The New York Yankees 2009 World Series Collector's Edition
From A&E Home Video

Every complete game from the 2009 World Series will be available to own in this one-of-a-kind 8-DVD collector's set. Each definitive 2009 World Series game is presented in its entirety, preserving the complete, unedited footage of every World Series game and key postseason games--plus exclusive locker room celebrations and interviews. Release Date: 12/15/09
Amazon Sales Rank: #897 in DVD Brand: MLB Released on: 2009-12-15 Rating: NR (Not Rated) Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 Formats: Box set, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, NTSC Original language: English Number of discs: 8

Great way to relive the World Series All 6 games of the 2009 WS plus game 6 of the ALCS are included in this box set. 4 different audio tracks. Fox TV, WCBS Radio (John Sterling), Phillies Radio and ESPN Desportes. Plus an extra disc of bonus features. Looks like another winner from MLB home video. Great Series Marred by Sub-Par Video Quality In theory this set looks simply spectacular: All 6 games of the 2009 World Series, with multiple audio options, highlight reels and slick packaging. However, the video quality of the set is utterly disappointing. Only presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio (full-screen), it is syndication quality at best and doesn't even come close to as crisp as the HD broadcasts on Fox. If you don't care about picture, then by all means pick up the set. But they really dropped the ball on this one, which is just heartbreaking or this diehard Bleacher Creature. What Happened? You Can't Hear The Crowd At All!! What happened to the sound editing? You can hear the announcers loud and clear - but the crowd is mixed down to nothing. Every big play, Every big hit - barely any crowd sound. I saw all these games live on TV and the crowd noise was LOUD and CRAZY. Here.....nothing. Takes all the fun out of it. Luckily, my father recorded the games with the TRUE crowd sound. Boo (!)

   

