=============================================================================== Little League Baseball: Championship Series for The Nintendo Entertainment System by: MI64 email: tsbproject@gmail.com =============================================================================== Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction II. Controls III. Game Modes & Passwords IV. Power Analysis V. Pregame Setup & Bat Toss VI. Rosters & Lineups VII. Offensive Strategy VIII. Defensive Strategy IX. Pitching Strategy X. Challenges XI. Version, Credits, Legal & Contact Info. =============================================================================== I. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Little League Baseball: Championship Series is an often overlooked, but very well done, baseball game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game itself is extremely easy to pick up and play, with just the right amount of nuance and depth to keep a more experienced gamer coming back for more. It is quite poss- ible to play through an entire championship series by yourself in about an hour and a half, or so. It will take a little longer to get through, but it would be a great idea, if you can, to get a friend, or group of friends together to play with you as this is where the game really shines. If you've never had a chance to play this little gem of a game, get your hands on a copy and give it a spin! This guide is designed to get you up to speed on the game, including all the little nuances involved. If you don't know what baseball is, I suggest you look into researching baseball before playing this... (Have you been living in the wild in a cave or something!?) =============================================================================== II. Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The control scheme outlined here is in relation to a standard NES controller. If you've ever played older baseball video games before, the controls should feel very familiar. For those who may not know, the control pad can be used to "point" to a base when the ball is in play. Keep the following information in mind when reading the information about the controls. Right = 1st Base Up = 2nd Base Left = 3rd Base Down = Home Plate ------------------ | A. Menus (All) | ------------------ Control Pad: Move cursor up, down, left, right. Cycle through players left, right. A Button: Select option. B Button: Cancel option, go back a screen. Start: Start game at splash screen, otherwise not used. Select: Not used. -------------- | B. Batting | -------------- Control Pad: Before Pitch / During Pitch / as Ball Travels: Move batter up, down, left, right in batter's box. A Button: Swing bat. * Must be held down to complete a full swing. Advance to substitution menu after calling "Time". (See below.) Uncontrolled Bunt. * Hold the button until the bat is straight across the plate and release. Hope the ball hits it and stays in bounds. B Button: Controlled Bunt. * Press 1x to bunt to left infield, 2x to bunt to right infield. Stretch Bunt. * As above with B button, but push control pad towards far side of the plate from batter to attempt to reach across and bunt a ball that was thrown outside. Start: Call "Time". (Pause) Select: Not used. ------------------- | C. Base Running | ------------------- Control Pad: Before Pitch / as Pitch Thrown: Hold direction of base and press B - Attempt to steal a base. * The base runner will not attempt to steal the base until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. As per Little League rules. * Please note that this will cause your batter to move inside the batter's box as well. Ball in Play: Hold direction of base and press B - Advance base runner. * The base runner will advance to the next base. Hold direction of base and press A - Retreat base runner. * The base runner will retreat to the last base he was at. Hold down and press A - Hold base runner at current position. A Button: Advance base runner. (See above.) Hold base runner. (See above.) B Button: Retreat base runner. (See above.) Start: Not used. Select: Not used. --------------- | D. Pitching | --------------- Control Pad: Before Pitch: Left, Right - Move pitcher left, right on mound. Hold down - Pitcher throws fast when A pressed. Hold up - Pitcher throws slow when A pressed. Hold NEITHER up or down - Pitcher throws medium when A pressed. * Speed depends greatly on the fatigue of the pitcher! Pitch Thrown / as Ball Travels: Hold Left, Right - Ball moves in direction pressed. *Movement depends greatly on skill of pitcher, fatigue of pitcher and speed of pitch! A Button: Deliver pitch. Advance to substitution menu after calling "Time". See below. B Button: Not used. Start: Call "Time". (Pause) Select: Not used. -------------- | E. Defense | -------------- Control Pad: Before Pitch: Press down 2x to bring up Field Shift menu. Press down 2x again to bring up cursor to change field shift. Press right, left, up, down to change options and cycle options. Press B and then up 2x to close Field Shift menu. (See section VIII. Defensive Strategy for more information.) Ball in Field of Play: Move fielder in any direction. Press Up and either A or B - Fielder jumps straight up in air. * Fielders will not jump unless the ball is relatively close by. Fielder has Ball: Move fielder in any direction. Hold direction of base and press A - Throw ball to that base. Hold direction of base and press B - Run ball to that base. A Button: Before Pitch: With Field Shift menu open (see above) to select new field shift. Ball in Field of Play: Fielder dives in direction he is running. Fielder has Ball: A button alone - Throw ball to 1st base. B Button: Before Pitch: With Field Shift menu open, backs cursor out of Field Shift menu. Ball in Field of Play: Fielder dives in direction he is running. Fielder has Ball: B button alone - Run ball to 1st base. Start: Not used. Select: Not used. =============================================================================== III. Game Modes & Passwords ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you first start a game you will see a menu with three options on it. The options are: Championship Series, Exhibition Mode, and Power Analysis. The game modes that will be discussed here will be Championship Series and Exhibition Mode. Power Analysis is discussed in it's own section. Passwords are also dis- cussed briefly in this section. -------------------------- | A. Championship Series | -------------------------- Selecting this mode allows you to do the following: 1. Continue play - This option allows you to enter the password you were given at the end of the last tournament game you played, skipped, or watched to con- tinue with the current tournament. If you have not shut off the game after com- pleting a series game, you will bypass the password screen and go to the next game in the series. 