Video Game Tip Sheet: ‘MLB 2K11’

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In honor of Facebook streaming MLB on the site, I figured you would want some tips on MLB 2K11 to get you in the baseball mood. 2K Games’ MLB 2K11 team came up with these pointers that break down the basics of the game.

Pitching

Make the most of the Inside Edge data

Take advantage of your matchup against a batter by throwing to his cold spots, or blue zones. Be careful though. If you accidentally throw it into the hitter’s red zone, the hitter will make you pay.

Accuracy Counts

The more accurate your right-stick gesture is, the more control you will have over your pitches. Sloppy right stick gestures will result in walks and hits.

Max Pitch

If you fill out the meter perfectly, your pitcher will throw a “Max Pitch.”  Max pitches are very hard to make contact with.

Mound Meetings

If your pitcher starts to lose composure after consecutive hits, the aiming cursor will start to shake and bounce around on the screen.  This is a great time to press the back, or select, button to call a mound meeting.  By selecting “composure” during your mound meeting, your pitcher will be back to normal.

Righties vs. Lefties

Generally, right-handed batters struggle more against right-handed pitchers.  Left-handed batters generally struggle more against left-handed batters.  Remember to use this to your advantage, like a real manager does, when selecting pitchers to warm up in your bull-pen.

Hitting

Flick and Swish

If you are struggling at the plate, make use of the contact swing by flicking up on right-stick.  Power swings (down and then up) are a good idea when the count is 3-0, 3-1, 2-1, or 2-0.  However, when you are behind in the count, the contact swing is the best way to get on base.

Two Strikes And You’re…

When faced with two strikes, use the defensive swing (flicking either left or right on the right-stick) to fight off pitches and stay alive.  Not only will this avoid a strikeout, but it adds to the pitcher’s pitch count, wearing him out.

Batter’s Eye

Each player has an “Eye” rating that allows him to see pitch tells.  The pitch tells will indicate whether a pitch is a fastball, breaking ball, or change-up. These tells show up above the strike zone as soon as the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.  Paying attention to the batter’s eye pitch tells will greatly improve your swing timing.

Fielding

Avoid the red!

If you put the throw meter into the red, look out.  Depending on who the fielder is, he is liable to air-mail a throw into the dugout or skip one past the first baseman.  Don’t let a fielding error cost you a perfect game.

Queue up your throws

If you are in the field and you think a runner is going to tag up, you can start the throw meter before the outfielder has even caught the ball.  This will result in your outfielder having a sense of urgency on the catch and throw.  You can also queue up throws on grounders as well.  This is helpful against speedsters who like to bunt or against lead-off batters who hit a slow moving chopper to 3rd base.