The Bigs 2
From 2K Games

The Bigs 2 Wii
Amazon Sales Rank: #998 in Video Games Brand: 2K Sports Model: 710425345975 Published on: 2009-07 Released on: 2009-07-07 ESRB Rating: Everyone Number of discs: 1 Platform: Nintendo Wii Number of items: 1 Dimensions: .58" h x 5.40" w x 7.55" l, .36 pounds
The Big Leagues just got bigger. The Bigs 2 allows fans to experience heroic gameplay, legendary game modes and incredible player models like they've never seen before. Elevating The Bigs 2 to new heights are bigger power-ups, amazing visual effects, and an all new career mode. Featuring exciting player animations and pick-up-and-play controls, The Bigs 2 delivers an action-packed, heroic MLB video game experience. .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -15px; } table.callout { font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1. 3em; } td.vgoverview { height: 125px; background: #9DC4D8 url(http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/callout-bg.png) repeat-x; border-left: 1px solid #999999; border-right: 1px solid #999999; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; width: 250px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; } Develop Legendary skills. View larger. Swing with power in your 'Wheelhouse.' View larger. Earn Turbo Points for strikes. View larger. Put runs on the board with the 'Big Slam.' View larger. The Wheelhouse One of the new features of The Bigs 2 is the 'Wheelhouse,' an area in every batter's swing where their offensive threat is at its greatest. Color-coated and pulsating for both the batter and pitcher to see, balls struck well within this area are most likely to result in a hit, but there are no guarantees. Although it is a dangerous place for pitchers to throw, the Wheelhouse is also a tempting spot for pitchers to challenge hitters since not only do strikes result in the shrinking of a player's wheelhouse, but strikes and strikeouts centered there will earn the defensive team turbo points that can be used elsewhere in the game. Legendary Rated Players The Bigs 2 features a special Legendary Rating system for players as they develop. On defense a high rating means a player will be able to get to balls other players can't, which will make them very valuable against high-powered offensive team. In addition, players with high status are capable of spectacular plays, like jumping into the stands to rob a batter of a home-run, pulling down come-backers off the bat of opponents, etc. When these plays are made players will gain access to play specific mini-games as a reward, that are designed to be fun and further hone their skills in these specific areas. Along with the two mentioned above, players can also expect to see mini-games available to legendary rated players such as handling line drives up the middle, diving plays in both the infield and outfield and foul balls pulled from the hands of fans. Legendary status is not limited to defensive fielding positions though. Pitchers can possess a legendary skill rating that allows them the possibility of domination on the mound. Batter's legendary ranking can also be utilized both by the power and skill they bring as they step up to the plate, as well as in some cases an ability to increase the potency of their teammates skill in the batters box. An example of this is an enlarged wheelhouse for the batter that follows a player with a high legendary ranking or even the entire lineup. In these cases the value and strategy of having legendary players available for insertion into the roster is obvious. The Big Slam Similar to functionality in the first game in the series that allowed players who had accumulated enough turbo points a strikeout or home run when they wanted/needed it, The Bigs 2 brings the 'Big Slam' to the field. In this case offensive players who have enough turbo points can opt to take on a series of pitches in an attempt at a simplified grand slam. The rub is that there are only four pitches involved one for each batter in the series. All it takes to get your man on base is to make contact. Once the bases are full a grand slam is automatic. Key Features Become a Legend Mode - New & improved story mode, picking up at the end of the "Rookie Challenge" mode from The Bigs. Create a player and progress your career from a Mexican league to the Majors and, eventually, the Hall of Fame. Along the way, compete in boss battles against MLB legends. Season Mode - As requested by fans, enjoy a new Season Mode featuring full MLB schedules, stat tracking and roster management, as well as the ability to play as part of the team and general manager. Improved Gameplay - Bigger and better arcade baseball action, featuring Legendary Moves, Batter’s Wheelhouse & a more powerful Big Slam. Home Run Pinball - Enjoy exciting single player or co-op action in Times Square or three new environments. Mini-games - Test your hitting, fielding, running and throwing skills against MLB stars in several all-new mini-games. Game Modes The Bigs 2 comes with a wide variety of modes, some familiar to players and others new. The first of these is the story based 'Become a Legend' mode. This career mode picks up where the 'Rookie Challenge' from the previous game left off and has players creating a player, who comes up through the Minor leagues, the Majors and eventually into hall of fame. Along the way he will be challenged in a variety of boss battles against major league greats from all eras. In addition The Bigs 2 features a 'Season Mode' where players play through an entire 162 game season, as players and general manager, improving your team and making trades along the way. The game also contains a new version of the 'Home Run Pinball' mode, set in modern Times Square, Times Square retro, Tokyo and Las Vegas; mini-games similar to those in the 'Become a Legend' mode; and the 'Pick-up Game' mode where players can play a fast game against a real or AI opponent.
Awesome game When I started to play the game it was hard. But after a couple hours of playing you can pick up on the controls pretty easily. After you know the controls the game is a little bit easier. Thay have different levels for when you get better and better. Legendary plays are harder to get and they have more legendary plays than the bigs 1.They even have a season maode on the bigs 2 which is the same as the 2009 mlb season. People of all ages would like this game. I would suggest buying this game to a friend. A bit underwhelming This game could have been so much better but it just doesn't get it done. To start with, the graphics are pretty poor. Yeah, I know its a Wii but they look like something you would have seen on Nintendo 64. The various modes of gameplay are varied enough that you can spend a good while in each of them but in reality, its all the same. The regular "play ball" is okay, about what you'd expect...just a single game. The season play is about the same. The legend mode is kind of fun but the mini games are rather pointless in that you have to "pass" them in order to move on...so its more frustrating than fun. The way the games are set up make them tedious. The actual gameplay is okay...being able to actually throw a pitch or swing the bat is nice but once you get past that, its just kind of a dull repetative game. There are some times in the game where you'll have a "duel" between a hitter and a pitcher and all the hitter has to do is make contact and he'll hit a homerun...kind of silly to me. Another aspect are the "legendary plays" when someone makes a great catch. They usually occur about every other inning so they loose their "coolness" pretty quickly. Pitching is easy...just get your powerbar to max and the hitter is going to strike out. Move your controller with some twist and there you have it. The rosters for the teams are pretty limited. You have probably a total of 5-6 pitchers...which I guess doesn't really matter because all pitchers pretty much pitch the same. In all, this game is fun to just play a pickup game but it doesn't have everything that it could or should. They could have done much much better on this. Fun, Easy to Learn I was a bit skeptical of this game, I've been let down by baseball video games in the past. However, after spending a few innings learning the control scheme, this is by far my favorite baseball game. Certainly; it's worth mentioning that this is the only one where pitching is just as much fun as batting, so you don't have that "lets get the top of the inning over with" feeling. I won't go too much into the details of the game-play. It's enough to say that it's definitely an arcade baseball game; though there's enough meat to satisfy hardcore baseball fans too. Well worth the purchase.

