MLB 08 THE SHOW: Strategy: Tips on Batting, Pitching, Baserunning, and Fielding

[Raider1one]

OK so i thought it would be a good idea to do a thread on the intricacies of THE SHOW.. If any one has any tips/tricks advice, what ever post it here as the game is SUPER in-depth and the instruction booklet doesn't tell you much aside from what button does what..

Pitching: I've noticed that if you want to pitch more accurately you have to pitch in the green zone and get it back into the white hot zone, but when you throw breaking balls you have to let it go all the way into the red, which increases the break.

Batting: I have been having a problem being patient, so I have been guessing the pitches/pitch location w/ R2. It has givin me a little more success. Also I have noticed if you use the left stick to swing where the pitch is (UP for high in the Zone, Down for low in the Zone,) You can hit with alot more power. This also works for left and right in the zone.

If you guys have any more strategies please post em, as I need all the help i can GET!!!

[Chubz]

also if you are havinf problems with swinging at bad pitches, put the pitch speed a little slwoer so that you can start to recognize pitches. After you get comfortbale, start moving up in speed.

[Raider1one]

HOW TO HIT LIKE A PRO :

Make a scheme for yourself
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What pitch do you like to hit or hit the best ? What pitch makes you go oh please throw it
What pitch does your enemy opponet throw the most ? - What pitch is thrown= 2 and 3 out 5 times in at bat
What pitch will you look for when a guy falls behind = Whats his starting to get in trouble pitch its not always fastball!! and online its most likely never going to be until you proove you can crush sliders curves changes
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What is your 0-0 2-0 3-1 only swing zone- The hitting zone is 4 zone or 9 if you break up down and middle think tic tac board!! if you get into these counts you should only swing in that zone!! called working the count
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What pitch is this guys MAD!! pitch - The pitch he throws after you get hits off him!! every pitcher online and in real life will get mad and start to show a pattern of a specfic pitch he wants to throw when he starts to get hammered when you hit that pitch you can guess 9 out of 10 times fastball is coming next!!
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--Now the secret to hitting from real life to the baseball video game world -

Quick hitting tip which will improve your hitting fast and understand the concept of what a true hitter thinks about in the mlb !!

Learn how to lock your eyes on the hitting zone!! THIS is the biggest thing for someone who has never played baseball at a high level where the pitchers throw harder then 88 . Most people will look at the screen near the hitter when playing baseball games " where the hot cold zone show up etc " This is WRONG!! If you have your eyes in that area you will never hit why ? because by the time you see the ball there and decide to swing the BALL IS IN THE GLOVE its strike 1!!

You have to tell yourself on the very first pitch of the game don't swing!!! unless its a ball right in the middle of the zone but while your learning don'T swing period!!! Instead tell yourself lock on the release point you can do this by this technique

1) Look somewhere behind the pitcher at a object which will not move the entire game!!! everything you think of is going to be directed and energy from this spot!!! "EXAMPLE" a spot of green ivey at oriole park, a static billboard, the ny mets homerun apple , something you can find every time ON THE 0-0 COUNT

2) Look at this spot while the pitcher has NOT started his motion!!

3) When he starts to windup or from the stretch move your eyes to the shoulder of his throwing arm and tell yourself DON'T track the baseball into the glove if your eyes follow the ball to the plate on a take a pitcher can throw you off by changing speeds and your tracking system has not worked , what I usually do is count 1-2 on the first pitch if your eyes move before the count of 2 your hitting from the plate and not the release point

- Do this when learning for the entire lineup first time through the order on every other batter , what you are going to find out is your eyes will adjust to the pinpoint location of the release point and you will know in 0.1- 0.2 what pitch was just thrown when it comes out youll also notice on breaking pitches that you lose for a quick second the ball this is normal and whats supposed to happen!! If you see a breaking pitch direct good chance its going to fall out of the zone.

