Easy points
You can gain "points" for certain feats performed
during a game. An easy way to get a lot of points is to throw
a perfect game. This is worth 100 points. Switch controls every
time the CPU is up at bat and intentionally strike out. This will
get you points for 27 strikeouts, and for a perfect game. Repeat
as many times as needed.
To get more points in franchise mode to sign your free agents,
during the off season either create a player and pick him up as
a free agent or sign free agents and release them at the end of
the season.
Use two controllers and keep throwing fast balls on both sides
until a late inning. You can go into extra innings for more points
in strikeouts. Then, hit a ground ball on the team you want to
win and make the other team just hold it. Run around the bases
with the other controller. This will count as an error and give
the other pitcher a no-hitter.
Easy runs
Get Barry Bonds to bat in the third spot in the order
and play against the Cubs. Take control of the Cubs and start
intentionally walking everyone until Barry Bonds is up for the
second time. Rotate the hitting icon so it will hit a home run.
Make contact and you will hit a grand slam. Repeat this as many
times as needed. Note: Do not check the box score after 100 runs
or the game will freeze.
Easy steals
Hold [Triangle] and button for the base your runner
currently occupies immediately before the pitcher is in his windup.
As your runner goes, if you can see him in the background running
to second, he will be safe. If the catcher receives the ball and
you cannot see your man in the background, he will almost always
be thrown out.
Easy wins
Switch controllers to the opposing team and change
all the players to pitchers. The CPU will be much worse on defense.
If you can pitch well, you will also get a lot of strikeouts.
Easy wins in a season
Save the game then go to schedule. Simulate the game.
If you did not win, return to the main menu and load the season.
Repeat this until you win the game.
Control homerun replay
After hitting a homerun, a replay of it will be displayed.
When you see your batter heading home from third base, press various
buttons to see different angles.
Better hitting
Immediately after the pitcher releases the ball, press
[Start]. You will see where the ball is going and if it will
be a strike or ball. Resume the game and move your batting cursor
over it to get a nice powerful swing. This will help you improve
your hitting. Note: You do not need to press [Start] directly
after he lets go of the ball -- it just gives you more time to
move your cursor after the game is resumed.
Use the pause technique before batting. When you see where the
ball is going, try your best to get the ball as close to the point
of the contact triangle (the part closest to the batter, not the
thick part of the triangle). you will usually get homeruns or
at least doubles.
Wait until the pitcher's arm is in motion and is coming forward,
then swing. If it looks like a bad pitch do not swing. This strategy
woks most of the time, and works well with players such as Giambi,
Bonds, or A-Rod.
Better pitching
The best pitchers have a pitch called a "Slurve"
(for example, Mark Burhele of the Chicago White Sox). Also try
the "Dominate Curve" with Pedro.
Restore pitcher's energy
In season, franchise or expansion mod, go to the DL,
and put any pitcher on the15 day DL. Then immediately take him
back into your lineup. He will have recovered all his energy.
Better franchise or expansion mode
teams
Use trades to get rid of your older less talented players
for slightly better players. Even if the CPU rejects your trade,
keep trying repeatedly and it is usually eventually accepted.
However, make the trade reasonable, such as B- for a B or B+.
If the player you really want just does not seem to want to join
your team, try trading for another player who is slightly better,
then return to that player you want and try again. Do this every
season to keep good young players.
To get whatever players you want, go to the trade screen. Take
a bad player in your lineup with about a "C" rating
and trade him for someone with a "C+". Then, trade the
"C+" person for a "B" and so on. All your
players will eventually have "A" rankings.
Resign players for same points but
longer deals
Start in the franchise value menu and use [R1]
to release one or two players who you do not want back. This will
allow you to build up some extra points. Then, release the player
you want to resign for more years. Go to the free agents screen
and resign him for 50 points and any number of years. Go back
to franchise value and release him again. When you go to resign
that player again, the amount of points will usually be the same
amount as before you released him the first time but he will demand
the same number of years that you signed him for after the first
time you released him.
Easy homeruns
While at bat, after pitcher selects the pitch press
[L3] + [R3] and swing with [X] at the appropriate
time to have a better chance of getting a homerun.
Easy cards
Use the following trick to unlock all the cards in
one or two games. Once you unlock the Cooperstown Legends and
the Pixels, play as the Legends. You will find that within the
fifth or sixth inning, every hit equals ten points and possibly
more. Constantly hit homeruns and strike out the batters and you
should have forty to fifty packs to open after the game. This
is the easiest way to complete your card collection and unlock
the cheats.
Start an exhibition game. If you are starting from a clean slate
(i.e. no cards), use the Cooperstown Legends and the Baltimore
Orioles as the two teams. Have the Orioles as the home team to
give the Legends a DH, and their pitching an extra half-inning
to get more strikeouts. Set the controller icon to the Legends,
and the difficulty to Veteran. Set your weather, game options,
and lineup to however you like. Who you start (Ryan, Gibson, or
Seaver) does not matter. Next, press [Square] to go to the
"Control Setup" screen . Set all of the players to CPU
control for offense and defense. Press [X] to exit, then
press [X] again to start. You can now sit back and watch
the points pile up. The only thing that would require your attention
is in the event of an injury. Any of the Legends' starters can
go the distance, netting you 10 easy points for a complete game.
