MVP Baseball 2004 - Most innovative and realistic baseball

Introduction

Step up to the plate with MVP Baseball™ 2004. The fundamentals of hitting, pitching, fielding, and base running have been reproduced like never before to give you complete control over every aspect of the game. From swinging for the fences to protecting the plate when you have a two-strike count, the all-new batting model provides unprecedented command of each type of swing in every situation. With great gameplay and many additional features such as Pitching Challenge and Dynasty Mode, MVP Baseball 2004 wins the pennant as the most innovative and realistic baseball experience ever created.

The boys of summer are back and it is not even spring. EA's MVP Baseball 2004 takes the goodness that was last year's MVP Baseball and expands into one of the most in-depth baseball titles of all time. You may know the ins and outs of last year's title, but there are many new elements to this four-bagger that you will need to master. With a 120-year Dynasty Mode, complete control of baserunners, and "sensitive" pitchers, there is a whole lot of game to be had.

Massive Home run Hitters

Create a player with the names keegan paterson, isaiah paterson, or jacob paterson with no caps and when they come to the plate they have a huge bat, and hit massive home runs.

Offense

Batting

To score runs, you are gonna need hits, do not let Billy Beane tell you otherwise. Walks are good, errors are helpful (but should never be relied upon), but in the end, if you cannot put the ball where the hitters are not, you just are not gonna score many runs.

As in the real Show, MVP Baseball 2004 makes it more likely that you get the big knock when a runner's on base. The pitcher automatically pitches from the stretch, fielders are often forced to play out of the most beneficial position, and the best batters always find a way to come up big. it is simple — get hits with people on base and you win a lot of games.

Full Swing Control

This year batting relies on more than just timing. Using the Left Thumbstick, you can choose to pull the ball, hit to the opposite field, try for a grounder, or go for the big fly. The image below assumes you are using a right-handed batter. For a leftie, flip the commands (and not that right field is now talking about left field) and you will be on your way to slugging immortality.

Top-left
Pull ball up. Great for mid-high inside pitch that you want to blast for a home run.

Top-center
Down the middle and up. Mainly to get a high drive for a sac fly. Not for low pitches.

Top-right
To right field and up. An opposite field fly for high and medium pitches, pefect for a defense that is shifted for you to pull the ball.

strong>Middle-left
Pull a line drive. Great for pitches inside, even low pitches. Usually will not get you a homer, but can easily get you a double if it drops.

Middle-center
Line drive. Timing takes over here, but this is generally a line drive up the middle, unless you swing very early or late. Always a good default, but can cause easy grounders if you hit on top of a low pitch.

Middle-right
Line drive to right field. An opposite field hit is perfect on any middle of the plate or outside pitch or any pitch that tails away from the batter. Rarely homers, but if the line is not guarded, could net you a triple.

Bottom-left
Pull a grounder. Good if defense is pulled in as a quick shot can often get past the third baseman. Good choice against inside or mid-plate sinker or curve.

Bottom-center
Grounder up the middle. How often will you use this? Depends on your player. With Ichiro, this is not a bad call as with timing, the ball rarely goes directly up the middle. If you pull balls too much, try holding directly down instead.

Bottom-right
Grounder toward right field. Trying to pull a low ball to the outside is foolish, if you have to swing, try to hit opposite field and you might get it past the first baseman.

Pure Swing System

EA has deepened their batting engine to make for a more accurate baseball game. Before we get into specific hitting strategies, read up and understand everything there is to know about the Pure Swing System. MVP 2004 Producer Brent Nielsen offers up the goods:

The Pure Swing System is made up of many different components to determine not only hit contact quality but whether or not you will make contact at all. it is all about hitting the ball where it is pitched as opposed to directing a hit or lining up a cursor.

Timing - The better your timing the better the chance you have to hit the ball well or at all. We use audio as well as a PIP window to give feedback on your timing. The PIP shows a replay of your swing from above or the side and you can gather whether you were early or late, as well as if you swing over or under the ball.

Left/Right Stick Placement - The old "hit it where its pitched" adage applies here. Say you are Pujols and you see a fast ball away. What do you do? If you try to pull that ball chances are you will roll over on it and hit a nubber out to the 3rd baseman. If you try to go with it chances are you hit a nice shot the other way if of course your timing is right.

