#Ken Griffey Jr. Presents MLB

[tikara]

Another Summer Games Done Quick has come and gone, thus another week of art for the event! And this time we have a new mascot added to the lineup!! Each piece has the game it was drawn for in the Alt Text.

I gotta say I'm VERY happy with out the Mario RPG piece turned out. I don't feel like my animation skills are that good, but I'm still proud of how it turned out 💕

[infinitebrians]

PEANUT BATTER

[maeamian]

There's no rule that says a dog can't play Ken Griffey Jr. Presents MLB

[z2z-gaming-and-random-art-ai]

Console Sports Games of 1994 - Ken Griffey Jr Presents Major League Base...

The first baseball game to feature the Ken Griffey Jr. license, Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball, is a sports simulation released for the SNES in 1994. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball was developed by Software Creations and published by Nintendo, who owned the Seattle Mariners, the team that Ken Griffey Jr. played for.

In addition to having the Ken Griffey Jr. license, the game also had the MLB license, so real-life team names and stadiums were included. However, the game did not have the MLBPA license, so no real-life players were featured.

Following the game’s release in 1994, a port of the game was released in 1997 for the Game Boy. The SNES version was released in the US, Canada, and Mexico, while the Game Boy version was released in the US as well as Europe.

1. Intro 00:00 2. Gameplay 00:15 3. Outro 09:58

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For more sports game videos, check out the playlists below:

Console Sports Games of 1993: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJOZYl1h1CEhIf6hohng9T2IPLCpzn7o

Console Sports Games of 1994: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFJOZYl1h1CGSF_AK734XDflipeUo8Dr9

[queenalyx]

big fan of peanut butter the dog speedrunning ken griffey jr presents mlb and hitting a walk off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning

[news247planet]

#Derby #Winners #MLB MLB Residence Run Derby winners and historical past: Each champion and report https://news247planet.com/?p=271745

[rookiecardscout]

With the MLB season on pause despite the smell of spring in the air, this had us thinking that we should be celebrating baseball regardless. Grab a beer and join us for our breakdown of the Top 5 MLB rookie cards to go after right now. Let us know who your top 5 is on our Facebook or Instagram (@RookieCardScout)! THE COUNTDOWN: 5.) Eloy Jimenez: Eloy is a guy we've loved for a couple of years now. He possess all of the attributes you look for that make for a valuable rookie card. He’s got big market, big power, and big potential to win championships. The Chicago White Sox are loaded and have a strong shot at a World Series once play resumes. Eloy is hitting in the middle of a stacked lineup, coming off a monster power season in limited at bats. He’s got 50+ homer potential in a full season and his prices are not reflective of that. Of the five on our list, Eloy is the least sexy, but the most affordable. 4.) Fernando Tatis Jr.: Tatis Jr. is already one of the top betting favorites to win an MVP award in just his second year. After an injury shortened campaign where he was on pace for a Rookie of the Year award, look for Tatis Jr. to continue to put on a show in many different ways: his bat, his speed/baserunning, his mind boggling defensive plays, and his flair for the dramatic. Tatis Jr. has superstar written all over him, yet his prices have dropped considerably in recent weeks. His card is about to explode in value, once the coronavirus is under control and the MLB resumes play. Invest now, as this opportunity may never present itself again. 3.) Rafael Devers: We can't emphasize this enough. Rafael Devers is one of the game's most underrated hitters. We saw Christian Yelich make the turn to superstar yet most collectors missed that opportunity, despite all of the signs early in his career. This case is no different. We all know that Devers is good, but do we all know that Devers has Albert Pujols, or even Barry Bonds level power potential? The market is not aware of this despite all of the statistics in support. His prices have not yet adjusted to his talent, so we highly suggest you load up while the picking is ripe. 2.) Mookie Betts: Devers' former teammate, Betts is one of the games most transcendent talents of all time. He’s the full package: a perennial MVP candidate, a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glover, and a World Series champ. The only thing holding him back from Trout level status is people realizing just how good he is, and maybe another MVP. Now being in the NL with the Dodgers, this clears the path for Mookie to win a few more MVP trophies. Not to mention, joining the heavy favorites to win the World Series can't hurt his cause. Mookie’s prices are not even a tenth of Mike Trout's despite a career trajectory and a growing profile that could realistically eclipse Trout at some point.  1.) Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Well, this one is fairly obvious as the whole industry has been shouting this from the rooftop for quite some time now, but "Vladito" is a must for every collector out there. After a less than stellar (yet solid) rookie debut season last year, his prices are not where the industry expected they would be at this point. Many investors have given up on the young prodigy without considering the fact that we are dealing with a youngster who just became eligible to buy a beer two weeks ago. His power was put on full display in the homerun derby where he cemented his status as a fan favorite for years to come. This all matters in the value of a card. His strong second half of the season was evidence that the new Junior is learning fast, and ready to leave his mark on the game like no other hitter we've ever seen. Vladdy Jr. is the Zion Williamson of the MLB, playing a sport where talent normally takes much longer to mature than in a sport like basketball. There are just four other players who have had as high of a hitting rating by Baseball America, and the list is nothing to scoff at: Alex Rodriguez, Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mike Trout. If that's not a great indicator of the value of a rookie card, then show us what is.  By now, it's time to grab another beer. Cheers to spring and to another baseball season! 

