Author: rincon

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Those of you who grew up playing video games in the late 1990s and early 2000s can enjoy a good deal of nostalgia this weekend.

“Backyard Baseball ‘97” has been re-released by Backyard Sports on Steam, Mega Cat Studios and Playground Productions announced Thursday. The re-release of “Backyard Baseball ’97” coincided with the 27th anniversary of when the game was first released, which was the first video game of the Backyard Sports series.

Five other games from the Backyard Sports series will soon be re-released, Mega Cat Studios and Playground Productions also shared. “Backyard Soccer ‘98,” “Backyard Football ’99,” “Backyard Basketball ‘01” and “Backyard Hockey ’02” will eventually be re-released and can be wish-listed now through Steam.

Mega Cat Studios and Playground Productions shared in August that they planned to revive the Backyard Sports series in some form. While they shared a trailer for the revival, details were scarce at the time.

“We’re incredibly excited to reintroduce Backyard Sports to a new generation of players,” Chris Waters, chief product officer at Playground Productions, told Sports Illustrated in a statement at the time. “We’re taking great care to preserve the look and feel that made the original games so special while updating them with modern features and gameplay that today’s audience expects. I can’t wait for fans to see what we’re building on the playground.”

In addition to relaunching the video game line, there are plans to bring the Backyard Sports brand to film, television and expanded merchandise, Variety reported in August. 

The Backyard Sports games quickly became popular in the late 1990s. Pablo Sanchez, a character in the series since Backyard Baseball ’97, has been widely regarded as one of the best video game athletes of all time due to his strengths as a hitter and runner in the baseball editions of the game.

As the video game series grew more popular, Backyard Sports reached licensing agreements with MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the WNBA and MLS. The licensing agreements allowed real-life athletes to appear in the game. MLB stars, such as Ken Griffey Jr. and Derek Jeter, didn’t appear in the series until “Backyard Baseball ‘01,” so they aren’t featured in the re-release of “Backyard Baseball ’97.”

NFL players appeared in “Backyard Football ’99” while NBA players were in “Backyard Basketball ‘01.” There were also NHL stars in “Backyard Hockey ’02.”

The re-release of “Backyard Baseball ‘97,” features several of the former characters in the original edition of the game, including Sanchez and announcers Sunny Day and Vinnie The Gooch, according to Sports Illustrated. There’s also a season mode in the game.

As of Thursday, the re-launch of “Backyard Baseball ‘97” is only available for purchase through Steam, a video game digital distribution service that’s primarily by Microsoft Windows users, for $9.99. However, the Backyard Sports brand teased on social media that it will soon be compatible with Mac products. 

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After 40 years of owning the Minnesota Twins, the Pohlad family said Thursday it plans to sell the team.

The Twins have had great triumphs on the family’s watch. With Kirby Puckett leading the way, Minnesota won World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. Since the turn of the century, the Twins have won the American League Central Division title nine times and claimed a wild card spot once.

There also have been frustrations — the Twins finally broke an 18-game postseason losing streak last year.

“For the past 40 seasons, the Minnesota Twins have been part of our family’s heart and soul,” Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad, a third-generation owner, said in a statement. “This team is woven into the fabric of our lives, and the Twins community has become an extension of our family. The staff, the players, and most importantly, you, the fans — everyone who makes up this unbelievable organization — is part of that. We’ve never taken lightly the privilege of being stewards of this franchise.

“However, after months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins. As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.”

The Twins have been competitive in recent years — they went 87-75 and made the playoffs in 2023 and won a playoff series for the first time since 2002. The manager, Rocco Baldelli, has led the team to three division titles in six years.

But being close to greater success has been part of the frustration from a fanbase that has wanted the franchise to take another step. After the successful 2023 season, the team faced a loss in local television revenue due to the bankruptcy of cable network Bally Sports. Pohlad then ordered a spending cut that amounted to a nearly $30 million salary decrease — something that rankled fans who have long been frustrated with the family for its conservative approach to player spending. The Twins went 82-80 this season, missing the playoffs after a late-season collapse.

The Minnesota Twins started play in the American League in 1961 after the Washington Senators relocated to the Minneapolis area.

Pohlad said he recognizes the team’s importance to the area, and that will be a consideration in the process.

“After four decades of commitment, passion, and countless memories, we are looking toward the future with care and intention — for our family, the Twins organization, and this community we love so much,” he said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Francisco Lindor’s go-ahead grand slam in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies was one of the more iconic moments for the New York Mets in recent memory — and it generated a great deal of raw emotion.

In fact, following the home run, Mets right-hander Kodai Senga was seen in the dugout with an absolutely shocked expression.

The home run gave New York the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Mets held on to get a series-clinching, 4-1 victory.

Senga, who was an All-Star in his first MLB season in 2023, made just one start in the 2024 regular season after suffering a shoulder injury in spring training and then a calf injury in July. That said, Senga started Game 1 of the NLDS for the Mets, pitching two innings.

Lindor finished the NLDS with one home run, five RBIs and a .278/.350/.556 slash line. Last week, Lindor hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning in the first game of a double-header against the Atlanta Braves, which helped the Mets punch their ticket to the NL wild-card round, where they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in three games.

The Mets will play the winner of the NLDS matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the NL Championship Series. Game 1 of the series is on Sunday night, with the Mets being the road team in either matchup.

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports