_                   _____
  / \    _   _        /  ___|    _
 / _ \  | | | |       \ (__    _| |_         _  _
| |_| | | | | |  ___   \__ \  '-. .-'  __   | |/ \
|  _  | | | | | |___|     \ \   | |   _\ \  |  /\_\
| | | | | | | |        ___/ /   | |  / O  \ | |
|_| |_| |_| |_|       |____/     \_\ \__/\_\|_|
 ____      _     _____   ____   ____      _     _     _
|  _ \    / \   /  ___| |  __| |  _ \    / \   | |   | |
| |_) |  / _ \  \ (__   | |__  | |_) |  / _ \  | |   | |
|  _ /  | |_| |  \__ \  |  __| |  _ /  | |_| | | |   | |
| | \ \ |  _  |     \ \ | |    | | \ \ |  _  | | |   | |
| |_/ / | | | |  ___/ / | |__  | |_/ / | | | | | |_  | |_
|____/  |_| |_| |____/  |____| |____/  |_| |_| |___| |___|
   __      ____     ____     ____
  /  \    /    \   /    \   /    \
 /_/\ \  |  /\  | |  /\  | |  /\  |
    / /  | |  | | | |  | | | |  | |
   / /   | |  | | | |  | | | |  | |
  / /    | |  | | | |  | | | |  | |
 / /___  |  \/  | |  \/  | |  \/  |
|______|  \____/   \____/   \____/

===============================================================================
Table of Contents
===============================================================================
[INTRO] Introduction
[MODES] Modes of Play
[CONTR] Controls
[TEAMS] Team Summaries
[STRAT] General Strategies
[CHEAT] Cheats
[QUEST] Frequently Asked Questions
[REALL] Comparing to Reality
[VERSN] Version History
[COPYR] Copyright
[CONTC] Contact Information

Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the
name of the section you're looking for - like [VERSN] for the ever-popular
Version History.

===============================================================================
Introduction                                                         [INTRO]
===============================================================================
I'm not totally sure why I'm writing this guide. Perhaps I was set off by a
brief wave of nostalgia last week, when I realized it had been almost precisely
ten years since we'd rented this game from our local Blockbuster Video. Maybe
it happened when I was going through some old Nintendo Power magazines and saw
an ad for this game on the back of the June 1999 issue (Volume 121). Maybe it's
because I've thought about doing a guide for this game for over a year. Who
knows? I guess it's clear that I'm not submitting guides like I used to; I'm
down to about two FAQs per month. This pace might drop off some more in the
months to come. Who knows? But I can confirm that I'm not planning on
announcing my retirement anytime soon.

Anyway, All-Star Baseball 2000 is, in my mind, the best Nintendo 64 baseball
game (except for All-Star Baseball 2001). It's less irritating than Ken Griffey
Jr.'s Slugfest, more fun than Triple Play 2000, and less stupid than Mike
Piazza's Strike Zone. The graphics are probably the best of any baseball game
of its time. The ballparks are very realistic, and the player animations are
pretty good. Expansion Pak compatibility is a plus, unless you lack one. Sound
effects are good, but they're a notch below a PlayStation game. The announcers
(John Sterling and Michael Kay) are much improved over All-Star Baseball '99
(no more "There was no doubt about that out"), although most of the lines still
don't sound like anything you'd ever hear a real announcer say. The menu music
isn't particularly memorable, but it's not bad. Play control may take a little
getting used to, and certain plays (notably, bunts to the pitcher) seem
awkward. Regardless, it doesn't take long to get the hang of this game. Two
more big pluses: Your baserunners are smart enough not to get doubled off base
every time you fly out, and the load times are short (especially compared to
the PSX games). Beating the computer isn't very difficult, but there is some
flexibility with variable difficulty levels, and you can of course make things
tougher by using a weaker team or a less reliable pitcher. And playing a friend
always makes it better. Overall, I think All-Star Baseball 2000 is still quite
a fun game, and if you too are feeling a wave of nostalgia, or if you don't
care about the lack of current rosters, it might be worth a try.