[emikonii090909]

MLBPA's Tony Clark concerned MLB is entering 'perilous universe' of sports betting organizations

MLBPA's Tony Clark concerned MLB is entering 'perilous universe' of sports betting organizations

LOS ANGELES - - The top of the baseball players' affiliation is stressed over the game's expanded business manages sports betting organizations.A BetMGM Retail Sportsbook opened for this present year at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., and DraftKings is building a games book planned to open one year from now at the southeast corner of Wrigley Field. 해외배팅사이트 가입 

Association chief Tony Clark was asked before Tuesday's All-Star Game whether he was getting worried about the betting connections, which have expanded since the U.S. High Court managed in 2018 to upset the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act,.머니라인247 안전도메인

"Getting? No. Is? Definitely. Has been? Sure," Clark told the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "We're entering an exceptionally sensitive and, might I venture to say, hazardous world here. We trust that it is genuinely gainful for our game pushing ahead and that each and every individual who is involved advantages from it in some design. However, when you have players propose that no sooner was PASPA revoked, that they began to have book houses following them via online entertainment, that gets you a little skittish pretty speedy.한국어지원 해외배팅사이트

"Thus we'll keep on looking for some kind of employment in every one of the state governing bodies that are proceeding to push, that have language set up and those that don't yet that are possibly coming on the web, to guarantee that as much as anything, our players are safeguarded, and their families likewise, are safeguarded because of the language that is on the books regardless of the way that this train has left the station."

Giancarlo Stanton wins MVP, powers American League to ninth consecutive All-Star Game dominate LOS ANGELES - - The main All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in 42 years highlighted Clayton Kershaw beginning before the home fans and appearances from Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, yet the last score looked intimately acquainted: The American League won 3-2 for its 10th consecutive All-Star triumph and 21st in the beyond 25 Midsummer Classics.

The game turned in the fourth inning when Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton conveyed consecutive grand slams off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin. Nor was cheated with his swing. Stanton's down tying two-run shot was a 457-foot impact to left-focus - - longer than any grand slam hit at Dodger Stadium in the main portion of the time. Buxton followed with a 425-foot destroyed the left-field line, the seventh time in All-Star history with consecutive homers.

Promotion

Stanton, making his most memorable All-Star appearance for the New York Yankees since they gained him from the Miami Marlins before the 2018 season, won MVP praises with his most memorable All-Star hit; he had gone 0-for-6 in his past games.

Stanton is presently one of five players to win an association MVP Award, a Home Run Derby and an All-Star Game MVP, joining Ken Griffey Jr., Miguel Tejada, Cal Ripken Jr. also, Dave Parker. Stanton additionally is the third Yankees player to win All-Star MVP; Derek Jeter (2000) and Mariano Rivera (2013) are the others.

EDITOR'S PICKS

2022 MLB All-Star Game: Kershaw's inspiring second, Stanton wins MVP, Manoah mic'd up and important points from L.A. 4hESPN

2022 MLB All-Star Game: Best looks from Los Angeles 10h

Small time players earn enough to pay the bills,' 'Manfred says 10hJeff Passan Stanton's Yankees profession has been out of control, including missing a large portion of the 2019 and 2020 seasons with wounds, however he has 24 grand slams at the break, a vital piece of a profound Yankees group that gets an opportunity to beat the establishment record of 114 successes set in 1998.

It was a paramount homecoming for Stanton, who grew up going to Dodgers games and went to Notre Dame High School in neighboring Sherman Oaks.

"I would sit in passed on field and attempt to scalp tickets, anything that we might bear," he said. "To hit one out there is astounding."

Among the 50 tickets he gave out to loved ones, one was for his father.

"My pops took me to my most memorable Dodgers game and told me the best way to cherish this game," Stanton said.

Buxton respected Stanton's grand slam from the on-deck circle.

"That is most likely perhaps of the hardest ball I've seen hit from the on-deck circle," he said. "I couldn't actually say whether you can place it in words how hard he hit the baseball. So that me might see him face to face, be in the same boat, at last be very close, it was like, 'Goodness.' You know, similar to, I in a real sense plunked down. ... That's what he squashed."

As Buxton ventured to the plate, he said he thought: "I ain't matching that."

He came close.

Stanton's Yankees colleague Nestor Cortes, who pitched a scoreless 6th inning, said he'll now and then remain at shortstop during batting practice.

"He hits balls to me, it's so difficult to respond," Cortes said. "At the point when Stanton and [Aaron] Judge interface, it's amazing how hard, how noisy, how far the ball goes."

AL pitchers held National League players hitless from the second through the seventh innings, simply the fourth time in All-Star history a group went something like 20 at-bats without a hit.

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase made his All-Star debut and polished it off, striking out Garrett Cooper on three pitches, fanning Kyle Schwarber on three tosses and afterward blowing a 1-2 99 mph shaper past Jake Cronenworth, simply missing an impeccable inning.

For Dodgers fans in participation, nonetheless, it was generally about the opportunity to see the nine-time All-Star Kershaw start an All-Star Game without precedent for his celebrated vocation. He permitted a leadoff single to Shohei Ohtani, prior to taking him out at a respectable starting point to a thunder from the group en route to a scoreless inning.

"I attempted to require a moment toward the starting to take everything in and glance around, which I as a rule never do," Kershaw said. "What's more, I think the actual second, being here at Dodger Stadium, where I've been currently for a very long time, to get to follow through with something like this with the best on the planet, is truly fun. Furthermore, it was additionally truly private for myself as well as my family, everyone. I'm invigorated it's finished. I did OK. I left without any runs."

Ohtani told TV watchers as he moved forward to bat that he would swing at the primary pitch - - and he did, covering a fastball for a solitary to focus field, in spite of the fact that Kershaw said he broke Ohtani's bat.

"You can't toss the main pitch of an All-Star Game as a breaking ball," Kershaw said. "He didn't hit it over the wall, so it was a success, and we can continue on. Be that as it may, no doubt, you sort of needed to give him a radiator there, I think only for everything. Needed to make it happen."

While confronting Aaron Judge, Kershaw then, at that point, took out Ohtani.

"I only sort of hurled it around there," Kershaw said. "I didn't have the foggiest idea what try out to toss yet, so only sort of allowing myself a second and I got him."

