MVP Baseball 2003 - bring the baseball action to life like never before

This is a whole new ballgame! Knock the dirt off your cleats in the first season of MVP Baseball™, the all-new, reengineered baseball franchise from EA SPORTS™. MVP Baseball 2003 incorporates a new pitcher-batter interface—giving players the opportunity to be more strategic with their pitching and batting—and an all-new, picture-in-picture, on-base view, to create added dimension and strategy for base running. Realistic stadiums and highly detailed player models and animations bring the baseball action to life like never before.

Pitching

The first thing you notice when picking up MVP is the fact that the pitching interface is unlike any other baseball game currently on the market. You cannot just press a button and watch a perfectly-placed slider cut the corner of the plate for a called strike three. Just like in real life, MVP makes you work for every pitch, turning the confrontation between pitcher and batter into a game of skill that both sides have to master.

Pitching the ball now requires you to understand the mechanics of a pitching meter, a meter that looks more like something from Tiger Woods than the Detroit Tigers, but it is an innovative idea that works well in both concept and actualization. Step one, which is the first step whenever you are on the mound, is to select your pitch. Step two is to press the button of the corresponding pitch. But this is where things take a step from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and this is also the step that shows whether you are a baller or buster, as it takes practice and perfect timing to turn a Greg Maddux pitch into something that actually looks like, well, a Greg Maddux pitch.

Hold down the button as the meter swings to the left. The farther it swings, the faster the pitch. When the meter reaches the desired velocity, release the button, then press it again when the meter reaches the green accuracy box to determine the pitches location.

The pitching meter takes timing and practice, but the more you play, the better you will pitch. As you grasp the concept of the meter, here are some pitch combinations that will help you get the best of batters in the box.

1. Low, inside corner fastball, low inside corner fastball, slider cuts across outside of bottom of plate.
2. Outside corner fastball, outside corner fastball, outside corner slow curve.
3. Fastball on outside corner, slider that comes back to hit outside corner, fastball outside, just off the plate. The key is to throw all three pitches at the same speed.

If you are going to get beat, get beat with your best stuff. Nothing will frustrate you more than to give up a homerun with a slow curveball you know you shouldn't have thrown in the first place. Stick with your gameplan and make the batter's adjust to your style of pitching. do not just throw a pitch to experiment, not in any type of game that counts, that is.

One of the best ways to keep opponents off balance is to continuously change speeds. Throw a 99 mph fastball followed by a slow curve. Then bust the batter inside with another fastball. If the batter cannot judge the speed of a pitch, it is going to be hard for the batter to get good wood on the ball. Faster is always better in MVP, but try not to throw the same speed all game long.

A great thing about MVP is that the hot and cold zones of every player are displayed directly on the strike zone. Use the cold zone to exploit each hitter's weaknesses by throwing pitches exactly to the spots that they have the most trouble hitting.

Go with Low: it is better to miss with a pitch low than high. Low pitches get chopped into the ground or will simply get called a ball. If you miss anywhere from the middle of the plate up, you are liable to give up a long ball.

La Russaize your Pen: You have more than one pitcher on your roster for a reason. When you are playing against a friend, abuse your starter by throwing as hard as you can for as long as you can. Hard fastballs, hard sliders, hard curves that snap across the plate. Use slow curves as occasional change of paces, like every third or fourth pitch, just to keep your opponent off balance, otherwise, speed kills.

Fielding

Fielding in MVP is a blend of computer and user control, at least using the default setting. The game will not allow you to dive or jump for balls by pressing buttons. You merely have to maneuver the player into proper position to make a play, and if he's in the right location, he'll make it.

In order to put the player into position to make a play, you have to learn how to take over control when the computer relinquishes it. When the ball is first hit, the CPU will select the most likely defender to make a play on the ball, and send him in the direction where it thinks the ball is headed. As the ball gets nearer to the player in question, full control is given to you, and you have to continue on the same path in order to make the play. Make sure you are already pushing in the direction you want to go before you get control. That cuts down on the time needed to make the play, and could be the difference between getting to the ball or letting it drop in front of you.

Know the batters you are facing and adjust your defensive position accordingly. The drop down list for position changes lists every possible situation. You can play specific plays like the squeeze, or you can shift your fielders to guard against pulled balls and more. Study the opposing team to learn their tendencies, then tweak accordingly.

Once you have the ball in your mitt, it is time to throw it to a bag in order to make the play. Before the ball ever reaches your glove, you can start charging up your throw meter. Release it high on the meter to make the hardest throw possible. Using the “press before you get the ball trick” is the only effective way to turn consistent double plays. In addition, you can use this trick to gun down a stealing runner from the plate. If you see a runner take off, hold down the button for the bag he is headed to and you will have a head start at cutting him down.

