http://www.strat-o-matic.com © 2017 Strat-O-Matic Media, LLC Winter 2017 Pre-orders begin: Jan. 31 Cubs WIN! ... and Opening Day at SOM: Feb. 10 Pre-orders for Opening Day pickup will begin the Other Reasons to same day as all other pre-orders. However, those coming for Opening Day pickup don’t have to rush Relive the 2016 to be among the first to call. Baseball Season The 2016 Major League sea- Promising talents such as An- son has a one-line resume to se- drew Benintendi and Alex Breg- cure its place in baseball history: man debuted late in the season. Cubs Win! On the mound, rookies Mi- That the lovable losers did so chael Fulmer, Kenta Maeda, for the first time in 108 years and Alex Reyes and Colorado fire- did so in an extra-inning Game 7 baller Jon Gray sizzled. after falling behind three games Rookie closers Edwin Diaz to one against Cleveland – the in Seattle and Seung-hwan Oh AL team that had gone the lon- in St. Louis helped make this gest without a World Series title the Year of the Reliever with a Strat-O-Matic Journeys – makes the story line that much record 15,894 innings pitched, sweeter and the what-if replays enough to supply whole seasons with Strat-O-Matic all the more for 11 teams. Baltimore’s Zach into the App Universe irresistable. Britton was 47-for-47 in saves • Card Viewer can test the card viewer before But like a spirited girlfriend with a 0.54 ERA. Mark Melan- product delivery begins at noon. who will drive you crazy in ev- con saved 47 with a 1.64 ERA. • Baseball 365 That setup will take place in ery way imaginable, the 2016 Kenley Jansen had 47 saves, • Basic Baseball a new Strat-O-Matic studio that season was weird and wonder- a 1.83 ERA, a .150 batting av- will be used for YouTube and ful, making it the must-have sea- erage against and struck out Helping gamers play in more other video content in 2017. son for any gamer. 13.6 men per 9 innings. Aroldis places and on more devices, Check out this video introducing 2016 was wonderful: Half Chapman threw 538 pitches of Strat-O-Matic is going mobile the studio. the teams were in playoff con- at least 100 mph, fanning 14 per with three new baseball apps, When downloaded from the tention with just four days left in 9 with a 1.55 ERA. Dellin Be- First up: An already-launched App Store, the Card Viewer will the season. Players hit the sec- tances struck out 15.5 men per 9. free app that lets you draft and be free with access to every card ond-most home runs in history. 2016 was weird: Melancon set up your teams for Baseball made in the careers of the 117 It was sunset for Vin Scully, and Chapman were traded in 365 leagues. Anything you can stars in the original Baseball He- David Ortiz, Mark Teixeira, mid-season. So were three of do for Baseball 365 on the PC roes set. Alex Rodriguez, Prince Fielder, the seven men who hit 40-plus you can do with your app, but For $4.99/month or $49.99/ A.J. Pierzynski and, tragically, homers. In a two-week span, 27 now you can take it with you for year, fans will have access to Jose Fernandez, but also sunrise teams made 35 trades involving instant gratification. every Major League season – a for an exceptionally bright rook- 93 players. In the works: The Card View- bountiful treasure that gamers ie class including position play- The Cardinals finished 17 er App, which offers player card can use in many ways for end- ers Corey Seager, Gary Sanchez, games behind first place and still images of every player for every less fun. Players can be found Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, almost reached the post-season. season of Major League baseball in searches by name, by team Trevor Story, Ryon Healy, Tim Strikeouts and defensive shifts history. or by season. A search for the Anderson, David Dahl, Tyler Earlybirds at SOM headquar- Naquin and Nomar Mazara. continued on Page 4 ters on Opening Day (Feb. 10) continued on Page 4 Strat-O-Matic News, Winter 2017 Page 2 Strat-O-Matic News, Winter 2011 Page 2 New Strategy Option: Can You Beat the Shift? WhatAs the Major You’ll Leagues’ use ofSee the defensive and shift hasWhat multiplied You’llIf the offense Get has called in “Beat V16 the Shift” Baseball and the play result is a each year in recent seasons, Strat-O-Matic gamers have inquired homerun and the initial 20-sided die roll was a 3 through 8 then the Even after 15 versions, Strat-O-Matic gamers demand an ever-more- The new Super Advanced rule limiting