Community Forum

I’m 70 years and have been playing since 2014. Here’s my approach to hitting:

1- Zone hitting

2- Camera: strike zone 2

3- PCI: yellow wedge diamonds- fade out (clear the screen)

4- Difficulty: legend

5- Swing: regular(x)

6- Anchor: N/A

7–PCI placement pre pitch: middle but flexible

8- Left stick thumb placement : left thumb wrapped around bottom rim of concave control freak

9- Equipment

a.monitor

b. concave control freaks

c. precision rings(purple)

d.Dual sense controller with bottom paddles(no button pushing)

10- Hitting mechanic:

a.Know the pitcher‘s fastest and slowest pitch

b. Watch the ball out of the pitchers hand - eyeball the logo on his hat

c. Do not stare the pitch down, discern the trajectory of thr ball early as possible

d. keep your hands relaxed until you “pull the trigger”

e. Think fast ball and adjust to off speed - trust your eyes!

f. VERY IMPORTANT: keep your PCI movements very short and concise

(It took me years to figure this out but I was making drastic movements with my PCI in an attempt to catch up with pitches)

g. With less than two strikes only swing at pitches that take a fat part of the plate. Don’t be afraid to take pitchers strikes until you get two strikes

h. With two strikes, allow the pitch to get slightly deeper, think opposite field approach. With that said, be prepared to turn on an inside pitch. You must cover the whole plate. A foul ball is a victory, you’ve bought another pitch for a possible mistake.

11- LINEUP: Have 5 or more hitters that are the opposite handedness of the pitcher

12- pinch hit from the 6th inning on to accommodate matchups

13- go into practice mode and study the speed and trajectory of every pitch.

I‘ve never claimed to be the best hitter but I’ve become very consistent over the years with a great deal of practice and awareness. I hope this helps.

Ok, listen closely. After playing this game since 2014, I can give you most relevant tip I believe has turned my hitting around. I ’m 70 years old and simply do not have the vision or reflexes to be a good hitter in this game. That said, I’m very consistent, and here's my approach. Make sure you get a good pitch to hit with less than two strikes. Be willing to take pitcher strikes. Extend your zone with 2 strikes and let the ball get slightly deeper before you swing. Emphasis on slightly deeper. Once you set the position of your PCI(which is different for eveyone), make sure your movements are very short to the ball. Rehearse those short movements just before the pitcher starts his windup. It took me years to figure this out but I realized I was making drastic movements with my PCI in an attempt to catch up with pitches. This is counter productive. The key is to find a thumb placement that’s most comfortable for you and be very mindful of not making gross movements as the pitch comes. IT DOESN’T WORK! There is no consistency to gross movements. Be short and sweet with your movements and stick with this until it becomes muscle memory. Once you get the hang of it you’ll realize why this technique is so critical.

I’m 70 years old. I play franchise on legend difficulty. I played 162 games and went 119-43 with the San Francisco Giants In 2025. I lead the league in hitting and several other offensive and pitching categories. I played on line for several years and held my own. I stopped playing online a few years back. I became frustrated with all the disparaging texts and habitual rage quitting. Ive been playing since 2014. Being retired, I play pretty much everyday and spend a lot of time in practice mode. I’ve learned the only way I can excel hitting is to be very patient and wait for a good pitch to hit. This means taking a number of pitcher’s strikes and occasionally being called out on strikes because I struggle to react to pitches on the edges of the plate. After the game I check the location of my hit’s and inevitably they are around the middle portion of the plate. I pitch on pure analog and have figured out the CPU’s Tendencies and weaknesses so I consistently lead the league In ERA, strikeouts, and least amount of walks. As a hitter, my weakness is I lead the league in strike outs and hitting into double plays. With that, I still lead the league in runs scored and total bases. I have researched several realistic sliders to help the computer to be more competitive but it doesn’t seem to change the results. I have never claimed to be great at this game but I have improved a great deal over the years. I’m a former college football coach who coached as an offensive coordinator at several major universities across the country but have always been a huge baseball fan. This game helps satisfy my baseball fix.

Re: I’m not having fun. At All.

