I am new to the forum, so I shall explain my handle. When growing up, my friends and I had a term for the black section above the center field wall in RBI. It was so eloquently dubbed the name "Black Thing." Though this small unlabeled section of the RBI playing field may seem insignificant, many people have been seen smiling after a losing effort just because they happened to hit a homerun into this mysterious oriface.
A homerun hit into the "Black Thing" is quite rare. You will sometimes have to disqualify "Black Thing" entries, because the other player wanted to be in the club so bad, that he failed to realize that the ball hit just above the "Black Thing" on the little blue line between the section and the score board doesn't count. This is more rare than the so called "Wallzie." Many times, I have thought that a ball was "Black Thing" bound, only to hang my head in disgust when the ball mysteriously bounces off of the invisible plexiglass that exists in centerfield and the power allies.
My friends and I always keep tabs of the current "King of the Black Thing." This player is none other than the most recent person to have hit the ball into the "Black Thing." Currently, it is Kirby Puckett. The CPU did it. Therefore, we can't wait to bring the title back to the players. I have witnessed one grand slam into the "Black Thing." Matt Nokes. Matt Nokes also wins the lifetime achievment award for "Black Thing" penetrations. He seems to do it much more frequently than anyone else.
In conclusion, the "Black Thing" is a prestiguous thing in my RBI circle. It is as rare as a no-hitter in real life. It doesn't happen every day, but when it does, it can change the tide of the game. It can boost or crush an RBI player's confidence. Therefore, I believe the "Black Thing" should be entered into the realm of the RBI Glossary.
Welcome Black_Thing! That's a solid term, as most people never pay attention to the Black_Thing. It's the details that matter. I'll be sure to add Black Thing to the glossary on my next update (hope to have it out on Sunday)...
I played a game last night against the CPU to check out the Black Thing, and I have to admit that I never really noticed it before. And like he said, I thought I had one with Kevin Mitchell, but it grazed that blue line between the Black Thing and the scoreboard. I'll be paying attention to it from now on...
i think your black thing is their jumbotron... they just havent figured out how to turn it on.
Perhaps they can only get the thing going in text mode, because I noticed the "Game Over" appears in the Black Thing. Not sure about anything else...
How cool would it be to see replays of the homer show up in the Black Thing? If I could ever get ahold of the actual code to the NES ROM I would probably give it a shot. I don't know shit about NES programming, but for RBI I would learn...
Just got done playing a friend in RBI. I was Boston, he was California. I hit 18 dongs in a historic never before seen event. Two homeruns in one game into the "Black Thing." The first was my friend's by Wally Joyner. But it wasn't to last. I promptly jacked a dinger into the "Black Thing" in a nine run 9th with none other than Marc Sullivan--thus giving my opponent a pair of Sullivan Chin Nuts. Sullivan is the current "King of the Black Thing" in C-Town.
Props from Columbia, MO to this RBI Forum!
Are you in Columbia, MO? Damn we're like an hour from there. Whiteman AFB in Knob Noster, MO. Actually ate at the Golden Corral in Columbia about a month ago. Good shit. We'll have to get a game on.
I'm pretty impressed with the Black Thing bombs - those definitely aren't easy to come by....however, you'll have to excuse me for calling B.S. on Marc Sullivan for his alleged 2 HR's in one game, regardless of their location. Not only does dude mispell his own first name, but that guy's pop rivals only that of Spike Owen & Marty Barrett's fence-scraping pseudo-blasts.
I agree though, I think it's a burnt-out 1987 R.B.I.-Vision, videoboard or matrix board (forgive the sports marketing jargon) that the intern hasn't quite yet figured out how to turn on yet. I like to think that the R.B.I. gods put it in as a tribute to the BoSox (the game's best team) and internally coined it the "Black Monster"....in which case it's a damn good thing that Bucky Dent is somehow left off the game. Until the Black Thing starts to flicker off and on, or and RBI player finds a way to scale the wall (a la RBI 2 - forgive the reference, I shall never use it again) - that thing's bringing would-be homers back into the yard - M. Sullivan or otherwise.(//URL)(//URL)
To: Numb Nuts
From: Black Thing
Sullivan hit one homer pinch hitting in the ninth. Joyner hit the other one into the "Black Thing." Read before you comment. I don't Bullshit about RBI moments. That would be nothing short of sacrilege.
Way to be Black_Thing, there is no reason to think you are lying about RBI feats. Don't let that random guest try to diss your obvious RBI know-how. I play curve-style here in Milwaukee and can only recall one ball going into the Black_Thing, there have probably been others but when I think back the majority caught parts other than the Thing. Either way, very solid term, I enjoy the new blood on the forums even though I only get on about five or six times a month. Welcome, and keep on playin'
Whoa, sorry about the mistake...certainly wasn't calling out your RBI knowledge. Anyone who can help unravel the mystery of the Black Thing (which is a great call, by the way - just another reason why RBI is such a solid game w/ inexplicable quirks) obviously knows what they're talking about. Even more so than a wallzie, the Black Thing (it's function and reason for design in the game) has always puzzled me.
Not calling your M. Sullivan blast into question (I definitely wouldn't do that), but having played w/ Boston for countless years...I'm sure you'd agree that the guy's pop isn't exactly Ruth-esque (even as a pinch-hitter). Props to MS, though - again proving that Boston, in my opinion, is the strongest offensive team in the game.
Anyway, ever hit one in that little space where the Black Thing ends and the scoreboard begins?...I once saw Kirby Puckett drill one to that area, and had it come back into play for an unimpressive double - which then made me ponder if it was a Glad-Bag like substance in center (similar to the Metrodome) rather than a burnt-out videoboard.
me and t will definately be keeping our eye on the black thing shots from now on....ive always noticed them and considered it much like the area where they dont let people sit in center field, a la fenway, because it would be too tough to pick up the ball from the pitcher....but now i will be aiming to try to get some shots out there....i have a feeling mr six will become the king of that shot....he always hits em to center
I think it's in everyone's duty to look out for the Black Thing....
And I doubt Mark meant any disrespect, he's a good guy. Mark - be sure to login before you post messages, it'll get you off Santana level...
I finally got around to adding Black Thing to the glossary:
http://dee-nee.com/rbi/glossary.shtml#BLACKTHING
Black_Thing, be sure to post or email me your full name so you can get credit. My apologies, forgot your name and the emails you sent me are at work...
Since the start of the Black Thing, we have been watching more closely, but we have had at least 4 homers in the black thing in the last week, none directly in the center, but definately in it.
just played a game with little brother. dice gave him minnesota and me the nl all-stars... can't second guess the die. anyways, i hit a ball with eric davis that was destined for the jumbotron/black thing but it was knocked down by the invisible plexi-glass. angered by this, andre dawson and pedro gurreeeerooooo proceeded to hit to sky-high bombs that landed in the black thing. i havent seen too many line drives end up there.
I miss my die.
We are left to use pieces of paper out of a Taco Bell plastic cup.
they have to have them down in florida greg. check the hobby shops... maybe the mall.