The offense usually has a field day and will give you lots of
points for cards. Once you get the Glen Cove Islanders and the
Fresno Pixels, the fun can really begin. Pick those two as your
teams, and set up an exhibition game with the same set-up as above,
using Glen Cove as your team. Sit back, and watch your boys pile
on the offense. Be prepared for anywhere between 20 to 70 runs
per game from your offense, with a couple of cycles and loads
of home runs. Your pitching staff can give you a complete game
shutout or (if your defense plays a bit off) a 1-run game, with
no more than 5 hits allowed and over 10 strikeouts. You can get
anywhere between 15 to 45 card packs per game.
Choose the Yankees at the Phillies. Choose to play as the Phillies
under any difficulty setting. When the first batter is up, pause
game play and select "Change Lineup". Then, select "Defensive
Replacement". Choose the catcher, then start using pitchers.
Repeat this step until you have run out of pitchers for the catchers.
Then, choose an outfielder to be the catcher. Then, go to "Position
Swap", and switch positions with the first baseman and catcher.
Go to "Defensive Replacement" again and choose any other
player to be the first basemen. Switch to the Yankees for an easy
win for cards.
This trick requires two controllers. Each controller will control
one team. Stay pitching in the middle of the strike zone, and
batting for homeruns. If you do not hit a homerun, control the
fielders and do not catch the ball in the air and throw it to
a base. Then, with the batting controller, keep pressing [L1]
to score a run. The game will never end. When the score is about
50 for each team, finish the game and you will have about 100
packs to open.
To get all the cheats and cards in one to two games, do the following
trick. In the exhibition mode, pick the Atlanta Braves and the
Baltimore Orioles as your two teams. Have the Orioles as the home
team and the Braves as the away team. Choose the Braves as your
team and when up to bat, drag bunt with Rafael Furcal. If he gets
to first base with nobody else on, always steal second base. Hit
with power with Chipper Jones, Gary Sheffield, Andru Jones and
Vinny Castilla. Hit regularly with everybody else. When you get
three outs, switch to the Orioles and pop-up every pitch. This
will get you no hitter points 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th inning, and
for the ninth inning, pop-up with the first two batters and get
the last player out yourself. This will get you points for a no
hitter and points for a perfect game. If done correctly, and you
average about five runs an inning, you should have at the very
least forty packs to open, if not more.
Thom Brennaman's stories
Start a game and allow the controller to remain idel.
After a few minutes after they have announced the lineups and
the starting pitcher, Thom Brennaman will start telling in-depth
stories about baseball.
Get Pedro Martinez on your pitching
staff
To get Pedro Martinez on your team, create at least
an A- Designated Hitter. Trade him for Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks,
then trade Johnson for Martinez. The Red Sox will refuse the trade
at first, but retry it once or twice and they will agree to it.
Powerful team
Create as many powerful designated hitters as you can.
Note: There is a limited amount. After this is done, take them
out of the free agents brackets. Trade them for as many All-Star
players as possible to create a dominating team.
Catcher
Use the following settings for a better catcher:
Contact: A+
Power: A+
Hitting: A+
Speed: A+
Bunt: D
Patience: D_
Glove: D
Range: D
Arm accuracy: B+
Arm strength: B+
Designated hitters
In season, expansion or franchise mode, create players
then trade them for the person you want. The best created player
you can make is a designated hitter. Use the following settings.
Note: Only American League teams need designated hitters. If you
want someone in the National League, then trade your created designated
hitter for a good American League player then trade him for the
desired National League player.
Contact: A+
Power: A+
Hitting: A
Speed: A-
Bunt: B-
Patience: B
Glove: D-
Range: D-
Arm Accuracy: D-
Arm Strength: D-
Alternately, use the following settings.
Contact: A+
Power: A+
Hitting: A+
Speed: A+
Bunt: C+
Patience: A+
Glove: D-
Range: D-
Arm Accuracy: D-
Arm Strength: C+
You can also set Bunt to D- with Arm Strength C+.
Alternately, use the following settings.
Contact: A+
Power: A+
Hitting: A+
Speed: A+
Bunt: D-
Patience: D-
Glove: C+
Range: C+
Arm Accuracy: C
Arm Strength: C
First or second baseman
Use the following settings for a better first or second
baseman:
Contact: A
Power: A+
Hitting: A
Speed: A+
Bunt: D
Patience: D
Glove: D
Range: D
Arm Accuracy: A
Arm Strength: A
Overall: A
Infielder
Same as above
Overall: A
Third baseman
Use the following settings for a better third baseman
Contact: A+
Power: A+
Hitting: A+
Speed: A+
Bunt: D-
Patience: D-
Glove: D-
Range: D-
Arm Accuracy: B+
Arm Strength: B+
Overall: A
Shortstop
Use the following settings for a better shortstop
Contact: A
Power: A+
Hitting: A
Speed: A+
Bunt: D-
Patience: D-
Glove: D-
Range: D-
Arm Accuracy: A-
Arm Strength: A-
Overall: A-
Outfielder
Use the following settings for a better outfielder
Contact: A
Power: A+
Hitting: A
Speed: A+
Bunt: D
Patience: D
Glove: D
Range: D
Arm Accuracy: A
Arm Strength: A
Overall: A-
