Matt Carstens

MLB 10 The Show Review Part 1: Franchise Mode

MLB 10 The Show

Franchise Mode

After playing for about 4 hours last night I decided to do this review as a series by game modes. That would be one long ass review if I just reviewed the whole game. Since Franchise mode is just basically playing single games that is what this segment will basically be about.

This game looks amazing. When I first played 09, I shat my pants. When I turned on the PS3 yesterday, I was floored. The intro was great, the menus are sleek, it’s all 10x better than last year. I fired up the first game which was a spring training game vs. the Giants (the one that’s going on right now) but I wasn’t trying to play in AZ so I chose Target Field. It’s so realistic that the temperature in Minnesota in March was 2 degrees. A little chilly for baseball, but I went on with it.

What I was really excited for was the new camera angles. Turned out the default setting has the cool camera angles only when you are on offense, but I turned it to offense and defense and it is awesome. It looks so much like a TV broadcast it’s scary. Some of the drawbacks to it are things like it is kind of hard to field normal base hits with your outfielders because it is hard to judge the angle, but I think that will just take getting used to. It looks so cool.

The biggest improvements in my opinion are just little things that sane people probably wouldn’t even notice. The way the players interact with each other and objects like walls and bases is spectacular. I played a game in Oakland where the bullpen benches are in play, and if you hit a ball at them they all freak out. When you warm up a pitcher they warm up way more realistically. They start tossing off the mound then on the mound. The bullpen catchers are much more fluid and realistic looking. When you bring in a new pitcher from the pen, you get 8 warm up pitches off the actual mound. That fucks my shit up. The better you pitch in these warm ups the warmer your pitcher will get.

Other little stuff like the deliveries all the way from Felix to Fister are better. Swings are better, faces are better. Probably my favorite little thing is that the batter can foul off a pitch and hit the umpire, and then he struggles for a few seconds on his knees. Great stuff.

Something that hasn’t improved? The one thing that rubbed me the wrong way on 09 was that the player ratings are kind of messed up. Langerhans is rated a D for defense when the whole reason we got him was that he’s an elite defender. Things like that piss me off because it’s information so easily available, but because he’s just a role player they don’t get it right.

Besides that I haven’t run into a single fault. It is a triumph among baseball games.

PS I tried to format this post for about 20 minutes. I dunno why it looks so fucked up.

The Greatest Mariner of All Time

Shouting Whispers

After seven months of hard work I am honored to present you with the latest and greatest from The Defenestrators, Shouting Whispers. It’s our seventh studio release and quite possibly the best one yet.

Enjoy.

New Writing Gig

I’m sure this will cause at least a little outrage, but I hope you can be excited for me because I’ve been accepted to be a contributor to Proball NW. I’m on probation now so all my posts have to be approved by the site’s owner, but I’m on track to become a regular author, hopefully. I suggest you guys be reading that site if you aren’t already.

I’m going to make an honest effort to write more here on non-baseball topics so no one thinks I’m selling out.

Go Mariners!

Nancy’s Top Ten Albums of the 00’s

I’d have to say this is probably the most anticipated post of the year. So unlike Sean, I won’t distract you, I’ll just let you see the list the will cause most people to say, “Oh yeah, that’s cool.”

Honorable Mention:
American Idiot by Green Day (2004)
The Execution of All Things by Rilo Kiley (2002)
The Crane Wife by The Decemberists (2006)
Saltbreakers by Laura Veirs (2007)

10. Everthing Goes Numb (2003) by Street Light Manifesto
I had this dream back when I was trying to go to school in Portland, that I would get down there, meet a bunch of sweet musicians, and start an awesome ska band. This is what I wanted to sound like. I saw these guys live and it was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen. They play like 3 times as fast as the actual album and play so tight and together which is incredible for how many musicians are in the band. And when you have sweet musical theory song names like “Point / Counterpoint” that remind you of your evil Russian theory teacher, what’s not to like?

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll54/weredonefor/albumcover-2.jpg

9. Here, Not there. (2008) by Heathers
This album is kind of embarrassing to really get into once you realize that you are listening to high girls whine about there lame high school problems. But all of that lameness is canceled out by the fact that these chicks can really sing. They are all over the place with these incredible harmonies and when you take their age into account, I just find it really impressing. I can only dream of being that talented.

8. X&Y (2005) by Coldplay
All I have to say about this album is that “Fix You” is like the greatest song ever. EVER.

7. Give Up (2003) by The Postal Service
This is just one of those albums that I could listen to no matter what my mood is. If I don’t know what to listen too, I just play this. I was never really that impressed by the concept, just by the great songs. This is really Ben Gibbard’s finest hour lyrically and melodically. If you like Deathcab and have never listened to this, well, go talk to David Bowie.