Up/Down Stick Placement - Think of Derek Lowe pitching. If his sinker is working batters will have little success trying to hit the ball in the air. This holds true in MVP 2004. You have to try hitting the pitch as it was intended to be hit. That means if the pitcher is keeping the ball low you should try to push the stick down as opposed to fighting the pitch and trying to hit in the air.

What you do with the stick also determines where the ball makes contact with the bat (yes, the ball always makes contact with the bat). Of course you want to hit it on the sweet spot every time but if your timing or left/right or up/down placement is off it shifts the contact point on the bat, decreasing the contact quality and in turn creating an infinite amount of hit types such as nubbers, choppers, dribblers, pop ups, bloopers, tailing and hooking liners, high fly balls and many, many, many more.

Batter Attributes - Both power and contact are taken into account separately. We are using 0-100 for our ratings this year (as opposed to 36-100 last year) thus clearly separating AA journeymen from MLB all stars. These attributes determine the size of his timing window. The higher the ratings the larger the window the better chance he has for high contact quality. They also determine how the batter matches up against the pitch.

Hot/Cold Zones - These indicate how well a hitter has success in a given area in the strike zone over time. However, new this year is the ability of the CPU hitter to learn your pitching tendencies. If you are consistently pitching the ball in the same cold zone, they will adjust and rip you. Remember, just because you are pitching in a cold zone does not mean the hitter cannot hit the ball (and hit it hard), it is just a representation of his overall trends of success in hitting.

Those are just a few of the factors that when combined determine contact quality. There are many more things that come into play in the batting interface during a single player. One example new to MVP Baseball 2004 is pitcher learning.

In MVP Baseball 2004 the pitcher learns your swing habits and pitches you accordingly. If you chase everything, the CPU throws more pitches out of the zone until you prove you do not swing at them. When you adjust to his adjustments he adjusts again. it is a game of cat and mouse.

Another way the pitcher learns is based upon what pitches you are having success hitting. In short, if you are tattooing a certain pitch he stops throwing it as frequently and try to get you out with his other pitches. These adjustments too continue all game long and are re-evaluated on a regular basis. The amount the pitcher learns is based upon his star level. Scrubs do not learn as quickly as all stars. That is why they are scrubs.

This year if you check on a pitch in the strike zone there is a chance you will hit a little "excuse me" dribbler out in front of the plate. Whether or not you go around on check swings is totally based upon where the bat is in the zone when you release the swing button. We have a handy PIP window here as well to show the swing and the call from the first or 3rd base umpire.

Bunting

There are questions when it comes to bunting: How do you bunt and when should you bunt? The act of bunting is easy enough. Check your manual for the proper button to bunt. When bunting, be sure to pull down on the Left Thumbstick. If you try to bunt left right or go for a dead drop by adjusting the Thumbstick placement. If you are trying to advance the runner or get a base hit with the third baseman deep, drop in on the left side of the field, toward third. If you are trying to get a base hit with no one on first, dropping a bunt toward the first baseman can be effective (if you are fast) because the first baseman will be too deep to play the ball and pitchers are generally not the best fielders on the diamond.

Zones

VP Baseball 2004 features hot and cold zones. These zones are broken into a nine square grid representing the entire strike zone. A blue zone is one where a hitter is weak, red is where they are strong, and no color means they are not necessarily weak or strong in that spot. The darker the color, the more of an effect that zone has on their abilities.

While zones are very useful for pitchers, they are also helpful for you as a batter. If you have a right-handed batter at the plate against a right-handed pitcher who likes to throw inside, and your batter cannot handle the inside pitch, you need to either change up your strategy or pinch hit, because the chances of nailing one is a lot less likely. When the pitch count is in your favor (3-0, 3-1, 2-0, 2-1), you can choose which pitch deserves your swing. So if the ball is coming into your cold zone, take the strike. Sit on a pitch in your neutral or hot zone while the count is still in your favor.

Guessing Pitches

there is no function to guess a pitch for any kind of "hit boost" but figuring out what your opponent is going throw can help you get big hits. In the single-player game, you will not be able to see any list of the opposing pitchers arsenal, so scout out the starting pitching and main relievers ahead of time. MVP's pitching AI is smart, so use your baseball knowledge to predict the pitches.