   

MLB DETROIT TIGERS Official Jibbitz Crocs Shoe Charms NEW COMPLETE SET
From JIBBITZ

THESE ARE REAL MLB BRAND WITH LOGO ON SEALED PACKAGE. REAL AUTHENTIC TEAM JIBBITZ, SET OF 2. AWESOME FIND!! SHOW YOUR TEAM PRIDE ON YOUR FEET WITHOUT EVER SAYING A WORD!!
Amazon Sales Rank: #512761 in Sports & Outdoors Brand: JIBBITZ

   

Cubsology Trivia Challenge: Chicago Cubs Baseball
By Kick The Ball

Updated with fun and interesting facts through the end of the 2008 baseball season,

   

Picking Winners For College & Pro Basketball: Receive My Very Own College & Pro Basketball Picks For Life, Plus Much More. Limited Time Only! (Volume 1)
By Harry J. Misner

This book includes LIFETIME Access my top sports pick(s) VIA Picks Network (a $2,999 value). You'll also have the ability to purchase turnkey handicapping sites for only $2,000 at anytime in the future. See site for complete details. You'll also receive a copy of my first book called; GA "Gambling Aimlessly" is for Bitches which will show you how to change your betting advantage from -110 to +120 or more on all your straight wagers. This information is worth $1,000's in itself. I also throw in some of my own gambling angles that I like to use during the year, in addition to special discounts on all my future books you wish to purchase. So you'll not only receive my College & Pro Basketball Handicapping Picks for LIFE, but some other useful information as well. So I hope you enjoy it!

About the Author I'm 33 years old and among the many other trades I possess have been practicing sports handicapping for over 10 years. This book will be the first of many books I plan on publishing, so I hope you enjoy it!

   

