Mauer, the Twins' catcher, follows the 2008 A.L. MVP Dustin Pedroia, who appeared on the cover of MLB 09 The Show. His appearance coincides with a new "catcher mode" in which players may call pitches and defenses, the same as Mauer and other backstops do in real games. SCEA's blog also said players may expect 11 new stadiums, daytime transitional lighting, improved pick-off capabilities to cut down on excessive stealing, better online performance to compensate for lag, plus online season leagues.

According to ESPN.com, which posted a first look at the game yesterday, MLB 10 The Show will even feature manager-meltdown animations, one recreating minor league skipper Phillip Wellman's infamous blowup from 2007 - complete with the military crawl and hurling the rosin bag grenade-style.

2009 American League MVP Joe Mauer Named Cover Athlete for MLB 10 The Show [SCEA Blog]

Hell, yes it is. I've seen unranked and untelevised N.C. State and North Carolina squads get into a helmet-swinging brawl in 1993. Clemson and South Carolina's fourth quarter throwdown 11 years later - including cops on the field - left both schools sitting at home instead of going to bowl games. And we'll all be dead a long time before there is ever again anything like the unforgettably amazing Miami-Florida International gong show of 2006, which showcased state troopers, 13 ejections, a kickoff from the 10-yard line, and running back A'Mod Ned on crutches, striding forth into the maw of disaster.

Really, though, the answer here is so obvious as to be not worth asking: There's no way in hell the NCAA would license a product that featured fighting, no matter how awesome. And you can forget about it in Madden, too. Football is the most institutionally conservative and image-conscious of the major team sports, and clearly prefers to keep its violence well regulated and between the lines. Anything else is left for games like Blitz: The League.

Two licensed sports games, however, do acknowledge illegal or semi-legal aggression in some way: baseball has its beanings, and hockey, well, need anyone say more. In fact, the physicality is going into new realms in this year's NHL 10, says producer David Littman, himself a former professional hockey goalie who had brief appearances in the NHL.

But the violence isn't a gratuitous minigame, Littman said. It's intended to function as hockey fighting does in the real world: A means of policing opposing players' conduct, responding to intimidating tactics and relentless checking, or to fire up the home crowd and inspire solidarity on your team.

"For me, fighting has a place in hockey because it does have a calming influence," Littman says, making a case that many have - without fighting in hockey, massive guys with sticks would seek dirtier, and more injurious, means to dissipate aggression. "We have that authenticity in this game. If you're being checked all over the ice by the other team, and being run out of your own building, you can bring out your fourth line, start a fight, win it, get the crowd back into the game, and it takes away the effects of that intimidation."

Is the NHL cool with this? Absolutely, Littman says. "We work very closely with them [and the NHL players' union] throughout the development process, on what goes in the game," he said. "It's their names on the box with us, too. And we go through yearlong approval processes with them. They're very happy because of our sales and quality, but at the same time they have to protect their names. We worked with them all year, particularly on fighting this year, and no doubt, fighting is a hot topic. There's always controversy, but that was something we worked with them all year on."

In fact, the eminent Edmonton enforcer Zack Stortini was brought in to consult with NHL 10's developers on how to build a first-person fighting engine. His guidance is what tied the fighting to in-game performance boosts, Littman said.

"When you fight in our game, the lines get their energy back, you hear the commentators talking about that, you see the crowd on its feet, banging on the glass," Littman said. "That comes from Zack. He said that there's nothing like being at home, and you've showed the other team that your team's not gonna take it on your home ice."

NHL 10's openness about aggression is authentic to something else: The league's posture on fighting. It's always a prickly subject, because the lessons of hockey's fisticuffs are much more subtle than the beating one sees on a screen. It's also not tolerated in any league other than the North American professionals; in all other ranks, fighting players are ejected, not sent to the penalty box for five minutes.

