RULE BOOK
 

MY BASEBALL STATS
by Alex DeMeo
Designer of Pete Rose Baseball & die hard sports fan

For over 10 years I've coached an played local league ball - spending most of that time pitching and power hitting.  And I loved every inning of it.

I tried to capture those action-packed feelings in your Pete Rose Baseball video game.  In fact, I've designed a game so fun and so real - that you'll want to put on a pair of cleats and hit a few out.  So even if you can't physically be at the ball park, you can still feel all the excitement of competitive pro baseball - without ever leaving your room!

I've spent years designing sports games.  I trained long and hard for this moment.  And now that it's here - let's not waste another minute.  Play ball!

Thsi game is dedicated to the memory of my dear Brother, David.
 

THE LINE UP
INSTRUCTIONS
PLAY BALL!
THE SERIES
PITCHING
BATTING
RUNNING
INFIELD FLY RULE
FIELDING
TIPS FROM THE PROS

INSTRUCTIONS

TO BEGIN:

1. With power off, insert your Pete Rose Baseball cartridge into your Atari 2600 game system according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Plug joystick into left controller for controlling the home team. If two players, plug additional joystick into right controller for controlling the visiting team.

3.  Turn power on.

4. Press RESET to begin a one player game. (At any point during the game, simply press RESET to start again).

PLAY BALL!

Pressing SELECT will bring you to the Pitching/Batting screen to start a new game. Then, you'll have the choice of either playing the computer (one player) or an opponent (two player), which is displayed at the top of the screen. Repeatedly pressing SELECT will switch between these two modes. To "Play Ball", press RESET and the game will begin.

THE SERIES...

It's the last game of the World Series. You're in the 9th inning. Bases loaded. One out. And you're up at bat.

What do you do? Swing away? Wait for a walk? Go for the fences? It's all up to you, just like in real pro ball.

Sure, we'll give you the options. And some tips. Like in pitching. Batting. And fielding. But, it's your call.

There are 6 full-colour, live action screens - just like the ones you see on TV! The pitching/batting screen, left infield, right infield, leftfield, centerfield and rightfield.

So, start warming up. Step up to the plate. And take your best swing at
winning the series!
 

PITCHING, BATTING

Excitement on the Mound!
PITCHING:

First, decide whether you want the pitch inside or out. Move the joystick left or right to position your pitcher on the pitching rubber. Next, use the joystick to control the velocity of the pitch. Up for fast. Down for slow.

Once you've positioned your pitcher and selected a pitch speed, press the button to start the wind up and move the joystick up for a fast ball. Down for a sinker. Left, a screwball. Right, a curveball. Or center for the  change-up.

When the pitcher releases the ball, the joystick position will determine
what pitch is thrown.

Up     Fast Ball
Down   Sinker
Left   Screwball
Right  Curveball
Center Change-Up

Putting the ball in play
BATTING:

To get the ball rolling - or flying, you first have to connect. Use the joystick to move your player around in the batter's box. You can move the batter up or down to swing high, down the middle, or low. You can also move left or right - for hitting inside and outside pitches. As you see the pitch coming, you can make split second adjustments - to best handle the pitch thrown. As the ball approaches the plate, press the button to swing.
 

RUNNING, FIELDING

First, 2nd, 3rd and home!
RUNNING:

After you hit the ball, you control the runners. All of the forced runners will advance automatically - if the ball is hit on the ground or bounces before it's caught. Runners who aren't forced, will rely on your coaching. There are 4 joystick controls for running:

Joystick Left, Button Released...Advance all runners
Joystick Right, Button Released..Hold all runners
Joystick Left, Button Pressed....Advance lead runner
Joystick Right, Button Pressed...Hold lead runner

INFIELD FLY RULE:
If a fly ball is hit to the infield, and there are less than 2 outs, and first base is occupied -  the runners will not advance and the batter will be called out.

How to make the plays - and get the outs
FIELDING:

After the ball is hit, you'll see either the left or right infield screen - depending on the flight of the ball. While the infield screens are displayed, with the button pressed, you can select a fielder based on the following joystick positions:

For Left Infield:
Up........2nd Base
Down......Catcher
Right.....Pitcher
Left......3rd Base

For Right Infield:
Up........2nd Base
Down......Catcher
Right.....1st Base
Left......Pitcher

If it's smacked into the outfield, the left, right or centerfield screen
will be displayed. Once you've guided your fielder to retrieve the ball, with the button pressed, use the following joystick controls to throw:

Up......to 2nd Base
Left....to Third Base
Right...to 1st Base
Down....to Homeplate

The flashing arrows in the baseball diamond at the top of the screen will remind you of joystick positioning for making throws. Since the infield is never displayed all at once, the small baseball diamond will inform you of the current positions of the runners.

* A base note - your infield players can only move up and down within the following boundaries:

Short or 2nd baseman...
3rd or 1st baseman...
Pitcher...
Catcher...
 

TIPS FROM THE PRO'S

* To judge a fly ball, chase the ball's shadow - NOT THE BALL ITSELF! It'll always land to your advantage - trust me!

* Remember to watch the flashing arrows in the small baseball diamond at the top of your screen, when trying to decide which base you want to throw the ball to.
* Of course, official baseball rules apply . . . 3 strikes, you're out, 4 balls, take your base. 3 outs, the innings over. And so on.

...I hope these tips will give you a better grip on the game - and a great shot at winning the championship.

Now that we've covered all the bases - get your pro ball career off to a flying start. Select an opponent. Press reset. And play ball!
 

Manufactured by: Absolute Entertainment Inc., P.O. 116, Glen Rock, NJ 07452
Pete Rose Baseball is a trademark and Absolute Entertainment is a registered trademark of Absolute Entertainment, Inc.
Atari is a registered trademark and 2600 is a trademark of Atari Corp.
Audio Visual concept, label and program (c)1988 Absolute Entertainment Inc. AK-045-03