I, too, have been playing PB for a while. I also watch a lot of real ball. Overall, I am amazed that these folks have been able to put so much reality into their game. I see most situations resolve in ways that I would not be surprised at the real-world park.

I also base my satisfaction on the way the game gets and keeps my and my son’s attention. In a close game, we feel the tension; we agonize about decisions-HnR, steal, sac. and argue about which pitcher to bring in. When we lose we feel let down; when we win we feel elated. That to me is the true test of whether this game is worth the effort.

While there are occasionally weird things that happen, that sounds a lot to me like real life.

Finally: The other major problem I see in comparing stats is the managerial impact. For example, initially I was tempted to always HnR with a hitter with a high HnR rating. I found out quickly that this reduced his average - obviously the game has him swinging at pitches he would rather have not. Also, pitching matchups are totally different than in the real world, with National and American leaguers all jumbled up. There is no way to measure this using the stats.

So I say, let your gut rather than your head tell you whether the game is worth the effort.

BrianR