I'm 70 years old playing franchise on legend and I gjust won the World Series with the Giants(119-43) as well as leading the league in hitting and home runs. Yes, the pitchers constantly throw ball on the black. The key is being patient and taking a lot of pitchers strikes. Some times this can result in strike outs but you will eventually do some damage when you get your pitch. My reactions and vision are not what they used to be so I must wait until I get a pitch that takes more of the plate. After every game I check my batting input and virtually every hard hit ball is somewhere near the middle of the plate. This game penalizes a lack of patience. Just know there will be at bats when the pitcher will dominate you. I've learned to say "so what" and move on to the next hitter.

u/Critical_Extension86 avatar
Critical_Extension86
•
15d ago
I’m 70 years old. I play franchise on legend difficulty. I played 162 games and went 119-43 with the San Francisco Giants In 2025. I lead the league in hitting and several other offensive and pitching categories. I played on line for several years and held my own. I stopped playing online a few years back. I became frustrated with all the disparaging texts and habitual rage quitting. Ive been playing since 2014. Being retired, I play pretty much everyday and spend a lot of time in practice mode. I’ve learned the only way I can excel hitting is to be very patient and wait for a good pitch to hit. This means taking a number of pitcher’s strikes and occasionally being called out on strikes because I struggle to react to pitches on the edges of the plate. After the game I check the location of my hit’s and inevitably they are around the middle portion of the plate. I pitch on pure analog and have figured out the CPU’s Tendencies and weaknesses so I consistently lead the league In ERA, strikeouts, and least amount of walks. As a hitter, my weakness is I lead the league in strike outs and hitting into double plays. With that, I still lead the league in runs scored and total bases. I have researched several realistic sliders to help the computer to be more competitive but it doesn’t seem to change the results. I have never claimed to be great at this game but I have improved a great deal over the years. I’m a former college football coach who coached as an offensive coordinator at several major universities across the country but have always been a huge baseball fan. This game helps satisfy my baseball fix.

said in Too old to rage:

said in Too old to rage:

I'm 70 years old and I play franchise on legend . I play differently than most. I play in concert with ongoing season. Believe me, it's tedious but it's fun to compare results. Here are my rules:

•I try to play all 162 games and playoffs. The only time I won't play is if I'm away from home for an extended period of time. In this case I will simulate those games. That way I can stay up with the schedule. Any transactions made when I'm forced to simulate I just have to live with. I will update all of them when I return to playing myself.

• whatever the MLB teams do with regard to injuries and transactions, I follow suit. I'm always playing with the same players and rotations as the major league club. My pitching matchups are identical. This takes some time so it helps that I'm retired. To do this all injuries must be put on manual. The computer has no latitude to alter rosters. The MLB clubs do that for them with help from myself.

• I have been playing the game since 2014. I have got to a point where I play on legend difficulty with custom sliders that I've researched for realism. It challenging as hell but you'd be surprised how well I do.

• I play with the San Fransisco Giants and use the players I feel give me the best chance to win. They are the only team that has a roster that doesn't match the same players as the big league clubs.

• if a player is not in the game I will research his attributes, looks, uniform nuances, glove/bat choice, batting stance/throwing motion and simply create a player with a single A player. To this point in the season I've had to create around 20 players. I would venture to say my franchise roster is more accurate and up to date than any you'll come across.

• I will alter attributes to upgrade or downgrade recent performance based on roster updates. I will only alter attributes that go up or down in intervals of + or - 4 and higher I don't do ever player outside this range. I will never do this to gain any advantage.

• I do not deal with salaries, training, or scouting. This just doesn't interest me. The computer must accept any trade I ask for so I can keep up with the MLB.

• I play franchise because I like gameplay. I have no desire to be a master general manager! I just want to play a completely realistic schedule (other than the fact that I manage the Giants as I see fit)

• I have 1 player on the Giants who I've created who's rated 79. He's a switch hitting catcher who I mostly use as a DH. That player is myself. I figure it's the closest I'll ever get to the big leagues. He's a good player but I didn't want to turn him into Superman!

Problems with this approach: 1- no way to trade a player for cash 2-no way to facilitate paternity leave 3-can limit your ability to injure players 4- when injury time is up, often times you have to put the player back on the list because extending the time of the injury is not offered. 5-created players who are not in the game or have no MLB service require a great deal of research to establish accurate attributes. Eventually they will show up in a roster update but if you want to keep up with the day to day you can't wait for the roster update. 6- you have to 0 out all Ohatni's pitching attributes to keep the computer from putting him in games to pitch as a reliever.

