Yes, I am sure there are deadlines. I just wish sports games came out every 2 years with a roster update and small patch every year for $20. That way they would have time to iron this stuff out.
However, I also feel that the programmers and QC may not always be in tune with what people want. ANd it takes public outcry for them to change or patch things. This is not limited to 2k. So even a 2 year cycle may not produce a game that hard core players want.
I would love to see statistics on the sales of the show and how many people bought a Ps3 just for the show. I haven't played the game, but everyone says it is the most sim sports game out there. If its truly selling a ton of copies and selling the PS3 system as well, it would seem like the other sports titles would follow suit and cater to the sim player.
The main issue I will have with 2k baseball post patch if everything holds true is that pitching doesn't really take attributes into effect as far as throwing balls and strikes. Almost every pitcher can have pinpoint accuracy even at the hardest settings with difficulty maxed. All they would need to do is have arcade button on/off much like auto FT shooting in Coolege Hoops. You can either shoot with timing of release or you can make it so making a ft depends on the players attributes. If they did that the game may be a 9 plus if they deliver on everything else.