Major League Baseball 2K9
From Take 2

Major League Baseball 2K9 captures player-specific details including batting stances, pitching windups and signature swings. Featuring game play enhancements in pitching, batting, fielding, and base running, making it user-friendly and enjoyable for rookies or veterans. New commentary and presentation provide the ultimate baseball experience. Music by Judas Priest, Cheap Trick, Coheed & Cambria, Ted Nugent, SR-71, The Romantics, Boys Like Girls, and Europe
Amazon Sales Rank: #949 in Video Games Brand: 2K Sports Model: 39534 Published on: 2009-03 Released on: 2009-03-03 ESRB Rating: Everyone Platform: Xbox 360 Number of items: 1 Dimensions: .62" h x 5.42" w x 7.51" l, .33 pounds
Get ready to get your uniform dirty as you play ball on the Xbox 360 with Major League Baseball 2K9 by Take-Two. You'll recognize your favorite players as MLB 2K9 captures such minute as each player's unique batting stances, different pitching windups and swings. With new commentary and gameplay enhancements to all facets of the experience, Major League Baseball 2K9 is a whole new ballgame. .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } img.withlink {border:0px black solid;} a.nodecoration {text-decoration: none} You'll be able to recognize your favorite players by the way they move around in the box and swing the bat. View larger. Smart camera placement gives you a dramatic view of the game. View larger. Precision Pitching and Swing Stick give you precise control over the ball and bat. View larger. Enhanced graphics and presentation makes you feel like you're watching a broadcast. View larger. Beautiful Graphics and Presentation Take-Two continues to refine the graphics and presentation of the game, and when you play MLB 2K9, you'll often wonder if you weren't watching television. The new Virtual Director brings smart camera placement, dramatic cuts, and more for a broadcast feel. Real-Time Atmosphere means ballboys, umpires, and coaches move naturally. New Controls for Precision Batting and Pitching Using the analog sticks, Take-Two's Precision Pitching and Swing Stick give you the ability to paint the corners with your pitches and pull an inside fastball over the wall for a home run. The game carefully tracks aim and timing, so the ball always responds as you would expect it to in real life. Never Miss a Trade as Rosters are Updated Continually The latest rosters are included in the game, so your favorite team will have all its 2009 players. Not only that, with Living Rosters, the MLB 2K9 automatically updates the roster by getting the latest information online and incorporating it into the game. Never miss a trade again as they will be reflected in your game in real time. MLB 2K9 provides a wealth of statistical information, and baseball fans won't be disappointed. The Inside Edge feature uses six years of scouting data to accurately mimic player tendencies. You'll notice your favorite players reacting to situations in the game just as they would in real life. Player Specific Animations for More Realistic Games 2K Sports continues to build in more player-specific details, so now you can recognize your favorite players simply by watching the way they move around the batters box, how they swing the bat, or how they celebrate their home runs. It's not just hitters who get this treatment as pitchers also have their unique deliveries and windups. The result is a game that feels more life-like than before. Online Play with Sponsored Competitions When you're done practicing against the computer, you can suit up against your friends and play them online or off. With the Playoffs feature, you can skip the 162 game season and go straight to the playoffs with any eight teams you and friends want to play with. Then it's just a matter of playing the games to see who gets the World Series Trophy. Team 2K is an online competition to see who the best team of online players are. By playing Ranked Quick Matches, you can join in the fun and compete for prizes. New Play by Play and Commentary Team MLB 2K9 brings with it the new broadcast team of Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips. The new team injects depth and insight into the game, and provides another level of realism. In addition, the game also has real-time crowd noise and other sound effects that will have you feeling like you're sitting in the bleachers.
Disappointing First let me say I actually enjoyed MLB 2k8. It had flaws(several), but after tweaking some sliders I actually played a few full seasons, simming a game here and there, and enjoyed it. I had high expectations for MLB 2k9, and was very disappointed. After getting home and putting the game in I started up an exhibition game. I loved it, the presentation was new and great, the announcers were new and fresh, and the graphics looked good. Unfortunately the more I played the more the bugs and glitches started showing up. Such as......perfect throws to the first baseman and he wouldn't put his foot on the bag; outfielders not getting there gloves up in time to catch flyballs and letting the ball go over their heads; Players running through walls and disappearing; Stats are all screwed up; Pinch hitters for the CPU coming out and pitching the next inning; I actually had some phantom player standing in the other batters box once when I was hitting. My first franchise froze after the first