Filed under General
I love my PS3. I also love my newest addition, MLB 08 The Show. As any Cub fan would do, the first thing I did when I got the game was start a new franchise with my beloved Cubbies. I’ve run through about 20 games of the season, so I thought I’d share a few things that stand out…
- Despite going 15-5, the Cubs are in 3rd place behind the Brewers and get this, the Reds
- Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly have combined to go 5-0 with an ERA around 2, while the rest of the starting rotation is 4-3 with an ERA in the mid-4s.
- Ryan Dempster, who is the Cubs closer in the game, has already blown 2 saves, has an ERA of 7.00, and is no longer my closer as of last night. Kerry Wood will be my closer as I must match reality as closely as possible.
- Tom Jung, aka Kosuke Fukudome, has been just OK, hitting around .250 with a couple homeruns, but does have two game winning hits already.
- Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee lead the team in home runs with 7 a piece, while Soriano has the best batting average of any regular, hitting .337.
- The bullpen has been very good with the trio of Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry, and Kerry Wood all competing for innings. Scott Eyre, whose virtual shoulder is healthy, has yet to give up a run in 10 appearances.
- Felix Pie is hitting in the low .300s with 4 stolen bases.
Those are the highlights, and I’m sure all of us will be thrilled if the Cubbies jump out to a 15-5 start. Curious about other’s performances? Just ask!
Can I assume that The Trade That Shall Not Be Named didn’t go through on the PS3 either? Don’t have to prepare myself for that too, do I?
Nope, B-Rob is virtually not a Cub either.
I bet you didn’t know that I actually faced Brian as a pitcher in high school a handful of times. I’ll save that story for another time though.
Not sure why you’re so surprised about the Reds. A number of mags have them as an above .500 team and Vegas has the over-under on wins at 81. SI picked them to finish 2nd behind the Cubs.
In my The Show franchise (60 games in), Cubs are in first by a game over the Brewers. I used the online update for rosters, and I created my own Fukodome. I think just maybe I over-rated him (he’s currently batting .390 and leading the league in RBI). I also lowered the ratings for a number of players (Lieber, Eyre, Patterson). I entered all the AAA players names instead of the generic ones that come with the game, and with Derek Lee out for the year with an injury, I have Micah Hoffpauir as my starting 1st baseman. Unfortunately, he’s batting .215 in 60 AB, so I may have to take the Blue Jays offer of Frank Thomas & Reed Johnson (coincidence!!) for Felix Pie (not good at all in the game) & Casey McGehee.
Matt, where did you find the minor league roster players? In other words where did you find player XYZ is actually Micah Hoffpauir? Or did you simply change the name and make the minor league players?
I manually changed the names, positions, ratings of all the Cubs minor leaguers. Yes, it’s true, I’m sad and pathetic. It took about 3 hours, but I like having real players on my minor league rosters. On the AA team, I also included some of the A players with good futures (Vitters, for example). By the first week of April, some guys on the OperationSports.com forum will have full minor league rosters for all the teams.
^ Not pathetic at all. I used to (and sometimes still do) do that myself.
I really wish The Show was on 360 (you were right Joe), as the MLB 2K series, just isn’t as good.