| With the baseball season in full swing, it's time to | | | | would move its location to reflect the changing |
| remember how geeks and technology have | | | | course of the ball. The Fly Ball Cursor introduced |
| transformed the game of baseball. Over the past | | | | real fly balls and pop-ups to computer baseball |
| three decades, the internet, medical advances, | | | | games, eliminating the last segment of the sport |
| and the globalization media have fundamentally | | | | that had never been simulated accurately. Second, |
| transformed how fans consume baseball and how | | | | ''La Russa'' allowed users to conduct drafts and |
| ballplayers play America's pastime. Below is a | | | | set up their own leagues, all with access to the |
| survey of some of the ways technology has | | | | game's comprehensive player statistics. Third, ''La |
| effected baseball, and some ideas on how some | | | | Russa'' was the first baseball game to offer |
| new technologies will continue to affect | | | | accurate stats for each individual pitcher against |
| baseball.Baseball, Technology, and Fans1. Video | | | | each individual hitter, data that actual managers |
| GamesFrom the beginning, video games have | | | | use extensively in the dugout. In contrast to |
| attempted to replicate baseball. In 1971, Don | | | | many sports celebrities who merely lent their |
| Daglow at Pomona College wrote ''Baseball.'' During | | | | names to games, Tony La Russa spent extensive |
| the early 1980s, Atari and Mattel also released | | | | sessions over a period of years working to make |
| baseball video games. In 1983, Mattel released | | | | the game's artificial intelligence as accurate as |
| Intellivision ''World Series Baseball.'' For the first | | | | possible.The quality of baseball games has |
| time, players of ''World Series Baseball'' could use | | | | continued to develop since ''La Russa.'' The |
| multiple camera angles to show the action. A | | | | development of EA's ''MVP Baseball'', Sony's ''MLB |
| gamer could see the batter from a modified | | | | The Show'', Out of the Park Developments' |
| "center field" camera, see baserunners in corner | | | | text-based simulation ''Out of the Park Baseball'', |
| insets, and view defensive plays from a camera | | | | and the and growth of gaming systems (from |
| behind home plate. ''World Series Baseball'' also | | | | Genesis to XBox360) has transformed the depth |
| integrated fly balls into their interface.In 1988, | | | | and reality of baseball games. Even players |
| baseball video games made another jump, when | | | | themselves admit to using them prepare for |
| Electronic Arts (EA) released ''Earl Weaver | | | | games. According to an FHM article written by |
| Baseball'', which added an actual baseball manager | | | | 2004 AL Cy Young Winner Johan Santana (April |
| provided run by artificial intelligence. The important | | | | 2006 pg. 113), "I can see the hitting zones of each |
| of ''Earl Weaver Baseball'' was acknowledged by | | | | player and statistically where he doesn't like the |
| Computer Gaming World in 1996 when it named | | | | ball. I can also get a feel for when he will swing at |
| ''Earl Weaver Baseball'' 25th on its list of the Best | | | | fastballs and when he may not expect a |
| 150 Games of All Time. This was the second | | | | change-up. I wouldn't say that I would pitch to a |
| highest ranking for any sports game in that | | | | guy in a real-life game the same way, but it gives |
| 1981-1996 period behind FPS Sports | | | | you ideas of how to approach certain hitters."2. |
| Football.Nintendo also hit a homerun, in 1988 when | | | | Internet Fantasy BaseballHate it (girlfriends, wives) |
| it released ''RBI Baseball.'' RBI was the first video | | | | or love it (practically every baseball fan), fantasy |
| game to be licensed through the Major League | | | | baseball has become as popular as the sport itself. |
| Baseball Players Association. The game contained | | | | Once regulated to stat junkies who painfully |
| authentic major league players and rosters, and | | | | calculated and managed everything on their own, |
| not surprisingly was a huge hit with | | | | the expansion of the internet has allowed millions |
| players.Twenty years after the first baseball | | | | of fans to participate in leagues with friends and |
| video game, ''Tony La Russa Baseball'' appeared | | | | other fans throughout the country. This couldn't |
| on shelves across the country. The game made | | | | possibly affect the actual sport itself right? Wrong. |
| significant advancements in baseball game play. | | | | Fantasy Baseball has a huge impact on fan |
| First, ''La Russa'' included a circular Fly Ball Cursor | | | | interest. Did your team throw in the towel |
| that appeared where the ball was going to land, | | | | mid-season, or currently in an unwatchable |
| and grew or diminished in size based on the height | | | | rebuilding year? |
| of the ball. If the wind was blowing the cursor | | | | |