldn't possibly watch them all. Even if you could, what about all those agonizing times in which there's no baseball at all -- like mornings, winters, All-Star Breaks and players' strikes?
Fortunately, a batch of new, ultra-realistic baseball video games can help you enjoy the national pastime 365, 24/7. I recently tested two of them -- "MVP Baseball 2004" from EA Sports and "All-Star Baseball 2005" from Acclaim -- with me playing as the Atlanta Braves and the computer as the New York Yankees.
I picked the Braves because -- just like this Web site, CNN Headline News, and my eternal soul -- the Braves are owned by Time Warner. I chose the Yankees as my enem ... er, "opponents" for two reasons: 1. The rules of journalistic impartiality and fairness do not apply to discussions about baseball, and 2. The Yankees are evil.
"MVP Baseball" gives players excellent hitting and fielding control. And when it comes time for you to take the mound, "MVP" becomes a pitcher's dream. Using a graphic that shows the "hot/cold" zones of the hitter you're facing, you try to pinpoint the right spot to place your pitch. But that's only half the story. Just like the real thing, pitching here requires precise timing on your part to put the pitch you want where you want it. If you're off by a hair, the batter will tee off on you.
Whereas "MVP" has detailed pitcher controls, "All-Star Baseball 2005" is very much a hitter's game. "ASB" lets you choose the batting mode that best suits you. Less-experienced players can choose a "timing" mode in which all you have to do is swing the bat at the right moment. Other modes help you recognize and adjust to the location and types of pitches. For defense, "ASB" provides a neat "Fielder Cam," which gives you an adjustable third-person perspective that's great for tracking fly balls.
Both games feature current Major League rosters, incredibly lifelike depictions of real ballparks and full-season modes in which you are the owner, manager and general manager. As a nice bonus, "MVP" also includes a full roster of minor league teams -- and, no, Crash Davis of "Bull Durham" is not in the Durham Bulls' lineup (trust me, I looked).
 Breathtakingly realistic Major League ballparks are just one highlight of "All-Star Baseball 2005." |  |
"ASB" includes a nifty "This Week In Baseball Challenge" that lets you relive, and re-write, key moments from the 2003 season. Broken-hearted Chicago Cubs fans will especially appreciate the chance to catch that infamous foul ball that kept them out of the World Series in October.
Both games take time to master, as evidenced by the embarrassing 38-0 beatdown the Yankees administered when I first tried "MVP." But they're well worth the effort. These games offer baseball that's so realistic you might be tempted to smear pine tar on your PlayStation (but try not to -- it'll probably void your warranty).
"All-Star Baseball 2005" is available now for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. "MVP Baseball" is available for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PCs.
