Think you know more about running an MLB franchise than Theo Epstein? You're the boss with Baseball Mogul. So prove it!
- Great algorithms for trades and salary negotiations.
- Amazing database lets you build a dynasty from 1901 to 2099.
- $2 beer is good for attendance, bad for profits.
Cons
- Play-by-play mode is too boring.
- The fun becomes the off-season pretty after a few seasons.
- Online is more of the same, just against the same guys that want to trade you JT Snow for David Ortiz in your fantasy league.
Overview
Did you ever criticize the Texas Rangers $252 million deal for Alex Rodriguez? Did you ever wonder what would happen if the Brewers started their own TV network like the Yankees YES Network? And why do I have to pay nearly $20 for a beer and 2 hot dogs?! Baseball Mogul 2007 lets you answer those questions and many more – because you are now the Boss. Watch out George Steinbrenner! I’ll show you MoneyBall!
Baseball Mogul puts you in charge of a baseball franchise. You can micromanage every detail of a baseball operation from your batting order and pitching rotation to free agent negotiations to setting the price of tickets and beer. This game is all about the statistics, which is right up the alley of anyone who loves baseball. But make no mistake, this is not a baseball simulation game like the current Playstation or XBox games like Major League Baseball 2K6 or EA MVP Baseball 2005.
And check out www.ps3gamercentral.com for even more details on baseball games and online leagues.
I LOVE STATS!
Baseball Mogul is played with a complex dashboard of stats and very little animation. The game incorporates the Sean Lahman Baseball Database, which allows you to manage every player from 1901 until the present. You can customize rosters, shrewdly negotiate trades, or draft the next phenom out of high school. Then let the game simulate the action. You can even have the system simulate an entire season in 30 seconds – if that’s exciting to you.
You get a lot of the same team and franchise management capabilities in career mode with any good baseball sim. Baseball Mogul does have an advantage with more detailed nuances like team and player options when signing a deal and a deal algorithm based on more personality parameters. Also, the historical data is great. Try to actually win a World Series as the Chicago Cubs or take on the 1927 Yankees.
Play Ball?
You also have the option to manage or “play” a single game. Run the dugout as the manager by calling plays and making substitutions. You can also make pitch selection or have your batter guess what’s coming in the play-by-play mode. These elements of the game are woefully weak. Not just because you can’t swing the bat and truly control the players, but because you never get the adrenaline rush of playing an important game. You feel the same playing a Red Sox versus Yankees game in a September pennant chase as you do in a game in April. To me, Electronic Arts’ MVP Baseball 2005 delivers even more managerial controls (like warming up relievers), but does so with exponentially more gameplay thrills and the ambience of playing in front of 50,000 fans.
$2 Beer Please
The stadium management capabilities sold Baseball Mogul to me. I hoped that the game would offer similar business management tools like Railroad Tycoon or Zoo Tycoon. However, while there is a financial impact to your team, your financial levers are very broad compared to the detail behind player attributes. For example, you just raise average ticket price, not by seating section. As a result, you quickly get back to the baseball stats element of the game.
Online Moguls
I tried the free online league for a week. I was saddled with the Colorado Rockies. And that was the best part of my experience. For the most part, you have the same player decision mechanisms that you would have in any fantasy baseball league. Of course, that means you also have the same interaction with guys that want to trade you JT Snow for David Ortiz. The interface is an older version of the PC game, which is equally uninspiring.
Summary
I love baseball. I love baseball stats. I love baseball history. I think I know more about running a major league franchise than Theo Epstein. Baseball Mogul taps into those passions, but it doesn’t deliver the excitement. Bottom line, for 95% of the same GM experience, but with real baseball simulation fun, purchase EA Sports MVP Baseball 2005 for the same $19.99 (or even cheaper in the bargain bin). Check out www.ps3gamercentral.com for even more details on baseball games and online leagues.