The Bench

The Staff

Team Synopsis, by Gantry

The Yankees are the goods, every lefty hitter's wet dream. Easily the most powerful lineup in either version of RBI, with all 8 guys capable of going yard every time. So good, oh so good...

Pitching

The pitching staff is the definite weak spot on this team. The pitchers themselves aren't so bad, it's the fact that you have 3 lefties out of 4 pitchers. To make matters worse, your only righty is your closer, Goose Gossage. Special care must be taken to use him at the right time, a la Willie Hernandez in the NES version. I typically start Whitey Ford and save Guidry for middle relief, though your mileage may vary. Guidry is very hit-or-miss and has a tendency to get rocked right off that bat. Righetti isn't too bad, but his stamina limits him to the setup role. Longevity of the starter (or a ton of homers on offense) is the key to victory...

The Lineup

1. Anybody who keeps Tony Lazzeri in deserves to be shot. Roger Maris is the best pinch hitter in either version of RBI. Homers homers homers, with plenty of carry to boot. He is quite slow and is one of the few capable of getting thrown out by the right fielder, but if you're keeping it on the ground with Maris, you have bigger problems to attend to.
   
   
2. Art imitates life, Donny Baseball at the #2 spot for the Yankees. He's a great hitter - very good power, adequate speed, and gets his fair share of base hits. He and Wally Joyner from the NES version are the same player. I think the programmers got lazy and just transferred him over and slapped some pinstripes on him.
   
   
3. Lou Gehrig isn't a world beater by any means, but still performs quite well. When I first started playing with him, I couldn't do squat. As my game has matured over time, he has found his role on this team. Still isn't what you would expect from Lou Gehrig, but a fine #3 hitter.
   
   
4. It's Babe Fuckin Ruth, nuff said.
   
   
5. As much as it pains me to say (and it truly does), Mickey Mantle is the only player in either version of RBI that's better than Reggie Jackson on the NES. He never ever ever gets out, single or homer. If he does get out, you screwed up the swing. Top-tier power and top-tier speed, the perfect player...
   
   
6. I know he just died and all, but it's always a letdown when Joe Dimmagio comes up to bat. With the five studhorses preceding him, you never want to switch over to a righty, even one with ability. Always a risk for a double-play, but to be fair he is a very good player (for a righty). Lots of power, but I'll never be satisfied with a righty in my lineup...
   
   
7. Like another seven hitter I play with (Dick Schofield), Yogi Berra doesn't like to show up for every game. When he does (and Sperling can attest to this) though, he causes serious damage. Root for a couple dingers from him, just don't get too greedy.
   
   
8. Gantry's curse of the natural eight hitter continues. I cannot hit with any eight hitter, regardless of the team or version. They all suck, they all have no power, and Craig Nettles fits in quite nicely. I do get some homers from him, but for a lefty with 37 homers, he's straight-up ass...