Backyard Baseball is back, and it's better than ever! Your favorite kid versions of the biggest players are ready for some backlot antics on the field! It's the only kids game to hold both the coveted Major League Baseball license and the Major League Baseball Players Association license, so all 32 Major League teams are represented, including authentic logos and uniforms. David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, and more perform authentically and comically with enhanced hitting and fielding controls and all-new capabilities. Power-ups are back, as is Tournament Mode and MLB All-Star Game Mode, or check out the new Auto Play Mode!
All-Star Baseball 2004 is the game with all the tools -- it's the realistic baseball simulation that plays like an MLB broadcast! Rookie Mode prepares you for your attempt to make it in the big leagues!
All-Star Baseball certainly lives up to its name. It offers the largest stable of former greats, some 50 in all, and it even offers many of the standouts and stars from the old Negro Baseball League. Its obvious Acclaim decided the best way to deal with the competition is to match it in terms of baseball prowess, but at the same time, outdo them in terms of extras: All-Star throws shovelfuls of extras. Extras like a trivia game, stadium tours, and DVD content. It even includes classic ballparks, just in case you really miss Shibe Park. There are seven fantasy ballparks in currently baseball-free North American cities, and you can pick and choose from over 30 mascots, making the expansion team options all the more interesting. All-Star also offers a deep franchise mode that rivals text simulations like Over the Top Baseball. Baseball lives and dies by the pitcher/batter duel and All-Star has you covered here. How? By offering every option the competition can muster. You can use a cursor system (like MVP Baseball), a timing based system (less realistic, but good for new players), and a system like High Heat where you have to watch the ball carefully (most realistic). Each system works but the cursor-based option could is sub par: the information regarding where and when to swing appears too late. The gameplay has other flaws. Fielding feels soft, unresponsive and slow, and the AI is stupidly aggressive at times: stealing when it shouldn't and slugging when a sacrifice is called for. All-Star has good graphics--not the best available but very good and the animations are all smooth and lifelike. You can even identify many players by their batting stance alone. The audio is a standout, specifically the commentary, which is accurate, insightful, and even includes entertaining side conversations about the rules and quirks of the game. All-Star isn't quite the best baseball game you can buy for your console system, but it offers the best overall package if you aren't sure what you want. Good gameplay, good graphics, lots of options and extras, and a nice range of hitting options. Play ball! --Andrew S. Bub Pros: Nice range of pitching/batting options Good graphics Terrific Audio Cons: Uneven, overly aggressive, artificial intelligence
All Star Baseball 2004
List Price: $29.99 Sale Price: $16.14
Used From: $1.53
Average Rating:
Select from all MLB teams.
All-Star Baseball 2004
List Price: $29.99 Sale Price: $12.00
Used From: $0.01
Average Rating:
Select from all MLB teams.
All-Star Baseball certainly lives up to its name. It offers the largest stable of former greats, some 50 in all, and it even offers many of the standouts and stars from the old Negro Baseball League. Its obvious Acclaim decided the best way to deal with the competition is to match it in terms of baseball prowess, but at the same time, outdo them in terms of extras: All-Star throws shovel fulls of extras. Extras like a trivia game, stadium tours, and DVD content. It even includes classic ballparks, just in case you really miss Shibe Park. There are seven fantasy ballparks in currently baseball-free North American cities, and you can pick and choose from over 30 mascots, making the expansion team options all the more interesting. All-Star also offers a deep franchise mode that rivals text simulations like Over the Top Baseball. Baseball lives and dies by the pitcher/batter duel and All-Star has you covered here. How? By offering every option the competition can muster. You can use a cursor system (like MVP Baseball), a timing based system (less realistic, but good for new players), and a system like High Heat where you have to watch the ball carefully (most realistic). Each system works but the cursor-based option could is sub par: the information regarding where and when to swing appears too late. The gameplay has other flaws. Fielding feels soft, unresponsive and slow, and the AI is stupidly aggressive at times: stealing when it shouldn't and slugging when a sacrifice is called for. All-Star has good graphics--not the best available but very good and the animations are all smooth and lifelike. You can even identify many players by their batting stance alone. The audio is a standout, specifically the commentary, which is accurate, insightful, and even includes entertaining side conversations about the rules and quirks of the game. All-Star isn't quite the best baseball game you can buy for your console system, but it offers the best overall package if you aren't sure what you want. Good gameplay, good graphics, lots of options and extras, and a nice range of hitting options. Play ball!--Andrew S. Bub Pros: Nice range of pitching/batting options Good graphics Terrific Audio Cons: Uneven, overly aggressive, artificial intelligence
All Star Baseball 2004
List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $74.99
Used From: $8.49
Average Rating:
Like Derek Jeter, All-Star Baseball 2004 is the game "with all the tools." With the most realistic simulation ever, easier to play functionality, and the same all around skill set that makes Derek the leader and winner he is, ASB 2004 truly is the game with all the tools
Additional Resources for: All Star Baseball 2004 Used, Pre-Played or For Rent
What is a Free Agent?
A free agent is a player with 6 years of experience who is not under contract and is available to sign with all thirty major league baseball franchises.