2. List of teams - This option allows you to view the tournament bracket to see what round is currently being played and who has won and lost in the current tournament. Teams that have won will have a red line after their name showing advancement to the next bracket in the tournament. 3. Start new series - This option allows you to begin a new, randomly generated tournament bracket. When starting a new series, you will be taken to a world map where you may select anywhere from 0 to 16 teams to control. If you choose 0 teams, they computer will play out the entire tournament. Any teams that are not selected by the player(s) will be controlled by the computer. *If a series has already been in progress, starting a new series will erase the data from the current series. The only way for this to occur is if you use the B button to back out to the start screen and then select to start a new series, rather than the continue play option. ---------------------- | B. Exhibition Mode | ---------------------- Selecting this mode will present you with the following options: 1. 1 P - Start a single game versus the computer. After selecting this option you will be taken to a world map where you will choose your team and then choose the computer controlled team you will play against. 2. 2 P - Start a single game versus another player. After selecting this option you will be taken to a world map where player one will select his or her team, and then player two will select his or her team. 3. Watch game - Start a single game of two computer controlled teams. After selecting this option you will be taken to a world map where you will select the two teams you will watch play. The game will not take ANY user input after this option is selected and the game has started, so you will either have to watch the entire game or turn the game off to get out of it. (WHY would you do this? Watch REAL ball!) ---------------- | C. Passwords | ---------------- The game uses a rather (biggest. understatement. ever.) complicated password system to "save" tournaments. In reality, the game actually doesn't save any- thing, but has a unique password for every possible bracket setup. This comes out to a rather LARGE number of password possibilities. Listing each password for every possible bracket scenario is well outside the scope of this guide. (But hey, if you want to figure out every possible scenario and write down every possible password, knock yourself out!) Long story short, write your password down CAREFULLY each time. (Or, emulator save states for the win...) =============================================================================== IV. Power Analysis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you select this option you will be taken to a world map that will allow you to select the individual teams to view their strengths and/or weaknesses, on a scale of 1 to 5, in four categories. Below is a brief description of each cate- gory, followed by a chart of all the team's power analysis. --------------- | A. Pitching | --------------- This is the overall pitching skill of the team. Any player on the team can be set as the pitcher; however, each team in the game has three "actual" pitchers. You can tell who your pitchers are in the substitution screen as the cursor will change from a red arrow to a baseball when they are highlighted. Addition- ally, each player's actual pitching skill can be viewed in game, on the field of play, if they are set as the pitcher for that game. This analysis number, however, is not the average of the three pitcher's skill levels, or that of the team's. Apparently there are some "under the hood" as- pects that effect this score that will be discussed further in section IX. Pitching Strategy. -------------- | B. Batting | -------------- This is the overall batting skill of the team. You can see each player's actual batting skill in game, on the field, when they are up to bat. Just like pitch- ing above, there appears to be some "under the hood" aspects that effect this. These will be discussed further in section VII. Offensive Strategy. -------------- | C. Defense | -------------- This skill is not directly observable. That is, there is no where in the game that allows you to view a defensive score for an individual player. You CAN ob- serve this subjectively as it will become apparent that some fielders are faster than others while others seem to have a stronger throwing arm. Those two afore- mentioned aspects are actually what this score is about. Teams with a better defensive score will, overall, run faster in the field and throw the ball hard- er to the bases than teams with lower defensive scores. -------------- | D. Running | -------------- This score refers to two aspects, actually. The first is a base runners speed on the base path. The second is a team's overall bunting ability. (Per the man- ual.) In other words, teams with a good running score will have an easier time getting multi-base hits, stealing bases and better, more difficult to defend, bunting. Just like with Defense above, this skill is not directly observable as a number rating. Again, as with Defense above, it IS subjectively observable as you will learn quickly who your best base runners are. ------------------------------------- | E. Individual Team Power Analysis | ------------------------------------- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Arizona |California |Canada |Chinese Taipei | |Pitching: 4 |Pitching: 5 |Pitching: 4 |Pitching: 5 | |Batting: 3 |Batting: 3 |Batting: 5 |Batting: 4 | |Defense: 5 |Defense: 4 |Defense: 5 |Defense: 4 | |Running: 3 |Running: 4 |Running: 4 |Running: 3 | |Total: 15 |Total: 16 |Total: 18 |Total: 16 | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Florida |Hawaii |Illinois |Italy | |Pitching: 4 |Pitching: 3 |Pitching: 3 |Pitching: 2 | |Batting: 4 |Batting: 5 |Batting: 3 |Batting: 2 | |Defense: 4 |Defense: 3 |Defense: 3 |Defense: 2 | |Running: 3 |Running: 3 |Running: 3 |Running: 2 | |Total: 15 |Total: 14 |Total: 12 |Total: 8 | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Japan |Korea |Mexico |New York | |Pitching: 3 |Pitching: 4 |Pitching: 2 |Pitching: 5 | |Batting: 2 |Batting: 3 |Batting: 5 |Batting: 4 | |Defense: 4 |Defense: 4 |Defense: 2 |Defense: 5 | |Running: 4 |Running: 4 |Running: 5 |Running: 5 | |Total: 13 |Total: 15 |Total: 14 |Total: 19 | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Pennsylvania |Puerto Rico |Spain |Texas | |Pitching: 3 |Pitching: 3 |Pitching: 3 |Pitching: 4 | |Batting: 3 |Batting: 2 |Batting: 4 |Batting: 4 | |Defense: 3 |Defense: 4 |Defense: 3 |Defense: 4 | |Running: 4 |Running: 3 |Running: 5 |Running: 4 | |Total: 13 |Total: 12 |Total: 15 |Total: 16 | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ =============================================================================== V. Pregame Setup & Bat Toss ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During the Championship Series each time any team plays you will be presented wit a few options. When a game comes up with a team that was designated as a user