As I noted in my review, this game is an awesome simulation of listening to a baseball game. You don’t have any control over the events in the game. You are there to have it unfold in front of you!
I loved this play, but I don’t think we’ll be playing it again anytime soon because my girlfriend felt it was too luck driven. Which is a reasonable criticism if one thought this was a baseball simulation. This is a game of your favorite baseball announcer calling an baseball game. Without the dulcet tones of Jon Miller in your mind’s year, Harry’s might seem capricious and dull.
With that intro, here is a session report of the game we played.
My girlfriend was the visiting team and I was the home team. It started a little slowly with a ton of outs played by each side, but I did score first with a single and a triple. The game was pretty even at the 7th inning stretch. But my girlfriend’s team broke down at the bottom of the 8th inning with a couple errors and so I was up 6-4 heading into the 9th inning.
She led off the inning with a walk. Like any modern manager (and also realizing that she hated the game and most likely wouldn’t ever play with me again) I went to my Closer (relief pitcher card). Double! Then she dropped a single. 6-5, with men on first and third, no outs. Well it’s not his day, so let’s see what the next relief pitcher card had. Single! 6-6, first and second, no out. Then she drops a triple and its 8-6! Finally, my boys get their act together and the inning ends with a groundout, walk, and double play.
Unfortunately my batters, who had been hitting well all game (a couple triples and a home run), just went quiet on me. She started with a strikeout. The next hitter saw a wild pitch (but no one was on base) and then grounded out. The last guy (going for a home run I presume) flied out on my card. A rough end for the home team.
I love how this game simulates the ebb and flow of a baseball game, rolling in and out of your consciousness like a good game on the radio. However, if you aren’t in a lackadaisical mood, like my girlfriend by the end of the game, you won’t be able to enjoy the narrative.
I had great fun but you need to love (listening to) baseball first.