===============================================================================
Modes of Play                                                        [MODES]
===============================================================================
---Quickplay---
This begins a game with two randomly selected teams - a good way to experiment
with teams you might not select ordinarily or if you don't care about who's
playing.

---MLB Play---
This has three options. Exhibition mode pits two teams of your choice against
each other. You can determine things like the stadium and the weather
conditions, and you can play two-player games or even watch the computer play
itself. Impossible matchups like Atlanta vs. Oakland in Cincinnati are possible
- not that anyone would actually want to play at Cinergy Field.

New Season begins a season. While All-Star Baseball 2000 lets you play 162-game
campaigns based on the actual 1999 calendar, that might be a little bit too
long for most players. That's why shorter schedules, like 28-game seasons, are
also available for selection.

New Playoffs begins a new playoff series. Choose this if you want to head
straight to the playoffs without going through a regular season.

---Home Run Derby---
All-Star Baseball 2000's Home Run Derby mode is really fun. You can select any
player in the game to participate, but it's best to select sluggers like Mark
McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Ken Griffey Jr. Remember that if you don't like a
pitch, you can take it and it won't cost an out. Frankly, home runs were flying
out of ballparks as if every game was a home run derby in 1999.

---General Manager---
Here you can make player transactions and change lineups.

Roster Moves lets you make trades, sign free agents, call up players from the
minor leagues, and manage the disabled list. You can also reset game rosters
to the way they were when the game was new.

Create-a-Player lets you create a custom player - maybe a rookie who isn't in
the game, a Cooperstown great, or even yourself! There are quite a few options
for player creation, including skin color, stance, sunglasses, sock length, and
eye black, and you can also adjust the player's abilities. You can create a
7'0, 100-pound beanpole or a 5'2, 250-pound lump if you want to. Or you can
give the guy a wide head (useful in the steroid era) or give him a birthdate of
12/31/99 (born after the game was released).

Scouting Report shows detailed dossiers for every player in the game.

Set Lineup allows you to set each team's default starting lineup.

Set Rotation lets you adjust a team's starting rotation.
Player Draft is similar to a fantasy draft - every player in the game is
dispersed into a pool of players, and each team is restocked round by round.
You can take control of as many or as few teams as you want. The first 25
players selected by each team will be part of the active roster, and the final
10 thereafter will make up the farm system. The computer's selections generally
make sense, but that's not to say you won't be able to find a steal in a later
round. Typically, the computer will look for mostly power in the first few
rounds, although a handful of elite pitchers will also be snatched up quickly.
The right field and first base positions are always very deep, so it may be
smart to start by picking a slugger from a less deep position like third base
or catcher with your first few picks. Useful utility players tend to sit on the
draft boards for an eternity. Keep in mind that after the draft is over, you
may need to adjust each team's lineup and rotation, since the game's automatic
lineups can often be improved upon.

Save saves all the roster moves and season progress to your Controller Pak. If
you don't have an empty or semi-empty Controller Pak, you're out of luck.

---Statistics---
This option lets you browse the complete statistics for every player in the
game, courtesy of Stats Inc. All statistics are based on the 1998 season.

---Game Options---
These let you adjust game settings. The most important option is the game style
- Simulation or Arcade. Simulation play (the default) is designed to replicate
real baseball, while in Arcade mode, pitches are easier to hit and games tend
to be higher-scoring.

Many options affect conditions like time of day and wind. Some people find that
it's a bit easier to hit at night because of better contrast.

Turn Pitch Aid off when humans are playing each other or when you want
increased challenge (use the R button to redisplay the cursor when it's off).
Ball Landing Target and Fielder Control make fielding easier or more difficult.
You may want to experiment with different camera settings. And if you're
playing on an unusual TV (especially an HDTV) or emulator - or if you want to
make the commentators shut up - you'll want to fiddle with the audio and video
options.

You can also use the options menu to see the game's controller configuration or
watch the credits.

---Enter Cheats---
This sounds interesting! "Enter Cheats" allows you to input passwords used to
manipulate gameplay and do silly stuff. I explain this in greater depth in the
"Cheats" section.

