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                              MLB '10:THE SHOW
              Pitcher Career Mode FAQ(Version 1.0; April 8,2010)
                           Written by: Aj_the_one

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Table of Contents
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A.Version History
B.Introduction
C.Legal Stuff
D.Making a Pitcher
E.Pitches
 E1.Fastballs
 E2.Breaking Balls
 E3.Off-Speed Pitches
F.Ratings
G.Delivery
H.Starting your Career
 H1.Spring Training
I.Regular Season and Playoffs
 I1.Schedule
 I2.Around the League
  II1.Standings
  II2.Statistics
  II3.Team Rankings
  II4.Who's Hot
  II5.League Roundup
  II6.League Leaders
  II7.Accolades
  II8.Batter Perfomance
 I3.Player Management
J.Career Home Menu
 J1.Locker Room
 J2.Advancement Goals
 J3.Interactions
 J4.Training
 J5.Pitcher Training Games
  JJ1.Knockout
  JJ2.Simulated Game
 J6.Batting Performance
 J7.Player Card
 J8.Edit Player
 J9.The Show Stop
L.Off-Season
M.Retirement
N.Closer Career Progress(Guideline)
O.Pitching Tips
P.Credits

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A.Version History
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Version 1.0- Main FAQ Completed

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B.Introduction
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Yeah Boi!!!! It's that time again, the weather is getting nice and you know
what that means...it's baseball season baby!!! Fresh off my excitement of my
Yankees winning the Chip I've finally got my MLB '10:The Show and there is
no doubt that this is the best baseball simulation ever. There are so many
things that were added to this year's game it's gonna take a while to write
down. With that being said jump right in and I hope the FAQ is useful to you
all. 

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C.Legal Stuff
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My FAQ may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal or
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site except for www.gamefaqs.com and www.ign.com or as part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.

Copyright 2010 Armand Sellers

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D.Making a Pitcher
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Welcome to the start of career!!! Naturally you start by making your pitcher.
There are so many customization options that I won't list them all but you can
pick your name, Audio sound of your name, Handedness, position accessories
and even whether you were born in the US!! Since the aesthetics aren't that
important to mw I won't list them here but after playing with them for a 
little while I can say that the facial customization is top notch in this game
and you should be able to make your player's likeness similiar to your own.

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E.Types of Pitches
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This is one of the most important choices you can make for you pitcher. You 
have alot of pitches to choose from and I would recommend you go with your
favorite pitches. I will outline each pitches movement with a clock system
(1 to 9 etc.)description of the pitch and a speed range. Like last year you
can only choose three pitches from the start.

E1.FastBalls

4-Seam-This pitch is normally thrown by gripping the area where the seams are
furthest apart. It is thrown with little movement and is the fastest pitch
your pitcher can throw.

Movement-Little or none

Speed Range-80-102mph

2-Seam-This pitch is thrown by gripping the area where the seams are closest
together then rotating the ball so the seams are perpendicular to his body.
This pitch ranks second in terms of velocity.

Movement-Will appear to have an inside-out movement and will move downward a
little bit. For right-handed pitchers the pitch will move right then left and
for Left-handed pitchers it will do the opposite and move left then right.

Speed Range-75-97mph

Cutter-This pitch is thrown basically the same way the 4-seam is thrown 
except it is thrown with slight pressure from the tip of the middle finger.
It's difficult to hit if thrown hard because it breaks and still moves 90-95
mph making it harder to see. 

Movement-This pitch is a cross between a 4-seam and a slider and it's 
break is basically an 11-7.

Speed Range-75-95mph

Splitter-This pitch is thrown by splitting your index and middle finger an
equal distance apart on the ball. This pitch is hard to hit when thrown hard
because it moves fast and it tumbles downward making it harder to hit.

Movement-This pitch will drop straight down with a 12-6 break and will also
break harder the faster the pitch is.

Speed Range-75-93mph

Running Fastball-This pitch is basically a two-seam fastball without the
downward movement and it has a  much more severe break. It also moves around
the same speed as the 2-seam. When it's at good levels and is thrown in the
right location it will make hitters look like little leaguers.

Movement-This pitch will move towards the pitchers throwing hand. If it 
thrown by a Right handed pitcher to a right handed batter the pitch will move
in on the hitter with a severe 9-3 break.

Speed Range- 75-98mph

E2.Breaking Balls

Curveball-This pitch is thrown by placing your index and middle finger on the
top of the ball and curving your thumb on the bottom of the ball. This pitch
is significantly slower than a fastball and has a sharp break which will throw
off the hitter's timing.

Movement-This pitch most often has a 12-6 break but there are a good amount of
pitchers who throw this with a 10-4 break.

Speed Range-63-86mph

Slider-This pitch is thrown the same way the curve is except the thumb is 
closer to the third finger. Also the pitch is released off the middle finger
most commonly.

Movement-This pitch will have a lateral movement, similiar to a 9-3 break.
Also the faster the pitch is thrown the harder the break, making the pitch 
alot harder to spot.

Speed Range-68-91mph

Sinker-This pitch is thrown basically the same way the 2-Seam is except you
can add sideways movement to the pitch by putting more pressure on the index
or middle finger. This pitch is essential for producing ground-outs when hit.

Movement-The pitch will break downward sharply as it approaches the plate. It
will also move in on left-handed batters and away from right-handed batters.

Speed Range-76-92mph

Slurve-This pitch can be thrown with 2-seam or 4-seam grip. With the 2-seam
grip the pitch will have a stronger break but less speed and the 4-seam grip
will have more speed and less break. As it's name implies it's a cross between
a Slider and a Curveball

Movement-As it's name implies the break will normally be 11-5 with a late 
break.

Speed Range-73-87mph

Forkball-This pitch is thrown the same way the splitter is except the ball is
wedged more tightly between the fingers and the ball breaks a little later 
than the splitter.

Movement-This pitch has the same break as the splitter with a 12-6. In
addition to this it also breaks later than the splitter.

