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There’s a bit of an argument going on at various sports forums about whether SCEA MLB09 The Show contains scripted events. Some say yes, and the butt-kissing grovellers state an unequivical NO!

Well, I just got back from a haircut and decided to play a few more games. I fired up MLB 09 The Show, loaded my RTTS player’s save file, and forged onwards. My first at bat, I hit a line drive which the second baseman picked off. No biggie. Second at bat, I got a juicy 4SFB that trickled right to the first baseman. Hmm… I cried foul and restarted the game. And restarted the game again. Then I restarted it once more.

During each of my first appearances at the plate – no matter what kind of contact I made or what kind of pitch I swung at, the ball went right from my bat into the second baseman’s mitt. Four times in a row.

No matter what I swung at during my second appearance throughout those four games, the ball trickled right to Mr. First Baseman.

So, after restarting the game yet again, I came here to bitch. Now I’m going to play the game one final time. There is NO WAY that I can possibly receive the same results five times in a row during the same game unless the outcome is predetermined before I even start.

In all the games I’ve played this season (now in August of 2015) the second baseman hasn’t robbed me of five line drives. That it happened four times in a row during a game restarted over and over again is fishy. Veddy, veddy fishy.

Update: Ok, so here’s what happened on my fifth play-through. My first “turn” was spent on defence. First batter hit to third, second hit right to me, the last batter (I was playing Arizona btw) hit a weak grounder to second. At first base, I got all three put-outs. My turn to bat.

Up to the plate, there’s no outs and a man on first. Taking the easy way out – and really wanting to get past this damned game – I wait on a sweet four seamer and I… BUNT! Tricked you, you bugger! I make it to first and the runner advances.

Now, before you go and say that that is proof there is no shenanigans at work, the guy on second base – game tired 0-0, no outs – runs for third and is basically out by the time he gets halfway there! Super shenanigans! The CPU wanted its out, so it took the leadoff runner.

So, my next at bat I make solid contact and drive a knock up the first base line. Lucky for me, the hit is foul and just out of the reach of the first baseman. The next pitch is a ball, but the one after that is an easy slider. CRACK! I drill a hard grounder to second and the second baseman grabs it after a bounce, slides along his belly, and throws it to the shortstop at second getting the runner out. Meanwhile, I’m safe at first just as the shortstop throws the ball to the first baseman. I’m in like Flint about ten feet past the bag when the ball finally arrives.

And I get credited (charged?) with a Fielder’s Choice! Fielder’s Choice? How the second baseman could choose to throw it to first while sliding in the opposite direction on his belly is beyond me. So I go 1-3 with a couple of RBI’s (also had a Sac Fly in the game), and finally put an end to this nonesense.