---Baseball Rules---
For the 1% of you who don't know the basic rules of baseball, you can go here
to learn how to play the game. Scroll through the pages using the C-Right and
C-Left to view a condensed version of the official rules of baseball. It leaves
out the always-changing rules about the umpire being able to start calling
balls for pitchers who take too long (which you never see) or half-forgotten
prohibitions against players "making a travesty of the game" (running the bases
backwards) or trying to incite riots.

---Controller Pak---
This lets you load modified rosters or a season in progress.

===============================================================================
Controls                                                             [CONTR]
===============================================================================
These are adapted from the advice given in the game.

---Before Pitch---

Batting
   A: Swing
   B: Toggle between contact and power swing
   B + Control Stick: Tilt contact area
   C Buttons: Guess pitch type
   C Buttons + L/Z: Guess pitch type for arcade pitches (rarely useful)

Pitching
   A + Up/Down on Control Pad: Shift infield
   B + Up/Down/Left/Right on Control Stick: Shift outfield
   C Buttons: Throw respective pitch
   C Buttons + L/Z: Throw additional pitches in arcade mode



---Post-Pitch Selection---

Batting
   A: Swing
   B: Toggle between contact and power swing
   C-Down: Bunt (hold C-Left for power)
   C-Right: Steal runner on first
   C-Up: Steal runner on second
   C-Left: Steal runner third
   Z/L: Increase lead/steal all runners
   R: Return all runners

Pitching
   A: Throw pitch
   B: Pitchout/intentional ball
   C Buttons: Pickoff to respective base (C-Right = first base, etc.)
   Z/L: Catcher hold ball for pickoffs
   R: Display pitch target (when off)



---Ball in play---

Baserunning
   A: Slide
   A + Control Stick Left/Right: Slide left/right
   C Buttons + L/Z: Advance runner from respective base
   C Buttons + R: Return runner from respective base
   Z/L: Advance all runners
   R: Return all runners

Fielding
   A: Diving catch
   B: Jump/wall catch
   C-Down: Slide catch
   C Buttons: Throw to respective base (C-Up = second base, etc.)
   Z/L: Turbo; aggressive throws
   R: Switch to closest player/cutoff throw

Press START at most times to pause the game and bring up a menu that allows you
to view game statistics, change your lineup, watch an instant replay, or adjust
game settings.

On game menus, the A button will select an option, and B will take you back to
the previous screen. The L and R buttons often scroll through lists of teams,
and C-Up displays a help screen that shows what each button does on a
particular menu.

===============================================================================
Team Summaries                                                       [TEAMS]
===============================================================================
Teams in this game are rated using a difficult-to-quantify bar graph system, so
for this guide you'll have to be content with concise summaries of each team's
strong points and weaknesses.

Anaheim Angels: Now officially the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim), Anahiem has
some good power hitters (who had injury issues in real life) and a good closer
in Troy Percival, but the bullpen and bench are pretty shallow.

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles are fairly well-balanced, but they're not great
in any particular area, and the team is most definitely getting over the hill.
Cal Ripken Jr. and Albert Belle were still great players, but they didn't have
many seasons left.

Boston Red Sox: Boston is an underrated team that relies mostly on contact
hitting from guys like Nomar Garciaparra, a .357 hitter in '99. Pedro Martinez
is one of the best individual pitchers in the game, and Tom Gordon is a good
closer who got hurt early.

Chicago White Sox: This is a weak team with shaky pitching, especially in the
starting rotation. Magglio Ordonez and Frank Thomas give you some pop, though.

Cleveland Indians: The Tribe has an outstanding starting lineup, led by stars
like Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Richie Sexson, and Roberto Alomar. The Indians
have a great all-round team, but there are a few holes on the bench and an
unremarkable rotation.

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers look so-so at best. They can't hit for contact, and
the starting pitching is very iffy. If you're playing the Tigers, don't forget
about those cannon arms in the outfield.

Kansas City Royals: One of the weakest teams in the game. Kansas City is bad in
most areas of the field, although there is a bit of speed from multi-tooled
players like Carlos Beltran, Johnny Damon, and Jermaine Dye.