But the league has repeatedly refused to crack down on fighting with the intent of its elimination, tacitly acknowledging its fundamental relevance to the game. Officially, the league considers the issue from the standpoint of player safety. And if that's its only concern, the fighting in NHL 10 is no problem, because no one is ever injured at the end of a brawl.

"It's a safe way to fight," Littman said. "You can punch people and get punched and you're still sitting on your couch, no bruises. I played professional hockey and was in a lot of fights. To be honest, fighting isn't really where you see the injuries happen."

If bench-clearing brawls are authentic to baseball, MLB has clearly said no thank you to the idea. Then again, it's a league that fines and suspends nearly all of its combatants. Drill a guy in the back in MLB 09 The Show and he'll glare at the pitcher, mouth some unpleasantries and argue with the catcher. You can put a fastball right in his earflap and the reaction is similarly sanitized - he trots down to first no problems. Do this repeatedly and someone might charge the mound. But the animation ends just as the batter breaks out of the catcher's restraint and, it is implied, goes for the pitcher.

This is similar to how beanings have been handled in other licensed MLB games, meaning that league has probably drawn a clear line to developers. (On Tuesday I emailed the game's publicity representatives to talk about beanings and fighting; unfortunately, no one could be made available for comment by the time this was published.)

Interestingly, the NHL games carry a slightly higher age-rating than their colleagues. NHL 10 and NHL 2K10 are both rated E10+, whereas Madden, MLB 09 The Show and others are all E. And there's only one reason: the fighting.

"We have to weigh the pros and cons of that," Littlman said. "Really, I don't think too many 8-year-olds are buying $60 video games. Their parents can for them, sure. Have we ever thought about taking fighting out? The answer is no, because we are striving to be authentic to hockey." Also, fans would desert the game.

And anyway, Littman points out, a concerned parent worried about video game athletes setting a bad example for their youth hockey players can just deactivate the fighting in the game's options.

Stick Jockey is Kotaku's column on sports video games. It appears Saturdays at 10 a.m. U.S. Mountain time.

Despite not taking a game off the American League since 1996, the Senior Circuit is expected to win 5-2, according to the simulation, announced yesterday by Sony Computer Entertainment.

San Francisco's Tim Lincecum, expected to be the N.L. starter IRL, threw two shutout innings in the simulation, collecting four strikeouts, earning the MVP. The game's key play came in the 7th inning, when the N.L.'s Ryan Braun threw out Aaron Hill at the plate, trying to score a bloop single by Ichiro. The excitement finished off the A.L.'s final rally and effectively sealed the victory, with San Diego's Heath Bell and New York's Francisco Rodriguez slamming the door in the two innings after that.

Of course I was jesting in the lede about betting on baseball - never do that, kids! But incidentally, has anyone ever bet on fake baseball? Or computer sports of any kind? I have a friend in Vegas, and one weekend we played our alma maters versus each other in NCAA football - computer vs. computer - and bet on the outcome. I'm not sure what's sadder, betting on NCAA 04 without playing it, or doing so in the only city where it is legal to bet on real college football.

This rumoured new bundle - sent in by a Joystiq reader, and said to be made available on June 14 - includes both MLB09: The Show and a Blu-Ray copy of Quantum of Solace, a movie widely panned by critics, but which I enjoyed, as I'm a lover of films involving men being beaten to death with telephones and other household objects.

It's said to go for $399, and was sent in by a Walmart employee.

New PS3 bundle includes MLB 09 The Show, Quantum of Solace movie [Joystiq]

Along with a host of returning features from previous iterations of the series, MLB 09: The Show introduces several new innovations in the area of sound that should make the game a bit more interesting for those of us not normally inclined to play a baseball title. Innovations like the new Custom Music feature, that allows players to create their own walk-up tunes via their own MP3s. Nifty, but not as nifty as being able to record your own chants that integrate into the ambient crowd noise. Imagine all of the crass, vulgar statements you've ever wanted to hurl at the opposing team. Now imagine everybody chanting them. So much potential. "Touchdown!" "Go fiberglass!" "Mayonnaise!"