There's other minor issues but none that significant. I really enjoy playing this way and it really keeps me up on the day to day in MLB

@Loneblackman_MLBTS said in Too old to rage:

I've been playing the show for over a decade now. At 46 my reaction time and pci placement are not remotely good enough to be super competitive anymore.Getting to World Series after drop to 800 falsely made me think I still had some skills, but I can barely touch legend anymore.

Not complaining. This game is so much more enjoyable now that I dont care about wins and losses. I just play because I love baseball. 10 years ago I'm smashing controllers on lineouts and glitches. Now I'm just laughing and trying to have good games. Wish I'd had this attitude earlier. I see so many people complaining about a glitch here or perfect out there. I've loved this series, even through some of the major flaws. Now that im too old to rage, I'm just enjoying the game.

said in Too old to rage:

I'm 70 years old and I play franchise differently than most. I play in concert with ongoing season. Believe me, it's tedious but it's fun to compare results. Here are my rules:

•I try to play all 162 games and playoffs. The only time I won't play is if I'm away from home for an extended period of time. In this case I will simulate those games. That way I can stay up with the schedule. Any transactions made when I'm forced to simulate I just have to live with. I will update all of them when I return to playing myself.

• whatever the MLB teams do with regard to injuries and transactions, I follow suit. I'm always playing with the same players and rotations as the major league club. My pitching matchups are identical. This takes some time so it helps that I'm retired. To do this all injuries must be put on manual. The computer has no latitude to alter rosters. The MLB clubs do that for them with help from myself.

• I have been playing the game since 2014. I have got to a point where I play on legend difficulty with custom sliders that I've researched for realism. It challenging as hell but you'd be surprised how well I do.

• I play with the San Fransisco Giants and use the players I feel give me the best chance to win. They are the only team that has a roster that doesn't match the same players as the big league clubs.

• if a player is not in the game I will research his attributes, looks, uniform nuances, glove/bat choice, batting stance/throwing motion and simply create a player with a single A player. To this point in the season I've had to create around 20 players. I would venture to say my franchise roster is more accurate and up to date than any you'll come across.

• I will alter attributes to upgrade or downgrade recent performance based on roster updates. I will only alter attributes that go up or down in intervals of + or - 4 and higher I don't do ever player outside this range. I will never do this to gain any advantage.

• I do not deal with salaries, training, or scouting. This just doesn't interest me. The computer must accept any trade I ask for so I can keep up with the MLB.

• I play franchise because I like gameplay. I have no desire to be a master general manager! I just want to play a completely realistic schedule (other than the fact that I manage the Giants as I see fit)

• I have 1 player on the Giants who I've created who's rated 79. He's a switch hitting catcher who I mostly use as a DH. That player is myself. I figure it's the closest I'll ever get to the big leagues. He's a good player but I didn't want to turn him into Superman!

Problems with this approach: 1- no way to trade a player for cash 2-no way to facilitate paternity leave 3-can limit your ability to injure players 4- when injury time is up, often times you have to put the player back on the list because extending the time of the injury is not offered. 5-created players who are not in the game or have no MLB service require a great deal of research to establish accurate attributes. Eventually they will show up in a roster update but if you want to keep up with the day to day you can't wait for the roster update. 6- you have to 0 out all Ohatni's pitching attributes to keep the computer from putting him in games to pitch as a reliever.

There's other minor issues but none that significant. I really enjoy playing this way and it really keeps me up on the day to day in MLB

I'm 70 years old and I play franchise on legend I play differently than most. I play in concert with ongoing season. Believe me, it's tedious but it's fun to compare results. Here are my rules:

•I try to play all 162 games and playoffs. The only time I won't play is if I'm away from home for an extended period of time. In this case I will simulate those games. That way I can stay up with the schedule. Any transactions made when I'm forced to simulate I just have to live with. I will update all of them when I return to playing myself.

• whatever the MLB teams do with regard to injuries and transactions, I follow suit. I'm always playing with the same players and rotations as the major league club. My pitching matchups are identical. This takes some time so it helps that I'm retired. To do this all injuries must be put on manual. The computer has no latitude to alter rosters. The MLB clubs do that for them with help from myself.

• I'm 69 years old but have been playing the game since 2014. I have got to a point where I play on legend difficulty with custom sliders that I've researched for realism. It challenging as hell but you'd be surprised how well I do.

