Play Station 2

Better hitting
Immediately after the pitcher releases the ball, press Start. You will see where the ball is going and if it will be a strike or ball. Resume the game and move your batting cursor over it to get a nice powerful swing. This will help you improve your hitting. Note: You do not need to press Start directly after he lets go of the ball -- it just gives you more time to move your cursor after the game is resumed.

Use the pause technique before batting. When you see where the ball is going, try your best to get the ball as close to the point of the contact triangle (the part closest to the batter, not the thick part of the triangle). you will usually get homeruns or at least doubles.

Wait until the pitcher's arm is in motion and is coming forward, then swing. If it looks like a bad pitch do not swing. This strategy woks most of the time, and works well with players such as Giambi, Bonds, or A-Rod.

Cheat menu
Press L1 at the controller selection screen to activate cheats that have been bought.

Alternate uniforms
Hold L2 + R2 to select alternate jerseys.

Taunt opponents
Hit a homerun and on the way to third (after replay), press L1 or R1. Your player will taunt the other team's players.

Better franchise or expansion mode teams
Use trades to get rid of your older less talented players for slightly better players. Even if the CPU rejects your trade, keep trying repeatedly and it is usually eventually accepted. However, make the trade reasonable, such as B- for a B or B+. If the player you really want just does not seem to want to join your team, try trading for another player who is slightly better, then return to that player you want and try again. Do this every season to keep good young players.

Football field
Press L1, R1, Triangle at the team selection screen in exhibition mode to get a football field as a stadium.

Easy points
You can gain "points" for certain feats performed during a game. An easy way to get a lot of points is to throw a perfect game. This is worth 100 points. Switch controls every time the CPU is up at bat and intentionally strike out. This will get you points for 27 strikeouts, and for a perfect game. Repeat as many times as needed.

To get more points in franchise mode to sign your free agents, during the off season either create a player and pick him up as a free agent or sign free agents and release them at the end of the season.

Easy runs
Get Barry Bonds to bat in the third spot in the order and play against the Cubs. Take control of the Cubs and start intentionally walking everyone until Barry Bonds is up for the second time. Rotate the hitting icon so it will hit a home run. Make contact and you will hit a grand slam. Repeat this as many times as needed. Note: Do not check the box score after 100 runs or the game will freeze.

Easy wins in a season
Save the game then go to schedule. Simulate the game. If you did not win, return to the main menu and load the season. Repeat this until you win the game.

Control homerun replay
After hitting a homerun, a replay of it will be displayed. When you see your batter heading home from third base, press various buttons to see different angles.

Better pitching
The best pitchers have a pitch called a "Slurve" (for example, Mark Burhele of the Chicago White Sox). Also try the "Dominate Curve" with Pedro.

Restore pitcher's energy
In season, franchise or expansion mod, go to the DL, and put any pitcher on the15 day DL. Then immediately take him back into your lineup. He will have recovered all his energy.

Easy homeruns
While at bat, after pitcher selects the pitch press L3 + R3 and swing with X at the appropriate time to have a better chance of getting a homerun.

Easy cards
Use the following trick to unlock all the cards in one or two games. Once you unlock the Cooperstown Legends and the Pixels, play as the Legends. You will find that within the fifth or sixth inning, every hit equals ten points and possibly more. Constantly hit homeruns and strike out the batters and you should have forty to fifty packs to open after the game. This is the easiest way to complete your card collection and unlock the cheats.

Start an exhibition game. If you are starting from a clean slate (i.e. no cards), use the Cooperstown Legends and the Baltimore Orioles as the two teams. Have the Orioles as the home team to give the Legends a DH, and their pitching an extra half-inning to get more strikeouts. Set the controller icon to the Legends, and the difficulty to Veteran. Set your weather, game options, and lineup to however you like. Who you start (Ryan, Gibson, or Seaver) does not matter. Next, press Square to go to the "Control Setup" screen . Set all of the players to CPU control for offense and defense. Press X to exit, then press X again to start. You can now sit back and watch the points pile up. The only thing that would require your attention is in the event of an injury. Any of the Legends' starters can go the distance, netting you 10 easy points for a complete game. The offense usually has a field day and will give you lots of points for cards. Once you get the Glen Cove Islanders and the Fresno Pixels, the fun can really begin. Pick those two as your teams, and set up an exhibition game with the same set-up as above, using Glen Cove as your team. Sit back, and watch your boys pile on the offense. Be prepared for anywhere between 20 to 70 runs per game from your offense, with a couple of cycles and loads of home runs. Your pitching staff can give you a complete game shutout or (if your defense plays a bit off) a 1-run game, with no more than 5 hits allowed and over 10 strikeouts. You can get anywhere between 15 to 45 card packs per game.

Thom Brennaman's stories
Start a game and allow the controller to remain idel. After a few minutes after they have announced the lineups and the starting pitcher, Thom Brennaman will start telling in-depth stories about baseball.

Designated hitters
In season, expansion or franchise mode, create players then trade them for the person you want. The best created player you can make is a designated hitter. Use the following settings. Note: Only American League teams need designated hitters. If you want someone in the National League, then trade your created designated hitter for a good American League player then trade him for the desired National League player.

Contact: A+
Power: A+
Hitting: A
Speed: A-
Bunt: B-
Patience: B
Glove: D-
Range: D-
Arm Accuracy: D-
Arm Strength: D-

Use the following settings for a better designated hitter.

Contact: A+
Power: A+
Hitting: A+
Speed: A+
Bunt: C+
Patience: A+
Glove: D-
Range: D-
Arm Accuracy: D-
Arm Strength: C+
You can also set Bunt to D- with Arm Strength C+.