Review of MLB At Bat for iPhone

by haymister on Jul 10, 2008 10:40 PM EDT

With the launch of the iphone App Store and the ability for 3rd party developers to write software for Apple's iPhone, MLB has introduced a $4.95 application designed particularly for the iPhone.

Features:

The main screen has the top 2/3 dedicated to todays scoreboard. The bottom 1/3 shows the game of your choice.

Scoreboard

The scoreboard area shows:

each game
the score
the inning
and has a video icon to a link to a separate page of the application that has highlight clips for the selected game

Selecting the game changes the detail section below to the selected game. Swiping to the right switches to the previous days games with video highlight links. Swiping to the left shows the next days games.

Game Details

The game detail shows:

The line score
A graphic representation of the field with any baserunners shown in by making the bases red.
Current count.
Current pitcher with record and ERA.
Current batter with the current games hits and at bats and season batting average.
A clickable image of a globe which opens mobile safari and the current play-by-play view of the game

Scores update every minute.

Video Highlights

The video highlight screen shows:

a thumbnail of the video
short description
the length
the time
a status indicator about whether you have viewed the video or not

Clicking on the video rotates the image and shows a high quality clips with the widescreen.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

You can watch high quality video highlights away from the computer. Fast on wi-fi, don't know about 3g but imagine it will be pretty fine.

Cons:

Videos are difficult to dive in to and watch a few in a row. Considering they don't autoplay in sequence, you have to keep flipping the phone to widescreen and back if you want to click through videos
It has less than the mlb mobile site in every area other than the ability to watch the clips.

Conclusion
I spent my $4.95 and perhaps it was worth it, but I don't really so using the app unless they improve it. You can't tell a pitcher's pitch count, you can't see who is in the lineup, you can't read a preview of tomorrow's game or a summary of yesterday's game. It's just a dressed up way to watch video clips when you're not at a full computer. Perhaps they'll add more functionality, but for now it's nothing to get too excited about.

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Comments

I’ve been trying it out as well & the video quality is pretty awesome (and updated very fast). But I do wish they had more detail in the box scores. You can click on the little globe icon in the bottom right corner to be taken to the MLB Mobile website for the game where there’s a lot more pitch-by-pitch detail about what’s going on, but since that data’s out there, why not include a detail view in the app itself? I imagine it’s a work in progress, though, since MLB seems to be pretty active with their internet stuff.

Despite all of my best intentions, I have not, in fact, grown up to be a debaser.

by zempf on Jul 11, 2008 10:12 AM EDT 0 recs

The video quality is pretty great.

I agree if they could give the pitch by pitch view within in the app…..on a screen you can just drag over to that would be quite nice.

I think if they if they let me watch the videos in sequence without having to re-rotate the phone, that would be a big improvement.

They say the app store is good at auto-notifying on updates and since mlb had a pay perhaps they’ll reinvest that money in some changes.

by haymister on Jul 11, 2008 12:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

besides the video, of course, the game tracking seems to be on par, if not way worse than my FoxSports Mobile Pro which was something like 9.99 for unlimited, permanent use for my crappy phone that I bought 6 years ago. Wake me up when they get a real accessible and affordable internet based phone that I can watch mlb.tv on… until then, I’ll let the others pay the price for the growing pains.

by DaytonDogg on Jul 12, 2008 4:30 PM EDT 0 recs

Best app I’ve found so far is simply called “Baseball,” and it’s free. It’s a basic Baseball-Reference for the iPhone—and it downloads to the phone, so no internet connection is needed to use it. Stats from 1891 to 2007. The basic interface is just a list of every singe team ever to play (never even heard of the Cleveland Infants, and their player manager Patsy Tabeau), and it’s got historical logos for a lot of them. Or you can search by player name.

Mostly just the basic stats, and doesn’t update live, but seems like a great tool for argument settling, especially if you’re at the ballpark.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Jul 12, 2008 11:29 PM EDT 0 recs

Completely OT, but the Cleveland Infants, who played only one season in 1890, did feature one very notable player, Pete Browning. The Gladiator had a lifetime average of .345 and was the first player to purchase a custom-made bat from Hillerich & Bradsby. The wiki article on Browning contains this gem:

While the inferior equipment of the time is somewhat of a mitigating factor, Browning’s playing record presented various evidence against any hidden defensive prowess. So did his unusual habit of playing the infield while standing on one leg, which he claimed to have adopted in order to avoid collisions with other players; however, some sources have noted that his probable rationale was to gain an advantage against baserunners he could not hear by aiming one leg toward them, and that he continued to do so in the outfield because he couldn’t hear his teammates on either side.

by FredOx on Jul 14, 2008 12:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

He was basically deaf, if that wasn’t clear to anyone.

What a hilarious image.

by afh4 on Jul 14, 2008 4:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

Uhhh, Jay?

