Fielding in baseball games
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OK, imagine if there way less foul balls in this game and way less homeruns. Instead of homeruns, they are doubles and triples...and instead of fouls, they are weakly-hit balls. So, theres a lot more balls in play
Now, imagine if fielding was as hard as batting - if the inputs you had to make to properly field and throw a ball were as tricky as the inputs for batting.
Every ball in play would be way more exciting.
Firlding has never been respected in a baseball game, like ever. But, theres no reason it cant be as input-intensive as batting.
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This is not entirely related, but your post made me think of this.
Has anyone else noticed you never got doubles down the line? Either you hit there and the corner outfielder gets to it like he's Andruw Jones or the corner infielder whips out his 85 inch vertical and snatches it when you almost hit it over his head.
I do occasionally get a double down the line, but if the guy doesn't have above average speed, they throw you out at 2b.
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Has anyone else noticed you never got doubles down the line?
Only if it's Forbes field.
They need to program some new physics so that the ball takes more random bounces in the corners.
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Has anyone else noticed you never got doubles down the line?
Only if it's Forbes field.
They need to program some new physics so that the ball takes more random bounces in the corners.
True. Road defenders play balls off the wall as if they played at a stadium 10+ years. So unrealistic!
I wouldn't want a QTE method of fielding, that's for sure! -
To answer the OP's great question, it would reflect real baseball, which is 90% pitching and defense. SDS has been told this truth over several years that their game has morphed into a power hitting contest where the dominant type of hitting contact has been almost entirely wiped out of their video game.
The OP is 100% correct. Most hits are relatively soft hits, that are caught or fielded for routine outs, or drop in as flares in the outfield. The OP's observation is entirely correct also, in that honing the defensive fielding skills is the single most important part of player development in actual baseball, be it high school, college and certainly professional ranks.
The minor leagues are filled with players who can hit, but cannot field. MLB teams want all the players in their lineup to be able to field at a professional level. Those who never learn how end up as the DH's on teams, but even most teams refuse to put DH only players on their roster. They want the DH to be flexible enough to allow it to be used for many purposes beyond hitting.
This also ties in nicely with the other reality that the outfield is too small by about a 30% ratio. This adds to the dearth of bloop hits, and also allows normal depth outfielders to make throws to gun down runners on the basepaths far easier than can be done in real play.
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I absolutely hate playing those negro league modes with fielding inputs. Granted those are badly done, but I certainly dont want to have to do anything fancy to move my fielders around.
Also online games would be unplayable for below average skilled people. I've run into players as it is who give me 4 or 5 outs some innings.