Speed Range-70-87mph

Knuckle Curve-This pitch is thrown just like the curveball except the index
finger is bent while the rest of grip is like the curve. This pitch moves
slower than the curveball and has a more deceptive break to it. It's also
very hard to control(Both in the game and in real-life).

Movement-This pitch is thrown with a 12-6 break and breaks sharply as it
approaches the plate.

Speed Range-62-80mph

Screwball-This pitch has an appropriate name because the movement and the
finger placement is crazy. This pitch is thrown by holding the ball with a 
4-seam grip and upon release turning your wrist clockwise(sounds confusing? I
know).

Movement-This pitch will start to move towards the batter then move away.
With right-handed pitchers the pitch will break right then left, and with left
handed pitchers it will break left then right.

Speed Range-63-75mph

Knuckleball-This pitch is most commonly thrown by holding the seams of the 
ball with your fingernails and releasing the pitch straight out of your hand.
This pitch has an extremely erractic motion and is hard to both hit and 
control.

Movement-I couldn't chart the movement of this pitch because it was so crazy
but the most common pattern I have noticed(by the game showing where the pitch
was intended and where it landed) that it breaks in the same direction of the
throwing arm of the pitcher.

Speed Range-55-69mph

12-6 Curveball-As it's name implies this is a curveball which drops straight
down with a 12-6 break and no lateral movement. Depending on how high the 
Break rating is this pitch will be very hard to keep in the strike zone and as
such it's one of my favorite 2 strike pitches. 

Movement- As it's name implies it has a VERY STRONG 12-6 break from the moment
it leaves the pitcher's hand.

Speed Range-63-86mph

Sweeping Curveball-This pitch is similiar to the 12-6 Curveball in the sense
that it's a variation of the Curveball but it moves like a more vertical 
version of the Slurve.

Movement- This will have a hard 10-4 movement and looks very much like a 
slider.

Speed Range-

Gyroball- Returning from last years game but you still can't choose this from 
the start and I haven't sound out how to get it.The motion for throwing this 
pitch is weird and it gives a similiar break also.

Movement- This pitch moves like a really hard slider and it's flat movement.
It will be a straight 3-9 if thrown by a right handed pitcher and will have
a really strong lateral break.

Speed Range- The fastest I got this pitch to go was 93mph.

E3.Off-Speed Pitches

Changeup-This pitch is thrown by placing three fingers on the top of the ball
while keeping the other finger off the ball and the thumb placed on the 
bottom of the ball.

Movement-This pitch will break downward slightly as it approaches the plate
with a 12-6 motion.

Speed Range-59-82mph

Circle-Change-This is thrown by placing your index finger and thumb together
around the ball while gripping the ball with the other three fingers.

Movement-This pitch will have a downward break and will move in the opposite
direction of the pitcher's throwing arm(Left-handed pitch will break away from
a right-handed batter).

Speed Range-69-83mph

Palmball-This pitch is thrown exactly as it sounds, by placing the ball in 
your palm.

Movement-Similiar to a changeup with a 12-6 late break.

Speed Range-60-73mph

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F.Ratings
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In this section I will outline all of the pitching ratings in the game and
explain each one and how they should be developed for a successful career.

STAMINA- This determines how many pitches you throw in an outing. The higher
the bar the more pitches you can throw and the more innings you can go. If you
are creating a Starting Pitcher then this will be an important rating starting
out because it will allow you to keep a good level of energy throughout a game
which in turn makes it easier to throw your pitches with control. 

MAX- 5 points
RECOMMENDED- 5 Points(Starters/Closers)

If you are creating a Starter then you should put the bar at the max. This
ensures that you won't have to touch your stamina throughout the season and
will allow you to focus on your Hits per 9, Balls/9 and your Strikeouts/9.

PITCHING CLUTCH- This rating allows your pitcher to dig deep and get out of
tough situations(Bases loaded, no outs). This is important for starters but
really important for relievers because they will most likely come in the game
in pressure situations.

MAX- 5 Points
RECOMMENEDED- Starting Point(Starters) +5(Closers)

Since the amount that this will go up won't be much i can't recommend wasting
the points which you can put toward your pitches and per 9 ratings.  
 
HITS PER 9- This rating determines how easy it is for batters to get hits off
you. Needless to say this is important for both starters and relievers. If you
make the mistake of not touching this stat and focusing on your pitches you 
will be sorry because your pitches will get hit frequently by all batters good
or not.

MAX- 5 Points
RECOMMENDED- 5 Points(Starters/Closers)

Max this out as it's only 5 points and is one of the most important stats for
your pitcher. This will make it harder for you be hittable which is vital in
racking up points fast and improving your player.

HOMERUNS PER 9- This rating determines how hard it is for your pitcher to give
up a homerun or a deep fly ball which could turn into a double or triple. This
is important for both Starters and Relievers because nobody wants to give a 
walk-off home run or a bases loaded jack which will severely damage your ERA.

MAX- 5 Points
RECOMMENDED- 5 Points(Starters/Closers)

I maxed this out since it was so cheap and you will reap such a benefit from
not getting taken deep all the time.

STRIKEOUTS PER 9- It took me a while before I realized how important this stat
was. This stat determines how easy it is for your pitcher to get a strikeout.
Since I am a closer I found this to be important because if I can strike out
the side I don't have to worry about the runners on base. This is less 
important for starters because if you get alot of strikeouts, your stamina
will suffer because you will throw more pitches.

MAX- 5 Points
RECOMMENDED- 5 Points(Starters/Closers)

Like most of the per 9 ratings this should be maxed out. Not only will this
help you get strikeouts it'll increase the points you get also. And I still
like Strikeout pitchers.

BALLS PER 9- This stat basically determines your pitchers overall level of 
control on his pitches.This is very important because if he has no control 
then your pitches won't go where you want them to and that will make it 
easier to give up walks or even worse hits.

MAX- 5 Points
RECOMMENDED- 5 Points(Starters/Closers)

Max this out like the other per 9 ratings. The reason for this as stated
above is control. With little or no BB/9 your pitches will rarely go where
you want them to and the result will either be a HR or a hit.