controlled team during the initial series setup, you will have the option of either controlling the team (or teams) or allowing the computer to control the team (or teams). This is actually a GREAT feature as, if you have been playing with multiple teams or multiple people, you can set one of the teams to computer controlled and play the game. As an example, if the game did not have this feature, and you had chosen to play with two teams, if those two teams happened to face each other, you would have to learn how to play with two con- trollers at once! (The game would be quite challenging with one controller in hand, and another held by your toes.) For computer controlled teams you will be given the option to select either "Speed Mode" or "Watch Game". "Speed Mode" simply makes the computer generate the scores and stats for the game without actually "playing" the game. "Watch Game" allows you to watch the computer play out the game instead of just gen- erating the outcome quickly. (Again, WHY would you ever do this!?) At the beginning of each game, both in exhibition mode and series mode, you will have a "bat toss" which will determine who is the "home team" and who is the "visiting team". In reality this just amounts to who gets last at bat. It's really not a big deal, either way, although having last at bat is, of course, more desirable. If you tap the A button during the bat toss it supposedly helps you win and get last a bat. If you lose, you can quickly press the "B" button which will take you back to the "man-com" screen, discussed in the first para- graph above, and try to win the bat toss again. Cheater. =============================================================================== VI. Rosters & Lineups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you start a game, in either exhibition mode or series mode, you will be taken to a lineup screen where you can set your batting order, change player positions or make player substitutions. This section will discuss the rules for substitutions and show the rosters and lineups for each team in the game. Add- itionally, the ratings for each individual player for batting and pitching will be listed. If you do not want to make any changes before the game, simply press the "B" button and then press the "A" button to advance to the field of play. ---------------------------------------- | A. Player Body Type & Pitching Style | ---------------------------------------- As you play the game, you will notice some differences in player graphics. Some are short, some are tall, some are "husky". Additionally, you will notice some pitchers throw the ball differently than other pitchers. All of these differ- ences actually have an effect on the game. Be sure to read sections VII., VIII. and IX. for details on how to maximize your rosters and for further explanation on the player differences. Do keep in mind, however, that looking at body type is a generalization as you still must consider the skill level of the player. However, generalization is probably better than just flat out guessing when it comes to base running and defense! Body type and pitching style will be listed in the table below. --------------------------------------------------- | B. Substitution, Position & Batting Order Rules | --------------------------------------------------- 1. Substitutions - Any player may be substituted in for any other player. The game limits your substitutions for a single player to 2x. What this means is each player can be taken off the field of play twice. For example, you sub in a better hitter for your starting pitcher when it's his turn to bat. When it's your turn to be in the field again, you can sub your pitcher back into the game so that he may continue pitching. If you happen to take your pitcher out of the game after this, he will no longer be available to sub in or out. Keep in mind on offense you can substitute in pinch hitters AND pinch runners. When you are at bat, the only substitutions you can make are to the current batter or the runners that are currently on base. 2. Positions - Any player on the team can play any position, including pitcher. You can change your defensive positions at any time during the game when in the field. 3. Batting Order - Batting order must be set before the game starts. You cannot change batting order once the game begins. ----------------------------- | C. Team Rosters & Lineups | ----------------------------- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Arizona P H B |California P H B |Canada P H B | |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |Bert 2B 1 2 T |Biff SS 1 4 T |Chuck LF 1 4 T | |Elvis LF 1 3 S |Buzz CF 1 2 T |Donald RF 1 3 T | |Duke RF 1 3 T |Bruce RF 1 3 H |Peter 1B 1 5 H | |Felix 3B 1 5 T |Sid P* 5 5 T |Albert C 1 3 H | |Marc CF 1 4 T |Tom C 1 3 H |Fred CF 1 4 T | |Ralph SS 1 1 S |Bill 3B 1 4 T |George SS 1 2 S | |Ron 1B 1 3 S |Lee 1B 1 1 T |Robert 2B 1 3 T | |Joel P** 3 5 T |Travis 2B 1 4 H |Earl 3B 1 2 S | |Al C 1 1 H |Tyrone LF 1 3 H |Jack P* 4 3 T | | | | | |Bud BP* 2 1 T |Lamont BP** 4 3 S |Andrew BP** 2 4 T | |David BP* 1 1 T |Lance BP* 3 2 T |Ronald BP* 3 2 S | |Paul B 1 4 T |Eric B 1 3 S |Jay B 1 3 T | |Monty B 1 5 T |Max B 1 2 S |Mickey B 1 4 H | |Harold B 1 1 S |Dexter B 1 1 S |Louie B 1 3 S | |Eric B 1 1 H |Lloyd B 1 5 H |Floyd B 1 5 H | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Chinese Taipei P H B |Florida P H B |Hawaii P H B | |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |Lu RF 1 3 H |Don CF 1 4 T |Thomas CF 1 3 H | |Song LF 1 2 S |Alex 2B 1 3 S |Steven 3B 1 2 H | |Li SS 1 3 S |Arnold 1B 1 5 H |Aaron C 1 5 H | |Wang 1B 1 5 T |Irving RF 1 4 T |Adam LF 1 5 H | |Dong CF 1 4 S |Calvin P** 4 3 H |Alan 1B 1 5 H | |Jiang 3B 1 1 S |Kent 3B 1 2 T |Glen 2B 1 4 H | |Chen 2B 1 1 S |Barry SS 1 3 S |Horace RF 1 2 T | |Liu C 1 4 H |Wally LF 1 2 T |Timmy SS 1 1 T | |Gao P** 5 1 S |Gerald C 1 4 T |Jerry P** 5 1 T | | | | | |Hong BP* 3 5 S |Warren BP* 3 3 T |Cliff BP** 4 3 T | |Ding BP* 2 1 S |Carl BP** 3 2 H |Byron BP* 2 4 T | |Zhou B 1 5 H |Isaac B 1 2 T |Rick B 1 4 H | |Yang B 1 1 S |Rupert B 1 3 H |Larry B 1 3 H | |Sun B 1 3 S |Kevin B 1 4 T |Doug B 1 4 H | |Zhuang B 1 2 S |Lowell B 1 1 S |Archie B 1 2 H | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Illinois P H B |Italy P H B |Japan P H B | |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |Conrad CF 1 2 S |Logi SS 1 4 T |Umeda CF 1 5 S | |Andre SS 1 3 S |Aldo LF 1 1 S |Nakatu SS 1 2 S | |Roger 1B 1 4 T |Phil CF 1 2 T |Mikuni RF 1 3 S | |Greg 3B 1 3 H |Angelo C 1 5 H |Esaka P* 1 1 T | |Edger RF 1 4 T |Tony 1B 1 1 T |Yodoya C 1 5 H | |Huey LF 1 1 H |Vince 2B 1 3 S |Nanba LF 1 3 S | |Harry P** 3 5 T |Frank RF 1 3 T |Tenoji 3B 1 1 S | |Hal C 1 2 H |Nick 3B 1 1 S |Noda 1B/BP* 4 5 S | |Luther 2B 1 3 S |Mario P** 2 1 T |Tenma 2B 1 4 S | | | | | |Ken BP* 2 3 T |Emile BP* 2 4 T |Hirano BP** 5 1 S | |Boris BP*** 4 4 T |James BP* 2 1 T |Nishi B 1 5 S | |Suart B 1 3 S |Luke B 1 3 S |Naka B 1 4 S | |Terry B 