Pitchers tend to lead off with a fastball to try and get ahead of the count. This is especially true of any pitch whose best pitch is their fastball. If that is the case, you can generally expect a blazer on the first pitch. With two strikes and less than three balls, most pitchers will try to get you to chase a ball with a junk pitch out of the zone. it is hard to lay off a close pitch, but swing defensively. If the ball is outside, go with it and if it is inside, try to pull late to hit it foul. The more pitches you see, the more chances the opposing pitcher makes a mistake.

Assume that the pitcher pitches just like you would. So, once you have mastered pitching you can begin predicting more accurately what might be coming. Chances are, two fastballs, followed by a breaking ball, or changeup, whichever is the stronger pitch for that particular pitcher. The best way to learn to guess pitches it to play a lot of MVP. there is no instant trick to success. Just know that you need to be thinking "What would I do if I was pitching" and expect the same.

Situational Hitting

Winning games requires that you maximize your run-scoring opportunities. it is not enough to rely strictly on home runs to win games. Anytime a runner is in scoring position (on second or third), it is the batters job to make certain the runner advances. There are numerous situations throughout a game that will require you to use your noggin. While we cannot teach you all the ins and outs of being a baseball genius, here are a couple of common situations and what your strategy should be for each:

Runner in scoring position with less than two outs: The pitcher is more likely to throw breaking balls and off speed pitches, so do not count on a fastball on the first pitch. They also pitch more carefully, so do not swing at anything that is even close to the edge of the strike zone until you are down two strikes. A base hit to the outfield usually scores even a slow runner from second so your goal is to get a line drive. do not worry about the home run. If it happens, that is cool, but if not, you should be shooting for a base knock to get that run home. At the very least you want to move a runner from second to third, so look for a pitch you can drive to right field.

Runner at third with less than two outs: Your job is to get this guy in by any means necessary. You want a ball at least mid level in the strike zone and drive it up. A low ball, especially a breaking ball, will usually result in a grounder. If you get a low pitch and have to swing, try and hit a liner to right field.

Runner on first with less than two outs: You need to get that runner to second, but more importantly, you have to avoid the double play. Most pitchers will offer low pitches and a lot of breaking balls to try and get a grounder for an easy 6-4-3 double play. If the runner on first is fast, you can try for a steal. you will definitely want to get a longer lead from first. If you have a weaker hitter at the plate (or an unfavorable match-up) and a better hitter on deck, bunt the runner over to second. Be patient at the plate and try and wait out a fastball. Go with the pitch, as trying to pull an outside pitch will earn you are a nubber for an easy two-fer.

Batting when behind by more than four runs: Hitting a homer with no one on is not gonna do a lot of good. Be patient and try to wear down the starter. Get walks when you can. do not waste outs with bunts and steals, you need to rely on getting singles and doubles to nick slowly at the lead. If you have several innings left, remember that you do not need to get it all in one shot. A run here and there add up.

Batting when behind by two runs or less: it is small ball time. While outs are precious, runs are more important. If you are down by two runs and have someone on first, do not steal. it is more important to save your outs than get one man in scoring position when you need two runs. If it is late in the game, do not let the pitcher hit. Sub in pinch hitters in good situations, such as pinch hitting a leftie to face a right-hander.

Batting with a lead: When you have a slim lead and it is late in the game, that last insurance run is critical. it is all about small ball. Get a runner on, bunt him over and try to drive him in with a single.

Earning Walks

Be patient. That is the key to earning walks. The AI is more strike-heavy than in real life, but they still give up walks if you let them. it is often best not to swing at the first pitch. Let it set the tone for the at bat. When you are pitching, watch how a curve ball or a slider breaks. Since you do not have to concentrate on hitting as the ball is released, you have a moment to focus on the balls movement. When batting, you are able to tell a breaking ball from a fast ball. It all happens in an instant, but you can train your eyes to read the ball if you dedicate yourself to studying the movement.