MLB added two heritage All-Stars this year in Pujols and Cabrera.

Pujols, champ of three MVP grants, is fifth on the unequaled grand slam rundown and third in RBIs, and he is playing his last season, getting back to the St. Louis Cardinals after 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and the Dodgers. He squeeze hit in the fourth inning and evoked a transitory cheer from the group with a transcending fly ball to left field, however it was gotten simply before the advance notice track.

With his 3,000th profession hit in April, the double cross MVP Cabrera turned out to be only the seventh player with both 3,000 hits and 500 grand slams - - and one of only two of the seven with a .300 vocation normal. He entered the game in the fifth inning and grounded out to shortstop.

The NL made the most of Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan for two runs and four hits in the lower part of the main inning, with Mookie Betts singling in Ronald Acuna Jr., who begun with a twofold, and Paul Goldschmidt crushing a 417-foot grand slam to left-focus.

[caitlyncaviness-blog]

Simon

And odds are that you are going to be so hooked by the story's pacing and procession of events that there will be lots of other side activities left in Midgard soon after the credits roll. God of War is not set in a enormous open globe, but it is stuffed with secrets and quests. Exactly where most games with extended and diverse quest opportunities tend to run a bit stale by the end, God of War has the opposite effect. It is far longer than it wants to be, although you hope you in no way run out of items to do. We could gather and use your personal data and set cookies to increase your experience and customise advertising. To see how, please study our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy , which also explains how you can handle cookies. By clicking "OK" or continuing to use this internet site, you agree to let such advertisements to be shown and cookies to be set. In Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, the struggle of coming to terms with previous trauma and guilt comes out in a number of surprising ways. Developer Ninja Theory channels its talents for narrative and presentation to inform a individual story that has more to say than it initially lets on, and will likely leave you wondering what's real, and what is a portion of an elaborate hallucination. The card-collecting Diamond Dynasty mode adds new motives to preserve you coming back. There are much more legendary players this year such as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Nolan Ryan, and Chipper Jones, among others. Elsewhere, Diamond Dynasty has far more missions you can total to earn additional items, even though the head-to-head on the internet mode is a entertaining way to test your squad. Diamond Dynasty doesn't add considerably new or especially exciting, but it remains a special thrill to place collectively a fantasy group with players from previous and present on the very same roster. Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr. were by no means even alive at the same time, but in MLB The Show 18 they can be teammates, and the sheer quantity of dream combinations offers a purpose to preserve playing and keep collecting. Alien: Isolation saw its release in a especially exciting year for horror gaming. The genre had gone via a rather surprising upswing with notable releases from independent developers like Five Nights at Freddy's, to some much more larger scale releases like the enigmatic P.T-the teaser for the now dead Silent Hills. What these games have in common with Alien: Isolation was that they forced players into a position of disempowerment, either keeping them in a particular location, or tasking them with creating to it one place from one more, although avoiding the gaze of the antagonist. If you'd rather expertise this with someone who is a little far more autonomous, or you choose your worlds to be a tiny a lot more bonkers, Far Cry download gta 5 full version free for android also contains a couple of main features: two-player on the internet co-op for the campaign, and Far Cry Arcade. Co-op has a couple of restrictions-the host is the only player who can manage Specialists, initiate quests, or have mission-specific progress saved. Being unable to actually advance by means of the campaign together with a friend is a disappointing omission, but if you're content to basically be that additional Gun For Hire, there is a lot of joy to be identified in sharing Far Cry's exciting impromptu moments-and you can rave about it with them quickly afterward. And really, neither does combat in basic. The new over-the-shoulder camera brings you straight into the fray, and consequently limits your view. You can not see enemies from all angles at after and must be on guard at all times. By default the game gives proximity icons to alert you of incoming attacks, but it is worth tinkering with the UI for a far more immersive knowledge as you get the hang of how fights flow. For the most element, puzzles revolve around unlocking doors by locating glyphs hidden in plain sight or in alternate perspectives that require manipulating Senua's focus, illustrating her abstract attention to detail. Although these puzzles can be clever, the exact same style happens far as well usually, generating some of the a lot more drawn out sequences a chore. On the inverse, the moments where Senua is stripped of her senses and gear, forcing her to take a more subdued method to stay away from her enemies, felt far much more engaging and intriguing.

[goalhofer]

Last MLB Player To Wear Each Jersey Number: Seattle

1: Tim Beckham (2019-present)

2: Tom Murphy; Jr. (2019-present)

3: J.P. Crawford (2019-present)

4: Denard Span (2018)

5: Braden Bishop (2019-present)

6: Zach Vincej (2018)

7: Marco Gonzales (2019-present)

8: Mike Leake (2017-present)

9: Devaris Gordon (2018-present)

10: Edwin Encarnacion (2019)

11: Edgar Martinez (1987-2004)(retired for Martinez 2017)

12: Mac Williamson (2019-present)

13: Tyler Smith (2017)

14: Tino Martinez (1990-95)

15: Kyle Seager (2011-present)

16: Domingo Santana (2019-present)

17: Mitch Haniger (2017-present)

18: Kikuchi Yusei (2019-present)

19: Jay Buhner (1988-2001)

20: Daniel Vogelbach (2016-present)

21: Taylor Motter (2017-18)

22: Omar Narvaez (2019-present)

23: Aaron Nola (2019-present)

24: Ken Griffey; Jr. (2009-10)(retired for Griffey; Jr. 2016)

25: Dylan Moore (2019-present)

26: Sam Tuivailala (2018-present)

27: Ryon Healy (2018-present)

28: Mike Marjama (2017-18)

29: Roenis Elias (2014-15)

30: Franklin Gutierrez (2015)

