New Backyard Baseball

• Backyard Baseball online, free
• New Backyard Baseball Checklist
• New Backyard Baseball League

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Backyard Baseball is a series of baseballvideo games for children which was developed by Humongous Entertainment and published by Atari. https://zaerza.over-blog.com/2021/01/pc-repair-optimizer-tool.html. It was first released in October 1997 for Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. Later games were featured on Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Wii, and iOS. It is part of the Backyard Sports series. There have been eleven different versions of the game since 1997. Some of the game titles that were created include Backyard Baseball, Backyard Baseball 2001-2010, and Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers.

The original game consisted of 30 neighborhood kids from which the gamer could choose to play.^[1] Over the years, the idea of 'Pro players as kids' became popular, and the original statistics and looks of the players changed. Some of the professional players that were available included Chipper Jones, Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki, Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Albert Pujols, Nomar Garciaparra, Ken Griffey Jr., and Barry Bonds. As the game progresses, there are some professionals that become available or 'unlockable' including Randy Johnson, Derek Jeter, and Mike Piazza.

In Backyard Baseball, players take a managerial role by creating a team of different players to compete against opponents. In the different installments, a player could play an exhibition game or a 14, 16 or 32 game season (different versions vary) followed by the 'Backyard Baseball League' playoffs, which contains the American League and National League divisional series, the AL and NL championship series and finally the 'Backyard Baseball World Series'. Series games will vary per game.

This game has various playable modes, they include: Single Game, Batting Practice, Spectator, and Season Game.

In 2013, The Evergreen Group acquired the intellectual property from Atari.

Legacy[edit]

Pablo Sanchez, one of the fictional playable characters in the game, has been regarded as one of the strongest characters in video game history.^[2][3][4]

The game has also been noted for its diversity (gender, race) of characters, both in ratio of white to non-white and male to female, as well as skill level and the distribution of the best characters.^[5]

Players[edit]

In Backyard Baseball 2001, the Backyard kids are joined by 31 MLB pro players, many of which were all-stars during the 1999 Major League Baseball All Star Game. Eventual Hall of Fame players featured include Barry Larkin, Vladimir Guerrero, Jeff Bagwell, Larry Walker, Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza, Tony Gwynn, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Ivan Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson, who are all playable characters to choose from.

Several of these players would be featured in multiple releases including Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez.

Power-Ups[edit]

Sometimes accompanying the four standard batting modes (Power, Line Drive, Grounder and Bunt), some beneficial power-ups appear. In the original Backyard Baseball, these batting power-ups appeared when the player got a hit when the computer used a 'crazy pitch' (see below). Starting from Backyard Baseball 2001, the power ups were awarded after a hit off a 'crazy pitch' and when the player turned a double play or triple play on defense. In addition to these batting power-ups, pitching power-ups, or 'crazy pitches,' also progressively appear, though they are much more frequent and in number, occurring whenever the player strikes an opponent out. These pitches consume much more energy and causes the strike zone to expand, so most of the pitches given are never used consecutively. In addition to the 'crazy pitches,' a strikeout may also award the player 'More Juice,' a full energy recharge for the pitcher that can be used when the player sees fit to use it.

Backyard Baseball 2001

Batting Power-Ups

• Aluminum Power: This power-up is the most valued and can disappear after one or no tries when in use. Players use an aluminum bat to increase the chances to hit a home run.
• Screaming Line Drive: The power-up last about two uses and appears more frequently. Players hit a fast line drive to the wall and allows the batter to run more or all bases.
• Under Grounder: This move lasts at least two uses. Players hit a ground ball that goes into the ground, causing the ball to reappear in any random area of the outfield.
• Crazy Bunt: The move disappears after one or no tries when in use, but if the power-up is used sparingly, the move can last up to four uses. When the ball is hit, the ball rolls around the field erratically as fielders just barely miss catching it.

Pitching Power-Ups

• Big Freeze: The ball is thrown like normal but suddenly stops just before it enters the strike zone, often faking the hitter into swinging at the pitch.
• Elevator: The ball is thrown low along the ground and then the ball suddenly jumps into the air at the last moment.
• Crazyball: the ball 'laughs' when thrown, and it moves in random directions in the air. Easier to hit if swingspot is enabled
• Corkskrew: The ball makes a spiral motion through the air. Easier to hit if swingspot is enabled
• Zigzag: The ball makes a zig-zag motion through the air. Easier to hit if swingspot is enabled
• Slomo: The ball travels very slowly through the air, requiring precise timing to be hit.
• Spitball: The ball is covered with saliva and jerks in the air.
• Fireball: One of the most powerful pitches, the ball blazes past the batter in a ball of fire at an incredibly high speed. When used by a player, this pitch is the most draining of the pitcher's stamina.