6. The Con (2007) by Tegan & Sara
Departing from there more poppy sound, the BC twins took much more somber tone and teamed up with one of my favorite producers, Deathcab guitarist Chris Walla*. There was a point when this album came out where this was basically the only thing I was listening too. Over and over and over. My Shnoo co-workers were not happy. But they should have been, because its awesome. My only complaint is that it is really short, and when that is your only complaint you are in pretty good shape.

5. Monsters of Folk (2009) by Monsters of Folk
This is also an album that I could not put down when I first got it. Usually long albums are a turnoff for me, but I’ve never heard one that was this good all the way through. Besides the first song, I’m basically hooked. I love the fact that instead of a super group where its basically four guys’ left over solo stuff jammed into an album, there is a real sense of comradery. Every song has tons of backup vocals and sharing lead vocals. I can’t really tell which song is written by who except for a few. It really is a unique musical experience.

4. Sun, Sun, Sun (2006) by The Elected
This is another time period album for me. Basically Joey “the Rat” Epstein’s solo project, I was skeptical at first because I had never particularly liked the songs he sings for Rilo Kiley. But once again I listened to the shit out of it because that’s what I do. To this day it takes me right back to Kamola 368, trying to fall asleep whilst my roommate and that beezy get it on.

3. Challengers (2008) by The New Pornorgraphers
After a somewhat disappointing album in “Twin Cinemas” I knew good ol’ Carl Newman wouldn’t let me down. Starting out with a great melody in “My Rights Versus Yours” and taking it to the Max Steel with “Adventures In Solitude” this album is truly a triumph and I am so glad I got to see them live. Thanks Colin.

2. More Adventurous (2004) by Rilo Kiley
Besides Bright Eyes, these guys are probably my other favorite band. Jenny Lewis has the most pure singing voice in the world. Everything she sings is just effortless and the song writing is nothing short of spectacular here. I really wish she would stop fucking around with trying to reinvent her solo career and her band, because this shit is where it’s at. Give me more of this.

1. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (2005) by Bright Eyes
The sweet electronicish counterpart to I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning, this is what got me hooked on Bright Eyes. Even though I still love all their early whiny emo stuff, this is definitely where Connor Oberst hit his stride. These two albums really show how great of a song writer Oberst is and how diverse he can be. I don’t know how many times I can recommend this album. Get your shit together and listen to it. DO IT NOW!

No one put MOF on your list? Man, F**K you guys.

*Chris Walla’s solo album is so bad. Just thought I’d let you know. SOO BAD.

Put That Burner on High!

I haven’t really heard any interesting rumors this off season apart from the M’s possibly going after Rich Harden. And as swell as that was, this latest one really gets me excited:

John Paul Morosi of foxsports.com

“The Mariners have made progress toward a deal with free agent Chone Figgins and are clear frontrunners to sign the third baseman, multiple major league sources told FOXSports.com. The team and Figgins’ representatives engaged in serious talks Thursday. One person briefed on the discussions said he wouldn’t be surprised if the sides agreed to a deal of at least four years over the next several days. But he cautioned that there is “nothing done” yet.”

At first I was meh. Then I read some of USSM and LL’s thoughts and I was still meh. But after thinking about who else I wanted to succeed Beltre I finally came around.

One of my favorite things to hear in baseball is “And the runner goes!”. Figgins stole 42 bases. That’s quite a bit more than any Mariner has in recent memory. The idea of an Ichiro!-Figgins 1-2 is quite appeasing. That is some serious speed.

Defensively he’s been a great 3rd basemen for most of his career and provides enough flexibility position wise that he won’t be blocking any prospects. The more I read and talk about this the more I get excited.

BUT! It is a rumor. And as reported there is nothing done yet.

The winter meetings start on Monday and I think we’ll be in for a real treat. If you’re into that kind of thing.

World Series Predictions

Ah, here we are. A mere minutes before the fall classic is set to begin and I almost forgot to post the final post of the series. So I believe I was correct with my LCS predictions, which presents us with one of the better match ups in recent years.

Everyone knows NY has one of the best lineups ever, but what their real strength in this series, if they choose to use, is their 3-man rotation. CC, Burnett, and Petitte are sure to have a good advantage over whoever Philly throws out there. Not to say Philly doesn’t have pitching, but lefties CC and Petitte match up very strong against a heavily left handed Philly line up.

I really could see this series going either way. But I really thing that NY is going to destroy Pedro in game two, so based on those grounds I think NY will win in 5 games.

(But I want Philly)