1 2 H |Nathan B 1 4 T |Shima B 1 1 S | |Wayne B 1 3 T |Matt B 1 1 S |Minami B 1 3 S | |Scott B 1 4 S |Paolo B 1 1 T |Kata B 1 2 S | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Korea P H B |Mexico P H B |New York P H B | |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |Lee 3B 1 1 S |Juan 2B 1 4 T |Tommy SS 1 3 T | |Kim LF 1 3 S |Pedro SS 1 3 S |Amos 2B 1 4 S | |Park 2B 1 5 S |Paco 1B 1 5 H |Ward RF 1 5 H | |Jin RF 1 4 T |Benito C 1 4 H |Saul P** 5 4 T | |Cha 1B 1 4 S |Raul LF 1 2 H |Mike LF 1 2 F | |Han P* 5 5 S |Ernie RF 1 5 T |Cecil 3B 1 3 S | |Byun CF 1 1 H |Chico 3B 1 1 T |Oliver CF 1 5 S | |Ho SS 1 2 S |Pancho C 1 2 S |Clark C 1 1 T | |Chun C 1 1 H |Ramon P* 2 3 T |Ezra 1B 1 5 S | | | | | |Yang BP* 4 1 S |Manuel BP* 2 2 S |Andy BP* 4 2 T | |Ko B 1 5 T |Julio BP* 3 3 S |Reed BP* 3 3 H | |Nam B 1 4 S |Carlos B 1 2 T |Reggie B 1 2 H | |Rhee B 1 1 S |Jose B 1 2 S |Rocky B 1 3 S | |Choi B 1 1 S |Esse B 1 1 S |Bob B 1 3 H | |Eun BP* 1 1 S |Hose B 1 4 H |Wilber B 1 4 T | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Pennsylvania P H B |Puerto Rico P H B |Spain P H B | |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |Lee LF 1 4 T |Emilio 2B 1 4 S |Enrico LF 1 4 T | |Steve RF 1 3 S |Rico LF 1 2 T |Nieto SS 1 2 S | |Luis 1B 1 5 T |Lucio 1B 1 2 T |Jaime 2B 1 5 H | |John CF 1 2 T |Pepe SS 1 3 H |Victor C 1 3 H | |Phil 2B 1 3 T |Jorge C 1 5 S |Hector 1B 1 3 T | |Shane P** 3 5 S |Andres 3B 1 3 S |Sanche CF 1 4 S | |Wally C 1 4 T |Manny CF 1 1 T |Sambo 3B 1 1 H | |Wade SS 1 1 T |Lando RF 1 2 T |Chus RF 1 2 T | |Andre 3B 1 1 T |Brimo P** 4 3 T |Rudy P* 3 4 T | | | | | |Leon B 1 5 S |Merlo BP* 2 4 T |Estan BP* 2 3 T | |Drew B/BP* 2 4 H |Rene BP*** 1 2 S |Miguel BP** 4 2 S | |Greg B 1 1 T |Ponso B 1 3 S |Guy B 1 4 H | |Jerry B 1 1 T |Tarugo B 1 2 S |Luiz B 1 1 T | |Jody BP*** 4 1 H |Kiki B 1 1 H |August B 1 2 S | |Scott BP* 2 1 S |Ruben B 1 2 T |Dari B 1 3 S | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |Texas P H B |KEY: | |-------------------------|---------------------------------------------------| |Austin 2B 1 5 T |P= Pitching H= Hitting B= Body Type | |Stan SS 1 4 T |T= Tall S= Short H= Husky | |Daniel RF 1 5 T |1B= 1st Base 2B= 2nd Base 3B= 3rd Base | |Will 1B 1 3 H |LF= Left Field RF= Right Field CF= Center Field | |Martin LF 1 4 H |SS= Short Stop C= Catcher P= Pitcher | |Buck CF 1 2 T |BP= Bull Pen B= Bench | |Bo C 1 3 T |P*= Normal Pitch | |Rich 3B 1 2 S |P**= Hard Pitch | |Joseph P* 5 3 T |P***= Side Arm Pitch | | |Pennsylvania has four pitchers for some reason. | |Colt BP** 4 2 T |Japan has two pitchers on the field simultaneously.| |Dilton BP* 3 1 S |"If they're fat, they can probably bat." | |Norman B 1 3 T |"If they're a runt, they can probably bunt, (and | |Chris B 1 4 T | run)." | |Oscar B 1 5 S |"If they're tall, they can probably play defense | |Shaun B 1 3 H | like a wall." | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ =============================================================================== VII. Offensive Strategy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this section we will do four things to maximize your teams effectiveness. The first will be suggestions for maximizing your lineup and batting order. The second will be some suggestions on batting to increase your chances of getting on base and hitting home runs. The final topics will be about bunting and base running to further maximize your scoring opportunities. Keep in mind that these strategies in many cases deal primarily with playing the computer. Playing a real person makes things much more variable (and interesting)! ------------------------------- | A. Lineup and Batting Order | ------------------------------- In this game, it is really all about giving yourself the best opportunity to score and having effective pitching. Defense is really secondary to these two aspects of the game. Having a good defense is nice, but if you can run rule a team by the end of the 2nd or 3rd inning, defense becomes kind of moot. With this in mind, please consider the following suggestions: 1. Lineup - ALWAYS put your best hitters in the line up. You'll notice that many teams in the game have some really good hitters sitting on the bench. These players need to be in the game. Substitute out your crummy hitters for the good hitters, this should include pitchers on your bench who happen to be good hitters. Don't bother worrying about if they are sloth slow in the field or have noodle arms. It's really not going to matter. There is one exception to this suggestion. See #2 below. 2. Pitcher Sub Advantage - Pitchers that are lousy batters should bat ninth. If your best pitcher happens to be a terrible batter, put him as the last at bat in your batting order to take advantage of the 2x substitution option. In order for this to really be effective, you will need at least one decent batter on the bench. Unless you are scoring runs like crazy, your pitcher will most likely be up to bat about two times in the game. You can substitute your pitch- er out one of these times for the better batter, and then put him right back in the game, with the advantage of having a fresh pitcher!(See notes about the "Pitching Glitch" in section IX. Pitching Strategy.) With this in mind, it's probably best to use this strategy for your pitcher's second at bat. If you are lucky enough to have two good pitchers, than you can really exploit this and sub your pitcher out for a better hitter every time he's up to bat. 3. Batting Order - Top heavy versus spread out. There are really two strategies to use here, and which one you choose should be based on your team's strength. If you have a handful of good batters and every- one else is mediocre at best, it's probably best to put your best batters near the top of your batting order, clumped more or less together. The reasoning be- hind this is simple; players near the top of the order are much more likely to bat multiple times in a game. If your team has pretty good batting skills, it's probably best to have your best batters spread out about every three to four batters to maximize your scoring chances. 4. "Husky" Batters - Your "husky" (fat boy..) batters are your power hitters. If your team has a few "husky" players that have a batting skill of 3 or high- er, they should bat in positions 3-5 of your batting order for the top heavy strategy. Or, if you are using the spread strategy, they should be the batters that bat every 3-4 at bats. It's actually quite common to hit home runs with husky batters that only have a 2 batting skill. 