MVP Baseball 2003 Cheats - Xbox
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Trades
In season mode, the CPU will accept all your trades
(at least in rookie mode). You can trade players that you do not
use a lot for other players on other teams that are very good.
For example it is possible to trade Marcus Thames to the Diamondbacks
for Randy Johnson.
Build team easily
In franchise mode, use the following trick to build
up your team instantaneously rather than through game play. For
example, if you want to get hitting greats such as Albert Pujols,
Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, or Vladimir Guerrero, go to create-a-player
in the "Roster" menu. Once there, create a player with
whatever visual and physical characteristics desired, then proceed
to the attributes screen. Give the player 99 in Contact vs. Lefty
and Contact vs. Righty, 99 in Power vs. Righty and Power vs. Lefty,
99 in Throwing Strength, and 99 in Throwing Accuracy. Make the
player be born in the oldest possible date allowed by the game,
so that he retires after about one season. Also, set his Durability
to 36. Thus, he is extraordinarily injury prone. Once you have
created this player, sign him but make sure you have the salary
cap room as he will be very expensive. Once you have him, deal
him off for one of the aforementioned superstars. More often than
not, this superstar will have a lower contract than the created
player, allowing you to repeat this process as long as you can
afford it. If you need to open up cap room, trade away the players
that the superstars replace or release unnecessary, high contract,
players.
Go to the menu that allows you to make roster changes. Make all
of the trades that you desire. The CPU will accept everything.
Once you create your team, you can start a franchise with it.
Many of the older players like Randy Johnson will not retire as
quickly as they would normally. This is a good way to break all
of the milestones. After you reset the game, you will have to
go back to the roster menu and load the rosters again.
Easy homeruns at Fenway
If you have a big hitter such as Manny or Vlad, hold
the Left Analog-stick diagonally towards the Green Monster.
This will make almost every inside pitch or icon in the hot spot
go over the wall for a homerun.
Easy homeruns
When controlling a right handed batter, point the "Left
Analog-stick" to opposite field (right field). Swing for an
increased chance of getting a homerun over the right field fence.
Easy double plays
When you are playing against the CPU and it has players
on base, wait until the next batter is up. If the batter hits
a ball to the outfield and it is not a line drive, get off the
player that is suppose to catch the ball and wait until the very
last moment to catch the ball. Then, take control of the outfielder
to make the out. The CPU's baserunners will already be running
to the next base because they thought the ball would not have
been caught. After you make the catch, you can throw out the baserunners
who forgot to tag up. This is an easy way to make double and even
triple plays
Easy hits
While at bat, take a look at where the outfield is
playing you. They play according to the hitter's spray chart.
If they play you straight up, try to hit the ball into the gaps.
If they shade you to either side, hit the ball the other way by
pressing the "Left-Analog stick" in the opposite direction
+ [Up] to hit a fly ball to the opposite field. Timing is
important. This should improve your batting average.
Easy strikeouts
Once you get two strikes on a batter, always throw
a low inside curveball or slider. You will almost always get a
strikeout.
Get two strikes on a batter. This is easiest done with a curveball.
Then, throw a cutter high and away (outside the zone). The batter
will swing and miss for strike three. This only works with right-handed
pitchers against right-handed batters. If the batter does not
swing, use a low and inside curveball to finish him off.
To get easy strikeouts and even a perfect game, get a pitcher
with a slider and a curveball. If the batter hits from the same
side as the pitcher throws, throw three sliders up and inside.
Make sure it is over the edge of the zone slightly. If the batter
hits from the opposite side as the pitcher, throw three curveballs
up and inside (edge of the zone). Most of the time they will not
swing, and you will strikeout almost every batter. Even if they
do hit it, it will most likely be a popup.
Make the batter hit two or three foul balls, then throw either
a changeup or slider. This will work about 90% of the time.
A good strikeout pitcher must have a curveball, and a four seam
fastball (for example, Matt Morris). Start by throwing a curve
in the batter's cold zone. Then, throw a fastball in the same
or another cold zone. Finish him off with a curveball down and
in.
When you have two strikes on a batter (for example, a right-handed
player) and you have a right-handed pitcher, throw an up and away
(right off the plate) four seam fastball. If you have a left-handed
pitcher, throw an up and away two seam fastball. It tends to have
a bit of curve to the opposite side. This also works when you
change the pitcher. You can also use the low and away area as
well; just change up and away to low and away.
Get or create a picther that has a good curveball and/or knuckleball.
The four to five pitches you need are a four seam fastball (automatic),
cutter, curveball, knuckleball, and a screwball or a slider. When
facing any batter, throw a fastball low and inside and make it
fast. He will take it for strike one. Next, throw a screwball/slider
up and in. It must have some of the pointer out of the strike
zone. This should be strike two. Next, throw a curveball on the
top-outside corner with some of the pointer out the strike zone
again. He should take it for strike three. Make sure you get it
in the accuracy zone or he will usually hit it. For the next batter,
use a fastball low and inside, followed by a cutter low and outside.
