This economical, stat filled baseball game boasts a price that's even lower than previous installments at $19.99. Not bad for a Wii title. The graphics and overall production values could use improvement, but the game modes have nice customization/coach options with a low learning curve so young ones can enjoy big league fun on their level. All Major League Baseball teams are included with rosters that have a pro player from every team including Ken Griffey Jr., David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Ichiro Suzuki. The 11 backyard teams include neighborhood kids Pablo Sanchez, Joey MacAdoo, Ernie Steele and Tony Delvecchio. Customizations like player trades add some appeal while the stats are a low cost way to offset other production values (e.g. small button graphics make it hard to distinguish an “A” from a “+”).

The graphics include a helpful ball trail so you can track the path plus some shadows and butterflies to give the environments some life. It would have been nice to see some interactive bonuses when you hit objects outside the field like buses and moving cars, but maybe that’s not a responsible example for the kids.

The six modes of play have a Play Now and Pickup Game, which allows team, player and stadium choice (a limited cache which could be expanded in the next version, especially the darkly lit ranch venue). Tournaments allow as many as eight players. Use the 1 button for scouting reports or the 2 button to simulate through a game. Season Game mode has unlockable players when players complete a 16 or 32 game season. Individual player statistics, awards and other milestones accumulate in each game, season and total career. In the Home Run Derby, ranging from two to four players, the game tracks stats for distance, frequency and total distance. This mode is great for batting practice but needs more player incentives. The American/National League All-Star Game automatically picks the players, but the lineups are different each time.