31: Erasmo Ramirez (2017-18)

32: Marco Gonzales (2017-18)

33: Justus Sheffield (2019-present)

34: Felix Hernandez (2006-present)

35: Cory Gearrin (2019-present)

36: Jesse Biddle (2019-present)

37: Parker Markel (2019-present)

38: Casey Fien (2017)

39: Shed Long (2019-present)

40: Thyago Vieira (2017)

41: Evan Marshall (2017)

42: Jim Mecir (1995)(retired league-wide for Jackie Robinson 1997)

43: Hunter Strickland (2019-present)

44: Sam Gaviglio (2017)

45: Ross Detwiler (2018)

46: Gerson Bautista (2019-present)

47: Ricardo Sanchez (2019-present)

48: Alex Colome (2018)

49: Wade LeBlanc (2018-present)

50: Erik Swanson (2019-present)

51: Ichiro Suzuki (2018-19)

52: Anthony Bass (2019-present)

53: Dan Altavilla (2016-present)

54: Connor Sadzeck (2019-present)

55: Roenis Elias (2018-present)

56: Matt Carasiti (2019-present)

57: Tommy Milone (2019-present)

58: Evan Scribner (2016-17)

59: Andrew Moore (2019-present)

60: Chasen Bradford (2018-present)

61: Tayler Scott (2019-present)

62: Erik Goeddel (2018)

63: Austin Adams (2019-present)

64: David McKay (2019-present)

65: Brandon Brennan (2019-present)

66: Tyler Olson (2015)

67: Matt Festa (2018-present)

68: Max Povse (2017)

69: Never issued

70: Never issued

71: Never issued

72: Never issued

73: David Rollins (2015)

74: Never issued

75: Never issued

76: Never issued

77: Never issued

78: Never issued

79: Never issued

80: Never issued

81: Never issued

82: Never issued

83: Never issued

84: Never issued

85: Never issued

86: Never issued

87: Never issued

88: Never issued

89: Never issued

90: Never issued

91: Never issued

92: Never issued

93: Never issued

94: Never issued

95: Never issued

96: Suzuki Makoto (1996)

97: Joe Beimel (2014-15)

98: Never issued

99: Dan Robertson (2016)

[stars2day]

MLB Network to Air Ken Griffey Jr. Special on Father’s Day

@MLB Network to Air Ken @Griffey Jr. Special on Father’s Day

Every week after ESPN turned again the clock with a documentary in regards to the 1998 dwelling run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, MLB Network will air a particular docuseries episode about one of the in style baseball gamers of the ’90s.

The docuseries MLB Network Presents will debut a 90-minute episode about Ken Griffey Jr. at eight p.m. EST on Father’s Day.

Entitled “Junior,” the…

[theultimatefan]

The TOPPS Company Unveils ‘Project 2020,’ One Of The Most Eclectic Projects In Company History

The Topps Company and its fast-growing on-demand platform TOPPS NOW™ today announced one of the most unique, transformative and eclectic offerings in company history: “Project 2020,” a first of its kind effort that combines some of the most iconic cross-generational cards in the company’s nearly 70 year history with baseball, re-imagined by some of the world’s most influential, creative and eclectic artists, cartooners and pop culture influencers.

Some of the notable artists on the list include celebrity jewelry designer Ben Yang…aka Ben Baller; Chicago based designed Just Don, who has worked with Kanye West and Nike on major projects; Mexican American tattoo and graffiti artist Mark Machado, known as Mister Cartoon; Australian Tyson Beck, whose recent resign of the NBA logo in the image of Kobe Bryant became an international cause célèbre; New York native and design artist Sophia Chang and L.A. Based streetwear artist Joshua Vides.

Each of the 20 artists will reinterpret 20 cards, representing baseball’s greatest stars from the 1950s to the present day. The cards will only be available for a 24-hour period from the time each is introduced.

“When we think of the collectible world and where it has evolved today, sports and pop culture continue to collide,” said Jeff Heckman, Global Director of Ecommerce. “We could not think of a better way to expose trading cards to a new audience than working to reinvent some of the classic baseball cards and personalities of the game of baseball through the eyes and hands of many of the world’s greatest pop culture figures of today. ‘Project 2020’ will be a must have for core and casual baseball fans, and will more importantly showcase the names and stories of the artists and the players on the cards to a global audience whose interests lie well beyond the sport. It is a transformative move we are very excited about.”

“Roberto Clemente and his story have always been inspirational to me,” said Mister Cartoon, whose hometown high school mascot was the Pirates, adding to his longtime connection to the Pittsburgh slugger and made working on the Clemente card extra special. “I want to take each of these classic cards and supercharge them!”

The cards in the Project 2020 offering include: 1952 Willie Mays; 1952 Jackie Robinson; 1955 Sandy Koufax; 1959 Bob Gibson; 1980 Rickey Henderson; 1989 Ken Griffey Jr; 1969 Nolan Ryan; 1984 Don Mattingly; 2001 Ichiro;  1992 Bowman Mariano Rivera; 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken; 1983 Tony Gwynn; 1975 George Brett; 2011 Updates Mike Trout; 1987 Mark McGwire; 1990 Frank Thomas; 1985 Dwight Gooden; 1955 Roberto Clemente and 1954 Ted Williams.

The artists participating in the set include:

Ben Baller- jewelry designer with a huge celebrity following that includes Kanye West, Drake, Snoop Dogg and others

Tyson Beck- Australia based, recently redesigned the NBA logo to look like Kobe Bryant, with a petition to change the logo with over 3 million signatures.

Sophia Chang- Queens native whose lifestyle illustrations and basketball cards have landed her collaborations with Nike, Adidas and Puma.