DURABILITY- This determines how frequently your player will be injured 
throughout his career. It is important but you really won't get hurt that much
to waste starting points on it. I've only been injured once for 6 days.

MAX- 5 Points
RECOMMENDED- Starting Point(All)

My reason for leaving this stat blank is because you can do the Long Distance
Running training and raise both your stamina and durability. Also the easiest
reason could be if you get injured don't save the game.

FIELDING ABILITY- This determines how many fielding errors your pitcher will
make. Since your pitcher really won't have that much interaction on the field
don't worry about this stat until you have points to spare(meaning all your
pitches are maxed out).

Like I said above don't worry about this because your points earlier on in
your career can be spent on you pitches and Per 9 ratings which are alot more
important than fielding ability.

ARM STRENGTH- This determines how strong your pitchers are is in the field.
Like fielding ability this also isn't important until you have points to spare

ARM ACCURACY- Like Arm strength this isn't important for you pitcher because
most of his throws in the field will be short anyway so he won't need to have
accuract because he is so close to his target.

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G.Delivery
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This is important for a couple of reasons. First and foremost it determines
how your pitcher throws the ball. I have broken down the different types of
deliveries and I will explain what pitches have the most break with each
delivery and also what the arm angle is on the delivery.

OVER-HAND DELIVERY
As the name implies your pitchers release point is over his head and
more often than not his wrist his facing straight down after he releases the
ball. I have found that pitches that have a downward break are more effective
when throw from an over-hand delivery. Depending on the pitcher the ball will
also be hidden until it leaves your pitchers hand which makes it harder for
the batter to recognize what's coming. On the other hand I don't like throwing
pitches that a sideways movement from this delivery because it doesn't break
as much(Primarily Sliders).

Best Pitches to throw- Anything with a downward or 12 to 6 break meaning 
curveballs, splitters, changeups, Knucklecurves and Sinkers.

SIDE-ARM DELIVERY
Also like it's name implies your pitcher's release point is at his waist 
level. Pitches from this delivery will most likely move a little more than you
want them to(i.e. my curveball thrown to inside of a left-handed batter will
move a little more towards him than a over-hand). This isn't a bad thing, I
find it to be quite useful because it not only do my curveball and splitter
have a 12-6 break, they also appear to move up then down as opposed to an over
hand delivery in which the pitch would just tumble downward from the release
point. I love throwing sliders with this delivery because they have more of
a side to side or 9-3 break to them. Fastballs are also effective because it
feels like you get extra speed on the fastball(It feels that way, I haven't
notices a speed difference).

Best Pitches to throw- Sliders and Fastballs. Breaking pitches work well also
just not as effective as with a over-hand delivery.

THREE QUARTERS DELIVERY
This is the most common delivery style in the MLB. Your pitchers realease 
point is slightly above his shoulder(Not quite a side-arm but not an overhand
either, stuck right in the middle). There is good reason why most pitchers use
a three quaters delivery and that reason is all pitches have a good amount of
break to them. Fastballs come out fast, breaking pitches tumble downward with
a bit or sideways movement, and off-speed pitches appear slower. You really
can't go wrong with any of these deliveries.

Best Pitches to throw- All pitches work wonderfully with this delivery.

SUBMARINE DELIVERY
Like the name implies(I know it's getting old) your pitcher's release point is
at his thigh to the point where his hand is almost scraping the dirt. I really
have no complaints about this delivery and it actually is my favorite for a
couple of reasons. First it's easy to confuse batters with this delivery. Next
when I throw my fastball(which tops out at 102mph) it looks like it's going
alot faster than 102mph and batters are always late swinging at it. Also my
slider has a ridiculous amount of break when thrown from this delivery(I can
leave the ball in the middle of the zone and it will slide outside of the box)
My splitter and curveball also have a small amount of 9-3 motion when thrown
which is great when thrown into or away from the batter.

Best Pitches to throw- Fastballs, Sliders and Splitters. All other pitches 
work well also.

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H.Starting your Career
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IMPORTANT!!!!In the first year there is no Spring Training. You start out in
AA with the Regular Season starting. You are however awarded 500 training 
points which you should use to make your pitcher better.

H1.Spring Training
If you are on the team's 40-Man Roster then you will be invited to Spring
Training. This definitely won't happen in your first year and probably not
your second year either. You'll play with your major league club through
spring training and if you do well enough and your ratings are up to par then
they'll offer you a spot on the major league club. Otherwise you'll be sent to
AA or AAA.

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I.Regular Season and Playoffs
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Once spring training is done you will enter the regular season and a number of
menu options available for you to cycle through. I will give a synopsis of the
options and also go into depth a little bit. I'm going to assume that everyone
who is playing this game knows how the regular season progresses so I'm not
going to explain that in this section. The only major difference in this
section is the interface has changed and now everything can be accessed by
scrolling through the menu with R1/L1.

I1.Schedule
As it's name implies this is where you see your teams schedule and where you
have to go to play your games. You can choose Sim to Next Appearance and the
game will sim until you're actually playing in a game. They also changed the
screen layout by adding the Standings on the right-hand side of the screen.
This way you can see how your team is doing in the league as it'll be marked
yellow.

I2.Around the League
This is basically your stats central. If it's a stat it can be found in this
menu. I will break this down section by section to make it easier to read and
more comprehensive.

II1.Standings
This is where you come to check the standings in the league. You can see what
your overall record is, How many runs your team has scored, Runs given up, 
Winning Streak,record of last 10 games played,Record against division, Home
record,Away record, Day record and Night Record. Yeah I know it's a lot of 
stats and you probably won't look at them through most of the season.