three games and I had to start it over. I haven't even mentioned dumb things that just don't happen in a true baseball sim. Things like the CPU swinging at everything. They never take a pitch. For that matter, the CPU hardly ever throws a ball. Almost every inning is three or four pitches. You can fix that with sliders like last year right? Wrong. They took away a ton of sliders and presentation options from last year. There is no slider to control CPU aggresiveness at the plate. There are no sliders for a ton of things, and what ones there are you can't figure out what they mean. Want to change the presentation angle? Can't, there's no option. Oh and if you do mess around with some sliders it disables the card collecting feature. I will close by saying that everything is there for 2k to improve on to make a great game. Like I said before the presentation, graphics, and overall broadcast of the game is very nice. Unfortunately, I believe the bugs are just going to be too much to overcome for us xbox360 users to have a good baseball game to play this year. Oh well, theres always next year.... Do Not Buy This Game! The title of this post should pretty much say it all: This is a BAD GAME. Many reviewers are noticing the rampant glitches in this year's version--many more than were in MLB 2K8, which wasn't all that smoothly done in the first place--and what they are reporting is accurate if, perhaps, understated. In terms of its programming, this game is a disaster. And the baseball action (fielding mechanics, pitching, etc) make it seem like there probably isn't a single actual baseball fan employed in the 2K studios. Had a chance to check out The Show 09 on my buddies PS3, far--far--better. So my solution is simple--don't buy this game. If you did buy it, return it to the store immediately. It'll be disappointing not having a new baseball game this year, but maybe if everyone leaves this dog on the shelf either MLB properties will reconsider and send the license back to EA, or 2K will fire their entire design team and start over. At this point, either solution would likely result in a major improvement. EDIT I've talked this over with a number of friends, and we all agree--the enforced yearly output for sports video game franchises is killing the quality of the games. There is, literally, no time for major innovation, good quality control, etc. We've all agreed the following solution would work and hope you agree: Put out a new title once every two or even three years--offering downloadable ($) roster and rating updates for each new season between generations of the game. Giving these studios more time to focus on quality and innovation would probably lead to increased game sales. I did not purchase MLB 2K9 this year, choosing to rent it first instead since I was disappointed with the last two or three iterations of the franchise . And, needless to say, won't be buying it. I will be doing the same thing with Madden as well. Use the power of your pocketbook, rent these games for a few days before u purchase them. It will save u both money and time, and maybe the sports game companies will wake up and smell the new century. Too many glitches As someone already said, this game is LOADED with awful bugs and glitches... The graphics are nice and blah blah blah but there are so many glitches that it is impossible to enjoy this game... First off my "Franchise" has locked up after just 5 games... And what I mean by that is the console freezes every time I try to load my franchise... Yeah, sure it could be an issue with the console and not the game but considering the game has only been on the market 3 days now and 2 of the 6 total reviews have noticed this makes it odd.... Next the 1st baseman is never on the base.... The computer is safe on routine ground balls because when you throw to 1st base your guy isnt on the base.... This has probably happend about 10 times total in the 5 games Ive played so far.... Other issues Ive noticed are you cant pull up the computers roster in the middle of a game. This might not be a big deal to most people but if you are a true basebal fan and enjoy the strategy of using left handed relief pitchers against a tough lefty hitter and things of that nature it is IMPOSSIBLE because you have no idea whats going on with the computers roster. You have NO access to viewing that at any point in mid game.... Honestly the game play seems like it could be fun. But the glitches are too much to overlook... If it was a minor issue here or there that would be one thing but the constant freezing in "franchise mode" combined with the 1st baseman never being on the base on routine groundballs makes this game unbearable and virtually impossible to play. Especially if you plan on playing a 162 game season without these glitches becomming too over bearing.... The absolute best I can say is rent this before buying and play it OFTEN when you rent it to make sure you get the full experience of all the glitches. If you just play 1 game on rental you may not get the full jist of the problems... Im not trying to ppick on 2K sports because I think NBA 2K9 is a fantastic game, but this game is awful with too many bugs and glitches.... and based on there currently only being 6 reviews of this game on Amazon and a few of them are complaining of the same issue I dont think I bought a "bad" copy.... I think this game needs to be recalled.