Efdot- NYC based, paints murals with the ubiquitous “Blob” character as the star of his pieces

Ermsy- Cartoon style UK artist living in Paris, whose popular works include reimagined classics like Garfield and Betty Boop.

Fucci- Toronto-based artist who paints vibrant post-pop art and ligne-claire style illustrations with a minimalist approach.

Groteskito- Creative director for Nike basketball

Blake Jamieson- N.Y. based painter who has done portraits for over 350 professional athletes including numerous prominent NFL players.

JK5- based in Brooklyn, native of North White Plains, N.Y., who weaves layers of poetry, spirituality, symbolism, color and line across various media.

Just Don- Chicago based, worked with Kanye West on a number of collaborations, including projects for Nike and Mitchell and Ness, as well as other NBA apparel.

King Saladeen- Philadelphia based NBA artist who has done murals at the Philadelphia Airport and various NYC locations.

Mister Cartoon- L.A. based :West Coast style” tattoo artist who has done illustrative work for Kobe Bryant and Snoop Dogg, and tattoo work on CC Sabathia’s back. Currently working on a mural at L.A. landmark Casa Vega.

Naturel- Creative Director for many apparel projects from Crooks , painted one of the most famous Kobe Bryant murals in Los Angeles.

Old Man Alan- Sacramento-based, tastemaker who advised a number of brands

Jacob Rochester- L.A. based native of Connecticut whose Allen Iverson hair progression art has garnered some attention

Keith Shore- Philadelphia based; the lead creative for Mikkelar Beer

Gregory Siff - lives in L.A., worked with MLB on a number of projects including Stance

Matt Taylor- Brighton, U.K., artist who specializes in movie poster designs and has collaborated on projects with Marvel, Amazon Studios, LucasFilm and more, as well as ESPN for the US Open tennis tournament.

Andrew Thiele- based in NYC, drew “Whole Squad Ready” art for 2018 World Series; has worked for ESPN on MLB and NBA graphics.

Joshua Vides- Black and White style, based in LA, famous collaborator with Converse in 2019, also produced “locker room art” for MLB at the 2018 All-Star Game.

The images on the cards can be seen at https://www.topps.com/project2020.

[whittlebaggett8]

Ichiro’s Last Game: The End of an Era

No Japanese Major League Baseball player has found a comparable stage of good results.

As of this early morning, it seems that Ichiro has played his closing major league sport. The Oakland As and Seattle Mariners completed a two-game series today in Tokyo, opening the 2019 Key League Baseball (MLB) normal year. Ichiro appreciated 1 of the most extraordinary professions in baseball historical past, bridging the gap in between Japanese and American baseball in a way that no other participant has.

Ichiro (very last name Suzuki, but he generally goes by one identify) made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in April 2001. Right before becoming a member of the Mariners, he played seven total and two partial seasons with the Oryx Blue Wave in Japan, amassing an amazing report in the discipline and at the plate. In 2000 he made the decision to attempt the transfer to Key League Baseball, constructing on the prosperous changeover of a number of pitchers. No posture player of his magnitude experienced attempted the transition to that point, even so.

Michael Street gives a pleasant historical past of Japanese gamers in MLB the unusual marriage involving the leagues has expected the improvement of a exclusive procedure for attaining the rights to give contracts to Japanese players. Although the process has progressed, at the time of Ichiro’s go to the United States MLB teams would situation competitive bids for compensation to the Japanese groups who held the legal rights to the player. The participant would then be capable to negotiate a agreement with the profitable bidder.

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Ichiro joined the Mariners just soon after the staff had dropped three of its four superstars (Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., and finally Alex Rodriguez Edgar Martinez finished his occupation with the staff). The Mariners had been specially appropriate for Ichiro, as they experienced comprehensive ownership connections with Japan. With Ichiro taking part in correct field and hitting leadoff, that staff would acquire a modern day file of 116 game titles. Ichiro won the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards.

Ichiro played 11 and a 50 % seasons with the Mariners, before leaving for the New York Yankees in a mid-season trade. He remained with New York for two a lot more yrs, then moved to the Miami Marlins by way of totally free company. He rejoined the Mariners very last calendar year, getting into semi-retirement after 15 online games. Sadly, Ichiro appeared in the submit-time only twice, losing in the 2001 and 2012 AL Championship Collection. Having said that, he did assistance guide Japan to victory in the 2006 and 2009 Planet Baseball Traditional international tournaments.

For a contemporary player Ichiro had an idiosyncratic profile, drawing couple of walks but hitting for a superior typical and showing lightning pace on the base paths. More than the course of his job he amassed 59.3 Wins Higher than Substitution (a statistic that aggregates price in comparison with a notional “replacement level” participant accessible in the insignificant leagues) and 3,089 hits. Solely on the power of his MLB numbers, Ichiro would have a borderline Hall of Fame scenario. Having said that, simply because of his purpose as a pioneer, and due to the fact he spent various time in Japan when he could in any other case have gathered studies in the United States, Ichiro should have very little problems producing it into Cooperstown. It is impossible to estimate cleanly what Ichiro’s occupation may have looked like if he’d spent his entire profession in the United States. Just one exertion suggested maybe 800 extra hits and 10 or so WAR, which would have manufactured Ichiro a very clear hall of famer by contemporary criteria.

No Japanese participant has witnessed a identical degree of accomplishment. Without a doubt, the only other Japanese position player to see sustained results in MLB was Hideki Matsui, an outfielder with a considerably various skill profile who performed for most of his profession with the New York Yankees. At present six Japanese gamers are on MLB rosters, like most notably pitchers Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka and two-way sensation Shohei Otani. Otani, 1 of the only players in modern historical past to perform a common posture in addition to a place in the pitching rotation, had an enormously thriving rookie season inspite of a significant elbow damage, and at 24 is the most tangible consultant of Ichiro’s legacy as a pioneer. His legacy as an ambassador of baseball, of sportsmanship, and of course can never be matched.