II2.Statistics
In this screen you can see the individual statistics for the entire league,
broken down team by team. There is a very comprehensive list of stats and if
I listed them all this section would be alot longer so I am going to name the
primary ones which are:Games Played,At-Bats,Batting Avg,Hits,Runs scored, 
doubles,triples,homeruns,Runs Batted In,Stolen Bases,Times Caught Stealing,
stolen base percentage,Base on Balls, Strikeouts,Slugging Percentage, and
On-Base Percentage.For the pitchers it is:Games Played,Wins,Losses,Earned Run
Average,Games Started,Complete Games,Shutouts,Saves,Blown Saves,Holds,Innings 
pitched,Hits allowed,Runs,Earned Runs,HomeRuns,Bases on balls and Strikeouts.

 
III3.Team Rankings
In this screen you can see what your team is ranked in every offensive and
defensive category an also see the top the three players on your team in that
category.

III4.Who's Hot
Here is where you can see who's hot in the league or who's been on a tear in
the past month. This is useful for seeing who you should avoid when you play
a particular team.

III5.League Roundup
This is where you can monitor all the transactions in the league. Signings,
trades, releases everything involving the movement of players either from the
DL or to another team or even moving up and down from the minors.

III6.League Leaders
Here is where you can see who is leading the league in a good portion of the
statistics that were listed above. If you are a stat nut(as most of us are)
then you will spend alot of time in this menu option looking at and glossing
over your stats.

III7.Accolades
It is in this menu screen that you see who the front runners are for the 
yearly awards and also look at the MLB single-season and career records in
addition to being anle to look at the list of all the players inducted into 
the Hall Of Fame. You can also see where everybody is in terms of the All-Star
voting. Depending on how good your numbers are you will spend some time in the
awards and the All-Star voting sections.

III8.Batter Performance
This tracks the batting performance of all the position players on your team.
It shows how they've been batting and whether they are streaking or slumping.

I3.Player Management
In this screen you see your team's batting order and pitching rotation but 
since your a player not a manager you can't mess with any of the lineups or
rotations. This means you have to rely on the manager putting you in the game
which can be very frustrating. By pressing O you can see your player card 
which has your information on it such as your stats for the current season and
the one before it,all of your ratings, your contract info and your scouting
report which can be interesting to read. This is where you can see where you
measure up with the rest of the league. The scouting report for the most part
is accurate to your player. It's also interesting to see what they are saying
about you as a player. Since you can't edit anything you would only come here
to see how good your team is. 

NEW CHANGE!!!They have added a Roster Foundation section in Player Management
which lets you see how the team acquired all the player currently on your
team. A nice add on for informational purposes.

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J.Career Home Menu
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I decided to dedicate a whole section to this area of the game because it has
some really important options that need to be discussed in depth so everybody
can have a good understanding of how they work. Also I will break this up into
sections for ease of reading.

IMPORTANT CHANGE!!!!!The good folks at Sony have added in this year the option
of buying 1000 training points for $.99. This is an obvious attempt to make 
the game easier but im not complaining one bit as this is very helpful for
climbing that career ladder.

J1.Locker Room
Not much has changed in this section of your career mode. You can check 
messages from your manager or teammates, see your game or career stats, see
your personal list of achievements and a graph charting your stats
throughout your career. 

J2.Advancement Goals
These basically boil down to the things you need to do to move your way up.
They consist of improving specific ratings to to a point and also keeping a
certain feilding %. If you follow these goals you'll move your way up in
the rotation or find yourself closer to being on top in your career. Once 
again if you succeed in your goals but if your stats or ratings aren't up to
par they won't promote you.

J3.Interactions
At any given time the interaction options will change. If you are a starting
pitcher and you get removed from the game there will be a option to talk to 
the manager about it under the category of Manager Meetings. The only thing
that stays there consistently is the Retire option, unchanged from last year's
game.

RETIRE-"Retire from major league baseball and ride off into the sunset like a
true professional."

Reaction- Retiring will allow you to look at your plaque with a statement of
how you did in the league. You will be able to look at your numbers one last
time but you won't be able to play with your player anymore and you will also
have to start another career mode.

J4.Training
Okay!! This is where you will spend most of your time in your career because
it is here where you will make your pitcher better by using the training hours
that you accumlate through your pitching performances.

Long Distance Running- "Distance running improves stamina and durablity"
Primary Attributes- Stamina
Seconday Attributes- Durablility

Pitching Coach- "Work on your pitching mechanics"
Primary Attributes- H/9, HR/9,K/9,BB/9
Seconday Attributes- H/9, HR/9,K/9,BB/9,PCLT

Simulated Game- "Pitch a simulated game"
Primary Attributes- Pitching Clutch
Seconday Attributes- H/9

4SFB Velocity Session
Primary Attributes- Velocity
Seconday Attributes- HR/9

4SFB Control Session
Primary Attributes- Control
Seconday Attributes- BB/9

4SFB Movement Session
Primary Attributes- Break
Seconday Attributes- K/9

SL Velocity Session
Primary Attributes- Velocity
Seconday Attributes- HR/9

SL Control Session
Primary Attributes- Control
Seconday Attributes- BB/9

SL Movement Session
Primary Attributes- Break
Seconday Attributes- K/9

RFB Velocity Session
Primary Attributes- Velocity
Seconday Attributes- HR/9

RFB Control Session
Primary Attributes- Control
Seconday Attributes- BB/9

RFB Movement Session
Primary Attributes- Break
Seconday Attributes- K/9

New Pitch- "Learn a new pitch"(Requires 200 points minimum)

Batting Cages vs. RHP- "Fine tune your hitting skills in the cage".
Primary Attributes- Contact R
Secondary Attributes- Contact L

Batting Cages vs. LHP- "Hit off southpaws in the batting cage"
Primary Attributes- Contact L
Secondary Attributes- Contact R

Weight Room- "Beef up your power by hitting the weight room"
Primary Attributes- Power L, Power R
Seconday Attributes- Power L, Power R

Batting Coach- "Work with your coach to improve your swing"
Primary Attributes- Vision, Plate Discipline, Clutch
Seconday Attributes- Discipline/Clutch, Vision/Clutch, Vision/Discipline

Bunting Drills- "Learn to bunt with presice accuracy"
Primary Attributes- Bunting Ability
Seconday Attributes- Drag Bunting

