Review: Out of the Park Baseball 13

Every year before March I get extremely excited about four things:

• March Madness 
• Spring Training
• Fantasy Baseball Draft
• Out of the Park Baseball

This post is about the last bullet point:

As far back as I can remember, whether it was playing World Series Baseball on Sega Genesis or Madden on PS2, the most compelling aspect of the game for me was putting my General Manager hat on and managing the roster - making trades, signing players in free agency and finding new, young talent. Naturally, that joy led me to Out of the Park Baseball where I can literally put on my GM hat and take control of any franchise putting my fingerprints on every aspect of the team, from the team's international scouting budget to my recently drafted 18 year old prospect's pitch count. 

For any of you who are not familiar with Out of the Park Baseball, it is a computer based baseball simulation game and it's been my favorite game of any kind for several years now. 

Now, to call Out of the Park Baseball simply a "simulation game" doesn't do it justice as it is significantly  more in depth than any other baseball simulation game, or sports simulation game of any kind, that I have ever come across. As General Manager of a franchise you have complete and total control of the team both in the majors and the complete minor league system - from AAA to Rookie Ball. You can hire your Scouting Director and coaches for all of your minor league teams and it's advised that you carefully choose the right coaches, because their skills and tendencies affect your prized prospects and their development. Given a budget from your owner, you control ticket prices, how much money to invest in scouting amateur prospects, the minors, internationally and player development. Is your team trying to win now, and scouting major league level talent is crucial or are you 2-3 years away and would like to spend your money on amateur scouting and player development? You make the call!

If OOTP 13 were simply last year's game with updated rosters I would likely still buy the game and not question my decision. That's a testament to how great of a game OOTP 12 is/was, but OOTP 13 is more than just updated rosters, it's even better!

First off, the set up and layout of the game is more user friendly and appealing to the eye. All of the controls are intuitive and appropriately place where you expect them to be. But it's not just an improved interface that makes OOTP 13 improved, they have upgraded the games core engine and more and it shows:

• The computer AI is much smarter, especially concerning trades. Gone are the days where you could overflow the computer with decent minor leaguers to get their prized prospect. This may frustrate teams trying to find a quick fix to their struggling, but it's much more realistic and makes for a better experience.
• Interactive Storylines: I unfortunately haven't played enough to experience this aspect to the fullest but all of your decisions as GM affect the storylines that come up throughout the season. For example, if you bench your high-priced player for a up and coming prospect and he complains to the media, you have the chance to fine him. Sounds like an easy decision, right? Well, he may then start complaining more, bringing the morale down for the team. Decide not to fine him and the team may start losing respect - decisions, decisions, decisions. For lack of a better word, there is an obvious one-to-oneness in the new OOTP, with every move that you make having a potential consequence and it's made for a much better playing experience thus far.
• Houston Astros/Expanded Playoffs: This may seem like a simple, no-brainer, but I can't express enough how fun it's been to witness the Astros in the American League and expanded playoffs in action - before it's happened in real life! 

While those changes have all been for the good they've smartly kept many of the things the same that make me like previous versions so much:

• Advanced Stats. Curious what Albert Pujols' wOBA was in any given season? It's right there. Interested to see the zone rating of your SS to see if you need to upgrade your defense? You have the chance. If you read my blog, you're aware I'm a fan and user of the new stats and if you're like me and want that in your baseball game then OOTP 13 is your game.
• Offseason changes: One of the most rewarding part of OOTP is it's re-playability, no two games you start will ever be the same. One way that is done is in the offseason, where new rules are instituted or changed and where expansion teams are added to the game. 

I have only had the game for a short while but even in that time it's become evident that Out of the Park Baseball 13 is better than the previous version which was a hard game to beat. OOTP 13 has fixed what needed to be fixed, upgraded what you didn't think needed upgrades and added many new features that have contributed to their best game yet. Without hesitation I give this game a 10/10, 5 stars, and an A+ - using any metric you want Out of the Park Baseball 13 is Out Of This World!

 

Joey Votto: Woah!

Normally it's Joey Lawrence that makes us go Woah! but this time it's Joey Votto and his 10 year $225 million contract extension. Woah!

Prince Fielder was a free agent this offseason and received a 10 year $214 million contract. Joey Votto isn't a free agent and he won't be next year OR the year after and received more than Prince Fielder. Generally when you sign a player to a contract extension, the pupose is to retain him at a value less than he would receive via free agency and it's clear that the Reds didn't achieve that with this extension. 

Now, there are several other factors at play here that have to be considered:

• The new Dodgers ownership has money to spend, and if Joey Votto hit free agency it's likely they would be a major, major player.
• The Reds are looking to increase the value of their franchise to be sold.
• The Reds are looking for a TV contract like the Angels and Rangers have received recently which has proven to be a big money maker.

All of those points are legitimate and were obviously considered by the Reds when they extended Votto, but still, this contract seems a bit risky. There is even some precedent for contracts like this not working out. Two years ago, with two years remaining on his contract, the Phillies signed 1B Ryan Howard to a 5 year $125 million extension. Joey Votto is a far superior player to Ryan Howard, but the point is that with two years remaining until free agency why invest millions upon millions of dollars in someone (at no discount) when they literally can't go anywhere and you hold the leverage?

Ryan Howard's extension kicks in this year, do you think the Phillies regret it? You betcha!