The post Ichiro’s Last Game: The End of an Era appeared first on Defence Online.

from WordPress https://defenceonline.com/2019/03/21/ichiros-last-game-the-end-of-an-era/

[jodyedgarus]

Mike Trout Is A $430 Million Bargain

As reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels are closing in on a 12-year contract extension worth at least $430 million with outfielder Mike Trout, setting the all-time mark for both the largest contract (passing Bryce Harper’s $330 million deal from a few weeks ago) and the greatest average annual contract value in baseball history. Trout is a longtime object of fascination for us here at FiveThirtyEight; we’ve frequently extolled his virtues as baseball’s best and most consistent star. Now he has the record-breaking contract to match his talent — but one that might still represent a big bargain for the Angels. And the deal’s long-term nature only renews questions about Trout’s ability to win in L.A., as well as his potential to break through as a star off the field.

At first glance, about $36 million per year seems like a tremendous deal for the Angels. According to FanGraphs’ estimated market values based on wins above replacement (WAR), a player with Trout’s 2018 production should have been worth about $79 million last season. That’s nothing new for Trout: FanGraphs estimates that he was worth $55 million (in 70 percent of a full season) in 2017, $78 million in 2016 and $74 million in 2016. So if Trout continues his recent pace, the Angels will basically be paying him half of what he’d be worth on the open market over the next few seasons.

Of course, Trout is also 27 this year, traditionally the age at which baseball players peak. Trout’s new deal will take him through 2030, his age-38 season. Even though no player in baseball history has posted more career WAR through their age-26 season than Trout,1 it’s probably safe to assume that Trout won’t continue to be a 10-WAR-per-season machine throughout the entire life of this contract.

The old saying that “Father Time is undefeated” remains true — perhaps truer now than ever. And even star-level players peak more quickly than you might expect. While Willie Mays and Hank Aaron were superstars late into their careers, other outfielders similar to Trout — such as Ken Griffey Jr. and Andruw Jones — fell off a performance cliff after age 30 and never recovered.

Here’s a plot of the 10 retired outfielders most similar to Trout through age 26 (according to The Baseball Gauge), along with the arcs of their seasonal WAR as aging took hold:

Trout’s most similar group averaged just fewer than 1.0 WAR by age 38. And that group contains eight Hall of Famers, including Griffey, Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Mel Ott. To further complicate matters, the quality of competition in MLB continues to improve over time, and the game is getting younger, making it more difficult to age well.

However, if 1 WAR is worth $8 million in 2019, and that value inflates by 3 percent per season (for the first five seasons),2 the average of Trout’s comparable group would be worth about $450 million from age 27 through age 38. And it bears mentioning that Trout has accumulated 48 percent more WAR through age 26 than his comparable group of all-time legends. (Yes, Trout is good.)

So Trout seems like a very good bet to deliver more value to the Angels than they’re paying him for in this contract, even if some of the assumptions above are more player-friendly than the current state of baseball’s economics. While many MLB mega-contracts end up looking bad in retrospect, this Trout deal might be the rare one that delivers positive surplus value for the team.

Either way, with no opt-outs in the deal and a full no-trade clause, Trout and the Angels are committed to each other for the long haul. If Trout is interested in winning World Series rings, he took a risk in remaining in Anaheim: He has never won a playoff game with the Angels even while establishing himself at the game’s best player. As great as Trout has been, even the best player cannot do it alone — particularly not in baseball, which is a weak-link sport that is less dependent on star talent than other sports.

But in some ways, the Angels’ outlook is improving for the second act of the Trout era. Albert Pujols’s albatross of a contract is coming off the books after the 2021 season — $28 million in present-day dead money the Angels can allocate elsewhere.

The Angels entered Tuesday with $28 million committed in 2022 salaries, ranking 18th in baseball despite playing in the sport’s No. 2 market in Los Angeles. (The MLB average is $35.2 million committed in 2022, according to Spotrac.) So should the Angels want to compete in the market for high-end free-agent talent in coming years — like, say, Mookie Betts (free agency ETA 2021) or Francisco Lindor (free agency ETA 2022)3 — they will have the flexibility and purchasing power to do so.

Perhaps most important for the club’s long-term prospects is the productivity of its farm system. For much of Trout’s tenure with the Angels, the club had one of the worst farm systems in baseball. The Angels’ system ranked last in baseball in 2014, 2016 and 2017, according to Baseball America. That’s begun to change. The Angels hired Billy Eppler to lead their front office after the 2015 season; they improved to 14th in the rankings in 2018 and 13th this spring.

Outfielder Jo Adell, L.A.’s first-round pick in 2017, has quickly become one of the game’s elite prospects, while starter Griffin Canning, a second-round pick in 2017, gives the Angels a second top-100 prospect. And help from the farm is not too far away: Eight of the top 10 Angels prospects are expected to open in Double-A or higher this spring. Moreover, if the Angels’ top prospect from a year ago, Shohei Ohtani, can become a consistent impact performer as a pitcher and hitter, L.A. could have two star caliber players in one roster spot.

The Angels’ biggest long-term issue is that they are in the same division as the Houston Astros, who are on the cutting edge of evaluation and player development. The Astros took home the 2017 World Series trophy, won 103 games a year ago project to win 99 games again this season according to the FiveThirtyEight model, all while maintaining a farm system that has ranked fifth or better in three of the past four years. Baseball America ranks the Astros’ farm system No. 5 in the game entering 2019.

