Since it's extremely easy to beat the computer player in R.B.I., I decided to complicate things more by playing as Houston against the National League All-Stars. The stipulation is that you must play straight pitch to them. Plan on scoring at least 10 runs if you plan on winning. I won 18-14 but it's an interesting challenge.
It should also be no Nolan Ryan too. The NL hitting will kill Mike Scott's fastball.
first off, i believe american is better, but i tried national with houston (straight pitch and all other rules) and beat them 14 to 3 in 3 innings
the only way they scored is because raines was on base and dawson homered, and then in the 3nd inning they hit a homer by e davis.
its not too hard, most of the guys can barely hit (i.e. sandburg, santiago, schmidt, galarraga, pedrique) while american has all good hitters except randolph and schroeder and maybe baines. national does have better subs though, but not enough for all of the below adequate players.
I took your challenge, but modified it to what I thought would be the hardest challenge for me. I was Houston and gave the computer the AL All-Stars. I enforced a no-Nolan Ryan rule, plus I did the straight pitch, but added the twist that I would not move side to side on the mound and I would not add any velocity to the pitch. I just stood in the middle of the mound and pitched bp. Needless to say, the AL hit their share of bombs. I felt lucky to keep Bell in the park, but I did pull out a 12 - 11 victory in the top of the ninth. I pitched Scott for 8 innings and he gave up 5 homers and 11 runs. I tied the game in the 8th with some nice hitting by Denny Walling and a sac (or should I say NO SACK!!!) fly be Geena Davis. Then I started bringing in the bench for the ninth. Terry Puhl was clutch and Billy Hatcher drove him in on a wuss hit past the shortstop. To answer the question on another post, I did use Dickie Thon in a clutch RBI situation in the top of the 9th and he promptly fouled out on the 1st pitch. I was not impressed. This was probably the most challenging game I've played against the computer since I first played the game back in the day. Give it a try if you don't have a human opponent! Thanks for the idea, Sky Dawg!!!
UNBELIEVABLE!!! I just played this way for the second time (per my previous post). I started Charlie Kerfeld just for the heck of it. He went 8 innings giving up only 5 hits...2 being solo homers. Houston was on its usual offensive drought, but worse than normal. Tied 2 - 2 going into the top of the 8th, I have 2 outs and Glenn Davis up. He hits a weak bouncer over the pitchers head and past 2nd. He winds up with an inside the park homer!!! I go on to win 4 - 2
Sounds like this adds some spice to the otherwise awful games against the computer...
When I first set forth this challenge I made the mistake of thinking "straight pitch" entailed no pitcher movement and just pressing A. It's almost impossible to keep the All-Stars under 10 runs this way. Congrats to anyone who can win this way.
I just tried this against the AL All Stars with the following changes:
1. Only DSmith can pitch
2. No using pinch hitters
I won 10-0 in 3 innings. I'll try the NL Stars next but i don't think they'll put up much more of a challenge. I went yard with Reynolds which was a big surprise for me as I usually pinch hit for him. From now on he'll get a couple at bats per game for me.
I beat the NL 11-5. The game ended on a rare 3-5 double play. They certainly put up more of a fight, but maybe to make this a real challenge the human should have to play blindfolded and with his feet.
i played with all the rules (only d smith pitching, down the middle, no subs) against american and i beat them 14 to 0 in the 3rd inning. It was also was a no-hitter. canseco would of hit a homerun, but i pulled it in and it hit the wall. maybe some new rules should be, if they get a hit, let them run around until they score and you can only bunt the ball.
oh, and during that game, i got back to back homers with glenn davis and kevin bass. plus another homer by k.bass and an in-the-park homer by hatcher. glenn davis hit it over the scoreboard...something i havent seen in a LOOONG time (if ever).
Wow, Houston has a bad rap. Fastest team in the game. Best pitcher in the game. And GDavis goes park for me quite often thank you. Walling and D Thon are golden. My second favorite team next to Boston.
Callmefair, smoking crack kills brain cells!
Are we all talking about the same RBI Baseball game here? If Houston is the fastest team, then I've obviously got a corrupted copy, because on mine, they are slow and powerless. Kevin Bass and Craig are the only serious power threats. Glenn Davis hits homers once in a blue moon. Their pitching is their only redeeming quality, but not enough to overcome their weaknesses
Wow. So much for a "challenge for the elite."
Game lasts 3 innings, 14-3. GDavis responded well to the criticism going 3-3 with a 3 run shot off the first pitch in the 1st inning, a double, and a single that hit the tippy top of the wall.
Doran also nailed a 2 Run shot in the first.
Ashby and J. Cruz went yard as did DThon in his first appearance at the plate in the second inning.
Garner came off the bench and hit a 3 run triple in 3rd that put the game away for Houston.
MScott gets the victory giving up solo homers to Bell, Schmidt, and a blast from Canseco. MScott went 2-2 w/ an RBI as well.
Do NOT underestimate the power of the Houston Astros.
wow, thats interesting...the only problem is that Bell and Canseco are on american and Schmidt is on national, but yet they all homered....
haha
I know Bell and Conseco homered and I wasn't sure about the other one. I know his name started with an S and all I could think of was Schmidt. Sandberg maybe? I dunno
I'm impressed if the rules were strictly followed (straight-pitch, no mound movement), but to win in three innings sounds somewhat lucky, not that skill wasn't needed to do such. However, it is my inclination that ten-run-ruling the All-Stars is something that simply cannot be done on a consistent basis.