Finally, use a knuckleball right down the middle and he will swing
early.
When you pitch with Randy Johnson (for example), he has a fastball
and slider. Pitch down and away with a slider on the right side
on the corner and low. The batter will swing and miss, or watch
it almost every time. Pitch a fastball, then a slider, followed
by another slider. You can do the same with right-handed pitches
by throwing to the opposite side.
To strike out the opposing team's batter, you will first need
a right or left handed pitcher that has a good four seam fastball,
and a very good slider. Play a game, and if the pitcher throws
right-handed, start off by throwing a fastball to the opposite
side the pitcher throws on the bottom corner. Try to get as far
down in the corner as you can without it being called a ball.
Then, throw a slider in the top corner on the same side as the
pitcher throws. Again, try and throw it as far in the corner as
you can; this goes for all pitches. Finally, throw another slider
on the same side as the pitcher throws, only in the lower part
of the zone in the corner. If the pitcher is left-handed, just
reverse the sides where you throw the ball. Usually, the batter
will not swing at any of the pitches. If he does and he hits one,
it will be a ground ball. In the event that the batter hits the
ball and fouls it out, just throw the same pitch in the exact
same location. Chances are, he will miss it. Also, as the pitcher
gets more tired, his pitches will be easier to hit; use a pitcher
with good stamina. Always try to go as far down on the throw meter
as you can so the pitch will be more effective. This trick works
well under the pro difficulty setting, and when used under the
rookie difficulty setting you are but almost guaranteed a perfect
game.
When you have two strikes on a bad hitter, throw a fastball slightly
higher than where the strike zone ends. He will probably swing.
This will usually work on all of the players, especially if they
have a low plate discipline. You can also throw a breaking ball
(curveball or slider) to the top corner of the strike zone opposite
to the pitching hand of the pitcher. For example, if using a right-handed
pitcher, go to the upper-left hand corner and vice-versa. If it
is a screwball, do the opposite because it breaks the opposite
way. This works about 99.9% of the time.
When pitching against the CPU, get two strikes and one or less
balls. Try using a slider or two seam fastball. Throw him a high
heat (four seamer) out of the strike zone. It must be straight
up. This will work best with a pitcher with a 89+ fastball. Alternately,
try to use a low and away curveball with two or less strikes.
By doing this you can easily strike out over twenty batters. If
your pitcher does not last very long, try throwing sliders as
slow as possible and the four seamer about half the way on the
pitching meter.
Easy run
If you have a man on first and third base, have the
player on first steal. Once you see the catcher's arm go up, send
your player on third base home.
Easy hit and run
If you have runners on first and third base, and a
right handed batter at the plate, steal with the runner on first
and press the Analog-stick to opposite field + [Down].
Easy homeruns with pitchers
Add a pitcher to your team that has a low stamina,
but has a screwball or knuckleball. Pinch hit for your starter
with this pitcher and he should have a high power rating.
Perfect game
Use Barry Zito or create a player that has a good slider
and curveball. Throw the slider two times to the opposite side
that the pitcher throws. For example, Zito is left-handed, so
throw it to the right side (inside of a left-handed batter). This
will cause the batter to think it is either to the inside or to
the outside. The pitch must be at the edge of the strike zone.
After that, throw a curveball in the upper inside or outside corner.
He should strike out, pop out, or ground out.
Get a left handed pitcher with a curveball and four seam fastball.
Start the batter off with a curveball on the lower-inside corner
of the strike zone. The second pitch should be a four seamer to
the lower-outside corner of the plate. The second should be the
curveball again. Usually the batter will strike out, but if he
does not he will pop out or hit the ball weakly to someone. There
is a chance that the batter will bloop the ball for a single --
bring your outfielders in on every batter. All bloops will be
caught and the batters will not be able to hit a fly ball over
your fielders' heads. Recommended pitchers are Andy Pettitte and
David Wells.
Glitch: Baseballs bounce on water
When you hit homeruns at the Pittsburgh Pirates' PNC
Park, use the "Replay" feature to follow the path of
the ball closely. If the homeruns are deep enough to clear the
stadium and land in the river that is just beyond the park, you
will see that the balls do not fall and splash into the water.
They bounce and roll on the water of the river, as if it were
normal ground.
Glitch: Super fast ball speed
In rare instances in the game, when you swing at the
last moment at a ball (usually up and in), the ball will explode
off of your bat at inhuman rates of speed. It may register on
the speed pitch tracker as over 4000 mph. As a result, the ball
will skyrocket very high and deep and, if you are playing in a
dome, travel far enough to go through the roof of the dome and
disappear.
Glitch: Sky dome
If you hit a high enough home run in an outdoor stadium
(best done at night) and follow the ball as closely as possible,
when the ball reaches its peak height, you can usually see in
the air the place where the sky "meets". This is where
the sky graphics designed by the programmers are "closed".
It will appear as if it is a "dome of sky" and seem
quite strange.