   

Florida Spring Training, 3rd Edition: Your Guide to Touring the Grapefruit League (Florida Spring Training: Your Guide to Touring the Grapefruit League)
By Alan Byrd

Making Spring Training dreams come true for thousands of fans, Byrd concentrates on the vital info they need most: how to find the best parks, best seats, best hot dogs and beer, best spots for getting autographs and snagging foul balls. Plus five week-long trips that combine baseball with Florida fun, theme park thrills, beach blanket bingo, and quiet interludes at the old fishin' hole.
Amazon Sales Rank: #249271 in Books Published on: 2007-01-25 Original language: English Number of items: 1 Binding: Paperback 256 pages
Review A perfect example of the value of the book is the section on getting autographs...he gives you detailed instructions. -- David Pinto, BaseballMusings.com, February 14, 2007Byrd has done a very comprehensive yet efficient job of painting the picture of each town and stadium. -- Tom Goyne, Balls, Sticks & Stuff, December 27, 2006I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to someone who plans on heading down to Florida in March. -- Brian Borawski, Tiger Blog, January 4, 2007Its true value comes in making planning for the road trips fast and easy. -- Brian Walton, StLCardinals.Scout.com, January 5, 2007The book is perfect...every bit of information you'll ever need...taking the guesswork out of your Spring Training experience. -- Dawn Henthorn, Florida Guide, goflorida.about.com, 2/13/07The spring training autograph seeker absolutely must have this book. -- Amanda, red-hot-mama.com, January 14, 2007 From the Back Cover Make Your SPRING TRAINING Dreams Come True! IN THE SPRING, professional baseball teams turn Florida into every fan's dream destination. For the teams, Spring Training represents a new beginning, the first step on a pilgrimage to the World Series. For the fan, Spring Training represents the opportunity to watch the game's heroes up close and personal for just a few dollars and maybe even get their autographs. BUT every one of the 17 stadiums is different. Each has its pluses and minuses, so capturing the ideal Spring Training experience can be elusive without the right information. This book is your key to the ideal Spring Training experience -- at one park or many! For the serious fan, it offers five themed, week-long itineraries that combine baseball fun with theme park thrills, lazy days at the beach, and quiet interludes at the old fishin' hole. "All the information one could hope to find on the Florida ballparks where 18 major league teams train each spring ... Byrd is the consummate baseball fan." -- Kim Cool, Venice Gondolier Sun "Indispensable." -- Callie Stuhler, US Airways Attaché magazine "Detailed analyses of each stadium ... extensive advice on acquiring autographs." -- Harry Shattuck, Houston Chronicle Alan Byrd visits every Spring Training camp in Florida. He tastes every hot dog and every specialty food at the stadiums, and samples the beer. He sits in box seats and bleachers, tries the standing room, and checks for sun and shade. He tries for autographs at every park and reads every program. And he checks out all the great restaurants and nearby attractions to make sure you'll have plenty to do before and after the game. It's a tough job, but Alan's willing to make the sacrifice. About the Author Alan Byrd grew up attending Spring Training games with his Dad. As an adult, he became an award-winning reporter for the Orlando Busines Journal, where he covered Central Florida's sports, tourism, and transportation industries for 10 years. He is currently the director of sales, marketing, and public relations for McCree Inc., an Orlando-based architecture and construction firm. Byrd contributes his skills to a number of Central Florida community organizations and charities. And he still spends Spring Training season in the ballparks, these days with his son.
Great spring training gudie book I am a Florida resident, who absolutely loves spring training. Every spring I load up the car on the weekends and heads all over the state to different parks. I have recently gotten into the autograph act, so now when I go to the games I am seeking autographs as well. The book is very informative and from what I can tell quite accurate in its description of the parks, food, and autograph opportunities. If you are thinking of heading to spring training for the 1st, 2nd or even if you are a seasoned spring training vet, this book is definitely worth the price. It even includes some sample week long itineraries. A REAL HOMERUN I gave this book to my boyfriend for Christmas. He is a 50-year-old baseball fanatic, and he loves the book. When you give a gift you hope it will make the recipient happy. This book did that with flying colors. He is the expert on the subject and I trust his response. Great guide! I bought this book before going to Spring Training 2009. It was very helpful and has good directions. I was also able to get autographs because the book even tells you the best place to wait for autographs. I recommend it!