Baserunning

If you played MVP 2003, then most of the baserunning fundamentals are familiar. Whenever a ball is put into play (or there are runners on base) a picture of the infield diamond appears in the top left corner. Each runner is assigned a face button. You can issue universal commands to all baserunners (lead off, steal, advance a base, retreat) or hit the corresponding face button to select a specific baserunning to control. Anyone who is used to a different system needs a game or two to get used to MVP, but it is worth it as you have easier and better control.

Defense

Pitching

Pitching is pretty much the same as it was last year. The meter is the same, requiring you to manage both the placement and power of each pitch. But there is more to pitching than the meter. Read the tips below to get the most out of the mound.

Using the Pitching Meter

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. 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 location. If you miss the green target when the meter swings back through, you will serve up a fat pitch that will show up as a pink dot in the batter's HUD... meaning it is ripe for a whacking.

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

Pitch Combos. Working the Batter

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.

Pitch to Their Weakness

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. Try to stick to the blue zones at first, but do not be afraid to change it up and throw one in the red, especially against a human opponent. Against the CPU, you will have to be equally vigilant. If you continually throw pitches in the same places, the computer will be hip to it and start looking for those pitches.

Running Out of Steam?

Your pitcher generally starts out with 80-90 in the Stamina department (depending on what type of pitcher he is). By about the 65 mark, you should think about getting another pitcher up and throwing in the bullpen in order to relieve him. As your pitcher gets more and more tired, it becomes harder to throw accurately. If you are a skilled player, and have no problem with the pitching meter, you can usually keep a pitcher in until the 55 mark without losing too much control.

Keep the pitcher in the bullpen warming up for about a half inning. If you need to buy some more time, go ahead and have your manager take a trip to the mound. This can, in the correct situation, give your current pitcher a boost. It definitely gives the guy in the pen more time to get loose, in case you need to bring someone in short notice.

Fielding

The default setting for MVP is to leave all the fielding control up to you, and this is definitely the best option. The rest might make you feel like somewhat of a spectator in the game. If you are having problems fielding, head to the Options menu and scroll down to Fielding, and change the option.

Right Stick Control

As with every area of gameplay, this year's MVP allows you ultimate control of your fielders by implementing spectacular hero-type plays on the right analog stick. Check out the chart below to see how to do each right stick maneuver.

LEFT
Dive sideways for ball. Pull the right stick to the left to dive for a ball that is just out of your reach, heading left.

UP
Climb wall or jump to reach high ball. If a ball is just out of your reach, or headed over the wall, press up on the right analog stick to jump or climb the wall to snag it.

RIGHT
Dive sideways for ball. Pull the right stick to the right to dive for a ball that is just out of your reach, heading right.

DOWN
Dive or stretch for ball. If you are running and just out of the reach of a ball in front of you, press down on the right analog stick, and your player will either dive or stretch for the ball.

Watch the Vector Line

do not know where the ball is headed when it comes off the bat? Unlock the real game, MVP provides a simple visual aid to tell fielders exactly where the ball is going to land. Just follow the vector trail that the ball makes in the air, and run to the spot it is pointing to, rather than running directly to the ball. Try to react as quickly as possible, because you do not want to let a ball get past you. In fact, in general, you want to always keep the ball in front of you. That way, even if it bounces, you have the power with the ball in hand.

If you do not see the line when a ball is hit, chances are the Vector Line has been turned off. Head to the Gameplay Options in the Options menu in order to turn it back on (on is the default).

Throwing Meter

Once you get the ball in your mitt, it is time to throw it. Depending on how long you hold the button, your player will throw differently. If you hold it only a short time, the throw will be weak. If you hold it a long time, the throw will be hard, but might also be wild.

To throw, select the base you want to throw to (the controller is roughly arranged like a diamond) and hold down the button corresponding to that base. The ideal throw is at the top edge of the blue, before you get to the red. If you do get in the red, you might be alright, depending on the thrower's rating, and the fielder's rating who is receiving the ball, but to avoid any question, try to get in the fat part of the blue.

Of course, you needn't tromp on every single throw. If you are standing a couple of feet away from a player, a slight tap will do in order to get the ball there.

Dynasty

The Dynasty mode is the real MVP of this game. This is a deep simulation for hardcore fans of baseball, and gamers who like to stretch their play across several seasons. This section does not cover every last detail of the complex Dynasty Mode, but it does give an overview of some of the basic principles and mechanics, and some suggestions to help get your Dynasty started on the right track.

