Gamers Dig the Long Ball
McGwire and Sosa apparently to debut in '23; may open door for Clemens, Bonds
A trailer video on Thursday revealed two unique legends that look like they will be in MLB the Show ’23: Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
These two have long been players that Show gamers want to use, especially ones like me who lived through The Great Home Run Chase of ’98. The release of these two guys hopefully serves as a door-opener for other players from the PED era who have largely been underrepresented in recent versions.
San Diego Studios has never explicitly said it would not include players from that era, but their absence until now raises eyebrows. MLB the Show relies heavily on player licenses and without the support of Major League Baseball the game would simply not exist. It is not unreasonable to think that baseball officials wanted steroid-era players excluded not to draw attention to that time.
It could also simply be a rights issue that has nothing to do with that. Hopefully, this leads to more players from that time, including Manny Ramirez, Roger Clemens, and yes, Barold Bonds. I want as many players in the game as possible.
The Joy of Ranked Seasons
This probably goes without saying but Ranked Seasons is an absolute nightmare right now.
I say this following a Saturday night that saw my ranking (and my ego) take a swift kick following two close-ish losses to phenomenal players, although both games played out very differently.
Let’s set the stage: I’m on a nice little streak, winning six of my last seven and sitting at an 807 ranking. My last few games were against good opponents (I did not see their records pre-game, but several had World Series banners). However, I also was playing well and snuck out a handful of wins.
That all changed quickly.
My night started against a Top 50 player and his P5 goon squad. He had Milestone Randy Johnson on the hill (also P5) and the game was on legend. Not the most fun way to start. While I know Randy has come back to Earth a little bit (cue the DUR RANDY’S TRASH NOW in the comments) I struggle to hit him consistently.
I had P5 Corey Kluber (my favorite pitcher). It was the classic MLB the Show game on legend where neither of us could hit. I only had two hits the whole game (a single from Kluber and a well-hit gapper with Bryan Reynolds). Otherwise, my offense was non-existent.
Luckily my opponent could not hit either. He regularly swung at my inside sinkers and outside slurves. He hit the ball harder overall than I did but we were in a scoreless tie entering the ninth.
At that point, I had Billy Wagner on the mound. I do not love Wagner but had him in mostly to get George Brett who batted second that inning. With two outs, I tried to blow a high fastball past Hank Aaron and he hit it out. It was a no-doubter. I went quietly in the ninth to lose 1-0.
I usually win these types of games, but I was unprepared for legend. While my opponent was not a great hitter, he was a superb pitcher. He tunneled pitches and dotted corners. Even the pitches that ended up balls were right on the edge, making it difficult to get in hitter’s counts or attack a certain zone. It was no fun.
The second game was the complete opposite. I got paired against a guy with an all-P5 lineup, including a P5 Jazz Chisolm, which means he’s played a lot the past few weeks. This was a game at Laughing Mountain and quickly devolved into a beer league softball game.
We both scored each of our first four at-bats. We were tied at six after three innings. We both started Justin Verlander who was not hard to hit. I burned through my bullpen and could never slow the guy down. He was incredibly patient at the plate, and I had to really work for every out. It felt like even most of his outs came when he hit a piss missile that happened to stay in the park.
Offensively, I was able to keep pace for a while. He threw some bad pitches (a middle-middle cutter to Babe Ruth gave me a temporary two-run lead), but he murdered every mistake I threw. I lost 12-8.
Both guys beat me fairly. I felt outclassed in each games. Please do not read this as me complaining. I do enjoy playing guys I know are better than me to improve. At the same time, I’d love a few easy wins but I’m not sure there are any left until ’23 rolls out.
MLB the Show Tweet of the Week
Let’s Talk Pirates
My buddies over at YinzerCrazy.com published a list of former Pirates that I want to see in MLB the Show this year, or at some point in the future. Click here for the link and follow them for Pittsburgh sports coverage, including deep knowledge of the Steelers.
Make Sure to Vote
Thanks to those who already voted for the MLB the Show Hall of Fame class. I’ll announce the top vote-getters next week.
The Big Dance
Each week @SportsPenguin and I talk baseball, basketball, and general nonsense on our podcast: At the Plate, On Deck. This week we recorded two episodes, including a first look at the NCAA Tournament bracket.
Buy my book!
“How to Make World Series: An Expert’s Guide to Maximizing Your Results in Diamond Dynasty,” now available on Amazon.
Join My Partner Program
OK, it is not really a program but an opportunity to connect and see how we can work together. I need help promoting the book and this substack. Email MakeWorldSeries@gmail.com if interested.
I’m happy to pay for promotion if you have a significant following. We can also find other ways to support each other’s work or accounts.
Calling All Creators
Speaking of Creators, I do want to start a podcast series where we speak with the men and women who Tweet, stream, or create video content about The Show. Reach out to Chris Duong at @duongest if interested in a guest spot.