Also, a free agent could be a player who entered the major league draft but was not drafted or a player who was drafted but did not want to sign with that team, might still enter the market and become a free agent. This sometimes works well.
Something else you might here about is arbitration. A player with over 3 years or a very good player with 2 years of major league experience is eligible for arbitration. You might ask yourself "What in the world is arbitration?" When a player is offered arbitration, they go to an arbitrator. The team and the player both make offers. The arbitrator decides which offer is the best. Sometimes the arbitrator sides with the player. Sometimes he sides with the team. Or sometimes they don't offer player arbitration at all and let him be a free agent. Sometimes a player is offered arbitration by a team, but does not want to go through that. If the player is a type A player (see below) then the team that will sign him must give the team that he was offered arbitration a signing club's first-round draft pick and a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds. If the player is a type B player, they must give the other team just the supplemental pick between the first and second rounds. Confused? Here is a way of understanding it.
There are two sides, the team and the player. The team gives a price they think that is fair and the player gives a price that he thinks is fair. Then the arbitrator chooses the price that he thinks is fair. The player must accept. If the team offers to go into arbitration but the player does not want to, he becomes a free agent unless he signs a contract before the December 12th non-tender date. The team the player signs with will give up draft spots. If the player is very good, the team he signs with must give up two draft spots. If they are only okay, they must give up only one. Or a team can choose not to offer it at all and let the player be a free agent. Make sense now?
Here's an arbitration success story.
The Phillies originally had the 41st pick in the MLB 2006 June draft. But they signed Tom Gordon, a relief pitcher. Gordon had been offered Salary Arbitration by the Yankees, his former team, but declined. So the Phillies had to give the Yankees the 41st overall pick in the draft. The Yankees used that spot to secure iconic pitcher Joba Chamberlain.
You might also wonder what type A and B free agents are. It's basically a way of providing draft picks to clubs for signing free agents who are offered arbitration and ranked in the top 50 percent of Major League players, as ranked by a company called the Elias Sports Bureau. The top 20 percent are Type A players, you see. These players are in the top circuit of players. They are the best free agents. The type B players are sort of the secondary players. They aren't as good. So, the type A are great and the type B are okay. Sometimes a team will offer arbitration to a player just for the draft picks.
There are also special rules for different players with different years of experience. If a player has less than 3 years of major-league experience, he can just have his contract renewed. That is, if his contract runs out, and the two sides can't agree on a contract, the team can just pay at least 80% of what he made last year to play for the team again for one more year.
A player is only eligible for arbitration if he has between 3 and 6 years of major-league experience.
History of free agents
When baseball became very successful in the 1890s, owners tried to think of a way to limit salaries. They knew if players could go from team to team, the salaries would be enormous due to the competing teams constantly upping the money to attract the player. So they came up with a "reserve clause," which pretty much kept a player bound for life to a team unless they were traded, sold, released, or retired. The salary was an agreement between the owner and player, but if they couldn't agree, the player had two options: play for a reduced amount or don't play. This was how it was until 1969, when slick fielding center fielder Curt Flood was traded from the Cardinals to the Phillies, but he refused! He demanded Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to make him a free agent, but he would not. This went all the way to the Supreme Court. Flood had filed a lawsuit, claiming the team had violated the nation's anti-trust policy. His efforts would eventually help establish free agency and make him a forgotten hero who cleared the path for the multi-million dollar athletes today. Flood never really even got to enjoy the fruits of his labor, by the way, as he played only 13 games for the Washington Senators before retiring. Jackie Robinson was great, and everybody will remember him, but in a way, Flood stood up for his rights, too. Although he is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Flood is an unsung legend of the baseball world.
Japanese Free Agents
Sometimes, star Japanese players want to make a change. They want to come to America. They become free agents. Baseball is huge in Japan, but it's even bigger in the US. The fans, the lights, the media, the money! These star Eastern players love the US. Here are a couple of former and current Japanese stars.
Hideo Nomo-Dodgers, Mets, Brewers, Tigers, Red Sox, Devil Rays, Royals
Hideo Nomo burst onto the scene in 1995 as the National League Rookie of the Year with a league leading 236 strikeouts along with 13 wins and a 2.54 ERA. Over his 12 year career, he won 123 games and struck out 1918 batters. Nomo enjoyed 5 successful years in Japan before becoming a huge star in the US, proving Japanese players were as good as any other ones.
Ichiro Suzuki-Mariners
The best and most recognizable Japanese player, Ichiro has continued his amazing run of success in the states. He's only been here since 2001 but he's set numerous hitting records, the most amazing a record-setting performance of 262 hits in 2004! He also had an outrageous .372 batting average. Ichiro has had 200 hits and a .300 batting average every year he's been in America. Ichiro broke Wee Willie Keeler's 108 year old record for most consecutive seasons with 200 hits, with nine since his inaugural season.