Minnesota Twins: The Twins were a young team on the upswing, but 1999 saw them
at one of their lowest points in team history. There are no power threats
whatsoever - their 105 team home runs were by far the worst in the homer-happy
1999 season. And once you get past reliable Brad Radke, you'll notice some
serious holes in the rotation. You'll also notice a whole bunch of guys with
funny names, like Torii Hunter and Doug Mientkiewicz.

New York Yankees: This is an amazing team that was in the middle of a three-
year World Series winning streak and won 114 games in 1998. Derek Jeter leads a
sturdy lineup (though not quite as powerful as some), and Mariano Rivera was
(and still is even today) as good as any closer in baseball. Plus, you can't go
wrong with a rotation of Roger Clemens, David Cone, Andy Pettitte, Orlando
Hernandez, and Hideki Irabu.

Oakland A's: Kind of an average-looking team. Jason Giambi, Matt Stairs, and
John Jaha obviously provide power, but the starting pitching is pretty shaky.
And speaking of shaky, the same word can be used to describe the fielding for
the A's. The A's hitters draw a lot of walks but also strike out constantly in
the "Money-Ball" system.

Seattle Mariners: This strong team is led by the lightning bats of Ken Griffey
Jr. and Alex Rodriguez. Jamie Moyer leads a potentially troublesome starting
rotation. Bench and speed are worries.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Now officially known as the Rays, the Devil Rays are an
overrated team with no speed whatsoever and a lack of clutch performers. At
least they have a good bullpen, which will probably be needed a lot. Jose
Canseco and Fred McGriff are the only power hitters.

Texas Rangers: A lineup full of dangerous (and some enhanced) bats, both for
homers and average. Ivan Rodriguez is a superb catcher, both offensively and
defensively, and Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro are both at their peaks. The
Rangers' starting pitching isn't as good as you'd want for a playoff-caliber
team.

Toronto Blue Jays: As usual, the Blue Jays are a well-rounded team that plays
under the shadow of division rivals New York and Boston. David Wells leads a
capable pitching staff, and while Shawn Green and Carlos Delgado have great
power, there are a few low batting averages.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Diamondbacks: In 1999, Arizona made the playoffs in just their second
season. They're strong all-around, except for a shallow bench. When Randy
Johnson's pitching, the D'backs are extremely tough to stop.

Atlanta Braves: The only team that matches the Yankees' ability. The Braves
boast a strong lineup full of sweet bats and slick gloves, and any rotation
with Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Kevin Millwood at their peak is
unstoppable.

Chicago Cubs: Slammin' Sammy Sosa's 60+ home runs leads an aging lineup that
has little power otherwise and almost nothing in the way of speed. Starting
pitching is pretty strong, especially since Kerry Wood (who had Tommy John
surgery and missed the real 1999 season) is one of the very best pitchers in
the game. Middle relief is horrible, and while Rod Beck had a terrible time
with the Cubs in '99, he gets high ratings thanks to his 51-save 1998 season.

Cincinnati Reds: Some low batting averages, but otherwise an able team that
just barely missed the playoffs. There's no shortage of stolen-base threats
with people like Pokey Reese, Barry Larkin, and Mike Cameron. Starting pitching
is strong.

Colorado Rockies: Probably the most overrated team in All-Star Baseball 2000,
there's a superb offense with Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla, Todd Helton, and
Dante Bichette, but all the 35-HR seasons at pre-dehumidifed Coors Field won't
make up for the awful rotation (team ERA > 6.00). Lots of lumberers, too.

Florida Marlins: The Fish had just finished their purge of all their 1997 World
Series stars, and what was left was a group of obscure young players and an
atrocious team in all areas of the field (although the fielding is strong). Of
course, these same obscure young players, like Derrek Lee, Luis Castillo, Mike
Lowell, and A.J. Burnett, were the nucleus of the Marlins team that won the
2003 World Series.