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:16 AM EDT 0 recs

Okay, I kind of lied. It’s not really new, or a game thread.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:16 AM EDT 0 recs

Ha ha ha.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:16 AM EDT up 0 recs

sneaky

Fingers crossed, but breathing normally

by Chief WaDrew on Jul 16, 2008 12:16 AM EDT up 0 recs

But I mean, what the hell, nobody’s using this thread anyway.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:16 AM EDT 0 recs

Guilty as charged. I don’t have an iPhone. Or a cell phone at all for that matter.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:17 AM EDT up 0 recs

lol wut?

by wendigo on Jul 16, 2008 12:16 AM EDT 0 recs

Tomorrow, a few hundred people will look at the “149 new” next to this thread and wonder what the hell happened.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:17 AM EDT 0 recs

Heh. Pedal to the medal, everyone.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:17 AM EDT up 0 recs

should we talk about how the all star batting orders weren’t optimal?

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:20 AM EDT up 0 recs

Heh. 209 and counting.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 1:10 AM EDT up 0 recs

I thought a PC-Mac debate emerged when I saw the number. I was ready to jump into the fire

by Roger Dorn on Jul 16, 2008 8:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

Nice, Kinsler.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:18 AM EDT 0 recs

he was safe. never even tagged.

by wendigo on Jul 16, 2008 12:19 AM EDT up 0 recs

Nice jump, good slide, and technically beat the pitch out throw.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by ChrisPokorny on Jul 16, 2008 12:20 AM EDT up 0 recs

Anyone know how many guys each team has left?

by obobcatu on Jul 16, 2008 12:20 AM EDT 0 recs

Looks like 2 on the NL (?)

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

Should actually use Kazmir as a pinch runner at this point.

I really don’t see them using him out of the bullpen.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:21 AM EDT 0 recs

lol, you think he knows how to run the bases even close to well? A play at the plate with Kazmir would be too funny.

by obobcatu on Jul 16, 2008 12:22 AM EDT up 0 recs

That’d really piss off the Rays ;)

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by ChrisPokorny on Jul 16, 2008 12:22 AM EDT up 0 recs

THE WANG

Dear Mr. Sabean, I hear you have a reputation of being stupid. Want to deal Lincecum or Cain? You can pick THREE of these 4 players for either: Borowski, Dellucci, Blake, Byrd.

by westbrook on Jul 16, 2008 12:34 AM EDT up 0 recs

Cook: DAMNIT MCLOUTH!

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:22 AM EDT up 0 recs

Kazmir gets the Wang treatment at the all-star game. The Rays would completely fall apart (even though they are already heading that direction)

Fingers crossed, but breathing normally

by Chief WaDrew on Jul 16, 2008 12:24 AM EDT up 0 recs

nobody deserves the Wang treatment

by mrich on Jul 16, 2008 12:25 AM EDT up 0 recs

POOP

Dear Mr. Sabean, I hear you have a reputation of being stupid. Want to deal Lincecum or Cain? You can pick THREE of these 4 players for either: Borowski, Dellucci, Blake, Byrd.

by westbrook on Jul 16, 2008 12:34 AM EDT up 0 recs

i’m voting for tie, but i don’t think cook wants to waste his arm taking one for the team here.

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:21 AM EDT 0 recs

No, but I bet Sherrill does.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

OUT!

by obobcatu on Jul 16, 2008 12:22 AM EDT 0 recs

HOSED!!!

Fingers crossed, but breathing normally

by Chief WaDrew on Jul 16, 2008 12:22 AM EDT 0 recs

Cue twenty Joel Skinner at the Allstar game jokes.

by supermarioelia on Jul 16, 2008 12:23 AM EDT 0 recs

Hair Products!

by ganatz on Jul 16, 2008 12:23 AM EDT 0 recs

SKINNNNNNNERRRRR!!!

by DaveE on Jul 16, 2008 12:23 AM EDT 0 recs

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:23 AM EDT up 0 recs

2. mario’s counts as one.

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:25 AM EDT up 0 recs

4. brick counts as three.

I don’t think I’m playing this right.

by supermarioelia on Jul 16, 2008 12:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

Special Tie, still in order!

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:24 AM EDT 0 recs

If you’re Selig when do you call it?

Fingers crossed, but breathing normally

by Chief WaDrew on Jul 16, 2008 12:25 AM EDT up 0 recs

i really don’t think it will get to that – much as i’d like it to.

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

I don’t think it will either, I’m just curious. Do you let it go to the 14? the 15th?

Fingers crossed, but breathing normally

by Chief WaDrew on Jul 16, 2008 12:29 AM EDT up 0 recs

whenever the pitchers run out on one side, i guess – like last time

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:30 AM EDT up 0 recs

How funny would that be.

I actually don’t mind the “it counts” thing — only the dumbheaded marketing of it — but it would be hilarious if they declared a tie.

