Recreating Baseball's History In Your Own Image

[KG Erwin]

I tip my hat to the hardcore fans. [&o] I own some standard baseball references and several books on various historical periods, but there's nothing like playing the game to give one the impression of "knowing" the players. Just seeing the available faces helps me appreciate the host of lesser-known men who have passed thru the ranks of the majors. The history and traditions of baseball are just one part of its appeal to me.

What I treasure the most is the impression of "being there" at the ballpark. The sights, the sounds, the smells... when I go to a game, everything just feels right. You get a feeling of well being -- this is the place to be. If a PC game can capture even a small portion of that, then it's good. Am I making sense?

[MizzouRah_slith]

ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

I tip my hat to the hardcore fans. [&o] I own some standard baseball references and several books on various historical periods, but there's nothing like playing the game to give one the impression of "knowing" the players. Just seeing the available faces helps me appreciate the host of lesser-known men who have passed thru the ranks of the majors. The history and traditions of baseball are just one part of its appeal to me.

What I treasure the most is the impression of "being there" at the ballpark. The sights, the sounds, the smells... when I go to a game, everything just feels right. You get a feeling of well being -- this is the place to be. If a PC game can capture even a small portion of that, then it's good. Am I making sense?

Yes you are, and I still think FPS Baseball '96 gave me that feeling like no other baseball game has on a pc.

[redeck]

for those who enjoyed my earlier ASC. post, heres an interesting update.

Hank Aaron retired at the end of the 1977 season. He hit a respectable .294 lifetime
he is the alltime leader thus far in RBI with 2247, a full 200 more than 2nd place Mel Ott

he is second in all time hits to Ty Cobb with a sparkling 3848 total, but still more than 500 short of the Georgia Peach.

he was 3rd all time in Walks, but a full 200 behind Mantle in 2nd and more than 400 behind Ted Williams in first.

heres the amazing stat of Hanks Retirement. He quit exactly ONE homerun short of the alltime mark. Did he do it out of great respect for his long time teammate Micky Mantle? Would Bonds Stop one short of Hank Aaron should he get that close?

My Hats off to Hammern Hank Aaron and all his acomplishments both in real life and in my fantasy league, he was the leader in so many of my championship runs, and I wish I could have seen him hit with my own eyes. He retires a couple of years before my family could afford to take me to a ballgame as a kid, but of course me liven in Detroit, that wouldnt have matterd much anyway without interleague play back in the day.

anouther note, after spending one season in teh minors as a 19 yearold draftee, Nolan Ryan decide to retire without pitching a single inning in the Bigs. A terrible loss to baseball. One i had to correct by recreating him.
I can make him bigger, faster, stronger (2 years older)
EeEeEeEe the 100MPH man, at a ballpark near you (or maybe not so near) every fifth day.

[motnahp]

I was fortunate to see those great players (Aaron & Ryan), once each. In Hank's last year in Atlanta, my dad took me to see the Braves. I was disappointed when Hank wasn't in the starting line-up. He did pinch-hit and flew out to left field during the game.

I saw the Braves pound Ryan in the 80's while he was with Houston. They chased him in the 4th inning, I believe.

The two most unusual things I've seen in person are:

(1) Sam McDowell starting both games of a doubleheader for Cleveland on the mound at Oakland. He was knocked out early in the first game, then came back and won the nightcap. I don't remember any details, as I was just a young pup back then.

(2) Bob Dernier winning a game for the Phillies at the Vet against the Giants, 3-2, on a three-run inside the park home run in extra innings. This has to be one of the rarest things in baseball. Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell hit back-to-back HRs off Steve Bedrosian in the top of the inning, to break a scoreless tie. Bedrosian left the mound at the end of the half-inning to a stadium full of boos, then became an unlikely winning pitcher ten minutes later.

[Amaroq]

Inside the park because the outfield was playing shallow to prevent the tying run from scoring from second, I would presume?

[redeck]

two things at the ballpark that i willalways remember, Travis Frymans 1st career homerun near the flag pole in left center in old Tiger Stadium, (whaat a blast if you know where the flag pole in old tiger stadium is compared to home plate LOL) and Bo Jackson getting the fan who caught it to throw it back so he could toss it in to Travis for a keeper. I think Bo actually gave the fan a bat in trade the next inning. never forget it.

and was it last season or the season before that Juan Pierre hit that inside the parker at Comerica park? I was at that game also. I remember Monroe, i believe, dove for the liney/looper and missid it, rolled to the fence without a tiger to be seen! and can Pierrre fly anyway!

its most memorable because I had Pierre on my fantasy team that season and Dontrelle Willis was also on my team, the running homer gave him the win so it was max points for my team LOL

One more thing i will always remember is being at the park when Jack Morris pitched his first game in Tiger stadium, for the visiting team. HE got shlacked, 4-5 home runs including a granny by that slugger.......Barbero Garbey ( i think it was Barbero, I do know the guy who hit it only had like 3 homers for the season )

[Fouts]

I went to a Dodgers-Angels exibition game (freeway series) in the late 80's. Jim Abbott (hitting with one arm) was pitching for the Angels and tripled. My friends and I were in shock. He became a favorite after that.

[redeck]

does anyone remcall the mans name who played one armed for the St Louis Browns during the war years with only one arm, and didnt he win the batting championship that year??? or am i loopy?

[jono]

Pete Gray was a one armed outfielder for the Brown's in 1945, but he only batted .218.

[redeck]

thanks Jono, i'll take half loopy

[motnahp]

I had to check retrosheet.org to refresh my memory. It was 1st & 2nd with two outs. I do remember the ball taking a carom off the wall in the corner and getting past the left fielder. The outfield was normal depth, with Kevin Mitchell playing LF. Mitchell, of course, was not known for his glove work.

[redeck]

No mitchell didnt have a great glove, but what about his hands, Didnt he make a great running barehanded catch in the outfield corner once that was all over sports clips for a week?

[motnahp]

Yes, same guy. He overran a ball and had to reach back barehanded to make the grab. I saw Mitchell play at AAA Tidewater. The Mets organization had him playing at 3B. He was brutal in the field and had average power, more of a line drive hitter.

[KG Erwin]

I'm gonna bump this back to the top.    With all of the options for league creation, ballpark and photo assignments, and a user-customizable XML file, the possibilities are endless. 
 
While the game is solid "out of the box", Shaun has provided the gamers with the tools to indeed fashion PS into just about anything you want it to be.