Tommy Lasorda Baseball

In the game, players compete with either AI-controlled opponents or against other players across single exhibitions, open matches or a 30-game season. Part of a marketing campaign to build a library of titles using recognizable names and likenesses of celebrities and athletes to emphasize the arcade experience available on Sega Genesis. The game garnered mixed to positive reception from critics since its release; praise was given to the addition of season play, use of multiple perspectives, sound, two-player component and gameplay, but criticism was geared towards this aspect being luck-based and having difficult AI, while others felt mixed in regards to the graphical quality and recommended similar titles instead.

• Title — Tommy Lasorda Baseball • Developer — Sega • Publisher — Sega • Designer — Naoto Ohshima • Programmer — Keiichi Yamamoto • Series — Super League • Platforms — Arcade, Sega Genesis • Released — Genesis ArcadeApril 1989 • Genre — Sports (baseball) • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer • Arcade System — Sega Mega-Tech

• Illustration — Genesis version screenshot Tommy Lasorda Baseball is a baseball game where players compete in matches against AI-controlled opponents or other players in single exhibitions, open matches or a 30-game season. A password system enables players to take their team through a season in the World Series and keeps track of other teams in the league. The 26 teams featured in the game use their real-life city names, though statistics and player names are fictional. Although it follows the same gameplay as other baseball titles at the time and most of the rules are also present, the game opts for a more arcade-styled approach of the sport instead of being full simulation. During gameplay, players must hit a pitch, reach any base safely, pitch a strike, get the AI players out or retire the AI's side to end an inning. The game ends when a team has scored more runs than the other at any time. Outside of gameplay, players must manage the abilities of batters and pitchers. Batters are rated based on batting average, home runs, running speed, fielding and throwing. Pitchers are rated based on earned run average (ERA), stamina, curve-throwing ability, top throwing speed, and the distance a hit pitch will travel. A pre-game difficulty setting makes the game biased either towards the pitcher, batter, or an equal game of skill between pitcher and batter. Players can also decide if there will be fielding errors or how environmental hazards such as wind will affect the ball.

Tommy Lasorda Baseball was first published in Japan by Sega on April 22, 1989, for the Mega Drive under the title Super League and later that year in North America on August 14 as one of the six launch titles for the Genesis. It was also released in Europe under its original title. Sega signed former MLB player Tommy Lasorda, who was manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the time, to endorse the game as part of a marketing campaign to build a library of titles using recognizable names and likenesses of celebrities and athletes emphasizing the arcade experience available on the Genesis. An arcade version using the Sega Mega-Tech system was also released in April 1989. The original Japanese release features teams that bear resemblance to the 1989 NPB roster. The Genesis version was later re-released as a budget title in 1992 as part of the "Sega Classic" line.