Another thing that helps in terms of fielding is knowing the speed of the player at bat. If you have a speedy dude at the plate, you have to rifle it if the ball is hit to third. With a slower chap, you can load up slowly and take your time.

Always make sure your feet are set, and you are facing the right way before you release the ball, or you could make an errant throw, especially if you gun it. If your throw is not good enough, you could end up taking the receiving player off of the bag, and missing the put-out or tag, and you do not want that.

Hitting

Before you even step in the batter's box, go check out Harold Reynolds' MVP Tips. They provide a decent description of the batting system in the game, adding specific in-game explanations for a visual description of what is going on.

Timing

The biggest factor in becoming a world class slugger is getting the timing of pitches down. This takes time and practice. Before you showcase your skills against your roommates or friends, you might want to play a couple of throwaway games to get used to the speed of the various pitches. it is almost impossible to explain how to time hitting pitches... it is a feel thing. But you do want to get used to what each kind of pitch looks like, and learn what to expect from each pitcher's arsenal. Sharpening up your timing is the single biggest factor in hitting well. If your timing is off, you strike out a lot, and often hit the ball poorly even if you do make contact.

Make sure you check out the Home Run Showdown. It does not sport the same interface as the main game, but it helps you get used to the timing of pitches, especially the fastball.

Hot/Cold Zones

Each player has different hot and cold areas within the strike zone. These are represented as blue and red squares on the strike zone grid. As you might imagine, a player will be worse at hitting a pitch in his old zone, and better at cracking one when it is pitched into his hot zone. Good sluggers have a lot of red real estate in the strike zone, and substandard batsmen may not have any. Clear spaces in the grid give no advantage to hitter or pitcher.

The idea here is to wait (if you can) for pitches to come into a hot zone, and jack them. This requires an even keener eye than timing a pitch, because you have to be able to judge the location of where a pitch ends up. Over time, you get a better sense of where most pitches are going to go. The more reps at the plate you get, the better judgments you make in regard to placement. Pitchers try to pitch to your cold zones, but they cannot usually pitch a mistake-free game, so be ready to pounce on a bad pitch when the opportunity arises.

Hitting a bad pitch is easier than hitting a well-thrown ball, because a small ball icon shows up on the batting grid if the ball is misthrown. If a pitcher misses his throw, that's when you will see this icon. A missed pitch that completely misses the strike zone will be Xed out. Hold off on swinging at it. A missed pitch in your hot zone will show up as light red, one in your cold zone will show up as light blue, and one in a neutral zone will be light gray. All of them are liable to be jacked. A missed pitch is a major opportunity for you to make something happen, as it is easier to see than any other throw.

Full Swing Control

Full Swing Control is just a fancy way of saying “put the ball where you want to.” Since batting does not require you to swing in any specific place, the only control you have is where you are going to put the ball. Using the laft analog stick, aim where you want the ball to go, should you hit it. Therefore, if you want to hit the ball into the air, press UP. If you want to hit a grounder, press DOWN. If you are a a right-handed hitter and want to pull the ball into left field, press LEFT, and vice versa.

Using these controls, you can hit for situations, and more effectively hit specific pitches. For instance, if a pitch is thrown outside, take it to the opposite field. If it is pitched inside, pull it down the line. it is that easy!

you will also want to make sure you know how to hit for the situation you are in. If you have a player on third, and need to move him home, aim UP and try to pop the ball deep into the outfield, so you can tag up and move the player home. If you have a guy on first, and want to move him over (or hit and run with a steal), press DOWN+RIGHT to hit a grounder between the first and second basemen.

To hit homeruns, it works well (especially if your guy is a crusher) to slightly pull the ball to go over the closer part of the fence. With a right handed batter, press UP+LEFT to send the ball careening over the left-center wall. Reverse ito with a lefty.

Bunting

The bunting in MVP is very basic. There is no real way to drag bunt, and it is difficult to beat out anything and reach base. It should be used primarily as a sacrifice tool. The way it is most effective is as a squeeze play. If you have a runner on third, make him steal home, then bunt the ball. The player will be halfway home before the ball ever makes contact with the bat. Even if the catcher or pitcher gets to the ball, it is unlikely either will have a good play on the runner.

Running/Stealing

To learn more about how to effectively run, take a look at Harold Reynolds' MVP Tips. This will help you nail down the basics of advancing runners, taking a lead, and stealing. Here are a couple of tips to help you further.

