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10 out of 10, 34 seconds. Yo know, I thought I did pretty good with my time today and then I saw that Jim had 33 seconds, which, of course, was very slow for him on a Friday. 🙂

10/10, 33 seconds

Sounds very good to be honest. Tomorrow I'll check if my current PC can handle this. Hopefully I'll find some time during the weekend to get a couple of games in and also offer some feedback.

I can talk about the gameplay in detail since I've played Pro Yakyuu Spirits on and off over the years along with The Show and a bunch of other baseball games from earlier generations. The tempo is slightly slower than your average game on MLB The Show, which is a lot more moment-to-moment. The best way I can explain it is that Pro Yakyuu Spirits as a series is built on a philosophy of being more deliberate and intentional. The game puts an emphasis on pitch sequencing, timing, and contact physics rather than constant action, so it intentionally leaves more breathing room between actions. Pitcher set animations take longer, fielders gather themselves before throwing and camera cuts linger a little longer. The pacing is a little more natural, which is kind of representative of how NPB baseball's rhythm is in real life. Interestingly enough, the closest game to this style was probably MVP Baseball 2005 since they did design that game to be more about the hitter/pitcher showdown. Mechanically it also feels a little different from the western baseball games we're used to playing. As far as hitting, it's cursor based, but instead of a circular hitting cursor like MLB The Show’s PCI, the game uses a bat-shaped cursor that represents the swing plane. Where the bat meets the ball and the timing of the swing directly influence the ball’s trajectory and spin, so the contact feels very precise and physics-driven. The overall vibe is closer to a simulation of the pitcher-batter duel rather than a fast-paced sports game. You’re thinking about pitch sequencing, timing, and placement more than reacting instantly. Every at-bat feels like a small chess match rather than a quick arcade interaction which can be a lot of fun if you're into that style of gameplay. Pitching feels more about picking the right pitch and hitting your spot than mastering a complicated input mechanic. You aim the pitch and time the release, and the better your timing the more accurate the pitch is. It’s simpler mechanically, but the strategy of pitching where you're mixing speeds, working the corners, setting hitters up, that becomes the focus. Fielding to me feels heavier compared to the US games I'm used to. It's a little janky because I'm used to snappy responsive controls versus controls that have a little weight to them. Players actually complete their movements (fielding the ball, setting their feet, and throwing) so plays develop more naturally instead of everything happening all at once. I think this design approach is deliberate since it presents defense as a process rather than a quick button response. Like layered timing, if that makes sense.

Thanks for the review KC! What's the gameplay like?

So, Konami stealth launched eBaseball: Pro Spirit yesterday as a free-to-play baseball game that serves as a globalized offshoot of the long-running Pro Yakyuu Spirits (Professional Baseball Spirits) franchise. The game launched suddenly on March 5, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam) with no major marketing lead-up, presenting itself as a modern online-focused baseball experience rather than a traditional full-price sports sim. The game itself is built using the eBaseball Engine (which is a fork of Unreal Engine 5, so technically it's powered by Unreal technology) which allows for more advanced player models, stadium lighting, and broadcast-style presentation compared to older entries in the series. The gameplay still carries the traditional Pro Yakyuu Spirits mechanics/feel where you control a bat-cursor hitting system and you can adjust pitch speeds, batting sensitivity, and other sim settings to tailor your experience. The design philosophy of this title in particular is notably different. Instead of focusing on deep simulation modes or licensed leagues, Pro Spirit centers primarily on online competition, including a “World Championship” mode where players build teams from a shared pool of fictional players and compete globally under ranking and cost-cap rules. The game includes English localization and commentary, something the Japanese-focused mainline entries historically lacked. To me it reflects Konami’s attempt to bring the series to a broader international audience. This approach makes the game closer to Konami’s eFootball model than to the traditional Pro Spirits releases. The emphasis is on accessible online play, customizable teams, and global competition rather than the detailed league simulations and licensed realism that defined the original series. My spider-sense take though? This game is a low-risk way to test interest in a Pro Spirits-engine driven game outside of their traditional market in Asia. I see it as like a proof-of-concept export of the Pro Spirits gameplay model. It’s basically saying to Western players: “Here’s how Japanese baseball sims feel. Do you want more of this?” If the answer is yes, then Konami suddenly has leverage internally to pitch bigger baseball projects. Here's some screengrabs as I've made some of the WBC uniforms so far. Just so you know, the players and likenesses are all fake:

8/10, 55 seconds

9/10, 42 seconds.

Rangers signed OF Andrew McCutchen to a minor league contract.

9/10 68 seconds

Pirates acquired INF/OF Tyler Callihan from the Reds for RHP Kyle Nicolas.

4 out of 10, 74 seconds. Well, I'm confident no one will beat that today. 😃

4/10, 66 seconds. Tough!

Harsh words? Maybe. Also, true. This retirement of the numbers in recent years has really like you said watered down the entire thing. Here is a list strictly from me and me alone that I believe were all players who were very good but at the same time not Monument worthy. And I can hear KC now. Don't worry man, I am getting to your post. Reggie Jackson: Yeah, yeah. World Series hero. But he only was a Yankee for five years. Not enough time to get your number retired. Billy Martin: Marginal player, 1953 World Series hero. Was an embarrassment as a manager due to his antics. Jorge Posada: Now look, I am going to be questioned on this due to the fact that I was and never will be a Posada fan but this guy does not belong in Monument Park with those other catchers there due to his career statistics. I did not grow up with any of these guys but like you heard and read about them. and they are exactly what you said, Monument Park mythology. I agree. The standard just extended over to Sabathia. I kind of feel the Yankees had to get someone because they already grabbed all of the dynasty member players. There was no one else to get. And since that time Sabathia was the only worthwhile one.

7/10 86 seconds.

7 out of 10, 108 seconds. Ok, what the hell?? This time is embarrassing.

Blue Jays re-signed LHP Joe Mantiply to a minor league contract

4/10, 72 seconds. Even worse than yesterday.

will he's got to do what he needs to do. hopefully he'll be abole to to get back to this project at some point.

6/10, 55 seconds. Lots of guessing today.

5 out of 10, 78 seconds. Hey, I'm satisfied with five right.

Braves signed LHP Kyle Nelson to a minor league contract. Mariners re-signed C Jacob Nottingham to a minor league contract.

7/10 103 seconds

8/10, 63 seconds. Slow but steady.

When you grow up with Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, Ford, when you inherit Monument Park mythology, anything short of inner-circle immortality feels like a downgrade. The part people are skipping is that the standard didn’t really drop with CC. All of this basically shifted after the dynasty. The Yankees already retired numbers for Bernie, Andy, and Paul O'Neill. None of them are Ruth-tier, obviously. None of them are even inner-circle Hall of Famers. They’re just era-defining Yankees and I find that that’s the modern standard the team has been looking at. So if the bar ever felt lower, it’s because the Yankees haven’t had a multi-ring core since 2000. Like that’s not a Sabathia problem, that’s a franchise results problem.