Check out the press release for a whole list of the new features coming to MLB 09: The Show, due out for the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS2 in time for Spring Training.

MLB 09 THE SHOW ANNOUNCED FOR PLAYSTATION®3, PSP® (PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE), AND PLAYSTATION®2

Top-Selling MLB Franchise Ready to Toss Another Complete Game with Enhanced Franchise Options, In-Game Pitcher and Batter Analysis, and Online League Play

FOSTER CITY, Calif., December 22, 2008 - Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) announced today the North American release of MLB 09 The Show™ available for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), and PlayStation®2. MLB 09 The Show will arrive in stores in time for Spring Training as the longest running, officially licensed baseball title, delivering true-to-life gameplay, deeper franchise and season modes, and incredible detail not found in any other title.

“The MLB franchise has been recognized as the industry leader in terms of realism and overall gameplay and we’re looking to stay at the forefront by taking it to another level with MLB 09 The Show,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. “With enhanced gameplay features and more attention to detail than ever before, MLB 09 The Show is prepared to deliver an unsurpassed next-gen baseball experience.”

MLB 09 The Show continues to set itself apart from the other MLB games on the market with its attention to detail and unparalleled gameplay. Looking to build on that reputation, the game has added several new features and subtleties that play a huge role in bringing the baseball experience to life. Incredible stadium detail and signage, wear and tear on the field, dusk to night lighting transitions, and stadium JumboTron animations help immerse users in the ultimate baseball experience.

The popular “Road to the Show” feature returns, giving fans the chance to play offense and defense and truly immerse themselves in gameplay from a custom-created player’s perspective. This year, Road to the Show includes interactive training and coaching as users navigate through a career that culminates with a shot at the big leagues. “Online Season Leagues” are also newly available, allowing fully functional drafts and providing players with a flex calendar to play games ahead in the schedule. Also back for PS3 and PlayStation 2 is “Franchise Mode,” complete with the long anticipated 40-man roster. In Franchise Mode, fans must think and act like an owner while dealing with issues such as salary arbitration, waiver transactions, and September call-ups along the way. However winning games isn’t the only thing that matters, as users must deal with clubhouse chemistry, roster management, and other issues that arise over the course of a season.

MLB 09 The Show brings back the ability to create custom music tracks using the “My MLB Music” feature. However for this year, players will be able to edit music tracks to assign batter walk-up tunes using the “Custom Music” feature. Additionally, fans can record their own customized chants and yells and integrate them seamlessly into the ambient crowd noise to create an even more personalized rivalry.

The popular “Pitcher/Batter Analysis” feature returns on MLB 09 The Show for PS3 and PSP, detailing the breakdown of how a batter has performed based on pitch type and result. The game offers up 17 different pitch types for players to master and MLB 09 The Show details the different pitch grips and arm angles that hitters must address. Players can also hone their skills using a wide variety of “Training/Practice” drills, with each set of drills focusing on a different area of the game. Utilizing the “Progressive Batting Performance” feature, players are rewarded for superior skills at the plate but are also penalized for hitting slumps.

Once users master the basics and create highlights of their own, they can save each dazzling play to the PS3 hard drive with the “Replay Vault” feature, where every key play in the field and clutch at-bat can be replayed at any time. Also new to the highlight system is “End of Game Replays” where users are given an instant post-game summary of the most exciting and important plays of the game.

For fans who want to take their game on the road, MLB 09 The Show for PSP delivers big baseball action in the palm of your hand by utilizing core gameplay features found on the PS3 version. Unique to PSP, MLB 09 The Show will feature “SportsConnect News2Go” which offers fans the ability to go online to select and save the latest news feeds to their Memory Stick Duo and review at their leisure.

Exclusive for PlayStation 2 is the unrivaled “Player Creator”, providing users with endless possibilities for creating players, including everything down to their player’s face with EyeToy®. Users can also adjust their personal rituals, swings, and even emotions as they create and place themselves in the heat of a pennant race.