Big League Baseball
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - 1967
2 Players
Big League Baseball is the 3M Sports Game simulation of what has been called America's favorite pastime. The players represent the coaches of the teams and attempt to lead their team to victory.
There are nineteen players for each team; 5 pitchers, 2 catchers, 5 infielders, 4 outfielders and 3 pinch-hitters. Each pitcher is rated for the type of pitches they are capable of throwing and the other players are rated for the pitches they are best at hitting. Certain players are considered "fast" runners and are indicated as such. Play starts with coaches selecting their lineup and batting order.
Standard baseball rules are used; 3 strikes to an out, 3 outs to an inning, 9 innings to a game. Each pitch the pitcher selects the pitch they will throw from the ones they are allowed. The batter then announces if they will take the pitch or swing at it. (Batters may also bunt.) Dice are rolled and the results read off of a circular calculator which shows the results for each pitch type and die roll. Players advance around the bases according to the calculator and may attempt extra bases or attempt to steal.
After three outs the teams trade places and after both teams have three outs the inning is over. The winner is the player with the most runs after nine innings. As in standard baseball, if the players are tied after nine innings then play continues until one player is ahead at the end of an inning.
This is an interesting game in many ways but totally ignores the fielding aspects of baseball. The only players of importance are the pitcher and whoever is batting; positions only exist in the game to distinguish one player from another. In real baseball the other players have a major impact on the game. Here they are just another batter.
In addition, the teams are rather limited. You have four infielders plus a utility player. This does not provide much variation in the teams. A larger number of players or teams is needed. Still, this can be a fun game if you are willing to overlook its limitations.
1 comment on Big League Baseball:
I loved playing this game when I got it in \'68, that is, whenever I found a friend who wanted to play. The trouble is, you really have to like baseball a lot to enjoy playing. But the strategy between the pitcher and batter was pretty awesome. I never got a chance to play enough to see if the games proceeded realistically, but I got the impression that they would.
A final note...I got one of these on eBay to play. But what I got was mint condition...players still on the \"pads\", and the grease pencil still had the original point. Sigh.
I have intentions of computerizing this game.