Just got my copy I can't wait to open it later.

I'd be up for a fantasy draft online league --- with the caveat that I could only commit to a game or two per week (max).

gotta give myself the duh award as second baseman and left handed throwing arm don't go together very well

So you can use a created player in Franchise mode?

I love how you can choose whether or not you want to field or run bases in RTTS. Last year I sat through some awfully tedious at bats while on base

^^^^ Hmm, I didn't know that. I'll have to turn on auto-run, because I keep getting thrown out because I push the stick the wrong way when the camera angle reverses.

The load times are ridiculous. Other than that, it's great.

= J

The load times were pretty bad at first but you get used to them. I think I have to turn off the radio calls of past games though. I can only hear how Jeter is the all time hits leader at Yankee stadium so many times.

I don't know what happened (but I'm pissed).... I decided to do a fantasy draft for my franchise. Unbeknownst to me, you cannot skip any rounds or fast forward... so when you get to round 30 or so, you're really reaching for guys you've never heard of. So I keep picking and picking and get to round 57 and boom, my PS3 restarts!!
I'm hoping a roster patch gets released asap with Manny on the Dodgers.

I was hoping that the mandatory 5GB install would have cut down on the loads.

= J

Ugh, I'd be pissed too. I can't remember how many rounds there were, I think it was somewhere around 65, but that did get awfully tedious by the end.

As was I, I got sick of it last year, especially in RTTS...wait forever, get up to bat, strike out, back to the load screen...wait...wait some more...back up to bat, fly out, back to load screen...wait...there is no getting used to it.

Looks like I'll hold off on picking this up (at least until I can get it at Gamestop during a B2G1 deal)

So no option to install to the hard drive I take it? How annoying are they and do they occur when playing a game?

This years version has a mandatory install. The loading is btw innings (speaking from '08), it doesn't seem as bad during a regular game because you play the whole inning, but in RTTS, you may only get one swing of the bat before you're back at the load screen waiting for the next "situation".

two minor gripes: as nickdawgy mentioned, the lack of variety on the radio calls is annoying, I've heard the Torii Hunter grand slam call a billion times, it seems. Also, probaly just a personal preference, but this year's soundtrack stinks. I liked last year's a lot better.

the long(er) load times occur between games not between RTTS events
RTTS events are pretty much seamless so this should address the past issue you were having and should not deter you from picking up 09

last year's soundtrack was much better .... honestly I wish they would just get rid of that stuff but I guess it is a revenue stream for them

Also agreed on last year's soundtrack. I love that "Sweep The Leg" remix.

One thing I noticed I hope they can patch:

I played an exhibition game and routed the opposition. The crowd thinned out by the 9th which was cool (although a little unrealistic to see a lone woman sitting all by herself in a section. )

Anyway, I hit like 6 HR's, and I decided to watch all the replays after the game. The replays showed the crowd as it was at the end of the game, not as it was when the HR occurred. The crowd was virtually bare during all the replays.

I haven't played a franchise or RTTS game yet so we'll see if it's the same there.

Well that changes everything...looks like I'll be picking it up next week then

For some reason, I can't score more than a run or two and NEVER beat the CPU. Pitching is fine but I cannot hit for shit. What am I doing wrong? I might have to go back to MLB 2K9.

It's alot better this year. You can only bat if you want, saves time. I can get in four at bats in about 4 minutes or so on average. Then you move onto the next game.

If you make an out, yeah one swing.

Sweep the Leg was my favorite from last year, too. I only knew two bands in this years soundtrack. Kaiser Chiefs and Spoon.

I don't think they can patch your replay issue. It happened last year as well. Say you were checking a homer you hit in the 5th inning, the out of town scoreboard will show the final score of a game that didn't end until later.

The fantasy draft is actually 75 rounds!! That's crazy that you can't fast forward.

Two small gripes:

1. Scoring errors - Verlander gave up 5 unearned runs in the first inning of an exhibitioin game and rightfully had a 0.00 ERA. In th second inning, he gave up a solo shot to the leadoff batter -- but finished the inning with still a 0.00 ERA.

2. Homerun animations suck. I want to see the ball flight, not a closeup of Miggy's fat butt running to first

I have seen the ball in flight during home run cinematics. They also show it later in the game when they recap ("In the 4th inning, he hit this bomb...") the homer.

I'm having the same issue. I play on Veteran difficulty. I upped the contact, power, timing and solid hit sliders and the game has become more realistic. I'll put up about 6 or 7 hits against GOOD pitchers and more against crappy ones. Which is how much I tend to give up, so it makes match ups equal. Then every so often there will be a good pitching duel or a slugfest.

Some unrealistic things that continue to bother me about the game:

1. In Franchise mode, I sim A LOT of games. The most fun is the offseason stuff, drafts, trades etc. So I try to go through about a season every few days. So what bugs me is when a good player, puts up shitty numbers. There is no logical reason why A-Rod should be batting .225 in June. They should have some sort of simulation criteria for all players so this stuff doesn't happen. Put a max and a minimum on players stats so the numbers don't look ridiculous.

2. Why, for the love of God, is David Ortiz playing first base? This has been going on every year this game has been released. The AI DH's a Gold Glove 1st basemen and plays one of the worst defensive players in the league (and he happens to make every single play). They need to have it set so that someone can be a straight up DH. DH first then 1st basemen second.