Drag Bunting- "Learn how to bunt for hits consistently"
Primary Attributes- Drag Bunting
Seconday Attributes- Bunting Ability/Speed

Stretching- "Keep yourself limber and loose to avoid injuries"
Primary Attirbutes- Durablity
Secondary Attributes- Reaction Time

Sprints- "Sprints will help you improve your speed"
Primary Attributes- Speed
Seconday Attributes- Base Running Ability

Long Toss- "Long toss will improve your arm strength"
Primary Attributes- Arm Strength
Seconday Attributes- Arm Accuracy

Infield Drills- "Improve your fielding skills"
Primary Attributes- Throwing Accuracy, Fielding Ability
Seconday Attributes- Throwing Strength, Reaction Time

Shagging Fly Balls- "Learn to take better routes to the ball"
Primary Attributes- Reaction Time
Seconday Attributes- Fielding Ability

Base Running Drills- "Improve your skills on the base paths"
Primary Attributes- Base Running Ability, Base Running Aggressiveness
Secondary Attributes-Speed, Base Running Aggressiveness/Base Running Ability

NEW CHANGE!!!!

J5.Pitcher Training Games
New to this years game are mini games which you play on your game day. This is
a great addition because it basically gives you an idea of how your pitches
will react to different release points and power levels. If that wasn't enough
your pitches actually get better depending on how you do.

JJ1.Knockout
In this mini-game you have 8 square sections inside the strike zone and your
job is to hit hit each section of the strike zone, thus hitting all the
targets. You can use any one of your pitches you like to knockout the targets
but the only pitches that you use will actually improve. So if you throw your
4SFB at max power and hit the targey your 4SFB Velocity will go up by 6
points. Not whole rating points but the yellow bar under it. I'd recommend
that you focus on one pitch that you want to improve and do your Knockout
sessions with that pitch to make it better so you can use your training points
working on another pitch in some capacity.

JJ2.Simulated Game
The other mini-game added this year is pitching a simulated game. What happens
on the field determines what ratings go up. Swinging strikes increase your K/9
a little, whereas foul balls increase your PCLT and Strikeouts increase your
K/9 and BB/9. All of your per 9 ratings will go up a small amount if you pitch
well so my advice is to just pitch your best and get the outs.

J6.Batting Performance
Depending on whether he gets alot of hits or frequently strikes out or rarely
gets on base he will recieve a bonus or decline in his hitting ability.
Obviously this doesn't matter much to pitchers but if you're in the NL it's 
something else for you pay attention to, if you want.

J7.Player Card
You can view your player card by selecting this in the menu. This lets you see
your player's Height and Weight, Age, Handedness, Age, Salary, stats and 
ratings. It's your one stop shop for everything related to your player.

J8.Edit Player
Just Like last year you can edit your player's secondary position, preferred
number, throwing and batting hand, height, weight and pretty much all the
cosmetic stuff including your pitching delivery. 

NEW CHANGE!!!!
J9.The Show Stop
New to this year is The Show Shop. It lets you buy 1000 training points for 
your RTTS career at the cost of $.99. With taxes and everything it comes out
to $2.31 which isn't a bad price to pay for 1000 points especially if you want
to speed up your career advancement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
K.Off-Season
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Off-Season interface has changed this year just like everything else. Now
you can still view the schedule and while there you can view your contract
offers if you have them. You can also view your Career Progression to see how
your player improved over the year. You have the Offseason Roundup which shows
the deals and contracts which were made between all the teams, the Transaction
Handbook and HOF Inductees. They also have the real dates of significance on
the calendar like the last day you can offer arbitration to a player and the
date of Rule 5 draft. If you want to take your chances you can not sign the
contract put forward to you and see if someone will draft you in the Rule 5.
You can't become a Minor League FA until you've played 6 seasons so if you are
under that then you will have to sign the contract put forth to you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L.Retirement
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you choose the retirement option in the Career Home menu your manager will
give you a message basically supporting your decision to retire. After that
message you will see your plaque which will have a paragraph basically 
outlining how great or poor you were in your career. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M.Closer Career Progress
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like every version of my FAQ's that i've done for this game I will chart my
career progress as a reference for whoever wants to use it.

IMPORTANT!!! Since the goals change every 3-4 weeks I won't list them here as
they are primarily raising a certain rating or keeping a stat at a certain
level.

Pitching Delivery- Generic 10
Batting Stance- Ken Griffey Jr.(Love the batting stance)
Pitch Type 1-4SFB(Because it's the best pitch in the game if used right)
Pitch Type 2-Slider(Effective against Left and Right Handed batters) 
Pitch Type 3-Running FB(My favorite pitch in the game)
Stamina=+5(20)
Pitch Clutch=+5(55)
H/9=+5(45)
HR/9=+5(35)
K/9=+5(35)
BB/9=+5(30)
4SFB- Speed=None, Control=+5, Break=None
Slider- Speed=+5, Control=+5, Break=
Running FB- Speed=None, Control=+5, Break=None
Everything Else- None

Legend= W=Win L=Loss S=Save B=Blown Save H=Hold N=No Decision
After the number of points I gained will be one of these letters denoting 
whether I won, lost, etc...

I chose the Yankees as my team since they are my favorite and I also bought
the 1000 points for .99. Why the hell not!!?

Rookie Year(Trenton Thunder)

April- Had a good first month only giving up 2 ER, though one was due to an
error that wasn't counted as such. Still in the setup role but i'm inching
my way towards that Closer spot.