overuse in consecutive how they might adopt the strategy. The game company has the an- play result may be over-ridden. Since the offense has tried to beat the versatile computer baseball game – one even more powerful and even games by relief pitchers will be enforced in V16. swer – an easy-to-use rule that will simulate the way the shift reduces shift by hitting to the opposite side of the field, the batter’s power has easier to use. The forthcoming Version 16 does all of that with many The computer manager is smarter. Now it recalculates whether to batting average against pull-hitters, but backfires against others. been diminished. So if a homerun occurs in this circumstance then improvements that were at the top of wish lists. hold the runners and how to position the infield defense whenever a TheAmong Super the Advanced features destined Shift Rule to be is most optional. popular, Here V16 is willhow make it works: it far rollsubstitution a single isdie made. to determine And it will the alwaysplay result: choose to make a play at the n easier toThe use defense those specialmay call “double-duty” for a defensive players shift anywho time have that both the a plate whenever a squeeze play can score the winning run. basesbatting are and empty pitching and the card batter – there is rated were Power five such N. men in the Negro dieImprovedresult play-by-playOTHER makes CONSIDERATIONSdescriptions clearer (and more situ- n If the shift is employed, the offense chooses either to “Swing n Leagues set; pre-World War II seasons have several, and the pre-1900s ation-aware)1 Homerun on cut offs, sacrifice While bunts,shifting certain you may rare notplays also and bring end-of- the Away”seasons or have tries many.to “Beat the Shift.” game plays. And autoplaycorners will run or significantlyinfield in, or faster guard in the V16. lines. n V16Then will be roll necessary a 20-sided to play die thealong 2010 with season, the other the Hall 3 dice. of Fame If a 2010 1 or 2 Homerun n “Beat the Shift” can be used only in lieu 2rosters, occurs theon newthe 20-sided Baseball die Heroes then release,consult theand chart the new below, 19th using Century the POST-GAME of swinging away – it may not be combined single white die from the initial roll for the play outcome (you do not 3 Homerun seasons – 1876, 1880, 1885 and 1893. with other strategies like bunting for a hit. refer to the player cards in this case): 4 SeveralDouble improvements are likely to generate enthusiasm. There’s more variety in box scoren game Resolve stories, GB() with X many results new as phrases. usual, whetherThe box PRE-GAMEn If a 3 through 20 occurs on the 20-sided die then use the other three dice to determine the play result by reading it from the card as scores5 willDouble list players whoor not had the 2-out shift isRBIs. being And used. the “score sheet” you Newnormally convenience: would, with The theCD-ROM following no longerexception: needs to be inserted in heading6 Double and data will appearn This only rule when is designed an associated to mimic score a Full sheet Ted is order to install rosters. And an option to use Universal Plug and Play going to be displayed. Williams shift. In real life, some shifts occur (UPnP) — if it is available with your router – may help gamers who have The League Leaders reportwith men now onshows base, traded but SOMplayers’ does current not allow team Left-Handed Batter Right-Handedcodes Batter instead of asterisks. For example, a traded player currently on not been able to NetPlay because of problems port-forwarding with their for that because usually they are not full Ted routers. Swing Away Beat Shift Swing Away CincinnatiBeat Shift will have “CIN” and the team code instead of “***”. And the Williams-type shifts. A new function called Check League Database will check and offer MVP Award voting has been adjusted for realism to make it more 1 HR(rf)1-8, Do 9-20 DOUBLE (lf) HR(lf)1-8, Do 9-20 DOUBLE (rf) n the option to rebuild the league database should it ever get corrupted. difficult for a starting pitcherFor to maximum win that award. realism, SOM recommends 2 gb (2b) B SINGLE (lf) gb (2b) B SINGLE (rf) that you highly curtail the use of this rule GAME3 ACTIONgb (2b) B SINGLE (lf) gb (2b) B SINGLEAll of these(rf) improvementswhen areplaying in addition with pre-2010 to a huge cacheseasons, of rosterwhen improvements and corrections,shifts were and toused the sparingly.