Tony La Russa Baseball
Encyclopedia
Tony La Russa Baseball is a baseball
computer and video game console
sports game
series (1991-1997), designed by Don Daglow
, Michael Breen
, Mark Buchignani, David Bunnett and Hudson Piehl and developed by Stormfront Studios
. The game appeared on Commodore 64
, PC, and Sega Genesis, and different versions were published by Electronic Arts
, SSI and Stormfront Studios. The artificial intelligence
for the computer manager was provided by Tony La Russa
, then manager of the Oakland Athletics
and later the St. Louis Cardinals
. The game was one of the best-selling baseball franchises of the 1990s.
The game was based on the baseball simulation methods Daglow evolved through the Baseball
mainframe computer game (1971) (the first computer baseball game ever written), Intellivision World Series Baseball
(1983) and Earl Weaver Baseball
(1987).
TLB refined many of the simulation elements of Earl Weaver Baseball, and introduced a few "firsts" of its own:
The first version of La Russa, Tony La Russa's Ultimate Baseball, was released almost exactly twenty years after the first playable version of Baseball went live at Pomona College
in 1971.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
computer and video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
sports game
Sports game
A sports game is a computer or video game that simulates the practice of traditional sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, athletics and extreme sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport , whilst others emphasize strategy and organization...
series (1991-1997), designed by Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
, Michael Breen
Michael Breen
Michael Breen may refer to:* Michael Breen wrote The Koreans* Mike Breen * Michael Breen from Montreal, Canada who was nominated at the Juno Awards of 1989* Mike Breen founder of ....
, Mark Buchignani, David Bunnett and Hudson Piehl and developed by Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios was a video game developer based in San Rafael, California which had one of the longest creative histories in the industry. In 2007, the company had over 50 developers working on two teams, and owned all its proprietary engines, tools and technology. As of the end of 2007 over...
. The game appeared on Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, PC, and Sega Genesis, and different versions were published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, SSI and Stormfront Studios. The artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
for the computer manager was provided by Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
, then manager of the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and later the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. The game was one of the best-selling baseball franchises of the 1990s.
The game was based on the baseball simulation methods Daglow evolved through the Baseball
Baseball (computer game)
Baseball was one of the first-ever baseball computer games, and was created on a PDP-10 mainframe computer at Pomona College in 1971 by student Don Daglow. The game continued to be enhanced periodically through 1976...
mainframe computer game (1971) (the first computer baseball game ever written), Intellivision World Series Baseball
Intellivision World Series Baseball
Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball is a baseball sports game , designed by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower and published by Mattel for the Intellivision Entertainment Computer System. IWSB was the first video game of any kind to use multiple camera angles, and the first sports game...
(1983) and Earl Weaver Baseball
Earl Weaver Baseball
Earl Weaver Baseball is a baseball computer game , designed by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower and published by Electronic Arts. The artificial intelligence for the computer manager was provided by Baseball Hall of Fame member Earl Weaver, then manager of the Baltimore Orioles...
(1987).
TLB refined many of the simulation elements of Earl Weaver Baseball, and introduced a few "firsts" of its own:
- User Interface and the Fly Ball Cursor -- Prior to Intellivision World Series Baseball in 1983 all hits in baseball games were grounders, since there was no way to display the ball in flight in 3D. After World Series Baseball, from 1983-1990 games had fly balls but used a ball-shaped shadow to trace the ball's path on the ground. This made catching fly balls difficult, since users couldn't tell how high the ball was if it was off the screen. In La Russa Daglow designed a circular Fly Ball Cursor that appeared where the ball was going to land, and grew or diminished in size based on the height of the ball. If the wind was blowing the cursor would move its location to reflect the changing course of the ball. The Fly Ball Cursor introduced real fly balls and pop-ups to computer baseball games, eliminating the last segment of the sport that had never been simulated accurately. Every graphic baseball game published since 1991 has used some variation on Daglow's Fly Ball Cursor for outfield play.
- Fantasy Draft -- La Russa was the first computer baseball game to allow users to conduct drafts and set up their own leagues, all with access to the game's comprehensive player statistics. Tony La Russa would draft on behalf of all non-human users in a league, and users could tune the AI draft strategy uniquely for each team. The draft features were enhanced in later versions.
- Head-to-Head Stats and Simulation Accuracy -- La Russa was the first baseball game to offer accurate stats for each individual pitcher against each individual hitter, data that actual managers use extensively in the dugout. Player stats and ratings were supplied by baseball sabermetricsSabermetricsSabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
pioneers John ThornJohn ThornJohn Thorn is a noted sports historian, and the Official Baseball Historian for Major League Baseball.-Early life:Thorn was born in Stuttgart, West Germany. His Polish Jewish parents had come there as refugees. He immigrated to the United States in 1949...
and Pete PalmerPete PalmerPete Palmer is a major contributor to the applied mathematical field referred to as sabermetrics. Along with the Bill James Baseball Abstracts, Palmer's book The Hidden Game of Baseball is often referred to as providing the foundation upon which the field of sabermetrics was built.Palmer began his...
. - Baseball stadiums -- Ballparks in the game were larger and more richly detailed than any prior game. Add-on disks allowed users to play in real Major League ballparks.
- AI -- In contrast to many sports celebrities who merely lent their names to games, Tony La Russa spent extensive sessions over a period of years working to make the game's artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
as accurate as possible. The team leveraged the lessons learned working with Earl WeaverEarl WeaverEarl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
to make the "baseball manager as game designer" feedback loop even more efficient.
The first version of La Russa, Tony La Russa's Ultimate Baseball, was released almost exactly twenty years after the first playable version of Baseball went live at Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
in 1971.
Games
- Tony La Russa's Ultimate Baseball (1991)
- Tony La Russa's Ultimate Baseball: Ultimate Expansion Disk (1991)
- Tony La Russa Baseball (1993)
- Tony La Russa Baseball II (1993)
- Tony La Russa Baseball 3 (1995)
- Tony La Russa Baseball '96 (1996)
- Tony La Russa Baseball 4 (1997)
See also
- BaseballBaseball (computer game)Baseball was one of the first-ever baseball computer games, and was created on a PDP-10 mainframe computer at Pomona College in 1971 by student Don Daglow. The game continued to be enhanced periodically through 1976...
mainframe computer game - Intellivision World Series BaseballIntellivision World Series BaseballIntellivision World Series Major League Baseball is a baseball sports game , designed by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower and published by Mattel for the Intellivision Entertainment Computer System. IWSB was the first video game of any kind to use multiple camera angles, and the first sports game...
- Earl Weaver BaseballEarl Weaver BaseballEarl Weaver Baseball is a baseball computer game , designed by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower and published by Electronic Arts. The artificial intelligence for the computer manager was provided by Baseball Hall of Fame member Earl Weaver, then manager of the Baltimore Orioles...
- Old Time BaseballOld Time BaseballOld Time Baseball is a baseball computer personal computer game designed and programmed by Don Daglow, Hudson Piehl, Clay Dreslough and James Grove...