Houston Astros: The Astros are well-constructed and are strong everywhere. Mike
Hampton, Jose Lima, and Shane Reynolds form an excellent starting trio. The
real Astros were hurt a lot when they lost Moises Alou for the season because
of a freak treadmill accident.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have better pitching than hitting. This
talented (and well-compensated) team underperformed badly, in part because of a
lack of coherence and chemistry. Cubs fans might note 11+ former or future
players on this team.

Milwaukee Brewers: In their second year in the senior circuit, the Brewers put
out a weak team with among the worst pitching in baseball. At least the
fielding is OK.

Montreal Expos: Vladimir Guerrero is the only power outlet in a lousy lineup.
Pitching is awful, too, but Ugueth Urbina is a great closer if you ever get to
use him. This was an unstable period for the Expos, who later moved to
Washington and became the Expos.

New York Mets: Good all-around team that missed the World Series in an epic
N.L.C.S. with Atlanta. The bench doesn't have much to offer; that's why they
made so many trades in midseason.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies have an unremarkable team with some speed
and good defense. Doug Glanville is one of the best leadoff hitters in the
game, and Curt Schilling is a great starter. Otherwise, not much.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The overachieving Pirates are a small-market, low-budget
club with an average lineup, nimble feet, and surprisingly respectable
pitching.

St. Louis Cardinals: Mark McGwire gives the Redbirds a league-best 65 homers,
and the bullpen is pretty good. Starting pitching is a notch below the rest of
the team.

San Diego Padres: The Padres are a team on the way down after their surprising
1998 World Series appearance. Hitting is OK with Tony Gwynn around, but there
are some obvious holes in this game's lineup. Trevor Hoffman's a really good
closer.

San Francisco Giants: Barry Bonds leads an OK lineup with some good gloves
(like J.T. Snow) and a capable bench. Starting is shaky, but the bullpen is OK.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

American League All-Stars: As good as they get, except for a small speed
weakness.

National League All-Stars: A great all-around team made up of the best players
from the National League.

===============================================================================
General Strategies                                                   [STRAT]
===============================================================================

---Hitting---

* To make good contact with the ball, swing the bat when your cursor overlaps
squarely with the pitcher's aiming sight. Watch the latter closely, as it may
dip or curve, especially on breaking balls. Usually it's best to aim a little
below the ball.
* At the plate, don't try to chase bad pitches that are well outside the strike
zone.
* If you're hitting for power and aim just a little above the ball, you'll hit
a hard line drive. Aim a bit over the ball to hit a higher ball, perhaps
increasing the chances of a sacrifice fly. The same applies to hitting left or
right of the ball if you want to push or pull the ball. Tilting the contact
area doesn't work for power hits, even if you set an angle for the contact hit
and then changed to power.
* Don't angle the ball with B too sharply, or you'll hit a foul ball or a puny
pop-up.
* If you think a pitcher will be throwing a particular pitch, press the
corresponding C-Button before the pitch to "guess" that the pitcher will throw
that particular pitch. If you guess correctly, your odds of hitting the ball
will increase. If the pitcher throws something else, though, you might want to
take the pitch. This is useful on certain counts; for example, you're likely to
see a heater on a 2-0 count.
* Every hitter in the game has strong and weak spots of the plate. Your
batter's contact area will be larger near the red portions of the box and
smaller in blue areas. Keep this in mind if you're pitching, too.
* With practice, you can bunt well. Hold C-Down and use the Control Stick to
angle the cursor so you'll hit the ball strongly toward the third base foul
line. Use Up or Down on the Control Stick to raise or lower your bat to hit the
ball; it's easy to make contact when bunting. Usually, and especially when
bunting for a hit, you'll want to hold C-Left for a harder bunt. And on
sacrifice bunts, it's a good idea to increase the runners' leads before you
bunt. Lastly, remember that bunting is most effective with players who have
high Bunting and Speed ratings.
* Use pinch-hitting to your advantage, especially when a tired pitcher is at
the plate. But don't pinch-hit for an effective, energized pitcher.
* Be willing to take pitches. The computer will walk people on occasion, and
swinging at the first pitch all the time is a great way to keep the opposing
pitcher fresh. Moreover, whenever a new pitcher comes in, be patient so you can
see what kind of "stuff" he has.

