The Fun Starts with 2011 Baseball If You Call Yourself a Baseball Fan, You’Ve Average Were at 20-Year Lows, Walks Were at Been Waiting Since at Least Sept
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Strat-O-Matic News http://www.strat-o-matic.com © 2012 Strat-O-Matic Media, LLC Winter 2012 The Fun Starts with 2011 Baseball If you call yourself a baseball fan, you’ve average were at 20-year lows, walks were at been waiting since at least Sept. 28 to replay a 43-year low and strikeouts were at an all- Strat-O-Matic: what many have called the most amazing time high. pennant race conclusions in baseball history. In a year when Derek Jeter reached 3,000 The Movie St. Louis reached the postseason after hits and Jim Thome hit his 600th home run, trailing by eight games in September and by pitchers stole The Show. Coming Soon WKUHHJDPHVZLWKRQO\¿YHOHIWWRSOD\,WUH- 9HUODQGHUZDV WKH ¿UVW JDPH ZLQQHU quired a historic collapse by Atlanta. since 2002. Verlander (24-8, 2.40, 250 Ks) Watch for It! Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria joined Bob- and Clayton Kershaw (21-5, 2.28, 248 Ks) by Thomson as the only player to hit a walk- won pitching Triple Crowns, leading their RIIKRPHUXQRQWKHVHDVRQ¶V¿QDOGD\WRVHQG leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Encore! 2012 his team into the post-season. For Tampa to Tampa’s James Shields had 11 complete win, the Yankees had to lose a seven-run lead JDPHVWKH¿UVWSLWFKHULQGRXEOHGLJLWVVLQFH Will be Another LQWKHHLJKWKLQQLQJIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHLQIUDQ- 1999. Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee became the chise history. That buried Boston’s hopes as ¿UVWSLWFKHUVLQFHWRSLWFKVL[VKXWRXWV Exciting Year for the Red Sox squandered a nine-game lead in Detroit’s Jose Valverde was 49-for-49 in September. save opportunities. All Strat Fans $OORIWKLVKDSSHQHGRQWKHDPD]LQJ¿QDO Strat-O-Matic’s 50th Anniversary year in day, a day most described as the most excit- Steal, Bunt or Hit Away? ing in the regular-season history of Major 2011 brought us the grandest Opening Day League Baseball. ever, the collectible Founder’s Edition, the If that wasn’t enough, the Cardinals won With slugging scarcer, Strat-O managers Baseball Heroes set, Baseball Express and may have to emulate their big-league mod- a historic World Series with more miracu- more. els, who ran more and bunted more. ORXVFRPHEDFNV7KLVZDVWKH¿UVWWHDPWR This year will be momentous, too. Al- twice survive elimination when it was down But you won’t have to look far for hitters who had spectacular seasons. ready planned: WR LWV ¿QDO VWULNH 7KH &DUGV ZRQ LW DOO LQ Ŷ E-Delivery of all computer products, PDQDJHU 7RQ\ /D5XVVD¶V ¿QDO VHDVRQ LQ D 'RGJHU0DWW.HPSQHDUO\ZRQWKH¿UVW Triple Crown since 1967, leading the NL which began in December but will be used 6HULHVGHFLGLQJ JDPH WKDW ZDV WKH ¿UVW LQ IRUQHZEDVHEDOOSURGXFWVIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH Series history to feature extra-inning home with 39 HR and 126 RBI with a .324 average in February. runs by both teams. that trailed only batting champ Jose Reyes Surely, you can out-manage LaRussa, if (.337) and NL MVP Ryan Braun, who hit Ŷ Re-branding the computer games from not with Texas or Atlanta, then with NL di- .332-33-111. the old version numbers. It’s Strat-O-Matic vision winners Philadelphia, Milwaukee or The AL had baseball’s top two home- Baseball 2012 - for Windows (based on the Arizona. After all, these Cardinals blew 26 run hitters in Jose Bautista (43) and Curtis 2011 season). saves. They lost 11 games that they led in the Granderson (41) and the top three in batting Ŷ Streamlined pricing options to make on- ninth inning. average in Miguel Cabrera (.344), Adrian line ordering simpler. Ridiculous! Gonzalez and Michael Young (both .338). Ŷ A movie memoralizing the phenomenon Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury had a career year (.321-32-105 with 46 doubles, 39 SB that is Strat-O-Matic. Year of the Pitcher and 119 runs scored) -- achieving numbers Ŷ And, of course, all the new sports prod- so remarkable for a leadoff hitter that he was ucts for board games and Windows games, American League MVP Justin Verlander second to Verlander in MVP voting. beginning with 2011 and 1958 baseball. and rookies of the year Jeremy Hellickson And to beat those Cardinals you have to Ŷ Additional HUGE announcements, TBA. and Craig Kimbrel won awards not reserved overcome a modern-day Murderers Row of Keep pace with all the developments by exclusively for pitchers. Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Lance Berk- checking in frequently at www.strat-o-matic. No wonder: Runs, home runs and batting man and David Freese. com. Time to order the Baseball Strat-O-Matic classic: Baseball Express a hit Ratings Book -- see Page 2 1958 season -- see Page 3 with kids -- See Page 4 Strat-O-Matic News, Winter 2012 Page 2 Strat-O-Matic News, Winter 2011 Page 2 New Windows Baseball is Ace of the Staff WhatLike a great You’ll pitcher, the forthcomingSee and WhatMOVEMENT You’ll GetIdeal in for V16 draft leagues Baseball and replays that al- improvements to Strat-O-Matic’s Windows ready have limits based on a player’s real- baseballEven gameafter 15 will versions, deliver Strat-O-Matic speed, movement gamers demand an ever-more- The new Super Advancedlife use rule… Strat-O-Matic limiting overuse Baseball in consecutive 2012 also New in-game editing (via a simple dia- andversatile control computer to gamers. baseball game – one even more powerful and even games by relief pitchers supportswill be enforced MLB’s in new V16. 7-day disabled list … easier to use. The forthcoming Version 16 does ORJXHall of that ER[ with DOORZV many \RX WRThe UHDOLJQ computer ÀLJKWRI manager is smarter. Now it recalculates whether to More than a dozen features recommend- the-ball animation to coincide with your Leagues wanting more security now can use edimprovements by gamers are that in were the atnew the Strat-O-Matic top of wish lists. hold the runners and howthe to Lock position League the infieldfunction defense to prevent whenever use of a Among the features destined to be most popular,monitor V16 will and make custom it far ballparkssubstitution you have is made. cre- And it will always choose to make a play at the Baseball 2012, allowing gamers to play the Update Game Rules function. easier to use those special “double-duty” playersated who or imported have both … aNo needplate towhenever wait to sharea squeeze play can score the winning run. morebatting swiftly, and pitching more actively card – thereand withwere more five suchthe men action in –the you Negro can now postImproved a Social play-by-play Media makesPlayers descriptions who have both clearer batting (and moreand pitch situ-- controlLeagues over set; howpre-World the program War II seasonsis used. have several,message and the during pre-1900s the 7th Inningation-aware) Stretch on so cut that offs, ing sacrifice cards bunts, now certainare better rare controlled. plays and end-of- These seasons have many. your friends can keep up-to-dategame plays. with And your autoplay “Double will run Duty” significantly players fasterare counted in V16. as single V16 will be necessarySPEED to play the 2010 season, gamethe Hall while of Fame you 2010play. players in the Eligible Players screen; they rosters, the new Baseball Heroes release, and the new 19th Century POST-GAME are rested/promoted/demoted in tandem us- seasonsOne click– 1876, – 1880,on the 1885 scoreboard and 1893. inning – CONTROLSeveral improvementsing are the likely 40/25 to method generate to controlenthusiasm. minor There’s leagu- now gets you to the in-game boxscore ... In more variety in box scoreers, game and stories, they withare accountedmany new phrases.for when The using box aPRE-GAME jam? The Help File has been revamped All the Strat-O controlscores freaks will will list master players whothe “Reset had 2-out eligibles/minor RBIs. 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And the you command it to Fully Control Overusage New Encyclopedia support for Windows all, Athe new exciting function new called Game Check Notes League feature Database will check and offer MVP Award voting has been adjusted for realism to make it more … Now you can tell Draft-O-Matic to cre- speedsthe option your to pre-game rebuild the preparation league database for league should it ever get corrupted. difficult for a starting pitcher ZLOO to DXWRPDWLFDOO\win that award. FRQYHUW \RXU ROG ¿OHV games with a detailed report showing re- ate teams with different strengths – power, … League Standings now show runs scored cords,GAME standings, ACTION starting pitchers, statistical pitching/defense, on-base/speedAll of or these balanced. improvements for and are against in addition each to team a huge … cache The programof roster streaks,Double-duty injuries, playersballpark such info, as weather Babe Ruth, info DoubleChoose Duty a drafting Radcliffe, strategyimprovements for each team and orcorrections, now supports and to thethose annual rare upgradeshigh-inning in ballparkpitchers andBullet more.