It's a Home Run! Think you have what it takes to create a winning team? Here's your chance to find out! Build the championship baseball team of your dreams. Create the line-up, take the field and direct all of the action. Earn new pitching and batting power-ups and light up the scoreboard! It's the chance of a lifetime to play with the pros in your own backyard! Backyard Baseball 2003 includes kid versions of hard-hitting, base-stealing, tough-fielding players including Troy Glaus, Jeff Conine, Jim Thome, Todd Helton, Bobby Higginson, Cliff Floyd, Richie Sexson, Brad Radke, Jimmy Rollins, Phil Nevin, Ichiro, Greg Vaughn and Carlos Delgado.
It is a baseball season of fun!
The ClubhouseThe Backyard Clubhouse is where the excitement starts. Access the following areas from here, by clicking on the appropriate area:
Season Play
Create a coach, draft your players, and lead your team through the 14-game Backyard Baseball season.
Meet the Players("Cards")
Browse through trading cards of all Backyard and Pro Kids. Look at the kids’ portraits, read their biographies and skill ratings, or click on their pictures to hear them tell stories.
Hall of Fame
Backyard Champions - All the championship trophies, a list of all the coaches who’ve ever won them, and pictures of the teams that won.
Record Book
A list of the greatest achievements in Backyard Baseball, and the players behind them.
Single Game
Choose single, batting practice or spectator, set the rules, then select your baseball field, controls, team name, and players.
- Game Mode
- Single Game: Pick a new team to play a pick-up game that won't affect your season stats. This gives you a chance to try new players, new fields, and different difficulty levels.
- Batting Practice: Pick a player and have batting practice with Mr. Clanky on the field of your choice.
- Spectator Game: Sit back and watch as the computer plays a game by itself.
- Difficulty
- Tee-Ball: You really can't miss the ball! A perfect way to learn the game. This setting is only available for Single Game and Spectator.
- Easy: Computer drafts random players for its team. This setting is good for novice players. It is easier to hit the ball and for your fielders to catch the ball.
- Medium: Computer drafts best available player in all rounds. This is the perfect setting for the intermediate player. It doesn't give particular penalties or bonuses.
- Hard: Computer drafts best possible player in first round, then drafts complementary players to support the top pick. If you're prepared for the big time, choose this setting. The computer pitches better and your fielders are more prone to errors.
- Choose a Field
- Select one of twelve available baseball fields. Each field has its own advantages and disadvantages. Both the ball and the players move faster on pavement and grass than they do on dirt or sand. On dirt, the ball will sometimes take an odd bounce off a rock or piece of debris, making fielding trickier. Some fields have unique ground rules regarding home runs and doubles. For example, some fields are not fenced in, so outfielders may be able to catch a ball that would’ve been a home run on another field.
Season Play
In Season Play, you can coach your team through a 14-game season in the Backyard Baseball. To start a season you must first create a Coach identity. Once you've successfully created a season team, the next time you return to the Sign-In screen your coach name will appear in the list, along with your team name, your record, and your status within your season.
Baseball Fields
- Cement Gardens: Balls hit out of the alley in left field count as home runs. As do balls hit into the dumpsters.
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Eckman Acres: Kimmy Eckman's backyard. Stick around after the game for Mrs. Eckman's famous chocolate chip cookies.
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The Paveway: Hard hat not required -- pound the ball down the alley for a quick home run.
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Dubois Diamond: Marky Dubois' backyard. Although baseball is fun to play. The pigs will tell you it is also a good spectator sport.
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Dirt Yards: Watch out for ground balls on this field, they take funny hops in the dirt.
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Parks Dept. #2: A nice symmetrical field with an instant replay screen.
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Casa De Pablo: Pablo Sanchez's backyard. If you like playing in the dirt, this field is for you.
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Scrapco Field: Perhaps one day, kid scientists will invent the junk ball. Until then see if you can hit the ball over the fence.
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Tin Can Alley: The ball bounces all over the place in this field.
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Steele Stadium: Ernie Steele's backyard. A shallow center field makes this place a hitters dream.
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Playground Commons: The original backyard baseball field. See if you can hit it over that big chain link fence in right.
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Sandy Flats: The sand is deep, so the running is slow. Balls hit past the line in deep left count as home runs.
Playoff Fields
