That of the MLB is a saga that every year manages to give away a gem that makes the game, in some way, unmissable.
In Italy Baseball has never caught on, yet a lot of “Italians” play it, but in the United States. In fact, so many Italian Americans play sports that our national team is made up almost entirely of people with dual citizenship who in the changing rooms listen to Frank Sinatra and drink coffee in their undershirts.
As much as they were a cornerstone of all baseball history, everyone knows Joe DiMaggio and his Yankees, this year’s chapter of the wildly popular MLB video game The Show focuses on an even more important piece of history for the sport: the segregated leagues for African-American athletes only of America between the wars. History was made on those fields with unforgettable matches, victories hanging from a blow of the club and players with legendary talent. Sadly though, almost none of those meetings were filmed or commented on. Many legends, oral histories and myths were born about those matches and if historians and activists have documented very well the struggle those players undertook to end racial discrimination, no one had yet spent the time and resources to recreate and celebrate their sporting memory .
MLB The Show, in almost every way, it’s the game you remember if you are a fan of the series and an excellent title for those wishing to approach one of the most popular sports in America. Its developer SHE San Diego Studio it added little in the way of key mechanics but there was little to add, it’s a rock-solid title and the best baseball simulation experience out there. What makes this year’s title particularly noteworthy is the presence of the segregated leagues for African Americans in the form of a series of narrative matches in which you relive historical games and actions, in a similar style to what many other sports video games have decided to adopt for their narrative part.
The crown jewel is the narrator of the story mode dedicated to black-only leagues Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Put the console in the original language and activate the subtitles in Italian because his voice and his narrative attitude are truly iconic and make the experience as instructive as it is exciting to live. Listening to one of his history lessons in full, then, is convenient if you are a fan of MLB-branded FUT. By doing so you will unlock different players and cosmetics for the Diamond Dynasty mode and you will already find yourself with a team with more than 90 average, really a great starting point.
From the point of view of career, current season stars and modes, the game contains all the features, leagues, players and stadiums you expect with few structural changes except for the sound sector which now has some refinements in more. MLB The Show 23 well worth your time if you’re a fan of baseball (or want to learn more about the sport) especially for its homage to the history of segregated leagues and the cultural roots of baseball that many African-American athletes helped create. The game, as well as the usual platforms, is also available for Game Pass so you have no excuse not to give this baseball experience a chance.
