Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show - Operation Sports Forums

Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

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  • RaychelSnr
    Executive Editor
    • Jan 2007
    • 4845

    #1

    Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

    This year, baseball fans have been greeted by a welcome change in MLB 09: The Show: an increased difficulty level while at the plate. Not only is there an entirely new difficulty level, Legend, but each other level, from Rookie to Hall of Fame, has been made more difficult. With that being said, I will attempt to shine a light on some base-level batting strategies that will help players get the most out of the offensive side of their game -- and hopefully increase their overall batting average in the process.

    Read More - Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB '09: The Show
    OS Executive Editor
    Check out my blog here at OS. Add me on Twitter.
  • scooteristkai
    Rookie
    • Feb 2008
    • 287

    #2
    Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

    Thanks a lot, that is actually good stuff you´re writing there! :wink:

    I´m just coming to my computer from my RttS career, where I made a complete fool of myself at the plate.

    MY biggest problem is that I aim and press the swing button almost always at the same time resulting in a not-aimed-swing mostly

    Gotta work on my mechanics first before Iwork further more on pitch recognition!

    Comment

    • michfan16
      Rookie
      • Feb 2009
      • 293

      #3
      This does help, i might take more pitches in RTTS

      Comment

      • JerseySuave4
        Banned
        • Mar 2006
        • 5152

        #4
        best way to hit IMO is to always guess a low fastball. That way if you get the pitch type right but location wrong you know to look for a fastball that isn't low. If you get the location right and the pitch type wrong, you know to look for a low off-speed pitch. If you get both wrong, you know its not a low fastball so you look for a breaking ball that isn't low. It makes it a lot easier because if you get the pitch type wrong and it isn't a fastball, you know its an off-speed pitch so you can prepare to time it better than guessing a different pitch type every time and trying to then figure out what it's going to be if you get that wrong. And i choose to guess a low pitch because those are sometimes the hardest to tell if its in the strike zone or not so if you get the location right you can focus on the lower part of the zone to see if it's gonna land in the zone.

        Comment

        • Gossennator
          Pro
          • Jan 2007
          • 996

          #5
          I played the demo and I thought it was great, I was just so terrible at batting that that aspect wasn't fun for me. But I am getting this game sometime this week so hopefully Ill continue to get better at batting...also I cant wait to try out batting practice seems like a lot of fun.
          Who Dat!

          Comment

          • jWILL253
            You know why I'm here...
            • Jun 2008
            • 1611

            #6
            Good stuff. I find that you shouldn't always look for the fastball. I like to look for the curveball on an 0-2 count. I find the curveball that lands in the zone the easiest ball to hit because of the slow velocity of the pitch itself. But, it backfires sometimes, because some virtual players will resemble their real life counterparts: can't hit a curveball to save their life.
            jWILL

            Comment

            • eddd
              Rookie
              • Feb 2007
              • 15

              #7
              Great tips, I am fairly successful at making contact but the problem I have is 90 percent plus when I make contact I either ground out right to an infielder or I hit a fly ball right at an outfielder. Any suggestions or tips for hitting line drives that fall in front of outfielders or in the gaps or seeing eye ground balls through the infield?

              Comment

              • whosgotcha
                R**k**
                • Dec 2002
                • 631

                #8
                Good information. Believe me, i really need all the help i can get.

                Comment

                • SportsTop
                  The Few. The Proud.
                  • Jul 2003
                  • 6716

                  #9
                  I almost always guess high or low and watch for dirt to come up from the catcher moving inside or outside if I guess wrong.
                  Follow me on Twitter!

                  Comment

                  • delusional
                    Rookie
                    • Aug 2008
                    • 155

                    #10
                    Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

                    I can hit in practice....

                    in game...its either a weak ground ball right to a player or a pop up to the infield ( pitcher, 1b, catcher ).

                    Frankly it is pissing me off.

                    Comment

                    • jbonax
                      Banned
                      • Feb 2009
                      • 8

                      #11
                      MLB09 the Show Slump
                      Posted on March 29, 2009 at 03:08 AM.
                      (6) [Comments]
                      Inevitably, in the real chronic doldrums of a baseball season, hitting slumps appear. Just as soon as you've committed with varying degrees of focus that you will never pick your head up again before the fastball arrives at the plate so that you may crack solid contact with the core of the white sphere, you do. Consequently, you top the baseball into a Sunday two-hopper to shortstop (for you right-handed batters). That one flaw steals your center of attention and throws your concentration off. From that point on, sometimes for games upon games, you are in an official hitting slump. The same thing can happen in MLB09 the Show.

                      I was bragging to my son-in-law the other day, “Hey, I scored 12 runs against San Fran. Chipper and McCann went yard. I had 19 hits! I’m unstoppable!!” And was I ever. For four or five games, the baseball looked in slow motion. The lighting effects that were placed into the game were positioning just the right amount of shadow on the ball. My eye was focused. I was pulling fast balls onto the white-chalked line, punching late sliders to the opposite field, and propelling change-ups at the pitcher’s head like size-ten Iraqi sandals at our former president.
                      Then, as silently as a US Navy Stealth bomber comes the slump. At the time, I was only 2 games behind the Mets; I could read a few neck tattos from that distance. Actually, the slump came as I blew a four-run lead in game one with them; then, it happened. Suddenly, I was swinging at everything like swatting at attacking killer bees. Fast balls under my chin were irresistible. Tailing sliders sucked me completely out the batter’s box and across home plate. I was making two solid cuts at each change-up, and low splitters that made divots in the dust and richochetted off the backstop, I committed to with my bat. (Don’t bring up the 2SFB!) I lost six out of my next seven games. My players’ batting averages begin to nose-dive. Injuries followed. Chipper went down for nine games, then Kotchman. I had to make hash of my 40-man roster. HELP!