• I play with the San Fransisco Giants and use the players I feel give me the best chance to win. They are the only team that has a roster that doesn't match the same players as the big league clubs.

• if a player is not in the game I will research his attributes, looks, uniform nuances, glove/bat choice, batting stance/throwing motion and simply create a player with a single A player. To this point in the season I've had to create around 20 players. I would venture to say my franchise roster is more accurate and up to date than any you'll come across.

• I will alter attributes to upgrade or downgrade recent performance based on roster updates. I will only alter attributes that go up or down in intervals of + or - 4 and higher I don't do ever player outside this range. I will never do this to gain any advantage.

• I do not deal with salaries, training, or scouting. This just doesn't interest me. The computer must accept any trade I ask for so I can keep up with the MLB.

• I play franchise because I like gameplay. I have no desire to be a master general manager! I just want to play a completely realistic schedule (other than the fact that I manage the Giants as I see fit)

• I have 1 player on the Giants who I've created who's rated 79. He's a switch hitting catcher who I mostly use as a DH. That player is myself. I figure it's the closest I'll ever get to the big leagues. He's a good player but I didn't want to turn him into Superman!

Problems with this approach: 1- no way to trade a player for cash 2-no way to facilitate paternity leave 3-can limit your ability to injure players 4- when injury time is up, often times you have to put the player back on the list because extending the time of the injury is not offered. 5-created players who are not in the game or have no MLB service require a great deal of research to establish accurate attributes. Eventually they will show up in a roster update but if you want to keep up with the day to day you can't wait for the roster update. 6- you have to 0 out all Ohatni's pitching attributes to keep the computer from putting him in games to pitch as a reliever.

There's other minor issues but none that significant. I really enjoy playing this way and it really keeps me up on the day to day in MLB

How can we put this together? I really don't know where to start.

Just played the Giants vs Guardians game that will be played tonight on legend difficulty. Devers was 3-4 with a home run, double and single. I hope this is an indication of real life

Being a giants fan I've followed this closely. The Giants were in dire need of a bat. The closer it got to the trade deadline the tougher it was going to be to get Devers. He may play some at third base initially because Chapman's on the shelf but when he come's back Devers will have to be the DH. Like the Red Sox, there's probably going to be a point he's going to be needed at 1st base. My guess is that a change in environment may change his attitude about this possibility. Ever since Barry Bonds left the Giants they have adopted a "team first"
approach and it lead to 3 World Series championships. Buster Posey understands this better than anyone and has sent this message loud and clear. The Giants will welcome Devers with open arms but I'm betting they will not compromise this approach to a point where they will be willing to play and win with lesser players if necessary. They've done it before.

Hey guys , we need to put together and old farts franchise league. I don't have a clue where to start. What do you guys think? We could pick our favorite team and sim the rest of the teams. I'm guessing we're all at about the same skill level.

I agree , I believe a gaming monitor is helpful. I have a Dell 34 inch monitor and it provides minimal lag and great aesthetics. For me, control freaks are a must. I also use a dual sense controller with paddles on the bottom so I don't have to push buttons. I know a lot of people can't afford these things but I need every advantage I can get.

said in Any hitting tips?:

• establish the most comfortable spot you want the PCI( middle, high and in, low and in etc) different strokes for different folks

• be aware of the pitcher's fastest and slowest pitch

• don't be afraid to take "pitchers strikes" until you get 2 strikes

• early in the count only swing at pitch that take a fat part of the plate

• keep your hands relaxed for short, quick movements within strike zone. The better the velocity , the more you relax.

• eyeball the pitchers face/hat and pick the pitch up as soon as possible out of the pitcher's hand so you can gage the speed, break and trajectory.

• don't try to stare the ball down as it approaches the plate. This usually results in a late swing. Assess the location as you see the speed and trajectory out of the pitchers hand.

• allow the pitch to get slightly deeper with two strikes. Think more opposite field approach. With this in mind , you still must be able to turn on an inside pitch.

• know the pitcher's "wipe out" two strike pitches. (Ie high and inside fastball, slider away, change up down, curveball in the dirt, cutter up and away, sinker low and in to name a few)

• go into practice mode and work on tracking various pitches so you can get a feel for the timing

• I prefer the pci to fade away late so I can get a clear picture of the pitchers delivery.