4/8 Knockout= 4SFB-Brk=+6,4/11=35N,4/12=0N,4/13=65H,4/17=120H,4/20=15H,
4/21=Simulated Game,4/22=50W,4/27=75H,4/29=80H

Total Points=1940
Points Spent in April=1535
Balance as of May 1st=405

GP=8 W=1 L=0 ERA=1.74 SV=0 HLD=5 IP=10.1 H=5 R=2 ER=2 HR=1 BB=1 K=12 WHIP=.58
TBF=38

4SFB Velocity= 200 points(Vel+10, HR/9+1)
4SFB Control= 200 points(Ctrl+11,BB/9+1)
SL Velocity=200 points(Vel+12,HR/9+1)
SL Control=200 points(Ctrl+14,BB/9+2)
SL Break=200 points(Brk+14,K/9+1)
RFB Velocity=200 points(Vel+12,HR/9+2)
RFB Control=235 points(Ctrl+16,BB/9+1)
RFB Movement=100 points(Brk+8,K/9+1)

May-I'd say I had a pretty good May notching 8 Saves after I got the Closer
role on the 13th. Had to waste some points on my fielding to succeed in my
goals but I still have a good amount for development.

Total Points=1020
Points Spent in May=660
Balance as of June 1st=360

5/4=90H,5/9=60H,5/12=5H,5/13 Knockout=SL-Brk=+1 Simulated Game=Nothing
improved,5/13=55S,5/19=55S,5/21=55S,5/23=65S,Knockout=RFB Vel=+1, 4SFB Brk=+1
5/24=60S,5/27=60S,5/28=65S,5/29=50S,5/30=0BS

Long Distance Running=55 points(STA+2)
Long Toss=55 points(ARM+2)
Infield Drills=100 points(FLD/REAC+5/2)
Infield Drills=50 points(ACC+2)
Simulated Game=100 points(PCLT+1)
Pitching Coach=100 points(K/9+2)
Pitching Coach=100 points(BB/9+2)
4SFB Control=50 points(Ctrl+3)
SL Control=50 points(Ctrl+3,BB/9+1)

June-Bought another 1000 points to improve my pitches more since i'm pressed
for time and want to move faster through my career. Had another good month 
racking up another 10 saves in the month and climbing up the ladder for the
All-Star Game. I honestly don't want to get called up right now as this is
too easy to rack up points.

Knockout=4SFB Vel/Brk=+1/+2,6/3=45S,6/5=70S,6/9=0N,Simulated Game=H/9,K/9+1
6/11=55S,6/16=80S,6/19=45S,6/22=55S,6/23=60S,6/24=80S,6/27=75S,6/28=85S

GP=31 W=1 L=0 ERA=.56 SV=18 BSV=1 HLD=9 IP=32.1 H=24 R=5 ER=2 HR=1 BB=3 K=42 
WHIP=.84 TBF=125

Total Points=2010
Points Spentin June=2010
Balance as of July 1st=0

Long Toss=75(ARM/ACC+2/1)
Infield Drills=75(ACC/ARM+3/1
Long Distance Running=55(STA+2)
Pitching Coach=200 points(H/9,PCLT+3/+1)
Pitching Coach=200 points(HR/9,H/9+4/+1)
Pitching Coach=200 points(K/9,HR/9+4/+1)
Pitching Coach=670 points(BB/9,K/9+12/+3)
Infield Drills=50 points(FLD/REAC+3/+2)
Pitching Coach=185 points(PCLT,H/9+2/+1)
4SFB Velocity=100 points(Vel,HR/9+4/+1)
SL Movement=100 points(Brk,K/9+5/+1)
RFB Movement=100 points(Brk+7)

July-I got traded to the Mariners in a deal where Yankees got Cliff Lee and
gave me and a second baseman up. Those SOB's!!! It turns out that the trade
was better for me as i'v ehad nothing but close games which required me to
come in and get the save and I got selected to the All-Star Game and got 250
points for it!!!

West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx

7/3=60S,7/4=65s,7/6=60S,7/7=65S,7/8=55S,7/10=85W,7/15=55S,7/18=95S,7/19=50S,
7/20=60S,Knockout= SL Vel+1,RFB Vel+1,7/22=115S,7/23=45S,7/24=80S,7/26=60S,
7/28=60S,7/31=70S

GP=47 W=2 L=0 ERA=.38 SV=33 BSV=1 HLD=9 IP=48 H=33 R=5 ER=2 HR=1 BB=6 K=59 
WHIP=.81 TBF=180

Total Points=1200
Points Spentin July=765
Balance as of August 1st=635

Long Distance Running=100 points(STA/DUR+3/+1)
Long Toss=60 points(ARM,ACC+2/+1)
Simulated Game=105 points(PCLT+2)
Pitching Coach=50 points(HR/9+1)
Pitching Coach=150 points(K/9+2)
Pitching Coach=100 points(BB/9,K/9+2/+1)
4FSB Velocity=50 points(Vel,HR/9+2,+1)
SL Movement=50 points(Brk+3)
RFB Velocity=50 points(Vel+2)
Shagging Fly Balls=50 points(REAC+4)

August-Had a great August and more close games by my team as we are well in
first place in our division.I also got my 45 Saves and got 100 extra points
for that.

8/2=60S,8/3=165S,8/4=0BS,Simulated Game=STA,H/9+1),8/7=50S,8/8=75S,8/12=65S,
8/13=50s,8/14=70S,Simulated Game=H/9,BB/9+1,8/21=35S,8/23=55S,8/24=60S,
8/26=55S,8/28=180S, Simulated Game=K/9,BB/9=+1,8/31=60S

GP=61 W=2 L=0 ERA=.44 SV=46 BSV=2 HLD=9 IP=61.1 H=37 R=6 ER=3 HR=1 BB=9 K=78 
WHIP=.75 TBF=228

Total Points=1615
Points Spent in August=1020
Balance as of September 1st=595

Long Distance Running=70 points(STA,DUR+2/+1)
4SFB Velocity= 100 points(Vel+4,HR/9+1)
4SFB Control= 100 points(Ctrl+5)
SL Velocity=100 points(Vel+5)
SL Control=100 points(Ctrl+6,BB/9+1)
SL Break=100 points(Brk+5)
RFB Velocity=100 points(Vel+5,HR/9+1)
RFB Control=100 points(Ctrl+6)
RFB Movement=100 points(Brk+6,K/9+1)
Long Toss=50 points(ARM+3)
Infield Drills=50 points(ACC+2)
Shagging Fly Balls=50 points(REAC+3,FLD+1)

September-We finished the season strong at 49-21 and will play the Carolina
Mud Cats in the Southern League Playoff Semi-Finals. 