Does this mean the Reds will definitely regret extending Joey Votto? Not necessarily, but it's hard to imagine the timing of this deal benefiting the Reds. Prince Fielder received a 10 year $214 million deal when he was a 27 year old free agent. When Votto's 10 year $225 million extension kicks in he will be 30. Again, Votto is a better player than Prince is and will likely age better but the difference in their age when they will receive their mega-deals has to be considered, and it's not in the Reds favor. 

When the Tigers signed Prince Fielder most people thought it was an overpay, but it may end up being market value when you consider the othe contracts that have been handed out recently. 

Time will certainly tell if it works out for the Reds, but one thing is for sure - less players are becoming free agents. The Dodgers extended Matt Kemp, the Brewers have Ryan Braun locked up, the Rockies have Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez for the next several years, and now the Reds have Joey Votto. A few years ago teams got smart by buying out the first few years of their young players free agency at a below market rate. Now it has gone to the next level, where teams follow up on those with mega extensions for 10 years - only time will tell if it's smart. 

Spring Stats

They (generally) don't mean anything, but spring training stats are (generally) fun to talk about in lieu of actual games. A few notables:

• Francisco Liriano has 26 strikeouts and 4 walks. Liriano has a slight track record of his spring training control (or lack thereof) being mimicked in the regular season. If that's the case, look for Liriano to have a rebound this year.
• Last year Zack Greinke led all qualified starting pitchers with a 10.54 K/9 while also limiting his walks (2.36 BB/9) but bad luck and bad defense made his ERA of 3.83 look worse than he actually pitched (2.98 FIP). This spring, Greinke has pitched 19.1 innings issued 2 walks, given up 14 hits and 2 runs while striking out 28 batters. Woah. The Brewers also improved their infield defense this offseason  replacing Yuniesky Betancourt at SS with Alex Gonzalez. Regardless of his spring performance Greinke would be considered prime for come-back year, his March has only made it more exciting.
• The last time Daniel Bard was a starter in 2007 in the minors he had an ERA over 7 with 78 walks in 75 innings. In 24.2 innings this spring Bard has a 6.57 ERA with 16 walks. I'm rarely opposed to any team trying out someone in the rotation and I'm not knocking the Red Sox for trying it with Bard, but he hasn't looked that impressive. However, he did finish strong, pitching 6 solid innings while hitting 96 on the radar gun. Take that Michael Pineda!
• The knock on Freddie Freeman has been that he doesn't have that much power for a 1b who strikes out a decent amount. Even though he's 6'5'' he's never displayed 30+ home run power but FWIW, this spring Freeman has 7 home runs. You never really know how young players might breakout, and if Freeman can add 10-15 home runs to his repertoire, he could become a cornerstone type player.
• Dee Gordon is 11/15 on stolen base attempts. He's said to have 60-70 SB potential, and it looks as though the only thing holding him back from reaching that will be his ability to get on base, not the green light which seems to never be off.
• Chris Young (the good hitter, not the tall pitcher) is batting .404 with 4 home runs in 57 ABs but the most impressive part is that he has 10 walks with 9 strikeouts. Young has done an admirable job keeping his strikeouts in check while increasing his walks since he first came up to the big leagues, and if he can continue that trend he might become one of the best all-around center fielders in the game.

April: What to Watch For

I will have a more appropriate season prediction post up for tomorrow but until then here are a few story lines, battles, players, matchups, etc. to watch out for in April (besides the showers bringing in flowers):

• Closer Battles: The Royals, Red Sox, White Sox and Reds all have injured or unsettled closer situations and it will be interesting to see if anyone takes the reins and runs with it. Also, look out for Mets and Orioles to have some potential closing carousels going as well with Jim Johnson and Frank Francisco struggling in the spring.
•  Albert Pujols: Any time the best player in a sport changes teams, it's worth watching. Albert Pujols was on fire in the 2nd half last year (.319/.375/.584) and it has carried over this spring with Pujols batting .407/.460/.870 with 6 home runs. 
• New Rivalries: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's offseason acquisitions of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson certainly makes their division rivalry with the Texas Rangers more compelling, especially considering the Rangers signing of...
• Yu Darvish:  Will he be an ace worth the $100M+ investment or will he unimpress like Daisuke Matsuzaka? Or will he just be boringly effective like Hiroki Kuroda who signed with the...
• New York Yankees: Sure, there may be an East Coast Bias in sports coverage and even I may prefer the Yankees (emphasis on Ben's Baseball Bias) but there are simply too many intriguing storylines: the Michael Pineda injury/mph saga, Andy Pettitte's return, aging vets, and how they will cope with the Red Sox and...
• Bobby Valentine: It's not even opening day and Curt Schilling already has spoken out about his dislike of Bobby Valentine. Of course, nobody cares what Curt Schilling thinks unless you play RPG video games or agree with Sean Hannity (hint, Curt Schilling is a 'job creator'). Anyway, this will be an exciting year around the Red Sox and we can only hope to see more of this.
• Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles Via Brooklyn: How will the new ownership group run the ship from the get go? You don't pay over $2 Billion for a franchise to then be frugal - but will they try to make some noise early or play it patiently? 
• Contract Extensions: I don't think it's a complete coincidence that right after the Dodgers were sold that the Royals and Reds locked up their best players (Alex Gordon/Joey Votto). There is a new, rich team around and if your players reach free agency they may be gone forever. 
• Games that matter: Besides two games  in Japan we haven't had any real games yet and no matter what the matchup is, the best thing to watch in April is simply live baseball games that count!