Backyard Baseball 2005

Batting Power-Ups

• Sonic Boom: The player knocks down opposing fielders with a super-powerful shockwave.
• Rubber Bat: The batter bounce a grounder really high into the air — the player will have a chance to reach base before any fielder catches the ball.
• Butter Fingers: The player will splatter the opposing fielders with butter. They'll have a slippery time trying to field your hit.
• Jumping Bean Bunt: This tricky power-up makes the ball jump all over the place!
• Lightning Bat: Produce tremendous power when you connect with the ball.
• Geyser Hit: The batter makes the ball burrow deep underground before it suddenly surfaces somewhere in the outfield.
• Piñata Bat: The batter drives fielders crazy when the ball is hit, the ball multiplies into dozens of bouncing baseballs.
• Aluminum Bat: Automatic home runs of insane distance.

Pitching Power-Ups

• The Fang: The Fang looks like a normal curve-ball, but it bites hard at the last second and goes straight into the dirt.
• Freezer: The Freezer stops just before reaching the strike zone, pauses briefly, and then continues.
• Slomo: This ball starts moving at ultra-slow speed just before reaching the strike zone.
• Juice Box: The Juice Box will refill your pitcher's Pitch Juice Box.
• Rainbow Pop-up: When it's hit, the ball goes straight into the air for an easy out.
• Crazy Pitch: The Crazy Pitch is so wild that even the pitcher doesn't know where it will go.
• Splitball: This pitch splits into two separate curve-balls, one of which is a fake, unhittable baseball.
• Fireball: The Fireball is so fast it can burn a hole in your catcher's glove.

Installments[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Kram, Zach (2017-10-10). 'How 'Backyard Baseball' Became a Cult Classic'. The Ringer. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
2. ^'Pablo Sanchez: The Origin Of A Video Game Legend'. www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
3. ^'The 25 Best Virtual Athletes In Video Games'. Complex. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
4. ^Carson, Dan. 'The 15 Most Unfair and Terrifying Video Game Athletes to Play Against'. Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
5. ^Delayo, Mike. 'The Inclusive Legacy of Backyard Baseball'. Fangraphs.

External links[edit]

I wanted to do something more lighthearted to help cheer up what would have been the last week before Opening Day before everything went into quarantine. And one of the most lighthearted topics I could think of was to revisit one of the earliest things from my baseball fandom, Backyard Baseball.

For those of you who didn't have a chance to play the series growing up, Backyard Baseball was a series of video games by Humongous Entertainment that debuted in 1997. The premise was simple: it was a basic, arcade-style baseball game where all the players are kids and all the parks are just places they might play around their neighborhood. In that sense, it's kind of like a video game equivalent of The Sandlot or The Bad News Bears. The series was aimed at kids, but the underlying game was actually very solid, and had a unique aesthetic sense that helped engrain it in the mind of young sports fans, making it a cult classic that has endured the years.

Backyard Baseball 2001 https://t.co/XPyMWJgybn

After the success of the first game, the team expanded into other sports, where they hit upon another big idea: adding a handful of pro players (as cartoon kid versions of themselves, naturally) to the list of selectable options. When they circled back around to a sequel for Baseball, Backyard Baseball 2001 (so named for its release year: 2000), they upped their ambitions to that point and added one MLB player to represent each team, more than doubling the original thirty-person roster (one team go two representatives, but we'll come back to that).

Backyard Baseball 2001 had 31 MLBers. Among them:

- 9 are HOFers

- 21 were/are/will be on HOF ballot

- Marty Cordova pic.twitter.com/kcJ4PIdyxm

So there's the pitch: if we were making a modern reboot of the original, who would make our roster? This actually isn't the first time I've written about this topic, but a lot has shifted in the nearly three years since I wrote that piece. In fact, it's a larger gap than it took for Humongous to release their follow up, Backyard Baseball 2003 (released in 2002), and that already saw a lot of shift in its rosters.

But what did I learn last time was the series tended to go with more recognizable and experienced stars. Also, there was little attention paid for balance (just under half of the picks from 2001 were outfielders, and just under a quarter were shortstops), especially when it came to picking position players versus pitchers (both 2001 and 2003 only had two pitchers among their MLB reps). Being fun to caricature also doesn't hurt.

So with all of that in mind, if we were picking one player per team, who would be the most likely pick?