MVP Inbox

The MVP Inbox is a quick check-in point for you, the manager, and you should visit it every day. Here, you find all kinds of helpful information. Early in your Dynasty, you can learn general things about the game itself from the Inbox. Even though you feel well-versed in franchise-style modes of play, it is useful to read the messages here for a quick refresher, and a rundown of new features.

Note that the Inbox is split into four folders:

1. Inbox holds all unread messages
2. Players box
3. Staff box
4. Media box

Once you read a message, it goes to the specific folder it belongs to. If the Inbox ever starts to overflow, you can delete messages (refer to the control at the bottom of the screen to do so).

Read the Inbox every day, as it contains information about injuries, transactions, etc. In addition, you can read up on the team you are going to be playing next. The message gives you legitimate tips on what to expect from them and how to exploit their weaknesses.

Scouting Report

Knowledge is power, and you want as much knowledge as you can get heading into a matchup. No matter what level you are competing on, head to the scouting report to information on the upcoming game. In addition to the particulars of the game (time, venue, etc.) this is a good thumbnail look at how your teams stack up stat-wise. The game you are about to play has a Game Impact rating. Early in the season, this is not high, but as the year progresses, games get more dire, and the number rises.

You can go a lot more in-depth in the scouting report as well, checking out the opposing team's starter pitcher, including information about his happiness rating. Check out probable lineups, and get even more information on each player by pressing the Player Info button. Doing a quick once-over on a team before you head into a game could give you the edge you are looking for, or reveal a surprise you were not expecting. As the Boy Scouts say, "be prepared."

Team Goals

Before you begin your Dynasty, check out the Team Goals section in the Dynasty menu. This helps set your expectations and give you something to shoot for, both in the short term and long term. How you execute to the goals determine your Manager rating.

For both sets of goals, both the Contract Goals and 1 Year Strech Goals, you can check your progress toward completing them on the right side of the table. Some of the goals are more realistic than others, but all of them depend somewhat on your starting position in the league.

Some of the goals listed apply to different parts of the organization. For instance, you might be called on to lead the AAA's in saves. In order to execute to some of these goals, you have to play minor league games, or at least intervene on sims in order to win. Check back often to monitor goal progress and see what you need to improve on in order to meet your goals. This also helps determine if you need to change personnel, or change the way you play.

Team Chemistry

Good Team Chemistry results in better play overall, particularly in simmed games. To run a successful Dynasty, you need to properly manage the egos of all 75 players in your employ. Each player has a rating from Very Happy to Upset. These ratings are shown with face icons next to the player's name.

Green Smiley: Very Happy This guy would take less money and still be pleased. he over-performs and never complains. Keep on what you are doing and do not disrupt this players good vibe.

Yellow Smiley: Happy. He is pleased, but not in the perfect situation. It is hard to figure out what puts him over the top, but accept that he is in a good place. Make sure the player is in the role you promised (see below) and do not put him on the trading block unless you absolutely must.

Grey Flatline: Content. He could go either way at any moment. Check his role. If he is underperforming, you may want to put him lower in the lineup or even send him down to a lower level. If he is doing well, you may be holding him back by keeping him in AAA or low in the order. If he is underpaid, you may want to offer a heftier contract.

Red Frown: Upset. The player is not happy, and continues to complain and disrupt the clubhouse, and likely bring other players down. You can see what is upsetting them by checking out their player info. If it is money, decide if they are worth the cash. Nothing but more cash or being put on the trade block makes them happy. If it is performance and it is valid, you need to put the player lower in the order, on the bench, or send them down. They usually continue to under-perform if kept in the same role.

Player happiness is based on three things: Performance, playing time, and contract. it is important to understand that when signing players or giving them new contracts, the role you give them determines how they judge their playing time. If you sign Mark Mulder for 2000 points and promise he is the MLB Ace and then sign Pedro Martinez for 4000 points as your MLB Ace, you are gonna have problems. The Ace has to be the Number 1 Starter on your staff. Even at Number 2, they usually complain about playing time. This means you have to be careful what you promise players when you sign them. You can pay them less money by promising a greater role, but you have to be able to deliver. Any player put in a position greater than what you promised (AAA Starter put in the Major League rotation) only increases their happiness, unless they play like crap.