5. Extra Pitcher on the Field - Keep your best players on the field. If your best pitcher happens to be a good batter and you want to keep him on the field after he has started to tire, (assuming you don't want to "cheat" and use the pitching glitch), you can change his position with one of the other, less talented, fielders and then sub in your next best pitcher. If your next best pitcher happens to already be on the field, then just have them swap posi- tions. -------------- | B. Batting | - "If they're fat, they can probably bat." -------------- Below are my recommendations for increasing your hitting power and placement. What I recommend here is, after your batter is set in his stance, you do not move him. However, if you get good at reading pitches, feel free to move your batter right or left in the box to try to maximize your contact. Placement in the batter's box is based on body type. I've found that lining up your batters like this allows for pretty consistent hitting and getting on base. You may have your own preference, however. Finally, remember to be patient and wait for the best pitch! 1. "Husky" Batters - Move your "husky" batters to the right or left, depending on what hand they bat with, until their leading toe, on the foot closest to the pitcher, just touches the white inside line of the batter's box. The black out- lining pixel of their toe should touch the white line, but NOT be on top of it. Once their leading toe touches the white line, move them ONE pixel up. 2. Tall Batters - Move your tall batters to the right or left, depending on what hand they bat with, until their leading toe, on the foot closest to the pitcher, just touches the white inside line of the batter's box. The black out- lining pixel of their toe should touch the white line, but NOT be on top of it. Don't worry about moving them up or down in the box. 3. Short Batters - Move your short batters to the right or left, depending on what hand they bat with, until their leading toe, on the foot closest to the pitcher, just touches the white inside line of the batter's box. The black out- lining pixel of their toe should touch the white line, but NOT be on top of it. Once their leading toe touches the white line, move them TWO pixels up. -------------- | C. Bunting | - "If they're a runt, they can probably bunt (and run)." -------------- There are actually two types of bunting in the game. I label them as "controll- ed" and "un-controlled". See section II. Controls for information on how to perform each type of bunt. Below are my recommendations to improve bunting. (See the next section on base running for further suggestions on how to advance your runners during a bunt.) 1. Controlled bunt position - The easiest position to bunt from is from the top inside corner of the batter's box. The ball has less time to do something crazy before it gets to the plate this way. This position tends to bunt the ball more deeply into the infield. With this in mind, a fast running pitcher, fast 3rd baseman or a fast 1st baseman can sometimes get to the ball quickly. A harder position to bunt from is the back inside corner of the batter's box. The big advantage with this position is the only fielders that can really make a play on the ball are likely the pitcher, who must run very fast, or the catcher. You should also be aware that if your batter has two out and bunts the ball and it lands out of bounds, he will be out. 2. Controlled bunt placement - This should be common sense, but you should al- ways attempt to bunt AWAY from the base you are trying to run to OR away from the base that you are trying to advance another base runner to. For example, if you have a player on 2nd and are trying to advance them to 3rd, you should have your batter bunt toward 1st. 3. Runner on 3rd - If you have a player on 3rd, have only one out, and your current batter is mediocre, bunting is a GREAT way to get that player on 3rd to score. In this instance, it is definitely best to use the controlled bunt to bunt the ball toward first base. You may also try this with two outs, but it's obviously more risky. If you have had trouble scoring in general, regardless of the batters skill, you may want to do this, particularly if it is getting close to the end of the game and you simply need to score. 4. Runts to bunt - In regard to controlled bunting, in GENERAL your short play- ers are better at it. So, if you know for a fact that you want to bunt and you have a player on your bench with decent skill, better than the current batter, and he's short, give him a go. 5. Uncontrolled bunt - Essentially with this bunt you are holding your bat in the "mid-swing" position and allowing the ball to glance off of it. This type of bunt can be very confusing to the computer. However, you have absolutely NO control on where the ball goes, so it's probably best to try this bunt only with (non-husky) hitters that are skill level 2 or below with no one on base. Remember, if you have two strikes and you bunt and the ball lands out of bounds, you are out. This is much more likely to happen with this bunt style compared to the controlled bunt. 6. Uncontrolled bunt position - To minimize the ball landing out of bounds, it is usually best to attempt this bunt from the front or middle of the batter's box. ------------------- | D. Base Running | - If they're a runt, they can probably bunt (and run)." ------------------- The first thing I will say here is that you should practice the base running controls. It can sometimes be tricky until you get the hang of it. Refer back to section II. Controls for information on the base running controls. Below are some suggestions for effective base running as well as some game play hints to get your runners in better position to score. 1. Tag up - Your base runners will start running as soon as your batter makes contact with the ball. If the ball is traveling in the air and their is ANY possibility the ball can be caught in the air, you should really have your base runners go back to the base they were on, or at least have them hold their pos- ition, until the ball hits the ground. Once the ball is on the ground, you can begin advancing them again. If the ball is caught in the air and they are NOT on their starting base, you need to have them go back to that base before they can attempt to advance to the next base. Otherwise, they will get thrown out. 2. Tag up and run - In reference to #1 above, if you have runners on base and the ball is hit deep and away from the base they would be advancing to, you can have the runners tag up on their base and then attempt to advance to the next base AFTER the fielder catches the ball. For example, if you have a player on 2nd base and the ball is hit to deep right, deep right center or deep center field, you should have no problem having them wait at 2nd and then advancing them to 3rd, or in some cases they can make it all the way to home! 3. Stealing bases - If you use this tactic, your base runners will leave their base as soon as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. You can attempt to steal any base, however, stealing 2nd is the easiest because it is the furthest base from the catcher. Remember, in GENERAL, if you have a short player on base, they will be better at stealing. Your odds of stealing a base are better if any one or more of the following happens to be the case: the pitcher throws a slow pitch, your base runner is fast, the catcher has a weak arm. Also remember that you can sub in a pinch runner who happens to be faster than the current runner. 