Astros-Last time I did this, I went with Jose Altuve as the Astros' rep, and it's hard to see that changing. George Springer, Alex Bregman, and a whole host of other players have their arguments, but Altuve has such a high profile (as an MVP and six-time All-Star), and is so recognizable that it would be easy to translate him to the game.

Angels-Like with the Astros, the Angels have a lot of high-profile stars, but it's hard to see anyone other than Mike Trout representing them in game. But as some additional trivia, last time around, I gave Carlos Beltran an honorary 'grandfathered-in' slot as well for being the last remaining player from 2001. This time around, Albert Pujols would be that pick, as with the retirement of Beltran and Ichiro Suzuki, Pujols is the final remaining active player from the 2003 edition.

Athletics-I don't think you could go wrong with Matt Chapman or Marcus Semien. Chapman has the stronger track record, but given the original series went much heavier on shortstops than third basemen, I'd go with Semien taking this slot.

Mariners-Given the number of rebuilding teams, there are a lot of rosters where there just aren't any great options right now, with the Mariners the first ones we're looking at. It's not like this wasn't a problem in the original game, either, with picks like Marty Cordova, Jeromy Burnitz, and Alex Gonzalez on the behalf of weak Twins, Brewers, and Marlins teams. I guess we'll go with longtime Mariner Kyle Seager, who has still been a decent player even if he isn't as great as some of our other choices.

Rangers-Corey Kluber probably has highest profile, but Joey Gallo's breakout 2019 and homegrown status, combined with the series' tendency to favor hitters over pitchers, makes him the favorite on this roster.

Diamondbacks-Here will be our first brush against that 'two pitcher' rule. Guys like Ketel Marte or Starling Marte might be the best position players on the D-backs right now, but they're hardly household names. This is a scenario where it might be worth it to go with someone like Robbie Ray or Madison Bumgarner. I'd lean to the latter, even if he's been worse lately, because he's probably more widely known (thanks to his playoff success), has a distinctive look that would make for a fun cartoon, and his hitting ability would play well in a game that doesn't use the DH. We'll probably only be able to add one or maybe two more pitchers, maximum, but given Arizona's current roster set-up, this seems like one of the better uses for our limited pitcher spots.

Dodgers-Last time around, I went with Clayton Kershaw, and I could still see him as an option here. But given that he's lost a step the last few years, and that Backyard Baseball tended to go with position players, reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger is probably the favorite nowadays. Also, if you read that Ringer profile I linked to earlier, you'll know that the Reds got two representatives in 2001 because the developers' original pick for the Mariners, Ken Griffey Jr., was traded to Cincinnati and they decided to just leave him in while picking a replacement Mariner (this would apparently repeat in 2003 when original A's choice Jason Giambi signed with the Yankees). The obvious analog here would be Mookie Betts, who was the prohibitive favorite on the Red Sox until his trade to the Dodgers late in the offseason, so that.

Giants-Buster Posey has lost a step from his peak, but the Giants' roster isn't good enough that there's an obvious replacement, so he's still probably the most famous player on the team. Hunter Pence gets bonus points for being easy to caricature, and Evan Longoria was my pick for the Rays last time, but Posey is just too much of a face for this team.

Backyard Baseball online, free

Padres-Fernando Tatis Jr. wouldn't be a bad pick, but Manny Machado has been around longer and is more recognizable to the general public right now, which means this spot is probably his until Tatis can muster up a few All Star selections.

Rockies-Since they didn't manage to trade him this winter, Nolan Arenado still seems like the obvious choice here.

Indians-Once again, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez would both be stellar picks, but given Lindor's longer track record and shortstop position, he's the favorite.

Royals-There are a lot of options here. Jorge Soler or Whit Merrifield would be okay. Nothing stellar, but you have to work with what you have. Alex Gordon might work as a legacy pick, even though he's nearing his end. Salvador Perez might have locked this down had he been healthy. But I think I'm going to go with Adalberto Mondesi, for three main reasons: he's a shortstop, he's young enough that he still has potential (much like Royals' rep Beltran in 2001), and he's the son of Backyard Baseball 2001 alum Raul Mondesi.

Tigers-It feels weird to go with Miguel Cabrera given how rough his last few years have been, but given the original version had guys like Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn (both past their prime by 2000), it's not like there isn't precedent. Besides, it's easier to see kids getting excited to play as Cabrera than guys like Niko Goodrum or C.J. Cron, even if he has lost a step or two.

New Backyard Baseball Checklist

Twins-There are a lot of good players on the Twins right now, but Nelson Cruz or new arrival Josh Donaldson probably have the highest national profiles on the roster right now. My gut instinct says to go with Donaldson.