4 sometimes the GOLDEN 5 things should start to happen after a few at bats

1) The ball will seem slower because your mind will have detected the pattern of where to look and track the ball
2) Any pitch which starts way out of the zone on non swing counts will be noticed instant " any count which is less then 2 strikes a hitter can take called working the count" this pitch when the technique starts to work should be obvious and funny looking
3) Your hitting zone on pitches you can handle will increase because your reaction time and being able to decide later in the stride when to swing" Thats what waiting on a pitch means" you will not jump at pitches
4) You will become a dangerous hitter on breaking balls which will force online players to throw fastballs
5) This is when you found the exact perfct timing of the release point and location you will see the SEAMS on the ball aLmost like your eyes went into zoom mode!!

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Combine being able to track the ball with a gameplan and you are DANGEROUS!! Example
1) Look for the pitch you like to hit the best - Fastball middle away
2) Pitch pitcher throws the most - Slider - You will look for this pitch until you get up 2-0 where you can then go look for your pitch!! or down 0-2 where you can then decide to free swing at anything close but up until 2 strikes sit fastball or offspeed - I usually sit offspeed because some pitchers only have 1 fastball but 3 to 4 breaking pitches, and sitting on breaking pitches means you can hit slider,curve,slow sink ,changeup - because the speed diffirence is not much where the fastball usually 8-15 mph diffirence then the pitchers breaking pitches

3) With runners on base and the score close what pitch will the pitcher go to when falling behind ? Usually a moving fastball 2seam cutter/ sinker or a slider 80 % of the time when runners in scoring postion less then 2 outs you will get a breaking ball to start off unless you have already hammered his offspeed stuff
4) When your hitting well whats your favorite zone you like to attack , become a online manny ramirez in hitters counts
5) Finally the mad pitch - This is the pitch where you can tell your opponet is mad and is going to do 1 of 2 things go to a pitch he uses all the time or throw at you lol once you get here you win period most will quit if you jack this pitch in the stands.

So there it is fellaz and ladies from a former ball player in the Flordia/Penn league before arm troubles this is how you learn to hit like a pro and not a little leaguer.

For pitchers same concept except you look at the knob of the bat speed and swing location to determine what pitch to setup the hitter. And remember hitters in the pros sit offspeed of fastball and only 1 count is known as the true swing count and thats 2-1= Becuase most of the time a hitter has enough information by now to judge speed location and can wing it he also knows the pitcher is in trouble and most likely will not throw a ball because of the 3-1 walk danger count so you can expect something on the middle/out part of the plate.

Let the season begin!!

[Raider1one]

so checklist That summarizes all that for the LAZY reader LOL
1) Find a spot before the first pitch
2) Move eyes towards the pitchers release point
3) Don't hit what you want to hit until you get up in the count because you may never get it exp when looking for fastballs with runners in scoring postion until you attack some breaking stuff the fastballs will only be down in the count chase fastballs usually
4) Dont try and use the analog stick on 1-1 counts or with runners on first less then 2 outs on 2-1 look to use the opposite field so you stay inside the baseball , dont try and pull breaking pitches unless you are in a hitters count

[Raider1one]

Right Stick During BAtting...

The right stick controls your high/low influence on the swing. To use it, simply flick the right stick up or down before the pitch (right after your guess, if you use that). You *don't* have to hold it up or down while trying to hit the "X" (the manual is unclear on that but, then again, the manual is unclear on a gazillion things).

If you flick up before the pitch, you'll tend to hit fly balls, if you flick down, you'll tend to hit ground balls.

Remember, however, that it only *influences* the hit. So don't expect the ball to go in one direction or the other based on your right stick only. Timing and swing matter. Or, to put it another way, if the swing without the stick would have resulted in a popup, don't expect that flicking the right stick down will turn it into a ground ball.

