I don’t think anyone will really care, but I’m working on a way to calculate dynamic sliders for the game MVP Baseball 2005. The game has "sliders" which let you tweak the difficulty and different aspects of the game. People post their sliders and everyone else can try them and see if they like them. I’m attempting to come up with a system that makes it based on individual skill, not some other person.

I know, poor excuse for a post, but I made a fancy spreadsheet and everything!

It’s been awhile since I updated you on my MVP Baseball 2005 dynasty. My Dodgers were able to defeat the Mets in the first round of the playoffs with a series victory of 3-1, winning the final game at home. Our next series for the National League crown is against the Padres!

In game 1 the Dodgers took a 4-1 lead into the final two frames, but the Pads gave us some trouble. They put up 2 runs in the 8th, and another 2 in the bottom of the 9th to come back and beat us. The Dodgers look to rebound in game 2 of this 7 game series.

Surprisingly, it’s a LOT of fun getting beat in this game. Knowing that your lead isn’t always safe, and that you WILL lose games, makes every win feel great.

UPDATE

Game 2 did not go so well either. The Dodgers fell behind early 5-2 against knuckleballer Steve Sparks, who went a strong 7 innings. The Dodgers’ scored early with a 2-run shot by Drew, but their bats were silenced until the 8th, when they put up another 2 spot. Unfortunately that was all the offense could muster as the Dodgers fell 5-4 to the Padres. This puts the Dodgers down 0-2 in this best of 7 series. The Dodgers head back to Los Angeles where they hope a change of scenery can turn things around.

I officially finished the regular season in my dynasty on MVP Baseball 2005. All 162 games are done, and the playoffs are here! I finished up the regular season 92-70, which was good enough for the wild card spot, 6 games behind the Padres in the West. I brought up a young pitcher (Chad Billingsly) to pitch the final game of the season. He did ok (lost 8-2), but he’s got some growing to do.

After the season is over the awards are handed out. J.D. Drew was robbed of the MVP by Beltran. Kent won the Gold Glove at 2nd, and Drew won the Silver Slugger in the outfield. We’re facing the Mets in the first round of the playoffs.

GAME 1
The first game did not go well at all. Maybe the guys were still shook up from the last lost, but we just couldn’t put it together. Odalis Perez gave up 4 runs, and the bullpen gave up another 4. The only bright side for the Dodgers offensively was a 2-run shot by Choi, but it wasn’t enough as we lost the opener 8-2.

GAME 2
The second game we turned to Jeff Weaver for some solid innings, and he came through. Weaver pitched 6 scoreless innings and the Dodger bats came up with 3 early runs. Sanchez and Carrara both pitched scoreless innings, but Gagne had everyone on pins and needles in the 9th. Having surrendered 2 runs so far in the inning and men on 1st and 2nd, Gagne got a strikeout to end the game.

With the 5 game series evened at 1-1 the Dodgers turn to Derek Lowe in game 3. The series heads back to Los Angeles for the next 2 games where the Dodgers hope to win the series on home turf.

I forgot to mention this, but I finished the second book in A Song of Fire and Ice series. I started book 3…it’s over 1000 pages. I’ll post a review of the second book soon. In the meantime though I have to read a dumb young adult book for my adolescent development class.

I’m crossing my fingers that I passed the algebra CSET test…because tomorrow I start studying for the geometry test. Everything I learned about algebra will begin to go down the toilet.

Stacie and I booked our hotels and airfare for our whole honeymoon. That’s cool.

I’m now 27-31 in MVP Baseball 2005. I’ve been doing really well lately and probably need to bump up the difficulty, but I’m waiting until I reach .500. Hee-Sop is doing well, but Yhency is horrible. I demoted him to AAA. Scott Erickson was called up to replace Ishii too.

I just had a conversation with Paddy about how gaim is better than aim. His profile looked broken, and the following ensued:

Yup2That: b/c you use gay aim
nathan118: how are your ads?
nathan118: taking up half your screen? mmmm
nathan118: gay themes everywhere
nathan118: driving you nuts with big flashing eagles and crap
Yup2That: what?
Yup2That: they are not taking half my screen
nathan118: and the newest harry potter movie everywhere sending gay icons to you
Yup2That: it is taking the space of one buddy icon
nathan118: and dumb colors everywhere like some idiot broke their aim colors
nathan118: and stupid messages like “accept this gay buddy icon??????”
Yup2That: right
Yup2That: i’m going
Yup2That: see ya sunday
nathan118: ok aim

I so won. He was beyond confused to the point of sleep. There is no better way to defeat your opponent than by sheer confusion and idiocy. Yesssss!

Yesterday I picked up MVP Baseball 2005, and so far it’s awesome. Not only does it play a great game of baseball, but from different message boards I frequent it looks like it’s an all around solid game. That’s got me excited. I’m looking forward to actually playing a whole season and getting into it.

My other big news is that I actually went a whole week without soda! I had an energy drink or two, which are soda-like, but they’re kinda good for you. They have vitamins and all this stuff in them, whereas soda is just sugar. I also picked up the Target imitation Centrum vitamins. A year’s supply is only $15, so I figure it’s worth trying.

I took today off so I could get ready for winter camp and play a game or two of baseball, so I better get myself in motion.

I was trying to not get too excited because I have a billion and one things to do, but I can’t help it. New baseball games start to show up on store shelves tomorrow and I can’t contain my excitement. I won’t have a ton of time to play them, but I’m sure I can squeeze a game in here and there. Best of all, they’re way cheaper than most years. MVP ’05 is only $30, what a deal!

I’m at Warren the next two days for Mr. Orlinsky, so maybe after that I’ll have a chance to pick it up.