Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
2010 MLB Season Simmed In Honor Of Nick Punto Day
It's Nick Punto Day! Don't ask me why. I just woke up to Twitter assaulting me with all kinds of sarcastic and amusing tidbits about our favorite Italian Stallion. For instance, you can check out his rookie Phillies card to see what a twelve-year-old would look like in a major league uni, courtesy of Minneapolis' own Phil Mackey.
Me, I remembered that I have a build of 2K Sports' MLB 2K10 at my desk, so I simulated the season to see how Visual Concepts thinks the year is going to go for Little Nicky.
Unfortunately, MLB 2K10 doesn't seem to have a terribly high opinion of the Twins going into this year. It should be noted that this version of the rosters doesn't include the recent addition of Orlando Hudson, so second base is a noticeably different situation than it will be in reality.
I could regale you with an after-action report about my digital 2010 baseball season, but we all know that Joe Mauer is the True MVP (actually, Grady Sizemore took that home with a mammoth .300/.385/.548 season [that's batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage] where he launched 38 bombs and stole 43 bags while knocking in 109 and scoring 122 runs himself) and everything else is immaterial.
Angels fans can take heart with fallen-from-grace prospect Brandon Wood winning the AL Comeback Player of the Year award, hitting .288/.379/.574 with 29 dingers. Captain Cheeseburger Sabathia took home the 2010 Cy hardware with a 3.88 ERA, 179 strikeouts, and a 1.37 WHIP – rough times for AL pitching, no doubt.
Things probably happened in the National League. I didn't pay attention until the Red Sox somehow managed to lose the Series to the Dodgers, with Andre Ethier knocking 6 out of the park and hitting .344/.440/.703 for the series.
Finally, the updates we've all been waiting for: Nick Punto's 2010 season. He split time at 2B and 3B with Alexi Casilla and Brendan Harris, hitting 11 (!) home runs in 312 while batting .269/.349/.429. There's no stat for headfirst slides into first base or gritty tough gamer firecracker play, but we can safely assume that he led the league in those critical categories.
Pitchers and catchers report in a week and a half. Can I just sleep until then?
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