4. Advancing to a base early - This is very similar to attempting to steal a base as described above. However, in this case you are attempting to advance your base runner while also attempting to hit the ball. You should always send your base runners in motion early if you have two outs as this will allow for a greater chance of making it to the next base. You really have nothing to lose here because your at bats will be over if the ball is caught in the air or the batter is thrown out at 1st base anyway. You ALSO will want to do this each and every time you are attempting to bunt, regardless of the number of outs. 5. Runner on 1st/3rd free base - If you have a runner on 3rd base and a runner on 1st base, you can easily advance the 1st base runner to 2nd base. To do this, send your 3rd base runner toward home (DON'T do this if the 3rd baseman happens to have the ball...) and simultaneously send your 1st base runner to- ward 2nd base. The computer, in most instances, will throw the ball to home plate. Send your 3rd base runner back to third so he is safe and usually your 1st base runner will be making it to 2nd safely as well. In some cases, the computer will attempt to throw the 1st base runner out at 2nd. If this happens, just send the runner back to 1st base and repeat the process over again. Event- ually, the computer will just hold on to the ball at home plate and let you have the free base. 6. Runner on 3rd bunt safe - If you have a runner on 3rd base and you are att- empting to bunt, remember to bunt toward 1st, you can actually save the bunter from getting thrown out even if your 3rd base runner can't score. If it looks as if their is no chance of the 3rd base runner making it to home safely after a bunt, you can actually force the computer to throw to home (or 3rd) by send- ing your 3rd base runner part of the way anyway and then having him return to 3rd. In most cases this will allow the bunter to make it safely to 1st base. Once the batter has made it to 1st, you can do further damage by attempting to do the free base strategy explained in #5 above, if the 3rd baseman does not have the ball! =============================================================================== VIII. Defensive Strategy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this section we will discuss some suggestions on improving your defensive prowess. Fortunately, the computer does a pretty good job getting your fielders in the correct position, so this section won't be especially long. The first section deals with setting your positions to make sure your slower players are not in the positions that get the most action and some general suggestions. The second section deals with jumping and diving. The last section deals with the Field Shift menu. --------------- | A. Fielders | -"If they're tall, they probably can play defense like a wall." --------------- Defense, at least against the computer, is not really a big deal. Just a few points here. 1. Center Fielder, Catcher, 2nd Baseman - These 3 positions tend to get the least amount of action. So, if you know you have some slow-pokes on your roster that are good batters, they should probably go in one of those 3 positions. If you have the option of picking, you should go in this order of slowness: catch- er, 2nd baseman, center fielder. In some games, you may NEVER use the catcher. The center fielder will occasionally have to run a ball down, but probably not more than 1-2x a game. (Especially if you follow my pitching strategy in sec- tion IX. Pitching Strategy.) 2. Tall guys play defense - In GENERAL, your tall guys will be faster in the field (longer legs??) and have better arms. So you can adjust your lineup as needed. 3. Stay put, kinda - The game usually does a pretty good job of having your fielders in decent position to make a play on the ball. So, when a ball is hit, don't go crazy thinking you will have to run a mile to get to the ball. You sh- ould have a fielder somewhere relatively close by and in many cases you won't have to move him all that much to catch or stop the ball. 4. Danger zones - In reference to #3 above: If the ball is hit to left-center, right-center or very close to either side of 2nd base, things can get messy. These are the areas that can often times end up in producing multi-base hits. In these cases, you may have to have an outfielder do some running. 5. Double plays - For whatever reason, double plays aren't very easy to do in this game, even if you choose to setup for this in the Field Shift menu. If you can, throw the lead runner out and then throw it to 1st. But, when in doubt, it's almost always easiest to throw the runner heading to 1st out. 6. Listen & follow the shadow - To snag a fly-ball you need to follow the shad- ow of the ball and listen to the "whine" of the ball. As the ball travels high- er in the air the pitch of the "whine" goes up. When the ball starts to descend the pitch of the "whine" goes down. This makes it easier to adjust your posit- ion to make the catch. ----------------------- | B. Jumping & Diving | ----------------------- This has it's own section because this is a feature that was NOT commonly in- cluded in baseball video games in the NES era. Remember that you can do this!! 1. Potential homers or fly balls - In rare cases you can snag a ball out of the air if the ball is hit JUST a little beyond your fielders reach in the air if you jump. 2. Hard grounders - This is GREAT to remember when balls are hit hard on the ground, particularly down the base lines or for grounders hit hard to either side of 2nd base. It's also good to remember for foul balls that your 1st or 3rd baseman are trying to run down. Remember you slide in the direction you are currently pushing the control pad. You'd be amazed at how useful this feature is! ----------------------- | C. Field Shift Menu | ----------------------- Against the computer you will likely never need to use this feature as the game does a good job, as already mentioned, at adjusting your fielders for you. How- ever, this feature can be useful against a real life opponent. Either way, it is fun to play around with. Refer back to section II. Controls for directions on accessing the Field Shift menu. 1. Infield Shift "Normal" - Your infield players will take up their normal pos- itions on the field. Usually this means that all of your basemen will play off of their assigned base and then run to their base if needed. 