                      To attempt a come-back, I changed to Rookie level. I figured I could get my timing back down with lots of practice. I took batting practice before each game. (Hey, that’s what the big boys do.) Eventually, after night-mares and self-inflicted guilt trips, I switched back to Veteran. Finally, after a long drought, which took me from that 2 games out to 8 games out, I got my eye back. I learned to be patient at the plate. I could see the ball again. Just a few minutes ago, before I began this blog entry, I beat San Fran 5-2. I had 11 hits, including one double over first and one over third. I pulled two high-and-inside fast balls out of the park. I am invincible, baby! I can not be stopped. I am on top of my game now. To think, I’m only 7 games behind the Mets, and I know they feel my heat. Hitting slump? What hitting slump? Gotta go, boys…game two with the Giants is calling me…just refer to me as David the shepherd boy, you do recollect what he did to the giants, don't you?

                      Comment

                      • coachpars
                        Rookie
                        • Mar 2005
                        • 174

                        #12
                        Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

                        Originally posted by jbonax
                        MLB09 the Show Slump
                        Posted on March 29, 2009 at 03:08 AM.
                        (6) [Comments]
                        Inevitably, in the real chronic doldrums of a baseball season, hitting slumps appear. Just as soon as you've committed with varying degrees of focus that you will never pick your head up again before the fastball arrives at the plate so that you may crack solid contact with the core of the white sphere, you do. Consequently, you top the baseball into a Sunday two-hopper to shortstop (for you right-handed batters). That one flaw steals your center of attention and throws your concentration off. From that point on, sometimes for games upon games, you are in an official hitting slump. The same thing can happen in MLB09 the Show.

                        I was bragging to my son-in-law the other day, “Hey, I scored 12 runs against San Fran. Chipper and McCann went yard. I had 19 hits! I’m unstoppable!!” And was I ever. For four or five games, the baseball looked in slow motion. The lighting effects that were placed into the game were positioning just the right amount of shadow on the ball. My eye was focused. I was pulling fast balls onto the white-chalked line, punching late sliders to the opposite field, and propelling change-ups at the pitcher’s head like size-ten Iraqi sandals at our former president.
                        Then, as silently as a US Navy Stealth bomber comes the slump. At the time, I was only 2 games behind the Mets; I could read a few neck tattos from that distance. Actually, the slump came as I blew a four-run lead in game one with them; then, it happened. Suddenly, I was swinging at everything like swatting at attacking killer bees. Fast balls under my chin were irresistible. Tailing sliders sucked me completely out the batter’s box and across home plate. I was making two solid cuts at each change-up, and low splitters that made divots in the dust and richochetted off the backstop, I committed to with my bat. (Don’t bring up the 2SFB!) I lost six out of my next seven games. My players’ batting averages begin to nose-dive. Injuries followed. Chipper went down for nine games, then Kotchman. I had to make hash of my 40-man roster. HELP!

                        To attempt a come-back, I changed to Rookie level. I figured I could get my timing back down with lots of practice. I took batting practice before each game. (Hey, that’s what the big boys do.) Eventually, after night-mares and self-inflicted guilt trips, I switched back to Veteran. Finally, after a long drought, which took me from that 2 games out to 8 games out, I got my eye back. I learned to be patient at the plate. I could see the ball again. Just a few minutes ago, before I began this blog entry, I beat San Fran 5-2. I had 11 hits, including one double over first and one over third. I pulled two high-and-inside fast balls out of the park. I am invincible, baby! I can not be stopped. I am on top of my game now. To think, I’m only 7 games behind the Mets, and I know they feel my heat. Hitting slump? What hitting slump? Gotta go, boys…game two with the Giants is calling me…just refer to me as David the shepherd boy, you do recollect what he did to the giants, don't you?



                        Now that my friends is good stuff!!!! ( i love this game...)

                        Comment

                        • Braves Fan
                          MVP
                          • Mar 2009
                          • 1151

                          #13
                          Great tips but I'd also suggest lowering pitch speed. It gives you a longer look at the baseball. My biggest problem is swinging at junk and as a result I have to many k's. When I make contact I usually do pretty well, making contact is my problem.

                          Comment

                          • Buckeyes_Doc
                            In Dalton I Trust
                            • Jan 2009
                            • 11918

                            #14
                            The problem I'm having is I have no problem making contact, but almost every time I make contact it is right to a defender. I know this happens in "real" baseball a lot, but when it happens at-bat after at-bat it is just irritating. I always check my timing and it says I make solid contact most of the time ,yet my player is hitting .196....
                            Ohio State - Reds - Bengals - Blackhawks - Bulls

                            Comment

                            • Ohpityme
                              Banned
                              • Feb 2009
                              • 198

                              #15
                              Good stuff.
                              I'm decent at batting and play on All-Star.
                              I like the fact that my batting avg. is 280.-290. ish but my OBP is 330.-350. ish.
                              Thats because you can actually choose to take walks if youre patient.
                              Also another tip is:
                              On a pitch inside if its coming in pretty close....then check swing and your batter will turn onto the pitch and get hit.
                              My only problem is that I seem to ground out to 2nd far too much...not that I'm grounding out...but that I constantly ground out to the 2nd baseman.

                              Comment

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