• Know your players' strengths. Do not try to stretch a single into a double with a forty year old mule who has two bum knees. Likewise, make sure you have a fast runner aboard if you attempt to steal, especially if you are going from second to third.
• Telegraph your base assignments as soon as the ball is hit. If the ball looks like it is going to go deep (and not be caught), go ahead and tell the runner on second to go home. If you have a speedy guy on first and the ball is rattling around in the corner, send him home, too.
• To correct any mistake in running, use the right trigger or shoulder button to send all of the runners back. do not gamble. Runners are better than outs any day.
• Make sure you have a decent lead if you are going to attempt a steal. Push the lead-off button twice to get a good jump. The runner will go on the pitcher's first motion.
• Remember, if you tell a runner to go, make sure you also tell that runner to slide when it is appropriate. Some of the fielders in MVP have a hard time tagging guys out.

Franchise

Depending on the team you choose, you will be given different goals to achieve. If you are the Yankees, you will be expected to win four World Series championships. If you are the Cubs, hey... getting to the post season at all is a feat onto itself. But there are things anyone can do while playing/simming their way through 10 seasons of baseball to make their team a contender.

The most important thing you will want to keep track of is your team budget. After every season, depending on your win/loss record, your team payroll will either increase or decrease. The more you win, the more your payroll will be increased in order to help your team advance to the next level. But work in even one losing season and your payroll will plummet, forcing you to cut players and look toward your rookies for wins. Check your team's payroll before looking for free agents and spot any players you could cut in case you need to clear cap space. One season I cut Troy Percival and was able to clear enough space to sign both Miguel Tejada and Eric Chavez. The next season I won the World Series (as the Brewers, no less).

When looking for players, you will also want to keep in mind how long you plan on seeing your franchise through. Just because you are given goals for ten seasons, does not mean you actually want to play ten seasons, because by the tenth season you will actually be playing with drafted players rather than the big names of the MLB as the bigger names will mostly retire by then.

If you are planning on playing for all ten seasons, the Rookie Draft will be a big part of whether you are team will become successful. The key is to not look for positions you need, but look for the “Best Available Athlete.” What we mean by that is actually scroll through the abilities of every player available in the draft and keep an eye out for a player who has any type of ability labeled Great or All Star. These players will cost you more in terms of salary, but they will also add more to your team in terms of ability. Get them in the lineup as soon as possible and watch as every year they improve.

As you play through the franchise, remember, you win games with pitching, not hitting. Solidify your starting rotation and bullpen first, then try to sign some hitters. Also, if you take control of a team with no hope like the Brewers, it is best to just cut most of your high-priced players and start over by starting all of your rookies, hoping to see them improve. Then, when the season ends, your rookies will be better players, you will participate in another rookie draft, and you will be so far under the salary cap you can sign young stars like Lance Berkman to long-term deals. It might take a few seasons, but if you spend wisely, you should advance from pretender to contender.

When signing free agents, look at a player's age when determining the length of the contract. Sure, it sounds great to sign Tom Glavine, but if you are already into the third year in your franchise, that means Glavine is actually three years older than he is in real life. It sounds obvious, but when you start signing free agents, sometimes you are so happy to see a big name available, you do not think the transaction through.

Also, try not to hold onto your own loyalties. When playing a franchise as the Astros, any Astro fan would feel horrible about not re-signing Biggio. But in terms of helping your team, you could use Biggio's money to sign someone younger, and often times better. Remember, you are running a business, and in business, there are no loyalties.

If your season is going down the tubes, do not be afraid to release big-money players who are no longer contributing. For example, if Greg Maddux is on your team and you are in last place, you can cut Maddux and use his money to sign three good players, players that will improve your team from top-to-bottom. High-priced players are for teams that are already headed to the top. If you are headed toward the bottom, it is time to rebuild.

At the end of any season, do not sign any non-essential free agents from your team until you look into the pool of players available. Many times, you will sign somebody thinking you need them, then you will look at the players available and see there was someone even better at about the same price range (or even less!). Just because you do not sign your own free agents immediately does not mean you still cannot sign them later. All that it means is that the players get dropped into the free agent pool.

As you win games, not only does your manager rating grow, but your team starts building momentum. If you are simply simming each season, momentum really does not mean a thing. But if you are simulating some games and playing others, you will always want to step in and play the games against rivals to swing momentum your direction. Then, once your team has the momentum that you started through playing, you can then sim games and watch as your team carries that momentum for win after win.