2. Infield Shift "Bunt" - Your infield players will start moving forward when the ball is hit/bunted, rather than holding their positions or running to their assigned base. 3. Infield Shift "Force" - Your infield players will start moving toward their assigned base when the ball is hit to be in position to make a force out. Force outs are when a base runner MUST advance to the next base because he has an- other base runner coming up behind him without the option of retreating to the previous base. 4. Infield Shift "D.P." - Your 2nd baseman will start moving toward 2nd base when the ball is hit in order to be in position to catch a ball and then throw it to 1st base to attempt a double play. (Not easy to do in this game.) 5. Outfield Shift "Normal" - Your outfielders will stand at approximately mid- field of their assigned side of the field. You will very rarely need to change this. The "Normal" setting will cover most situations. 6. Outfield Shift "Deep" - Your outfielders will stand in the back third of their assigned field. Useful for power hitters of skill levels 4-5 (or "Husky" batters skill levels 3-5), but probably not necessary. 7. Outfield Shift "Short" - Your outfielders will stand in the front third of their assigned field. Useful for poor batters, but probably not necessary. As a word of warning, it is possible to hit homers with skill level 2 batters of any body type, albeit rare. =============================================================================== IX. Pitching Strategy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this section we will discuss how to maximize your pitching. Topics included here will discuss some general pitching information, the three throwing styles, the "pitching glitch" and pitching strategy. The pitching strategy explained here is boring, but extremely effective against the computer. In fact, it's so effective, you might not want to read it. Just saying. ----------------------------------- | A. General Pitching Information | ----------------------------------- 1. ALWAYS use your best pitcher - Your best pitcher may, for whatever reason, be on the bench. Get him off the bench and on the mound! 2. Keep your skilled pitchers on the field - If you replace your default start- ing pitcher with a better pitcher from the bench, keep in mind your default pitcher may be a good batter. Keep him on the field. Actually, this goes for all of your best batters as mentioned in Section VII. A. 3. A good pitcher that's a lousy batter should bat 9th - This was already dis- cussed in detail in section VII. A. 2. Just a little reminder here. 4. More skill = more stamina - Pitchers with higher skill can throw longer and more accurately throughout the course of the game. Pitchers with skill level 5 can often pitch an entire game and maintain their velocity without subbing out. Pitchers with skill level 1 will sometimes have trouble getting through one inning without losing velocity. 5. More skill = better control - Pitchers with higher skill have much better control over pitch placement than less skilled pitchers. ---------------------- | B. Throwing Styles | ---------------------- 1. Regular - The pitcher delivers the ball and his hat stays on his head. These pitchers throw the ball with average velocity, but generally have very good control over their placement. They also tend to have good stamina and can pitch longer than hard and sidearm pitchers. 2. Hard - The pitcher delivers the ball and his hat comes off of his head. These pitchers throw the ball with the highest velocity, but generally have av- erage control over their placement. This becomes more evident as they become fatigued. They tend to have less stamina than regular pitchers and sidearm pit- chers. 3. Sidearm - The pitcher delivers the ball with a (funky) side-arm pitch. There are just a handful of these in the game. They throw the ball with average velocity and have poor control over their placement. You will need to use the control pad a little more with these pitchers. Their stamina appears to be a- bout the same as regular pitchers. As a side note, the advantage to using this type of pitcher is more evident in playing a real person as their pitches are so "weird" they can sometimes be difficult to read and react to. ---------------------- | C. Pitching Glitch | ---------------------- If your pitcher is starting to fatigue, you can either sub him out or swap pos- ition with another fielder for a total of ONE pitch and then put him right back on the mound and he will be miraculously refreshed, as if he was just starting the game. Some may consider this cheating, but hey, if it's there, you might as well take advantage of it. Refer back to section VII. A. 2 for some pointers on how to really exploit this glitch, you dirty cheater. ------------------------ | D. Pitching Strategy | ------------------------ WARNING: This strategy is very effective against the computer. In fact, it runs the risk of making the game a little boring for you. If anything, if you don't want to use this strategy all the time, you can always fall back on it to get yourself out of a bind. ++++++++++++++++ + FIRST PITCH: + ++++++++++++++++ 1. Move your pitcher all the way over to the side of the mound closest to the batter. See Diagram #1 below for an example using a right handed batter. Diagram #1 P=Pitcher B=Batter P_ _ _ |B| | | |_| |_| 2. Throw a regular speed pitch. Literally just press the "A" button. You do not need touch the control pad at all. Now one of three things will likely happen: - Most often, the batter hits the ball foul. Resulting in either a strike or, if you are able to catch it out of bounds, an out. - The batter moves away from the plate and lets the ball pass for a strike. - The batter hits the ball and it stays fair. In the vast majority of instances of this occurring, the ball should be very easy to field either by catching it in the air or throwing the batter out at 1st. +++++++++++++++++ + SECOND PITCH: + +++++++++++++++++ 1. If the batter hits the ball foul and you did not catch it for an out, and the batter only has ONE strike, repeat the steps for the first pitch above. 2. If the batter moved away from the plate and let the ball pass for a strike, do the following: 2a. Move your pitcher to the opposite side of the mound, away from the side the batter is standing on. See Diagram #2 below, using the same player setup as be- fore. Diagram #2 _P _ _ |B| | | |_| |_| 2b. Throw a regular speed pitch. (If your pitcher is fatigued, you might need to throw a straight fastball here.) Again, just press the "A" button. You do not need to touch the control pad at all. Now one of three things are likely to happen: - Most often, the batter will move back inside and either let the ball pass by, OR will swing and miss the ball, both of which result in a second strike. - The batter hits the ball foul. Again resulting in another strike or, if you are able to catch it out of bounds, an out. - The batter hits the ball and it stays fair. This is very rare, but again, if it happens, the ball is usually easy to field for an out. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + THIRD AND MORE PITCHES: + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. If the batter let the second pitch pass by for a second strike OR swings and misses for the second strike, do the following: 1a. Move your pitcher back to the side of the mound closest to the batter. Re- fer back to Diagram #1 above. 