Baseball

Name: Baseball
Programmer(s): Steve MacLeay and Steve Justus
Publisher: Softside
Year: 1980

Description:

Baseball for the Apple II was one of the early sports games released for Apple's popular home computer in 1978. Created by programmer Bob Bishop, the game attempted to bring America's pastime to computer screens using the Apple II's limited graphics and processing power.

The game featured a top-down view of a baseball diamond displayed in the Apple II's low-resolution graphics mode. Players could see small pixelated figures representing the batter, pitcher, and fielders. The field appeared as a green diamond with white lines marking the bases and foul lines. When playing, you controlled either the pitcher or the batter, depending on which team was up.

As the pitcher, you could throw fastballs or curveballs by pressing different keys. The batter would try to hit the ball using the paddle controller or keyboard. Once the ball was hit, it would travel across the screen as a small white square. Fielders moved automatically to catch the ball, though their movements were basic and predictable. Base runners appeared as dots that moved between bases when hits occurred.

The game included basic baseball rules like three strikes, four balls, and three outs per inning. Players could play a full nine-inning game against the computer or another person. The computer opponent had three difficulty levels, though even the hardest setting was fairly easy to beat once you learned the timing.

Sound effects were minimal, consisting mainly of beeps when the bat hit the ball or when players scored runs. The Apple II's speaker could only produce simple tones, so there was no crowd noise or music. The scoreboard at the top of the screen showed the current inning, score, and count.

While primitive by today's standards, Baseball represented an important step in sports gaming. It proved that computers could simulate real sports, even with technical limitations. The game sold well through computer stores and mail order catalogs, encouraging other developers to create sports games.

Baseball's success helped establish sports games as a viable genre on home computers. Later Apple II baseball games like Hardball! and MicroLeague Baseball built on its foundation, adding better graphics, more realistic gameplay, and additional features. Though simple, Bob Bishop's Baseball showed that computers could bring the excitement of sports into homes across America.