Upset players are like a cancer throughout the entire organization. If there is no way to resolve the matter (bump up their contract, shift them in the order, or call them up to the Bigs), you are better off trading them or, if the price is low enough, cutting them. You cannot keep everyone pleased, but your first goal is to make your MLB clubhouse positive. The minors are a secondary concern, but still a concern.

do not ignore the minors. Every week check out your AAA and AA teams and see who is playing well and who is deserving of the bench. Adjust appropriately and call up and send down players between your two farm teams to try and balance performance and happiness.

Minor Leagues

MVP 2004 allows gamers to play each and every game on an entire organization's schedule, and that means AA and AAA games as well. While it is not necessary to do this, playing an occasional minor league game is a great way to see where the organization as a whole is headed.

Playing minor league games you to take players that you might be interested in calling up a "test drive" of sorts. If you are interested in a specific prospect to move up to your big league roster, head down to the minors, play a few games, and get a sense of what the guy can do. This lets you make a more informed decision on who to bring up.

Free Agency

The quickest way to give your team a boost, provided you have some bank, is to head to the free agent pool. One decent free agent acquisition can be the difference between a season of mediocrity and one of notoriety. To find the current free agents, go to Team Management, then Transactions, then Free Agents. Early in your first season, there are several great free agents for the taking.

How you sign free agents depends on how you want to play your Dynasty. If you use it as more of a management sim, you do not want to blow too much money on one player. You want to be frugal and deliberate about your choices. But if you are realistically only planning on playing one season, go ahead and spend the big bucks on a major superstar, as this helps you the most in the short term.

do not have enough cash to sign the guy you want? Scan your roster and see what high dollar guy is not pulling his weight and cut him (nearly every team has one). Especially if you are thinking short-term, this is a good strategy to make a run at the World Series.

Review

Last year's MVP Baseball 2003 was praised for its complex simulation-style controls, but it was also criticized for failing to include many of the simple things that most video baseball fans take for granted. Pitcher warm-ups and intentional walks were absent, and the franchise mode did not allow you to draft teams or trade players. At the same time, the limited variety of player animations displayed on the field didn't jive with the massive amount of noise and activity going on in the stands. MVP Baseball 2004 fixes these problems and expands upon every other aspect that made the previous installment such a joy to play.

There are a slew of new features this year. AAA and AA farm teams and rosters have been included for all 30 official MLB teams, and legendary players and retro jerseys can be unlocked by earning points during games. If you have an EA Sports Bio file from another EA Sports game on your system, some of these goodies will unlock the first time you load the disc. The dynasty mode is a full-fledged franchise mode that lets you draft teams from scratch and lets you make trades during the season. You can even send players down or call players up from a team's farm club. While the franchise mode in MVP 2003 kept track of team chemistry and rivalries, the dynasty mode in MVP 2004 also tracks the moods of individual players. If you do not give a player enough playing time or if his contract does not reflect his performance on the field, his mood sours, which has a negative effect on all aspects of his play. The batting, fielding, and base-running interfaces have all been expanded this year to give you more control over aiming your swing, making diving catches, and performing around-the-bag slides.

Every baseball game includes the same basic assortment of exhibition, franchise, home run derby, and pitchers' duel modes. MVP Baseball 2004 is no different in this regard, but it does have a couple of unique modes of its own. Fans of text-based baseball management simulations, which are popular on the PC platform, will appreciate the manager mode, where each at bat is simulated based upon the choices you make before the opening pitch. You do not actually see the players swing or make plays. Instead, the outcome of each play is printed onscreen in a running box score, of sorts. The list of managerial decisions is pretty large. On defense, you can choose to pitch to the batter, pitch around him, throw an intentional walk, call for a bean ball, realign your fielders, and make substitutions. On offense, you can tell your batter to swing away, try for a bunt, put on the hit-and-run, call for a steal, or sub in pinch hitters and pinch runners. The other interesting play mode is called the scenario editor. Here, you can adjust 20 different variables and set up every possible baseball scenario that has ever occurred in the history of the sport. The game lets you set the inning, the number of outs, the score, the count, who's at bat, who's on base, and even the fatigue level of the pitchers. This is a much better alternative to the canned scenarios typically included in other baseball games.