It will be no easy task to supplant the Astros as kings of the AL West. And if Trout and the Angels can’t do that, it will be more difficult for Trout to raise his own profile, which lags well behind what his talent would suggest. Only one baseball player made ESPN’s list of the 100 most famous athletes in the world, and it wasn’t Trout — it was Bryce Harper at No. 99. This contract extension makes Trout very rich, but it also forces him to forfeit the chance to join a more likely World Series contender — and he’ll miss out on the spotlight that would have shown on him during his own free agency after the 2020 season.

So now the pressure is even greater for the Angels to surround Trout with better talent and build a winner around him. By the end of this contract, he’ll have spent two full decades with the franchise. It would be a true shame if Trout’s next 12 seasons contain as little team success as his first eight did.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/mike-trout-is-a-430-million-bargain/

[barbosaasouza]

Super Mega Baseball 2 Review: A Monster Dinger

Baseball and PC gaming used to be the best of friends almost 30 years ago, but offerings in 2018 are incredibly sparse (apart from the sea of stat simulator baseball games). The last PC release to carry the MLB license was 2K’s MLB 2K12 and players looking to partake in the old ball game had limited options. Canadian-based Metalhead Software ported their surprise 2014 Playstation hit, Super Mega Baseball to Xbox One and PC and gained a small cult following. While the game lacked the big leagues licensing and had a hard arcade-style slant, it excelled at being an easy to pick up baseball game that was extremely fun to play with a friend on the couch. This spring, Metalhead has Super Mega Baseball 2 ready to hit the diamond and the team appears to have hit this one out of the park.

I am a lifelong video game baseball fan. I got my first taste with the original Bases Loaded on the NES and supplemented that addiction with the R.B.I. Baseball titles that came on the unauthorized black Tengen cartridges. The first Ken Griffey baseball game on the SNES and MVP Baseball 2005 stand out as my favorite baseball games over the last 30 years. Being the last big-budget baseball game released for the PC, I’ve logged hundreds of hours with MLB 2K12 and I got to experience MLB: The Show 17 on PS4 Pro last year (and think it would be the best baseball game of all time if the frame rate wasn’t unplayably awful). All this experience with the genre makes me feel like I can objectively judge Super Mega Baseball 2 on its merits as a representation of baseball and its merits as a quality video game experience.

As a baseball game, Super Mega Baseball 2 nearly hits for the cycle, only coming up short on the smallest of details and nuance. I do not judge it harshly for its few shortcomings in being a baseball simulation, as the game does not carry the all-important MLB license and the development team was obviously not afforded a budget that could compare to what Sony earmarks to SIE San Diego for MLB: The Show. Almost all the things that make up the on-field game of baseball are present and accounted for. I noticed a few issues (like the apparent lack of an infield fly rule), but generally found myself locked into the flow of the games.

You only need to spend a few innings with the game to see the love that the development team has for the sport. There are many visual and audio cues that work together to present the game of baseball in a reverent light. The fictional stadiums are well-designed, with each location offering some interesting vistas and ambience that feels like an amped up version of the whimsical magic found across the minor league ballparks scattered across the United States. Unapologetically goofy team names and stadium adornments work to convey the charm of a summer night out at the ballpark.

For those who are unfamiliar with the game of baseball (or simply have no affinity), Super Mega Baseball 2 still has the guts of an enjoyable arcade gaming experience that is sure to entice just about anyone willing to give it a go. Like the best arcade games, the controls are fairly simple, yet rewardingly deep for those who prefer to dive deeper. Pitching is relatively straightforward, with the right stick used to select a pitch type and the A button to throw said pitch. Aiming pitches is handled with the left stick prior to throwing, while the nuances of accuracy and breakpoints are handled by steering a circular UI indicator towards the initial aiming point. I jumped into my first game, ignoring the tutorial prompts, and managed to get a grasp on my hurler’s repertoire by the end of the third inning. This is a welcome change coming from the ridiculously complex systems found in the modern big budget MLB games.

Batting in Super Mega Baseball 2 is even easier to pick up than the pitching. The pitches come into the batter’s box with a UI indicator showing their location. To make contact, you need only to use the left stick and position a circle in the vicinity of the incoming pitch and then press the A button. It is reminiscent of the system I first encountered in Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. on the Nintendo 64. Baserunning is fairly easy to pick up as well, though properly juggling more than one runner in close situations can get very hectic. Depending on the level of difficulty chosen, fielding is mostly handled automatically, unless the player prefers to take control after a ball is put in play. Throws could not be any simpler, with the controller face buttons mapped to each of the four bases and a timing-based power meter mechanic sprinkled over the top for the diehards.

The graphics and sound work together to provide an acceptable presentation. Player models are rather exaggerated and it works perfectly in service of the vibe that the game presents. The default teams contain male and female players. Most surprisingly, the female models actually resemble human women rather than the ridiculous 1990’s comic book proportions that typically dominate the video game industry. The PC version of the game performed admirably on my machine, allowing for 4K 60fps gameplay that was perfectly frame-paced. Likely due to the budget of the project, the in-game presentation is a little thin, with no voice overs or superfluous scenes between innings and at-bats. While this prevents purists from taking in the game at baseball’s infamous leisurely pace, the concise nature of the presentation fits the arcade style perfectly.

Super Mega Baseball 2 allows for full customization of teams, logos, and players. The provided logo editor is robust enough that determined users will be able to crank out an entire league’s worth of first-rate logos in no time. It looks like it should be possible to recreate the entire MLB within the constraints of these tools, and I fully expect folks to have a project like that ready to roll in short order. Sadly, I found no way to easily download or share these customizations from within the game (or if such a thing will ever be possible). The ability to upload and share customizations would do wonders for the shelf life of this game. For those that care about such things, the game does ship with some microtransactions, but they are only in the form of additional art pieces for the customization suite and are not at all required to enjoy the game, nor do they affect gameplay.