2009 Season Stats

GP=67 W=2 L=0 ERA=.40 SV=52 BSV=2 HLD=9 IP=67.1 H=41 R=6 ER=3 HR=1 BB=9 K=83 
WHIP=.74 TBF=249

Playoffs vs. Carolina Mud Cats

Game 1-Roland Bay vs. Jacinto Miranda(Win 3-2)

IP=1 K=2
S/B=8/5
H=0
BB=0
SO=2
ER=0

Points Gained=120S

Game 2-Chone Stevens vs. Jeremy Whitten(Win 10-0)

DNP

Game 3-Oswaldo Scuturo vs. Leon Yount(Loss 2-4)

DNP

Game 4-Jae Chang vs. Matt Maloney(Win 7-6)

DNP

SL Championship vs. Birmingham Barons

Game 1-Roland Bay vs. Lynn Nixon(Win 4-2)

IP=1
S/B=9/4
H=0
BB=0
SO=0
ER=0

Points Gained=100S

Game 2-Oswaldo Scuturo vs. Nomar Roberts(Loss 4-8)

DNP

Game 3-Chone Stevens vs. Gustavo Arrojo(Win 6-3)

IP=1
S/B=9/3
H=1
BB=0
SO=1
ER=0

Points Gained=140S

Game 4-Jae Chang vs. Leandro Pereira(Loss 1-6)

DNP

Game 5-Lucas French vs. Terrance Sheppard(Loss 2-3)

DNP

Playoff Stats

GP=3 ERA=0.00 SV=3 IP=3 H=1 K=3 WHIP=.33 TBF=10

So we lost the Championship series 2-3 and sure enough the games I didn't play
in we lost. I guess my team just wasn't good enough to win it this year. I had
970 points to spend at the end of playoffs so I increased my Per 9's again.

Simulated Game=200 points(PCLT,H/9+2/+1)
Pitching Coach=170 points(H/9,PCLT+2/+1)
Pitching Coach=100 points(HR/9+1)
Pitching Coach=100 points(K/9,HR/9+1/+1)
Pitching Coach=200 points(BB/9,K/9+2/+1)
4SFB Velocity=100 points(Vel+4)
RFB Movement=100 points(Brk+5)

Rookie Year Offseason(2010)

Age=21
Overall=21
Stamina=+10(30)
Pit.Clutch=+11(66)
Hits/9=+11(56)
HR/9=+16(51)
K/9=+21(56)
BB/9=+26(56)
Dur=+2(32)
Fielding=+8(18)
Arm Str=+10(25)
Arm Acc=+9(24)
Reaction=+7(17)

4-Seam Fastball
Velocity=80
Control=68
Break=11

Slider
Velocity=58
Control=57
Break=62

Running Fastball
Velocity=61
Control=57
Break=57

So I had a great season by any measurement and I got offered a 1-Year contract
with the Mariners AAA team to be their Closer which I accepted at $300,500. I
didn't get on the 40-Man Roster so I'll sim Spring Training

2nd Season(Tacoma Rainiers)

April-Had a good April except for the last day of the month when I gave up 2
runs and blew my save opportunity. Still a good month overall though.

4/6=55S,4/13=50S,4/14=60S,4/15=45S,4/17=55S,4/18=70S,4/20=65S,4/21=65S
4/23=60S,4/24=85S,4/26=60S,4/29=60S,4/30=0L

4/15-Knockout=4SFB Vel,Brk +1/2(81/13)
4/27-Knockout=RFB Vel+1,Brk+1(66/58)
4/28-Simulated Game=STA,H/9,BB/9+1(31/58/58)

GP=13 L=1 ERA=1.69 SV=12 BSV=1 IP=10.2 H=5 R=2 ER=2 K=7 WHIP=.47 TBF=35

Total Points Gained=730
Points Spent in April=730
Balance as of May 1st=0

Simulated Game=170 points PCLT,H/9+2/1(68/57)4/26
Pitching Coach=100 points HR/9+2(53)4/26
Pitching Coach=50 points K/9+1(57)4/26
Pitching Coach=50 points BB/9+1(57)4/26
4SFB Control=100 points Ctrl+4(72)4/26
SL Velocity=100 poitns Vel,HR/9+5/1(63/54)4/26
RFB Velocity=100 points Vel+4(65)4/26
Infield Drills=40 points ACC+1(25)4/30

May-I got traded again this time to the Padres AAA Club the Portland Beavers.
Apparently I must be a hot commodity cause that's the second time I got traded
in 2 years. I had a good month though and i'm looking forward to getting my
revenge on the Rainers for trading me. I also got my 25th save on the 26th
before they traded me.

5/1=55S,5/5=60S,5/6=45S,5/7=60S,5/8=75S,5/9=65S,5/10=60S,5/14=70S,5/16=55S,
5/17=85S,5/19=60S,5/25=60S/Traded to Padres,5/26=100S,

5/10-Simulated Game=K/9+1(58)

Total Points Gained=850
Points Spent in May=770
Balance as of June 1st=80

Long Distance Running=40 points STA/DUR+1(32)5/10
Shagging Fly Balls=40 points REAC+2(18)5/10
Simulated Game=185 points PCLT,H/9+2/1(70/59)5/10
4SFB Velocity=50 points Vel,HR/9+2/1(83/55)5/30
4SFB Control=50 points Ctrl+2(74)5/30
SL Velocity=50 points Vel+2(65)5/30
SL Control=100 points Ctrl+5(62)5/30
SL Movement=55 points Brk+3(65)5/30
RFB Velocity=100 points Vel+5(71)5/30
RFB Control=100 points Ctrl,BB/9+5/1(62/59)5/30
RFB Movement=100 points Brk+5(63)5/30

June-Hit 35 saves this month and i'm very well positioned to be in All-Star
game and get those points. I'm giving up more hits now but like Mariano I
almost always get the save.

