This might be the first time you'll hear about Negro League teams having to take grueling 24-hour bus rides to away games, not knowing if they'd be able to find a place to eat or a hotel to stay in because of their skin color. His stories are as much about baseball as they are about civil rights, and the way he tells them is both captivating and highly illuminating. The kicker is that he does so after instructing the entire defense to huddle around the mound such was his confidence that the hitters wouldn't be able to make contact with his electrifying stuff.īaseball is a sport full of history and mythology, and you can see how Kendrick relishes in recounting the myths surrounding these players while also delving into the facts. The best of these is when he makes a point of striking out the side after a white opposing player insults him with a racial epithet. It's a small detail, but one of the ways Storylines showcases Satchel's enormous personality. In subsequent games, you choose to pitch from a selection including a bee, dipsy, and creep. Yet this changes after you find out he had unique names for every pitch type he threw. In your first game pitching with Satchel Page, for instance, his repertoire consists of the usual fastballs and sliders. However, the moments that stand out the most are those that implement details learned from Kendrick's fascinating narration. It's great that this is reflected in the game. These weren't just ballgames, but social occasions, and a venue for African-Americans to express themselves. The best teams often played each other on Sunday afternoons, so the capacity crowds would show up after church dressed in their Sunday best. Even the crowds are dolled up, with men sporting ties and women wearing their finest dresses. All of the authentic team uniforms and stadiums are featured, right down to the baggy pants and era-appropriate vehicles sitting in the parking lot. They're usually fairly short, but the commentary adds additional trinkets about the players and the circumstances surrounding each moment, and the attention to detail in each one is fantastic. These are similar to the Moments found in Diamond Dynasty, tasking you with completing different objectives such as striking out two batters or hitting a home run. MLB The Show 23Ī single episode consists of a video package combining archival footage with eye-catching art that brings each player to life, and one or two gameplay scenarios that highlight what made them so special. You may have only heard of one or two of these players, but every legendary figure has a whole series dedicated to their life and career, with each one spanning between eight and nine episodes. The rest of the game iterates on its predecessors and shakes up the Diamond Dynasty formula with some major changes, but it's Storylines: The Negro Leagues that stands out above all else and elevates the entire experience.Įight players are featured in this interactive learning tool: Leroy "Satchel" Page, Hilton Smith, Andrew "Rube" Foster, Hank Thompson, John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil, Jackie Robinson, John Donaldson, and Martin Dihigo. It's a landmark moment for sports games-and video games in general-meshing The Show's consistently excellent gameplay with educational and inspiring video packages narrated by the extremely knowledgeable Kendrick himself. A new Storylines mode explores the league's rich history, telling a captivating story of extraordinary people triumphing in the face of abhorrent prejudice and hate. MLB The Show 23 shines a spotlight on these unknown and forgotten heroes of the Negro Leagues. That's not to disparage one of the greatest players of all time, but to provide context for just how good some of the league's other players were. Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will tell you that Jackie Robinson wasn't the greatest player to ply his trade in the Negro Leagues. Jackie Robinson's alluring talent was one of the reasons he was chosen to be the first Negro League player to integrate into the previously segregated Major Leagues, but it was his outstanding intangibles-such as his ability to handle racist abuse with grace-that sealed the deal. The legendary number 42 made his Brooklyn Dodgers debut in 1947 and lit up the diamond with his electric playstyle, all while facing intolerance and hatred from fans, opposing players, and teammates alike. Jackie Robinson is many things: a hall of fame baseball player a Rookie of the Year, MVP, and World Series winner and, most notably, the first Black man to break baseball's color line and compete in the Major Leagues.
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