• do not use the ambush feature unless it's the first pitch or an advantage count

• this game punishes a lack of patience. Do all you can to get a good pitch to hit until you get two strikes

• understand, at the higher levels there will be times the pitcher will dominate certain at bats. There will be times he'll throw a pitch that never looks like a strike and you'll take it for strike three. Don't sweat it! Calmly got to the next hitter.

• with 2 quick strikes step out and regroup
Before the next pitch

• hitting the computer is different that face a human opponent. I find people are much more predictable and the CPu more random. Take a mental note of every pitch an opponent gets you out on because he's eventually coming back to it. Also, pitch speeds are faster on line.

• be willing to change the position of your PCI if your opponent thinks he has a bead on your weak spots. I find it easier to start high in the zone and work down then visa versa.

At the end of the day you're one hell of hitter if you can get 3 hits in 10 at bats. There's a lot of failure involved. The key is do maximum damage when the opportunity presents itself. Many times it's going to require a waiting out process to accomplish this.

I'm 69 and have been playing since 2014. I'd love to play with some old farts

• establish the most comfortable spot you want the PCI( middle, high and in, low and in etc) different strokes for different folks

• be aware of the pitcher's fastest and slowest pitch

• don't be afraid to take "pitchers strikes" until you get 2 strikes

• early in the count only swing at pitch that take a fat part of the plate

• keep your hands relaxed for short, quick movements within strike zone. The better the velocity , the more you relax.

• eyeball the pitchers face/hat and pick the pitch up as soon as possible out of the pitcher's hand so you can gage the speed, break and trajectory.

• don't try to stare the ball down as it approaches the plate. This usually results in a late swing. Assess the location as you see the speed and trajectory out of the pitchers hand.

• allow the pitch to get slightly deeper with two strikes. Think more opposite field approach. With this in mind , you still must be able to turn on an inside pitch.

• know the pitcher's "wipe out" two strike pitches. (Ie high and inside fastball, slider away, change up down, curveball in the dirt, cutter up and away, sinker low and in to name a few)

• go into practice mode and work on tracking various pitches so you can get a feel for the timing

• I prefer the pci to fade away late so I can get a clear picture of the pitchers delivery.

• do not use the ambush feature unless it's the first pitch or an advantage count

• this game punishes a lack of patience. Do all you can to get a good pitch to hit until you get two strikes

• understand, at the higher levels there will be times the pitcher will dominate certain at bats. There will be times he'll throw a pitch that never looks like a strike and you'll take it for strike three. Don't sweat it! Calmly got to the next hitter.

• with 2 quick strikes step out and regroup
Before the next pitch

• hitting the computer is different that face a human opponent. I find people are much more predictable and the CPu more random. Take a mental note of every pitch an opponent gets you out on because he's eventually coming back to it. Also, pitch speeds are faster on line.

• be willing to change the position of your PCI if your opponent thinks he has a bead on your weak spots. I find it easier to start high in the zone and work down then visa versa.

At the end of the day you're one hell of hitter if you can get 3 hits in 10 at bats. There's a lot of failure involved. The key is do maximum damage when the opportunity presents itself. Many times it's going to require a waiting out process to accomplish this.

Yes , would love to

There is no question - unless they're at bat the wrong last name is being used . It's happened multiple times on my franchise

I'm 69 years old and have been playing the show since 2014. I only played so I'd have something to do with my young son. I got addicted to the game and play pretty much every day. I played on line for several years and did quite well but got tired of the disparaging texts and constant quitting. I've reached a point wheee I play franchise on legend level. I play because I enjoy game play and have no interest in being a master General manager. I play in concert with the ongoing season and stay updated on all transactions. If mlb makes a trade or DFA's a player, drops some one to the minors etc, I respond accordingly. I make moves for all 30 teams but play with the giants. I grew up a giants fan and saw Wille Mays, Willie Mcovey and company at candlestick park. I lead the league in my franchise batting .307 and in the upper third of the league in almost every offensive and pitching categories. My record is 52-11 at this point. Other than striking out more than I like, I have found legend level to be not much different from HOF or All Star. I love to talk about the game and the different techniques people use but it's hard to find anyone interested. For the last 11 years I've watched multiple videos on hitting , pitching and overall game play. At my age my vision and reflexes are not what they were so I have to have total understanding of the game as well as complete focus when I hit and pitch to have any chance.