MLB 2k8 Patch Impressions and Starting a Franchise

From what little reading I can find the patch for MLB 2k8 addresses just two issues: framerate and inability to manage the minor league rosters for the Padres. (I forget the specifics of the latter because, well, it's the Padres.) I didn't have much time last night to play a whole game with the new patch, but I did play about five innings just to get a taste. The framerate is much improved, but don't expect miracles. There are still the odd slowdowns and speedups when fielding and there are still hitches on infield throws. They're not as prevalent or distracting but they're there. A smooth 60fps game, that we were all sold on during the 2k conference call, this is still not.

On a sidenote, I've started a franchise with some user-made rosters. (2k's last roster update was at the end of freak'n February. Nice work, guys.) Seven games in and my impressions haven't changed much at all. This is a fun game, when there isn't bizarre sh#@ happening.

On the plus side, I had one of those great fist-pumping moments over the weekend. My Tigers were getting just obliterated by the White Sox (not unlike real life), 10-2. I was scratching my way back into it. 10-6 after the sixth inning. 10-8 after the seventh. Finally, in the bottom of the eight I was able to tie it up, 10-10. In the bottom of the ninth, still tied, I got a lead off triple from Gary Sheffield. (You can get a lot of triples in this game playing in Comerica Park, which is sweet.) The game proceeds to issue back-to-back intentional walks to Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera, who were having fantastic games, to load up the bases. (Again, sweet!) On the second pitch to Carlos Guillen (who was hitting in the low .200s), the White Sox pitcher tosses a wild pitch that goes back to the backstop. Gary Sheffield races to home for the win. Simply an awesome game. Had my wife not been home, I probably would've been running around the house whooping it up. (Yeah, I'm that kind of dork.)

The counter-balance? My very next game, in Boston, I've got a no-hitter going in the sixth inning with Verlander. There are two outs and I'm just cruising. One of the Sox hitters (I forget which), hits a lazy fly ball to right field. I'm under it with Ordonez who manages to somehow not catch the ball. It just drops in while he stands there. Okay, fine. There probably should be an animation for that, but errors like that do happen. There's one problem, though. No error was charged. I lost out on a no-hitter because this game flat out does not charge human teams with fielding errors. Throwing errors yes. But every time I have a fielder miss a lazy ground ball or drop a fly, there is never an error charged. In most games that's simply annoying, but when you've got a no-hit bid going and it's spoiled by something like that, it's simply unforgivable.