Sony Entertainment's MLB 09 The Show is arguably one of the finest virtual representations of America's pastime ever produced. The brain trust at the Sony Marketing group has come up with the tag line of "The Most Realistic Baseball Game Ever" and after playing the game I find it very hard to argue with that assessment. Most reviews will go into great detail about all of the features available and the different game modes, etc. For a change of pace I thought it might be interesting to read about my first MLB 09 The Show experience.

My MLB 09 Story

By Griffy, April 1st, 2009

So I finally opened the game (EA Sports MLB 09 - PS3) last weekend and decided it was important to own "the most realistic baseball game ever". I've played sparingly but decided to really get into it last night and started a season with my Mariners to try and get a feel for my team.

After messing around with my rosters and setting my line-ups and rotation I got a game started against the computer managed Oakland A's. Felix Hernandez on the mound for my Mariners dominated the first few innings with his 98 mph fastball and knee buckling curve ball. It did take a little while for me to get accustomed to the pitching mechanics so I had worked up a pretty high pitch count of 50+ pitches by the end of the 3rd inning, and according to the announcers that was "not a winning formula for going deep in a game".

Anyway, my bat was pretty quiet, I put some good wood on the ball but all I got were ground outs or pop-ups that turned into easy outs. Felix settled down and pitched shut-out ball until the 6th inning....that's when the flood gates opened. It started with a swinging strike three where the pitch got past my catcher and the batter reached first base. I was surprised that the AI in the game was smart enough to run to 1st base on the passed ball, but I guess this is "the most realistic baseball game ever". He then promptly stole second, followed by a bloop single that ended up scoring the man on second. The computer was really being aggressive against me on the bases and it was starting to piss me off. What happened to advancing one base and playing conservative?

By now with one run in and a man on first Felix is sweating on the mound. It's funny but the game does a really good job of incorporating the scenario on the field to the pitchers ability to hit the strike zone. Because Felix was worried about the base runner the pitching meter sped up and allowed for a "wild Pitch" right down the center of the plate. Can you say Home Run? Score 3-0 Oakland.

Two doubles a single and a triple later Felix is pulled and I go to my bullpen with the score Oakland 6 and my Mariners 0. The positive thing here is Ryan Rowland-Smith is a beast out of the Bullpen.

So top of the 7th, I'm down by 6 runs and Justin Durscherererererer seems to be possessed by the spirit of Cy Young and is pitching a gem. But then, the baseball gods intervened. They must have realized what I was thinking and that I was getting soured on this "stupid f#%^@&ing game" because they let me have a hit, Ichiro slaps the ball just over the head of the second baseman and reaches 1st base! Now I'm in BUSINESS!

Feeling way to excited about a base runner on first the BB gods decide to strike me down for showing too much glee over a can of corn single and decide to allow Ichiro to be picked off at first base. PICKED OFF AT FIRST BASE!!!!! ICHIRO!!!! WTF?...."the most realistic baseball game ever" my ass! ICHIRO? Picked off at first?? The only thing I can think of is that he must be tired from the World Baseball Classic, but whatever, lesson learned.

Lesson #1 from the Baseball Gods - Don't get greedy when you finally get a runner on base.

So now I'm swinging at everything, straight power swings with my only hope being that this game ends faster and I am put out of my misery. But what's this???Double down the line by Griffey? Beltre follows with a run scoring double himself! Johjima singles and Beltre scores! Russel Branyan follows Johjima's Single with a 2 run Homer!!! Score is now 6-4 Oakland and only one out (stupid Ichiro and the World Baseball Classic!) I'm actually thinking I have a shot and I'm a little pissed that Ichiro cost me a run because I should only be down by one run now.

Lesson #2 from the Baseball Gods - Never kick the BB Gods in the mouth and bitch about what the score SHOULD be. The score is what it is so shut-up!

Next two batters strike out for me, inning over, score Oakland 6 - Mariners 4, Lesson learned!

An uneventful bottom of the 7th with a 6 pitch inning from Rowland -Smith (did I mention he was a Beast out of the bullpen?!)gets me to the 8th where I figure I'll keep with what's working and power swing at everything. Believe it or not, it's still working! I load the bases! Let me say that again...I LOAD THE BASES!!! No outs! I am going to win this freaking game!!! I mean bases loaded, no outs I can get two guys in, all I need is two deep balls and tag the runners to score. Easy!

Lesson 3# from the Baseball Gods - Nothing is ever easy!

Gutierrez proceeds to pop up and gets the Infield Fly rule to be called. One out, no runners advance. Next up, Betancourt swings at the first pitch and promptly grounds out into a double play. Inning over, three men left on, score Oakland 6 - Mariners 4. Nothing is ever easy! Got it!

The Oakland Bats have gone cold in the bottom of the 8th and quickly get two strike outs and I'm feeling really good about Rowland-Smith out of the bullpen!

Lesson #4 from the Baseball gods - Never start feeling really good about a no-name middle reliever.

The dreaded two out rally get's the bases loaded and I have to dip into my bullpen again. I bring Heilman on to pitch and he get's on the mound and somehow is able to get the batter to ground into a sweet double play (SS bare-handed the ball and back-handed it to 2nd baseman who had to jump to avoid the slide of the runner who was trying to take him out). This game really seems to be "the most realistic baseball game ever"! Luckily I get out of the inning with a K and only giving up one run. Heading into the top of the 9th the score is now Oakland 7 - Mariners 4.

So far, fun game. Slow start but things are picking up now and I'm really getting into this game. Oakland decides to bring in their closer for the save. Bad Idea! I end up loading the bases...again! You can tell Devine is sweating on the mound and has lost all control. Griffey steps to the plate, top of the ninth, bases loaded, no outs, and I start thinking "This is going to be really hard to score a run" (See Lesson #3). My heart is beating so loud I can feel it in the controller....oh wait, the dual-shock controller is actually thumping like a heart-beat...how cool is that? This really is "the most realistic baseball game ever"!

I guess Griffey is nervous too because he takes two hacks at pitches way out of the zone. Stupid Griffey, focus! No! Shake it off Kid, I call timeout to talk to Griffey and I ask him what he's having for dinner tonight. He laughs, relaxes and steps back into the Batter box. 0-2 count, fastball on the outside corner of the plate and "My Oh My! Fly, Fly Away!" Griffey launches a Grand Salami HR, Adios Senor Pelota!

Holy Shit! I am going to win this F@#$%ing Game!!!! My Mariners are now up 8-7 with no outs in the top of the ninth! Save opportunity! So I go to the bullpen and warm up Batista. I can see it now, even if I don't score anymore runs I can bring in Batista for the save and get out of Oaktown with a stolen win. Man I am LOVING this game!

Final Lesson from the BB Gods - F*@k You!

Top of the ninth, I quickly get three outs and turn the game over to Batista to close it out for me. First pitch, bloop single runner reaches first base. Second Batter, first pitch - bunt down the 3rd base line to advance the runner, out at first. Up steps Jack "F@#$%king Fat Ass No Talent" Cust. First pitch, intentionally placed it outside hoping he'd chase and he connects for a walk-off-game-winning-two-run-home-run!

Game Over

Final Score - Oakland 9-Mariners 8

What a let down, right? Wrong! I was so amped! The emotion, the intensity, the ups and the downs combined to make that one of the most intense games I've played in a long time. I was so into that game and really got swept up in the emotion. Man I love this game and it really is "the most realistic baseball game ever"!!!!

Thanks for reading and sorry for writing a short novella but I had to share.

By Griffy