The Little Things Thread

[brendanrfoley]

Re: The Little Things Thread

I'm also a fan of watching your bullpen when you hit a homer - your pitchers will celebrate.

David Ortiz drilled a pitch into the opposing team's bullpen at Fenway. The went from throwing their arms up in disgust to ducking out of the way; I thought that was pretty great.

[CybrSlydr]

Re: The Little Things Thread

For some more along the lines of aware announcers...

Just played a game as the Pirates against the Braves (fantasy draft).

Santana was my starter and got drilled for 4 runs in the first 3 innings and then went out with a calf tear (out 83 days!!!).

Reliever came in and gave up another three (not his fault, OF bug - LF near the wall on a 2 out flyball - let it drop behind him and as the bases were loaded, all 3 runs scored).

Slowly I started chipping away - Puljos (sp?...) knocked out a couple HR, Hanley Ramierez knocked out a two-run shot to right (wasn't even trying)... The guys talked about how the pressure was on my offense and it might be insurmountable due to my pitching failing me in the early goings.

Made it to the bottom of the 9th and had cut the lead down to 2. Leadoff guy got a single and they commented how you could feel the comeback buzz throughout the stadium - maybe there was a chance, etc. The crowd was more into it and louder - some on their feet.

Made it down to Ramierez with a runner on second and took a swing for the fences - hit it to the warning track before Soriano tracked it down.

The crowd was holding their heads in their hands, looking sad, etc. Very, very nicely done.

[jct32]

Re: The Little Things Thread

I was playing against the Pirates in my franchise today and Freddy Sanchez dove and made a great play, turns out he disclocated his shoulder doing it and is out for a month or so.

The game is pretty realistic though. Carpenter got hurt in his first start for me. 96 days out. I also had Brenden Ryan break his wrist trying to break up a double play and Chris Duncan tear his Achilles trying to make a play in the outfield. That was all in my first series though. Sucks when I have 3 guys go out early.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: The Little Things Thread

Jacoby Ellsbury hit in the first inning. I hit a guy in the 7th; Gary and Steve wonder if it's payback for earlier in the game.

Wonderful!

[topgundie]

Re: The Little Things Thread

i was playing as the twins and had baker on the mound. he had sent down 13 in a row and the announcers said "and now he has sent down 13 in a row. he has a baker's dozen!" i did the same thing with blackburn the game before and they didnt say that!

[crazylegs]

Re: The Little Things Thread

In general, I just love how the announcers pick up their conversations. I've had at least 6 or so instances when Steve Phillips would start something and would get interrupted by the play on the field, only to have him come back and say, "As I was saying..." Really flippin' neat.

Otherwise, I've seen a lot of the little things that everyone else is mentioning. I play as the Sox, and it amazes me how well they nailed down some of the signature moves of the players. Dustin's glove adjustment... Youk's separation of hands... Lowell's bat swagger... it seems like the only thing they are missing is Papi's hand spitting/clapping. As long as they don't up to look at their faces (which are extremely hit or miss), it sometimes looks like a real game on TV.

[jake44np]

Re: The Little Things Thread

Is it me or are there way too many injuries in this game?

[brendanrfoley]

Re: The Little Things Thread

In the midst of a rally, Gary Thorne will sometimes reference the next hitter before he steps to the plate. The game will be mid-replay of an Ortiz double and Thorne will say something along the lines of... "It's going to be up to you Youkillis."

I think MLB 2K9 may have some of the best commentary I've ever heard.

[jct32]

Re: The Little Things Thread

Too many injuries, I had Ryan Franklin take a line drive off the head 32 days for a major concussion. I now have 4 guys on the DL. He acted realistic to it, he laid on the ground for awhile and then sat up and looked all dazed.

Glaus tried to catch a line drive it hits off his glove and lands behind him, Kahili Greene comes up and barehands it for the out at first, really cool.

Something cool the other day I was playing and it was a cloudy day and towards the end of the game the sun came out and it was only partly cloudy, it was pretty cool.

[Alai]

Re: The Little Things Thread

I had Ryan Franklin take a line drive off the head 32 days for a major concussion.

That happened in real life to Franklin while he was a Mariner. He was out for about 2 months.

[BadKermit]

Re: The Little Things Thread

it seems like the only thing they are missing is Papi's hand spitting/clapping.

I don't know about the clapping, but he definitely spits into his batting glove between pitches.

I was pitching a no-hitter with Sabathia, and in about the fifth inning, Phillips said something like, "I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but he's faced fifteen batters, and none of them have gotten a hit." The booth kept mentioning the no-hitter as the game progressed. I ended up losing a perfect game on an error in the 9th, but I got the no-hitter.

[Jamin23]

Re: The Little Things Thread

I don't know about the clapping, but he definitely spits into his batting glove between pitches.

I was pitching a no-hitter with Sabathia, and in about the fifth inning, Phillips said something like, "I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but he's faced fifteen batters, and none of them have gotten a hit." The booth kept mentioning the no-hitter as the game progressed. I ended up losing a perfect game on an error in the 9th, but I got the no-hitter.

ya I could have sworn I saw at least one of those two things. I think as BadKermit said I think it was the spitting into the gloves.

[JayBruce32]

Re: The Little Things Thread

honest to god I have paid no attention to the little things at all, kind of like I haven't been able to sit back and relax and smell the coffee because all the bad things offset my enjoyment of the game so badly.

[jct32]

Re: The Little Things Thread

honest to god I have paid no attention to the little things at all, kind of like I haven't been able to sit back and relax and smell the coffee because all the bad things offset my enjoyment of the game so badly.

That post wasn't necessary. If you want to bash the game go somewhere else.

I finally was able to put together a good pitching performance. Beat the D-Backs 5-3.

and I finally hit a homerun with someone else than Pujols. Luckwick put one into the Bullpen at Chase Feild. I am loving the in-game saves though.

[RealmK]

Re: The Little Things Thread

For me its the commentary as has been mentioned already. That Thorne and Phillips are able to pick up on a conversation after a play on the field and do it so in such a way that its seamless and sounds like an actual MLB broadcast really adds to the whole feel.

Another thing is the hit variety with the right sliders, seeing everything from line drives to both sides of the field, seeing eye base hits that squirt up the middle etc. Mostly that the game with the right sliders (I use PBA's) isn't a homerun fest this year is fantastic as well. If they can get the Inside Edge feature working properly and maybe tweak the fielding responsiveness a bit, I'd have very little to complain about.

The game is fun, looks pretty good and plays a decent game of hardball, kudos to this VC team for turning this title completely around from where its been the last couple years.