---Pitching---

* In All-Star Baseball, your pitching will be most effective if you aim for the
corners of the strike zone. Unlike real umpires (who can be quite inconsistent,
especially in 1999), the game's strike zone never changes. Remember that you
can aim closer to the corners of the zone if you have a fresh pitcher with good
control.
* If your pitcher is getting tired, don't throw high breaking balls to a heavy
hitter unless you'd like to give up a home run.
* Different pitches have different pitches to choose from.
* If you're ahead in the count (like 0-2), throw a tempting pitch at the edge
of the strike zone or a weak pitch in the dirt.
* You can aim breaking balls a little off the plate, and if done properly,
they'll curve back for a strike (keep in mind whether you're a lefty or a
righty).
* Against human players, fastballs tend to be easier to hit than breaking
balls.
* Fastballs tend to have the best velocity when thrown high in the zone.
* When pitching to an opposing pitcher, just blow by him with a few sizzlers.
Against a human, though, pitchers can hit slightly more effectively.
* Batters' vertical strike zones vary depending on stance; a player with a very
erect stance (like Gary Gaetti) will have a bigger zone than someone who's more
compact, like Quilvio Veras.
* A pitcher's energy level is shown on the meter below the pitch selection
dialog. If the meter drops into the orange region, be ready to warm someone up
if your current pitcher gets into trouble. And when it starts flashing, you're
going to see a rapid drop in performance and risk wild pitches and hit batsmen.
* Remember that you have to warm a pitcher up in the bullpen before making a
pitching change.
* And yes, in arcade play (or if you create a custom player), you can throw the
prohibited spitball with some pitchers. And it does work.

---Fielding---

* In this game, fielding can be tough. You may want to use the auto-fielding
option when you're starting out. However, even the computer seems to have
trouble with dribblers and bunts to the pitcher.
* If you're fielding manually, you'll need to start moving outfielders to the
ball's landing area the instant the ball is hit. Assisted fielding gives you
more leeway.
* Bring the infield in (check the Controls section) if you think the opposition
is planning to bunt. If you're an advanced player, use infield and outfield
shifts to your advantage.
* When making substitutions, don't insert a player into an unnatural position -
for example, don't play a first baseman in center field.
* If you throw the ball back and forth between second and home, computer
runners will eventually take off for an extra base, making them an easy out.

---Other Game Notes---

* Use the "Controllers" option on the in-game pause menu to change the team
you're controlling. The other options should be self-explanatory.
* I've seen several hit batters and wild pitches years ago, but as far as I
know, the game doesn't have balks, catcher's interference, or other rare
events. And, of course, there aren't rain delays, bench-clearing brawls, or
mound conferences.
* Some things in this game aren't realistic; for example, Kerry Wood didn't
throw 103 MPH in real life. Also, home runs are often a bit longer than they
would usually be in real life.

===============================================================================
Cheats                                                               [CHEAT]
===============================================================================
Here are some passwords you can enter on the cheat entry prompt:

BCHBLKTPTY    Big Ball Mode
FLYAWAY       Players fly away after outs
MYEYES        Fog Mode
TOMTHUMB      Tom Thumb Mode (small players)
WLDWLDWST     Ball Trail Mode (smoking baseball)
WTOTL         Blackout Mode

These codes don't affect the way the game plays, although they may impair
visibility.

An alternate way to activate Ball Trail Mode: At the pause menu, hold Z and
press B, C-Left, C-Up, C-Right, C-Down, B, A, C-Left, and C-Left.

Also at the pause menu, hold Z and press C-Left, A, C-Right, C-Down, B, A,
C-Left, and C-Left to activate Big Ball Mode.

I've heard that if you hit one of the "Win a Lizard" signs (like at Kauffman
Stadium) in an exhibition game, all of your players will turn into lizards.