Where MVP Baseball 2004 distinguishes itself from other baseball games is in the amount of control it gives you over every aspect of each play. You can control how accurate your pitches are, how hard your fielders throw, where your hitters aim the bat, and even what kind of slide your base runners use when sliding into a bag. The controls make use of every single button and stick on the controller, but the steep learning curve pays off by making you feel like you are a part of the game.

Intentional walks, bean balls, pitcher warm-ups, and mound visits were not included in MVP 2003, but they are here this year. One particularly cool feature is that mound visits actually have an effect on a pitcher's stamina. If you send the manager to the mound in late innings or right after the pitcher surrenders a towering home run, the visit may increase the pitcher's stamina by five or 10 percentage points. However, if you go up too early in the game or for no apparent reason, you run the risk of angering the pitcher and having his stamina drop by five or 10 points.

The process of pitching is rather unique thanks to the swing meter that is used to set the effectiveness and accuracy of each individual pitch. After you press a button to select a pitch, a meter appears above your pitcher's arm and starts to fill up. You want to let go of the button when the indicator inside of the meter gets near the red zone at the top. This sets the effectiveness of the pitch. Once you let go of the button, the indicator changes directions and falls back through the meter. You need to tap the button one more time when the indicator is in the green zone to set the accuracy of the pitch. Effective and accurate pitches are more likely to land for strikes and do not consume as much stamina as flat or wild pitches.

Throws from the field employ a meter similar to the one used for pitching, except that there is only a single adjustment to make. When you hold down one of the buttons, the meter above your fielder starts to fill. This meter represents a trade-off between strength and accuracy. Optimally, you want to let go of the button once you have put enough power into the throw but before the indicator drifts into the red zone. Let go too soon or too late and the ball may take a hop or sail past its intended target. Just like in real life, accurate throws are tougher to make after your player makes an off-balanced or diving catch. MVP 2004 simulates these situations by adjusting the size of the red area depending on how your player caught the ball.

If you have played other baseball games before, the fielding and baserunning interfaces in MVP Baseball 2004 should seem pretty straightforward to you. The diamond-shaped layout of the buttons on the controller allows you to throw to specific bases or to control individual runners. EA Sports has added an innovative twist to fielding and running with what the company calls "Big Play Control." The right analog stick lets you command your fielders to dive after the ball or make a run up the outfield wall. When you are on the bases, the right stick lets you both adjust the length of leadoffs and select the type of slides your runners perform as they slide into bases. Press right or left on the stick, and you will perform a hooking slide. Press up on the stick, and you will dive in headfirst.

The batting interface was clearly patterned after the one used in 3DO's former High Heat Baseball series, and this is not a bad thing. There are not any batting cursors to deal with. Instead, hitting involves timing your swing so that you lay wood on the ball when it is in the strike zone. If you swing too early or too late or if the ball is outside of the zone, there is a good chance you will miss altogether or induce a weak grounder or pop-up. Hitters are generally pretty good about making accurate swings, but if you want to adjust the swing angle on your own, you can do so using the left thumbstick. This allows you to put more of the head of the bat on the ball and gives you the ability to get over or under the ball to intentionally produce grounders or pop flies.

Other positive aspects of the gameplay include hot and cold zones for hitters, the ability to queue up stolen base attempts before the pitcher makes his delivery, and the opportunity to instigate bench-clearing brawls whenever an opposing pitcher beans one of your players. it is also sweet how injuries are more prone to occur when you make inexperienced fielders perform diving catches or you drive out-of-shape players toward collisions at the plate.

In addition to including all of the plays and options that are required of a good baseball simulator, MVP Baseball 2004 also does a spectacular job of depicting the atmosphere that you'd find in an actual major league ballpark.

The sound systems at each ballpark blast player introductions and belt out music clips for each member of the home team. In the stands, the spectators respond accurately to what's occurring on the field. They'll cheer loudly when the home team scores a run or when the home team's pitcher notches a strikeout, and they'll boo when a player on the home team makes a bonehead play or if the visiting team scores a run. When an inspirational interlude comes over the PA system--such as the stomp beat from Queen's "We Will Rock You" — the crowd will respond to it like a real crowd would. The team-specific chants and player-specific catcalls are also a charming touch. Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow provide the play-by-play commentary, and they do an excellent job of mixing together their playcalling with historical information and player anecdotes.