6/2=20H,6/5=55S,6/7=50S,6/10=55s,6/11=50S,6/14=60S,6/16=50S,6/17=120S,6/23=55S
6/24=55S,6/26=135S,6/29=0H,6/30=65S

6/4-Knockout=4SFB Brk+2(15)
6/20-Simulated Game=K/9+1(59)

GP=39 L=1 ERA=.77 SV=36 BSV=1 H=2 IP=35 H=20 R=4 ER=3 BB=2 K=28 WHIP=.63 
TBF=127

Total Points Gained=770
Points Spent in June=120
Balance as of July 1st=650

Infield Drills=40 points ACC+2(26)6/5
Long Distance Running=40 points STA+1(33)6/13
Infield Drills=40 points FLD,REAC+2/1(20/19)6/13

July-I don't know why but I got traded again this time to the Phillies and the
AAA Lehigh ValleyIron Pigs. I got selected to represent the USA at the Futures
game on the 10th and also got selected to the All-Star Game on the 13th. Aside
from all this I had another great month and can't help but feel that i'm about
to promoted to the majors.

7/3=50S,7/5=65S,7/6=80S,7/7=50S,7/10=80N,7/13=520S,7/16=40S,7/17=135S,7/19=70S
7/20=75S,7/24=180S,7/26=55S,7/29=65S,7/30=50S,7/31=85S

7/3-Knockout=4SFB Vel,Brk+1(84/16)
7/26-Knockout=4SFB Brk+1(17),RFB Brk+1(68)

GP=52 L=1 ERA=.56 SV=49 BSV=1 H=2 IP=48 H=22 R=4 ER=3 BB=2 K=44 WHIP=.50 
TBF=163

Total Points Gained=1600
Points Spent in July=995
Balance as of August 1st=1250

Simulated Game=265 points PCLT,H/9+3/1(73/60)
4SFB Control=200 points Ctrl,BB/9+8/1(82/60)
RFB Velocity=80 points Vel,HR/9+3/1(74/56)
RFB Control=200 points Ctrl,BB/9+9/1(71/61)
RFB Movement=100 points Brk+4(67)
Long Toss=40 points ARM+1(26)
Shagging Fly Balls=40 points REAC+1(20)
Long Distance Running=70 points STA,DUR+2/1(35/33)

August/September-Well I had another great month except for the last game of
the season where I gave up 2 runs one of which was the walkoff HR to lose the
game. Posted 63 saves in the season which phenomenal even though I got tired
of playing so many games. We finished second in the IL at 82-62 and will face
the Columbus Clippers in the playoffs.

8/1=40S,8/2=45S,8/6=150S,8/8=80S,8/9=75S,8/10=180S,8/13=85S,8/16=50S,8/17=60S
8/21=55S,8/24=50S,8/29=40S,8/31=0S,9/4=70S,9/5=3L

8/6-Knockout=RFB Vel+1(75)
8/24-Knockout=No whole gains
8/25-Knockout=Vel,Ctrl,Brk+1(76/72/69)

Season Stats
GP=67 L=2 ERA=.84 SV=63 BSV=2 H=2 IP=64.1 H=34 R=7 ER=6 HR-1 BB=3 K=59 
WHIP=.58 TBF=225

Total Points Gained=980
Points Spent in August/September=2230
Balance as of 9/6(Playoffs)=3

Long Distance Running=85 points STA+2(37)
Simulated Game=400 points PCLT,H/9+4/2(77/62)
Pitching Coach=100 points H/9+1(63)
Pitching Coach=100 points HR/9+1(57)
Pitching Coach=200 points K/9,HR/9+3/1(62/58)
Pitching Coach=200 points BB/9+2(63)
SL Control=220 points Ctrl,BB/9+10/1(72/64)
SL Movement=100 points Brk,K/9+4/1(69/63)
Infield Drills=40 points ACC,ARM+1(27/27)
Shaggin Fly Balls=40 points REAC/FLD+1(21/21)
Simulated Game=445 points PCLT,H/9+4/2(81/65)
Pitching Coach=300 points BB/9,K/9+4/1(68/64)

Playoffs vs. Columbus Clippers

Game 1-Fernando Zavala vs. Nate Kensing()

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
N.Pitching Tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This section I decided to make after I came across a couple of useful tips
that will help you destroy your competiton both CPU and Human. From my time
spent with the game these still apply along with some other i'll be adding
when I find them

IMPORTANT!!!
Tip#1- Manipulate the pitching cursor. What I mean by this is intentionally
miss the middle of the cursor to give your pitch more movement. For example
lets say you place a slider on the bottom of the strike zone. When you see the
pitch meter instead of getting the marker right in the middle, you get it 
before it reaches the middle. This will make the pitch go higher than it was
supposed to. If you put the cursor after the middle point the pitch will go 
lower than you wanted it to. Manipulating the pitch cursor can help you fool
human batters and will even fool the computer on occasion.

Tip#2- Keep all of your pitches low in the zone. This makes it harder to knock
out of the park. Also look at the spread chart for the batter you are facing.
Tailor your pitches around where they don't like to hit(For batter who have a
high percentage pulling the ball keep your pitches away, For batters who like
to opposite side, jam them in on the hands.

Tip#3- Work the entire plate. While you should generally keep all you pitches
low, don't be afraid to come up in the zone with a Fastball or two. It's 
actually a great strategy to stay low in the zone then on a 2 strike pitch 
come up and in or away. Now i'd only recommend doing this is your Fastball is
as least 95mph in the majors. In the minors slower should work.

Tip#4- Take full advantage of the warmup sessions before a game. I can't
stress how important this is. If you throw strikes it'll warm up your pitches
so they'll be a little more effective and have more control in the game. Plus
it's only a minute or two before you pitch so why not!?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Sony for making another great baseball simulation
-Gamefaqs for posting my guide
-Wikipedia for again providing me with some of the pitch grips
-My fellow gamers for reading and using this FAQ

Any questions or comments please E-mail me at:

[email protected]

Also my PSN ID: IntelligentAj