White Sox-Lucas Giolito or Dallas Keuchel wouldn't be bad picks, but given our limited pitching spots, they probably aren't the first options. Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, or Yasmani Grandal would probably all be fine picks; I personally lean towards Moncada, given his potential to be the young breakout star for this game.

Brewers-Christian Yelich is clearly the star on this team, and given that he's now signed for the next decade, I don't see any arguments to not use him as the face of the team.

New Backyard Baseball League

Cardinals-Paul Goldschmidt would be a good choice (I had him as the Diamondback's representative back in 2017), but I feel like it's a tough question of whether he would unseat Yadier Molina. Molina has basically been the face of the team since Pujols left nearly a decade ago. I think you could make good arguments for Goldschmidt depending on a variety of things, like age or roster balance, but Yadier is probably the Cardinals' rep until he retires.

Cubs-You could probably go with either Kris Bryant or Javier Baez at this point. I think Bryant still has the higher national profile, between his MVP award and presence in marketing for the game, so I'm still leaning in his direction, but I wouldn't be shocked if Baez had caught up to him these past few years.

Pirates-Josh Bell is probably the most recognizable Pirate at this point, between his appearances in the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby last year. Plus, he has a pretty distinctive look that would probably be fun to make a cartoon version of. What is macos catalina.

Reds-Joey Votto isn't what he was in his prime, and unlike some other teams, there are some good players to choose from as alternates. But I think Votto has become synonymous with his franchise the way guys like Yadier Molina or Buster Posey or Miguel Cabrera have, so it this is his slot until someone takes it from him.

BlueJays-Hyun-Jin Ryu is probably the most established star here, but again, our pitcher slots are limited, and there are some other good options in Toronto. Bo Bichette or Cavan Biggio would both be fun picks, given that it would give them bragging rights over their dads (Jeff Bagwell and Larry Walker represented the Astros and Rockies in 2001), but for that reason, I'm going to go with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., giving us our second pair of father-son representatives after the Mondesis.

Orioles-John Means had a good rookie season, but given our limited slots for pitchers, let's go with Trey Mancini. He's had some decent years, and he deserves some good news after his rough past month.

Rays-There are a lot of good pitchers here, including former Cy Young Blake Snell and Charlie Morton, but their roster isn't as dire as some others, so we'll save those two or three pitching slots and go with Austin Meadows.

RedSox-This is a rough one, since the obvious choice of Mookie Betts no longer applies. Xander Bogaerts or J.D. Martinez could work, or we could use one of our pitcher slots on Chris Sale. I think I'm leaning towards the latter option, but maybe it's just news of his Tommy John making me sentimental, since it'll be a while before we see him again.

Yankees-You could probably argue for Giancarlo Stanton, but this is most likely Aaron Judge's spot unless he turns it down or something.

Braves-Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. would both be fine choices, but since Freddie Freeman is still good as well, and Backyard Baseball had a tendency to pick more established stars, we'll go with him here.

Marlins-We're going to have to take our final 'Oof' slot and go with someone like Jonathan Villar or Corey Dickerson. There just aren't any great options here.

Mets Paint 3d tutorial. -Jacob deGrom feels like the right choice to me, especially given his two back-to-back Cy Young Awards. If we only get so many pitcher slots, that seems like the type of track record we'd take a pitcher over somebody else for. But if we're still a little tight, you could also go with Pete Alonso.

Nationals-Max Scherzer (or maybe Stephen Strasburg) would be solid options here. But again, we only have so many pitcher slots to work with; I'm leaning towards three (Bumgarner-Sale-deGrom), and even that might be pushing it. But Juan Soto wouldn't be a bad fallback option. Bumgarner is the one that I'm most inclined to drop, but his likely replacement (Ketel Marte) is probably also the one I'm least excited about, so it's a tough call either way. Maybe if Marte has another season like his 2019, it'll make me more okay with swapping him in.

Phillies-He's still playing well, and still one of the most recognizable players in the league even if he's changed teams, so I'm going with Bryce Harper here.

So, there you have it: our 31-player (with a secret, legacy 32^nd player) roster for a hypothetical Backyard Baseball 2021. We're a little lighter on shortstops and outfielders, and a lot heavier on third basemen, than the original game, but that's probably more of a function of the league right now. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but it also makes me kind of sad that this series has been ignored for so long. Hopefully that changes sometime in the future, but if not, at least this trip down memory lane got my mind off of quarantine for a few hours.