I imagine there would be a coinflip for WS homefield at some point.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

Followed by the AL calling for “best of 3” on the results.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:27 AM EDT up 0 recs

Well, with Cook still going, and Webb and perhaps available, can’t the NL keep going? Would Francona have to forfeit?

by SanD on Jul 16, 2008 12:30 AM EDT up 0 recs

Lidge and perhaps Lincecum, that should read

by SanD on Jul 16, 2008 12:30 AM EDT up 0 recs

Lincecum isn’t there — he got sick at the last minute.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:31 AM EDT up 0 recs

Did they ever elaborate beyond “flu like symptoms”?

by ganatz on Jul 16, 2008 12:34 AM EDT up 0 recs

I got those every time I abused Captain Morgan’s.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:34 AM EDT up 0 recs

besides “in the hospital”?

Dear Mr. Sabean, I hear you have a reputation of being stupid. Want to deal Lincecum or Cain? You can pick THREE of these 4 players for either: Borowski, Dellucci, Blake, Byrd.

by westbrook on Jul 16, 2008 12:35 AM EDT up 0 recs

Right. Didn’t seem to quite add up.

by ganatz on Jul 16, 2008 12:36 AM EDT up 0 recs

I’m telling you, Sherrill goes three innings if he has to.

We’re at least two innings from a tie declaration if not 3-4.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:31 AM EDT up 0 recs

This game is a classic.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by ChrisPokorny on Jul 16, 2008 12:24 AM EDT 0 recs

Would you call it a midsummer classic?

by ganatz on Jul 16, 2008 12:27 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yes. I think I would.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by ChrisPokorny on Jul 16, 2008 12:27 AM EDT up 0 recs

Soria, right?

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:26 AM EDT 0 recs

iPhone gamethread?

Dear Mr. Sabean, I hear you have a reputation of being stupid. Want to deal Lincecum or Cain? You can pick THREE of these 4 players for either: Borowski, Dellucci, Blake, Byrd.

by westbrook on Jul 16, 2008 12:26 AM EDT 0 recs

Also – The umpires blew both calls there, right? I mean, I’m pretty sure there was no tag on Kinsler and that Martin’s tag was late

by DaveE on Jul 16, 2008 12:27 AM EDT 0 recs

they don’t want the specialness to end.

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:28 AM EDT up 0 recs

Sizemore up next inning, again :p

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by ChrisPokorny on Jul 16, 2008 12:28 AM EDT 0 recs

Should have left Cliff in a couple more innings, Terry. ;)

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:29 AM EDT 0 recs

Jason Michaels making his bid for MVP.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by ChrisPokorny on Jul 16, 2008 12:29 AM EDT 0 recs

flying down the line was mclouth

by mrich on Jul 16, 2008 12:29 AM EDT 0 recs

Pretty sure Morneau just blew two plays in a row.

by Jay on Jul 16, 2008 12:30 AM EDT 0 recs

every team has an Uggla

Fingers crossed, but breathing normally

by Chief WaDrew on Jul 16, 2008 12:30 AM EDT up 0 recs

the NL can name him MVP of the game

by mpstable on Jul 16, 2008 12:31 AM EDT up 0 recs

mccarver with an AWFUL football comparison

Dear Mr. Sabean, I hear you have a reputation of being stupid. Want to deal Lincecum or Cain? You can pick THREE of these 4 players for either: Borowski, Dellucci, Blake, Byrd.

by westbrook on Jul 16, 2008 12:30 AM EDT 0 recs

Dennis Weaver is … McClouth.

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2008: let the hate flow through you.

by vbc3 on Jul 16, 2008 12:30 AM EDT 0 recs

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=13689

UFC guy Rampage Jackson went bonkers. How much prison time?

by obobcatu on Jul 16, 2008 12:31 AM EDT 0 recs

uggla dp would be special here.

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:31 AM EDT 0 recs

K…works

Fingers crossed, but breathing normally

by Chief WaDrew on Jul 16, 2008 12:32 AM EDT up 0 recs

uggla not having a good night.

by obobcatu on Jul 16, 2008 12:32 AM EDT up 0 recs

Poor Uggla.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by ChrisPokorny on Jul 16, 2008 12:32 AM EDT 0 recs

sick bender from soria. wow.

by mrich on Jul 16, 2008 12:32 AM EDT 0 recs

uggla could never handle being a yankee!

by Brick. on Jul 16, 2008 12:32 AM EDT 0 recs

someone check for large bets from Florida, nasty pitch or not.

Dear Mr. Sabean, I hear you have a reputation of being stupid. Want to deal Lincecum or Cain? You can pick THREE of these 4 players for either: Borowski, Dellucci, Blake, Byrd.

by westbrook on Jul 16, 2008 12:32 AM EDT 0 recs