===============================================================================
Frequently Asked Questions                                           [QUEST]
===============================================================================
Q: How accurate are the rosters in this game?
A: I think the game's rosters were finalized at the start of spring training,
so they're pretty good. But that's not to say that some things changed between
the start of spring training and Opening Day. And, of course, lots of trades,
signings, and other roster moves occurred during the 1999 season. I don't
include a section about trades you can make to update your favorite teams,
since some people might prefer rosters to look the way they looked in spring
training, on Opening Day, or on the last day of the season. If you want to
tweak the rosters, try Baseball-Reference.com or other sites for 1999 stats.
And if realism doesn't matter, feel free to make moves that never occurred at
all in real life - trade Derek Jeter for Greg Maddux if it suits your fancy.

Q: What players on the free agents list played in the big leagues in 1999?
A: Here's the list, along with their respective teams:

Ramon Martinez - BOS
Bobby Witt     - TB
Mike Magnante  - ANA
Terry Mathews  - KC
Pat Borders    - CLE
Sal Fasano     - KC
Joe Oliver     - PIT
Joe Vitiello   - KC
Domingo Cedeno - SEA
James Mouton   - MON
Jeff Huson     - ANA
Joe McEwing    - STL

Also, many rookies from 1999 aren't on the 25-man rosters or even in the farm
system; one such example is Carlos Lee of the White Sox.

Q: Do roster moves change the team ratings displayed on the team selection
screens?
A: No, although they can certainly change the quality and chemistry of the
teams.

Q: Why don't I understand the "Yo quero Albert Belle" sign on the scoreboard at
Baltimore home games?
A: Albert Belle was the Orioles' hard-hitting (and overpaid) slugger in 1999,
and "Yo quero Taco Bell" was Taco Bell's slogan at the time (later pulled
because it offended some Hispanics). A close look at the advertisements in the
ballparks may produce a laugh or two. New Era, Skybox, and Twizzlers are the
only real products, and New Era was the only one of the aforementioned signs
actually seen in real-life venues.

Q: Why is Oriole Park at Camden Yards called "Baltimore" on the stadium
selection screen while all of the other stadiums' names are used?
A: I don't know, although this seems to be the case in other baseball games
made before the 2000 season. I think it has something to do with a controversy
about what the stadium's name was supposed to be - the full "Oriole Park at
Camden Yards" was sort of a compromise between "Oriole Park" and "Camden
Yards." This seems to be the case in all the Nintendo 64 baseball games I know
of, but not in later games.

Q: Why is Qualcomm Stadium's name used on the stadium select screen but called
"Go Padres Stadium" inside the stadium?
A: I have no idea, but I suspect it has something to do with lawyers, and I
prefer not to increase my knowledge of the black arts when I can avoid it. This
seems to be the case in all of the N64 All-Star Baseball games and in Mike
Piazza's Strike Zone, while in the Griffey games and Triple Play 2000, the
Qualcomm name and logo is used within the Padres' ballpark.

Q: Should I hit for contact or power?
A: As a batter, you can press the B button to choose between the two. There are
many factors when deciding. If your batter is Wade Boggs or Tom Goodwin, you'll
have a massive contact zone and a tiny power zone, so using a power hit with
them is stupid. If you're using a well-rounded hitter like Chipper Jones,
you'll probably want to use a power hit if runners are on base. If you're using
a lousy contact hitter who has some power, like Greg Vaughn, power is usually
the way to go. There are some other factors as well; for example, if the count
is 2-0, there's a good chance you'll be getting a sluggable fastball down the
middle - an invitation for power. An 0-2 count may force you to use a more
defensive contact hit. Having runners on base makes power more useful; empty
bases is usually a more desirable condition for contact.

Q: What are the differences between the difficulty levels?
A: The main difference is the size of the contact areas and the quality of the
AI. On Rookie difficulty, the hitting contact area is much larger than it is on
the Veteran or All-Star levels. Also, the computer pitcher is a little trickier
on higher difficulties.

Q: How do I change the difficulty level?
A: Use Up or Down on the Control Stick on the controllers screen before the
game.

Q: Does anything special happen if I pitch a no-hitter?
A: No. Sorry.