Hideki Matsui-Yankees and Angels
Hideki doesn't have the name ‘Godzilla' for nothing. He's put up monster numbers since his MLB debut in 2003. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2003. In 2004, he hit 32 home runs. He played in a record 519 straight games to start off his career before breaking his wrist in a freak accident. He put up more numbers this year, hitting 28 homers with 90 RBI's and winning the World Series MVP Award last season by hitting .615 in the Fall Classic. He has hit 140 homers in America, a record for Japanese-born players. After 7 years with the Yankees, Matsui signed a 1 year, $6.5 million dollar deal with the Angels to be their 2010 designated hitter.
Daisuke Matsuzaka-Red Sox
Matsuzaka was the top-sought Japanese free agent before the 2007 season. The Red Sox nabbed this star who put up a 2.95 ERA with 108 wins and 1,335 strikeouts. He posted a 15-12 record with a healthy 4.40 ERA and 201 strikeouts in his rookie year. He led the Red Sox to a World Championship in 2007. In 2008, he had a great year, winning 18 games and finishing with an excellent 2.90 ERA. Although he had an injury plagued 2009 season, he still helped Boston win the wild card to get into the playoffs for the 3rd straight year.
Kosuke Fukudome-Cubs
Kosuke had a great 2008 rookie campaign, starting the All-Star game in Yankee Stadium, and earning 6th place in Rookie of the Year voting. The former Chuchini Dragon followed that up by raising his batting average in 2009.
Big Signings
There have been a couple of $100 million dollar deals in the history of the game, even some $200 million! Here's a look at some of the biggest free agent signings in history.
Alex Rodriguez-$275 million, 10 years
It appeared to be "see ya!" for Alex Rodriguez and the Yanks when A-rod used the opt-out clause (see below) on his contract after 2007, as Hank Steinbrenner said "It's good-bye". A-rod knew he made the wrong decision, and, with the help of his billionaire friend Warren Buffet, signed with the Yankees a record-setting deal. He could make more then $300 million if he breaks Barry Bonds's home run record. He's on his way, as due to 35 and 30 homer campaigns in 2008 and 2009 and has 583 homers at the age of 34. Alex tasted the sweet champagne of victory as he won his first title in 2009.
Alex Rodriguez-$252 million, 10 years
A-rod signed a huge contract with the Texas Rangers (who traded him to the Yankees after 2003) which included an opt-out clause after seven years. A-rod used this (see above).
Mark Teixeira-$180 million, 10 years
Teixeira, already a premier first baseman with the Rangers, Braves and Angels, came to the Yankees seeking one thing- a world championship. The Annapolis, Maryland native with the big bat and big wallet got it in 2009, helping the Yankees get there by bashing 39 homers this past season. He won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger this year, and hopes to win several more in his next 7 years in the Bronx.
CC Sabathia- $161 million, 7 years
The 6'7, 290 pound southpaw signed this big contract, like Teixeira, looking for one thing-a world championship, and like Teixeira, he got it. The 2007 AL Cy Young winner was great again in 2009, winning 19 games and nearly striking out 200 batters. He previously spent his whole career with the Indians except for half of the 2008 season with the Brewers where he made several starts down the stretch on 3 days rest to help them reach the playoffs. It was that durability the Yankees were looking for when they signed him to the biggest pitcher's contract ever.
Manny Ramirez-$160 million, 8 years
Manny was been great in Beantown, crushing opposing pitchers. Manny still bashes homers. He led the league in 2004 with 43. Manny had led the Sox to two World Championships, one in 2004 and one in 2007. He was traded to the Dodgers midway through 2008. Manny's contract came to an end when Los Angeles declined the slugger's 2008 option, but he signed a new contract with them.
Alfonso Soriano-$136 million, 8 years
Alfonso signed this contract with the Cubs just before 2007. This one-time 40-40 man (40 home runs, 40 stolen bases) had a great year in 2007, bashing 33 homers and accumulating a .299 batting average. He'll be looking to add a World Championship ring after he led the Cubbies from last in 2006 to first in 2007, nicking out the Brewers by an eyelash. He led them to the NL's best record in 2008, winning the NL Central.
As you can see, Major League Baseball has a very complex but successful free agent system that is beneficial to both the players and teams. I hope, that after reading this article you have a better understanding of the free agent system.
About the Author
James Vaughn is a baseball fan whose detailed articles have appeared on many sites around the web.
How much do you think all of the ps2 games and ps2 slim are worth. Please give honest answers?
Items:
ps2 slim- scph 77001
3 controllers
32 mb memory card
mercenaries
call of duty 2 big red one
guitar hero 2 with guitar
madden 08
need for speed pro street
tony hawk proving ground
socom combined assault
madden 06
ncaa football 06
x man legends 2
motorcross mania 3
all star baseball 2004
splinter cell pandora tomorrow
sorry to break it to you but if you take that to a game store and try to trade it in you'll be lucky to get 150.00 for it. you best bet is craigslist or ebay(fees). the fat ps2 is worth more than the slim. i just sold my fat ps2 with 1 conrtoller, a guitar controller, 32 mb card, guitar hero 2, eyetoy usb camera, eye toy play 2, and 2 other games for $110. so you could possibly get $200+ but the sports games aren't worth jack except madden 08.
Leave a Reply