As for the graphics, EA Sports has made great strides to iron out the problems that were apparent in last year's game. Even though the bulk of spectators in the stands are still cardboard cutouts, the fans in the lower-level infield seats are actually fully modeled now, which means that they do not look as flat-as-pancakes when the camera shoots them from the side. The number of different animations for infield and outfield plays has been increased significantly, so that now, not only do star players have their own unique plays, but you can actually go a half-dozen games without seeing the same catch twice. The players' bodies are better proportioned, and the majority of faces match their player portraits. Fan favorites, like Hideki Matsui, Bret Boone, and Randy Johnson, look identical to their real-life counterparts. Throughout the game, uniforms accumulate dirt and grass stains based upon the actions that the players in these uniforms make on the field. The miniature baserunning cameras that appear in the base diagram are back this year. EA has added a new a picture-in-picture camera that shows an overhead view close up whenever you swing and miss at the plate.

If you are a fan of a particular stadium, you will be satisfied with the amount of detail that has gone into each ballpark. Some stadiums are missing a walkway or a pillar here and there, but you really need to be a stickler to notice. The JumboTron displays in each stadium do a good job of mingling generic field views and replays in with the standard home plate-view that you see during each at bat. Most stadiums also have outfield scoreboards that update throughout the game, although there are a few ballparks — such as Bank One Ballpark in Arizona — that only have preset static displays.

So what is wrong with MVP Baseball 2004? This is a short list. The absence of traditional season and playoff modes means you are stuck playing seasons and playoff games in the dynasty mode. Anyone that wants to leap right into a playoff atmosphere will have to quick-sim through 162 other games first. If you just want to keep track of a single MLB team without being bothered by extraneous menus and farm club results, you are out of luck. The biggest drawback to the way the dynasty mode is set up is that you cannot import a new roster once the season has started. This makes it impossible to update the rosters to reflect the current makeup of your favorite team without starting the season over from scratch. The rest of the game's problems are mainly nitpicks. Statistics-tracking is woefully limited.

Basic categories, such as batting average, fielding percentage, and WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched), are covered, but you will not find night versus day or domed versus outdoor comparisons here. Ball physics are much better this year — to the point that liners and bloopers bounce the way they are supposed to. Unfortunately, EA neglected to increase the speed at which human-controlled outfielders run, which means the CPU still has an unfair propensity toward earning doubles and triples. To be fair, you can adjust the speed of your players manually, along with 19 other variables, in the game's tuning menu.

Since MVP Baseball 2004 is available for all three major consoles, the big question is, "Which version is the best?" The PlayStation 2 game includes network adaptor support so that you can both play against other players online and download roster updates throughout the season. The Xbox and GameCube versions do not have any online features. This difference alone should be enough to make the choice obvious for many players. Other than this, the three games are generally identical to one another. The textures in the GameCube game are a little blurrier than those in the PS2 and Xbox versions, but you do not really notice unless the camera focuses in on the sky or onto a wall. The graphics in the PS2 game stutter during instant replays but never during actual gameplay. Owners of HDTV-compatible monitors or televisions will be pleased to note that the Xbox version supports 720p scan widescreen displays. All three versions have support for 480p scan displays and Dolby Pro Logic II audio. Also, each version essentially controls equally as well with the respective system's stock gamepad.

Assuming you do decide to take the plunge and pick up a copy of MVP Baseball 2004, you will likely be satisfied no matter which version you get. The core fundamentals are spot-on, the variety of options and control choices is spectacular, and the presentation totally draws you into the experience of being front and center at an actual ballpark that is filled with screaming fans. - by: Frank Provo

Secrets

AA Easter Egg

Play a game with the Giants Double AA team and you will notice that the second baseman is named Duane Kuiper, and the number 1 starter is named Mike Krukow!

Massive Home run Hitters

Create a player with the names keegan paterson, isaiah paterson, or jacob paterson with no caps and when they come to the plate they have a huge bat, and hit massive home runs.