1b. Throw a regular speed pitch, but this time use the control pad to throw it at the batter. Be careful not to hit the batter with the ball. The batter sh- ould move away from the plate without swinging, resulting in a ball. 1c. If the batter did not move away from the plate very much, keep your pitcher on that side of the mound and repeat step 1b. above. This should result in an- other ball. 1d. If the batter has moved a good distance away from the plate, move your pitcher to the far side of the mound away from the batter. Refer back to Dia- gram #2 above. 1e. Throw a regular speed pitch. (Again, if your pitcher is fatigued, you might need to throw a straight fastball here.) AGAIN, just press the "A" button. You do not need to touch the control pad at all. In MOST cases the batter will sw- ing and miss the ball, resulting in a third strike and an out. 2. If the batter hit the ball foul on your second pitch, and you did not catch it for an out, and the batter has TWO strikes, simply do steps 1a.-1e. above. +++++++++++++++++++++++ + PITCHER IS IN A JAM + +++++++++++++++++++++++ If the computer has somehow managed to get a runner on third, or multiple runn- ers on base, it's time to "work the plate" and start striking batters out to prevent the computer from scoring. Please note, if you attempt to pitch this way the entire game, your pitcher will fatigue faster because you will be throwing a lot of pitches. This method won't work every time, but it will work the VAST majority of the time. 1. Throw your first pitch at the batter, being careful not to hit him. This sh- ould back him off the plate. This should result in ball #1. 2. Move your pitcher to the far side of the mound away from the batter and throw your next pitch straight down the outside of the plate. Like was discussed in detail above. This should result in strike #1. 3. Move your pitcher back toward the batter's side of the plate and, again, throw the ball at the batter, being careful not to hit him. This should result in ball #2 and the batter backing away from the plate. 4. Move your pitcher back to the far side of the mound away from the batter and throw your next pitch straight down the outside of the plate. Exactly like #2 above. This should result in strike #2. 5. Repeat step #3 above. This should result in ball #3. 6. Repeat step #4 above, but this time, throw a straight fastball. This should result in strike #3 and an out! =============================================================================== X. Challenges ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Modern gamers are often looking for challenges in games that they have mastered to extend the life of the game. In this section I've come up with some that I think will make for some interesting game play. These are not listed in any par- ticular order. Enjoy! (Oh, and try not to cheat or use save states!) 1. Italy Challenge - Win an entire series with Italy. Yes, they're that bad... 2. Bench Warmer's Challenge - Win an entire series with nothing but the worst players in your lineup. There are several teams in the game that makes this a REALLY tough challenge. 3. Bunts of Glory Challenge - Win an entire series with no batting, ONLY bunt- ing. This is a great way to work on your pitching and defense! You may want to see a psychologist after attempting this challenge to work on your anger pro- blems. 4. Run-rule 1 Challenge - Run rule a team by the end of the first inning. To do this, you must be winning by at least 10 runs by the end of the inning. Can you say Hawaii? 5. Run-rule Series Challenge - Try to run-rule every team you play and win the series. Yes, I can say Hawaii. 6. Gloves of Stone Challenge - Win an entire series without catching ANY fly balls. In other words, you MUST let each and every ball hit the ground before fielding it. 7. Double-Negatives are a No-No Challenge - Pitch a no-hitter without using the pitching glitch. It's harder than you think once that arm starts getting tired. 8. Belly-Itcher Challenge - Try winning an entire series throwing nothing but slow pitches right down the center of the plate, every time. 9. Belly-Scratcher Challenge - Try winning an entire series starting ANY player other than your "actual" pitchers for every game. "Actual" pitchers can bat, but they aren't allowed to pitch. Who let the CATCHER pitch!? 10. Home-Run Derby - Start a two player exhibition game and have a friend, or yourself, throw pitches right down the center of the plate and see how many homers you can hit. Write down your totals and email them to me so that I can fill my spam folder up faster and then delete them without any acknowledgment what-so-ever. 11. You-did-what!? Challenge - Watch, rather than using speed mode, an ENTIRE series. In doing this, you release the author from any liability in regard to your physical or mental health. I'm sure there will be a nice padded room wait- ing for you somewhere. 12. Super-Ultimate Challenge - Send the FAQ Author a donation. JUST kidding Gamefaq's-submission-reviewer-guy. =============================================================================== XI. Versions, Credits, Legal & Contact Info. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version History: - V 1.0: Finished on 12/10/2012 @ 8:00 PM CST Submitted to GameFAQs on 12/10/2012 @ 8:05 PM CST - V 1.1: Finished on 12/12/2012 @ 10:05 AM CST Submitted to GameFAQs on 12/12/2012 @ 10:10 AM CST Changelog - Fixed formatting errors. Credits: SNK - For a making a fun little game. I don't even really like baseball, and I really enjoy this game. Be sure to give Little League Baseball's big brothers, Baseball Stars and Baseball Stars 2, a spin. Lawrence Lin - Used his guide for reference on the rosters, lineups and player ratings. MUCH easier for me than going through each team individually in the game. Unfortunately, I still kinda had to do this to get the body types. How- ever, still made my life MUCH easier. Many thanks! Aaron S. - The friend who originally introduced me to this game, many years ago. He used to own me at this game, until he let me borrow it. Big mistake on his part! Muhaha! Great memories. Jordy T. - For catching the error on Canada's power ratings. Fixed and much thanks! Legal: This document is copyrighted by Matthew Miller (MI64) and may not be reproduc- ed or altered, in whole or in part, by any other person or entity. This docu- ment may only be posted on GameFAQs.com [http://www.gamefaqs.com], sites noted in the Version History or the author's personal web-site. If you have found this document on a site other than those listed in the Version History section or would like to receive permission to post this guide on your site, please contact the author at: tsbproject@gmail.com. This FAQ is dedicated to Brady and Eli, my two little sluggers. Although, I'm thinking it's probably more likely you guys will end up playing football, since you're both built like linebackers.