RBI Virgin

[Greggy]

Hey--

I played RBI for the first time last night and got destroyed ... by a girl who was also playing for the first time.

I posted about it on my blog (I'm a video game journalist for a Mid-Missouri daily) - http://blogs.columbiatribune.com/gameover/. I also write a weekly column about gaming. Next week I'm going to do an in-depth profile of last night's tournament.

Anyway, I'm not trying to take people away from this board (my blog post is below minus the image), but it would help me out if you'd come check out my page. Believe it or not, some editors don't see the point in video game coverage.

Plus, if you post a comment that I really dig, I might award you Comment of the Week status -- meaning you'd get a free game.

So, please re-post anything you post here over on my blog too.

Help a guy out!
Greg
http://blogs.columbiatribune.com/gameover/
---------------------------------------------------------
Hey--

Last night I was owned in RBI baseball for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

It's not really news. I had never played RBI before and came into the friendly tournament (check out 9/28's column for a full report) expecting to lose.

I just didn't expect to lose in such an embarrassing way: Jen Cushman ruined my life.

That name ring a bell? It shouldn't. Jen's not a gamer. It was her first night playing RBI, too. She only came to the tournament because the St. Louis University senior was in town visiting her boyfriend and didn't want to sit at home while he mashed the A button at a friend's house.

The tourney was double elimination, and I kept my first loss competitive -- heck, I was up four to nothing with the Angels -- but lost 7 to 5.

Meanwhile, Jen was decimated in her first game 10 to 1. She was in a dead heat for worst player in the room (20-year-old Justin Pannullo lost his game 11 to 1).

When she popped up in my round-two match-up, I felt confident I could take her to the woodshed and pick up some valuable skills.

I lost 14 to zero. She threw a no hitter. The game ended in the fourth inning due to a mercy rule.

"Twelve at bats, no hits, three strike outs," said Justin, formerly the worst player in the room. "Awesome."

"So, Miller, what games are you good at?" fellow player Brian Hu chimed in.

The taunts were merciless. The kids expected me, brand new to the game, to lose the tournament, but they also expected me, someone who plays video games whenever he's not at work, to beat a non-gaming girl.

I let them down.

The truth is, I don't get baseball games. Never have, never will. I want to, they seem fun, but I can't get the timing down. I'm always striking out or moving the wrong player in the outfield. I bought MVP a few years back in hopes of conquering my baseball deficiency. I played game after game in an attempt to hone my skills -- I just wanted to beat my roommate -- but it never happened. Even Katie, my fiancée who just watches me play, could beat me down on the diamond.

I hoped RBI would be super-simple on the NES. I hoped I could come in and get a handle on it -- get those core skills so I could build up to a big-boy baseball game.

Last night was supposed to help me become a more complete gamer.

"It felt spectacular," Jen said about beating me. "I've never been so alive in my life."

I'm officially retiring from video game baseball.
Greg

[TβG]

here's your "comment of the week":

i bet even donnie moore could beat you at rbi baseball.





welcome to the board.   stick around and read a little about the game and learn how to play at least well enough to beat a girl.

[BDawk]

Comment:

You lost to a chick...you pussy.

[rastein]

I bet he could still beat GoReds though. He's horrible at RBI.

[Reds]

I bet he could still beat GoReds though. He's horrible at RBI.

hatred...

[nightwulf]

Believe it or not, some editors don't see the point in video game coverage.

These editors aren't very bright. Look at the growth of the industry since it was revived in 1985, and the size of it today. People are spending serious money on this, and it's a much bigger part of people's lives than ever before.

Welcome to the boards.

[Briznock]

I bet he could still beat GoReds though. He's horrible at RBI.

Only in 9 or less innings... He is a powerhouse after the 12th inning.....

Then again, it must run in the family, his mom can go on pretty deep in to the night.....

[Briznock]

hatred...

[BeefMaster]

Great writeup, Greggy.  Stick with RBI; it's worth it.  Maybe someday you'll even be able to beat a girl...

If you don't think multiple columns on RBI are excessive (and they're still letting you write about video games by then, which I hope happens both because of nightwulf's reasons and because you're good at it), there's a national RBI tournament coming up in Columbus, OH, next summer.  The official website is here, although it hasn't yet been updated from the 2005 tourney.  The tourney organizer is a member of this forum, though, and he has confirm that he plans on holding the tourney again next year - the plan is for it to be a biannual event, held in alternate years as the RBI Baseball Championship of the Universe Tournament (COTUT).

[fightonusc]

I think that invitations to the celebrity players should start going out early: Sports Guy, Greggy, and the Patriots kicker.

[Greggy]

Hey--

If I can grab an invite to the tournament, I'd come. It would make a good freelance piece for EGM, IGN or so on.

Keep postin' at the blog, thanks for the encouragement, and sorry I'm a f'n loser.
Greg

[moses]

Hey Greggy I bet you could beat me at RBI.

First question though have you beat the computer yet?

[JoeDirt]

Hey--

If I can grab an invite to the tournament, I'd come. It would make a good freelance piece for EGM, IGN or so on.

Keep postin' at the blog, thanks for the encouragement, and sorry I'm a f'n loser.
Greg

It's my tourney...for sure--open invite to you, sir!

[Greggy]

Hey--

Moses - It wasn't my NES, so my lifetime record stands at 0-2. Maybe I'll download it to my Wii one day.

Joe - Awesome. Got a date yet?

Community, yay!
Greg

[Attezz]

Joe - Awesome. Got a date yet?

He promised me already.

[JoeDirt]

June 2007, but the date is yet to be determined...probably early June if Octo can make it because it's early...