[Raider1one]

How to Pitch Accurately:

You have to think as the green line for a 2-4 inch window if you hit that spot the ball will go there

Dont throw every pitch in the red , You should think of each hitter and inning as what you want to accomplish

Throw in the low red for pitches you want to get ahead of
Try to max your red when you are ahead 0-1 0-2 1-2 where you can afford to throw a ball but also will have the hardest break on a slider or curve

Pick 1 pitch each inning to try and find the paint the corner try to hit the bottom of the yellow right before the red this also will be your pitch you mix in with your red pitch to make the hitter chase or get tricked = called 3rd strikes

Pick 1 pitch each inning where you will throw for most accuracy when the hitter is locked in hitting everything hard and try to pinpoint the pitch which will also usually force the hitter to swing early because of being out in front then you can also tell by his bat speed what pitch he was looking for and can begin a gameplan..

If there is a yellow stripe (sweet spot) available for you to land your cursor in, put it there. If not, in the middle of the brightest section of white, about a 45 degree angle to the right.

[Raider1one]

How to Run The Bases Like a PRO:

Scenerio: Runners at 1st and 3rd sac fly, you only want to advance the runner at 3rd
Use the L analog stick, move it to the left (or where the baserunner is), the icon should start to flash while the runner on firsts icon is solid. After catch hit x (homeplate) to advance only the runner on 3rd.

Scenerio: 1st and 3rd, steal 2nd w/ the runner on first w/o moving the runner at third
Use the L analog stick, move it to the right (or where the baserunner is), hit L2 to steal.

Scenerio: Runner on 1st, you hit a ball to the gap. You will not make a double with the hitter but you can advance the runner on 1st to 3rd.
Use the L analog stick, move it up (or where the baserunner is), the icon should start to flash, while the hitters does not. I say up cause he'll be heading to 2nd, to advance hit square to 3rd.

[Chubz]

one thing to keep on mind is that you need to learn to take pitches and work the count. Working the count will wear down the opposing pitcher. I leave guess location on. I don't guess the pitch type.

[Raider1one]

Now that i've played a few games into my season, i WONT even swing in an at bat until the pitcher throws a strike...I've been walked several times on 4 strait pitches playing on Veteran difficulty.

[b_roy7]

Nice job man. I might get it, but I suck at the newer baseball games since I have below average hand-eye coordination.

[Raider1one]

Dude dont worry I have Way below average hand eye coordination cause i drink during every game.... So i better be ahead at the end cause they ALWAYS rally on my buzzed ass

[Raider1one]

Super simplified Pitching info, HOW TO BE AN ACE:

OK..on the way up..the green to red is the power meter..The red part is the hardest of all pitches..lets say ur throwing a fastball..u want it to hit a good velocity..go the highest u can go..it should hit that pitcher's highest velocity.

On the way down..u see a BLUE REGION WITH GOLD BAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT REGION...It starts thin..but as u progress through the innings..it gets wider..PUSH THE X BUTTON AS CLOSE TO OR ON THE GOLD BAR AS POSSIBLE...THAT IS YOUR RELEASE POINT...or in other words..its for accuracy.

[Chubz]

this game is dead on

[2.2L EH2]

Great info Raider1one

[Raider1one]

OK so here are the guys I have figured out so far that u need to change their names in your roster Before you start a season so the dudes have their real names..
for example:
**bleep**udome is in the game , hes under the name tom jung


Team Player Real player

Baltimore Orioles 1B Ivan JimenezRP Steve Cardwell Kevin Millar Jamie Walker respectively

Chicago Cubs OF Tom Jung Kosuke **bleep**udome

Cleveland Indians RP Ashley Kim Masahide Kobayashi

Kansas City Royals RP Ed Brady Ron Mahay

Los Angeles Dodgers SP Thai Tran Hiroki Kuroda

Milwaukee Brewers C Chris Gill Damian Miller

Texas Rangers RP Tate Baik Kazuo **bleep**umori

Free Agent LF Reggie Stocker Barry Bonds

those are the names of players who need changing on your game