Online play, by far the most-requested feature from fans of the original game, works well out of the box. Ranked leaderboard play is restricted to the default teams for balance reasons, but friendly private matches can make full use of customized teams and players. On the PC version, all online business is handled via Steamworks and is as easy as one could hope for. For offline players, exhibition, tournament, and season modes offer different ways to enjoy the game.

Fans of the original Super Mega Baseball will find lots to like about this sequel. New players can expect a solid game of baseball with enough arcade magic to appeal to almost any type of player. Baseball purists will find a good time if they enter with the proper expectations. As it stands right now, Super Mega Baseball 2 is now the top dog of baseball games on the PC. For $30, it’s not quite priced to be an impulse purchase, but should go on the shortlist of any baseball fans or those on the hunt for genuine arcade fun. 8/10 $14 Beers

This review is based on the PC Steam release. The game key was provided by the publisher. Super Mega Baseball 2 was made available for Steam, Xbox One, and PS4 on May 1, for $29.99.

Super Mega Baseball 2 Review: A Monster Dinger published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[baseballshrugged-blog]

Club 3k: WAR (position players)

From 1871 to 2017, there have been 1,918 players to record at least 3,000 career plate appearances.  Club 3k is a series of posts, each one examining a specific stat and the all-time leaders in that category out of the 1,900+ players with at least 3,000 plate appearances.  Why 3,000 plate appearances?  Because the average MLB starting position player logs roughly 600 plate appearances in a season.

The first installment of Club 3k examines WAR (Wins Above Replacement) for position players, leading me to touch on Barry Bonds, HOF hopefuls, and axe murder.    

WAR for Dummies:  Put simply, WAR is a metric developed by our sabermetric overlords with the intention of cramming all aspects of a player’s contribution into one simple number.  That simple number is presented as the number of wins the player is worth when compared to the typical replacement player (i.e. freely available minor leaguer or bench bat).  If you want to become even more confused, Fangraphs can help.

Now, back to business.  Here are some interesting finds from my quest through the annals of baseball history:

Highest WAR = 168.4, Babe Ruth

Lowest WAR = -16.2, Bill Bergen

More on this guy below...

Average WAR = 23.8

Michael Young, Rondell White, and Jimmy Wolf to name a few

Babe Ruth’s WAR doubles that of George Brett (30th highest)

27 of the 30 highest WARs belong to Hall of Famers

Barry Bonds (2nd) became HOF eligible in 2013 but is yet to receive more than 53.8% of the votes on any ballot.  I’m torn on Bonds.  I hated seeing him come to the plate against my favorite team, but damn it... Bonds and Babe are the only players in MLB history with career WARs eclipsing 150.

Alex Rodriguez (13th) retired in 2016 and will first appear on the 2022 HOF ballot 

Albert Pujols (26th) is still active, playing for the Angels

Top 30 All-time WAR Leaders: 1. Babe Ruth - - - 168.4 2. Barry Bonds - - - 164.4 3. Willie Mays - - - 149.9 4. Ty Cobb - - - 149.3 5. Honus Wagner - - - 138.1 6. Hank Aaron - - - 136.3 7. Tris Speaker - - - 130.6 8. Ted Williams - - - 130.4 9. Rogers Hornsby - - - 130.3 10. Stan Musial - - - 126.8 11. Eddie Collins - - - 120.5 12. Lou Gehrig - - - 116.3 13. Alex Rodriguez - - - 112.9 14. Mickey Mantle - - - 112.3 15. Mel Ott - - - 110.5 16. Mike Schmidt - - - 106.5 17. Rickey Henderson - - - 106.3 18. Frank Robinson - - - 104.0 19. Nap Lajoie - - - 102.2 20. Jimmie Foxx - - - 101.8 21. Joe Morgan - - - 98.8 22. Eddie Mathews - - - 96.1 23. Carl Yastrzemski - - - 94.8 24. Cal Ripken - - - 92.5 25. Cap Anson - - - 91.2 26. Albert Pujols - - - 89.1 27. Al Kaline - - - 88.9 28. Wade Boggs - - - 88.3 29. Roger Connor - - - 86.2 30. George Brett - - - 84.6

Other notables: 32. Chipper Jones - - - 84.6; HOF eligible this year 33. Adrian Beltre - - - 84.3; Still active 37. Pete Rose - - - 80.2; Sigh... 41. Ken Griffey Jr. - - - 77.7; Elected to HOF in 2016, receiving 99.3% of votes, the highest vote % in MLB HOF history 54. Derek Jeter - - - 71.8; HOF eligible in 2020 75. Andruw Jones - - - 67.1; HOF eligible this year 157. Vlad Guererro - - - 54.3; Became HOF eligible in 2017, receiving 71.7% of votes

I could look at this for days (probably will, if I haven’t already), so be on the lookout for future edits and additions.  But, for now, I want to end with a player profile.  As promised, here’s everything you need to know about Bill Bergen, the worst position player in baseball history:

Born June 13, 1878; Died December 19, 1943

Position: Catcher

Seasons Active:  1901-1911

Teams:  Reds (1901-1903); Superbas/Dodgers (1904-1911)

Games Played:  947

Plate Appearances:  3,228

Average:  .170

Homeruns:  2

OBP:  .194

SLG:  .201

Never scored more than 21 runs in a season

Never had more than 60 hits in a season

Only eclipsed 20 RBIs in 1902 and 1905

Why the hell did they keep him on the field?  His glove.

Career Fielding% = .972

Interesting Fact:  Bill’s brother, Marty Bergen, was also a big league catcher, playing for the Boston Beaneaters from 1896-1899.  Marty suffered from a severe mental illness, however, which caused hallucinations, ultimately leading him to murder his wife and two children with an axe.  Marty took his own life that same day in January 1900.

Depressing, I know.  Crazy what a little research can produce, yeah?