===============================================================================
Comparing to Reality                                                 [REALL]
===============================================================================
If 1968 went down in baseball history as the Year of the Pitcher, 1999 will
surely be remembered as the Year of the Hitter. With a home run total exceeded
only by the 2000 season and no shortage of amazing batting averages, it wasn't
a happy time to be a hurler.

1999 was one of the few recent seasons in which the two teams favored before
the season faced off in the World Series, as the New York Yankees swept the
Atlanta Braves in four games for their second of three consecutive world
championships. While there weren't many surprises in the division races, except
for the charismatic Reds and the well-built second-year Diamondbacks, the
Braves' National League Championship Series with the New York Mets included
several epic games.

The umpires' walkout during the season provided one of the stranger stories
during the 1999 season and proved advantageous to no one.

Personally, I have a lot of great memories watching Major League Baseball
around this time, but they've also been somewhat tarnished by the confessions,
allegations, and speculation involving the recent performance-enhancing drug
scandals. Some players of the time, like Jose Canseco, were known cheaters, and
a whole bunch of the biggest stars in baseball, including Mark McGwire, Sammy
Sosa, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Roger Clemens, were
linked to steroids or HGH or who are known to have used banned substances in
future seasons. These allegations, besides the fishy bursts in homers in aging
sluggers and the swollen heads, give ample reason to question many of the
notable achievements reached around this time, even for perfectly clean
players.

===============================================================================
Version History                                                      [VERSN]
===============================================================================
Woo-hoo!

Date    | Version | Size |
--------|---------|------|-----------------------------------------------------
7- 1-09 |  0.1    |  1KB | Began guide. Did the free agent signings list.
7- 3-09 |  0.2    |  6KB | Did most of the team summaries.
7- 4-09 |  0.3    | 11KB | Completed team summaries when I wasn't at the big
        |         |      | Keystone Heights parade and eating blueberries.
7- 8-09 |  0.6    | 27KB | Finished basic guide framework and made substantial
        |         |      | progress in other areas as well.
7- 9-09 |  0.8    | 35KB | Wrote the introduction and did a lot of stuff.
7-10-09 |  0.9    | 36KB | Just about finished.
7-16-09 |  0.95   | 37KB | Added the cheats section.
7-17-09 |  0.99   | 38KB | Finished things up.
7-23-09 |  1.0    | 38KB | Made two insignificant changes.

===============================================================================
Copyright                                                            [COPYR]
===============================================================================
(c) 2009 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved.

All copyrights mentioned in this guide are property of their respective
holders.

 * You can print this guide out for your personal use.
 * You can download this guide to your computer for your personal use.
 * You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit
AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even an tilde).
 * Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com,
but don't count on there being frequent (if any) updates.
 * You can translate this guide into a foreign language (British, Southern,
Australian, and New Yorker are not considered foreign languages) as long as you
ask permission first.
 * You can't post this guide on your Web site and then say you wrote the guide
yourself.
 * You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain (or have links to sites
that contain) explicit depictions of unclothed humans (also known as
pornography), racism, gambling, or flattery of totalitarian regimes.
 * You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change
anything in this guide that took me so many hours to write.

If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted
inexplicably and you will suffer from constipation for the rest of your life.
Heed this warning.

===============================================================================
Contact Information                                                  [CONTC]
===============================================================================
If you have any questions or comments about this guide, please send an e-mail
to [email protected]. That's zero-zero-two, by the way. Remember that not
all e-mail messages will be read. Please follow these guidelines:

 * Do include "All-Star Baseball" in the subject line.
 * Do send polite suggestions for ways to make this walkthrough better.
 * Do tell me about any errors or omissions you find in this guide.
 * Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you discover in
this game.
 * Do ask any questions you have about All-Star Baseball 2000 gameplay. I will
respond eventually if you follow all of these rules.
 * Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage,
punctuation, and capitalization so I can understand what you're trying to say.
 * Do use patience. I check my e-mail quite sporadically.
 * Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that
contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violating this rule will result in
deletion of the message and permanent constipation.

And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all
humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Don't go out skateboarding at
3 A.M. No one's likely to read this, though.

For the guy at Games Galore who got shot last month