Hit the Pros debuts at the All-Star Game

Fox Sports is taking a swing at games with Hit the Pros, a batting game that mixes in elements of fantasy baseball with the TV network's real-time pitching telemetry and continually updated player statistics. Hit the Pros is making its debut at the 73rd MLB All-Star Game, which will take place tonight, July 9, in Milwaukee. The real pitches thrown at the All-Star Game will be made available to home hitters 30 minutes after the game's end, and Fox will continue to provide pitch data for the game throughout the rest of the major league season. The game uses Wild Tangent's 3D Web technology to easily run on modem Internet connections and a wide variety of PCs.

Hit the Pros distills baseball down to confrontation between pitcher and hitter. The pitches thrown at the player mimic the speed and path of real pitches, and the player must move the mouse to the correct point on the ball's path and click at the right time to hit. Converging circles help players better gauge the movement of the ball, and singles, doubles, and triples are awarded according to where the ball lands in the field. Real-world stadiums are modeled in the game, and the varying distance to the outfield wall will certainly make a difference when it comes to slugging home runs for the big points. Players get points for hitting for distance and for recording RBIs when phantom runners round the bases. Both the pitcher and the hitter can get "on fire" with a successful streak--in the build we saw, this started with three strikes for the pitcher or three hits for the hitter--and this makes the ball noticeably easier or harder to hit.

What separates Hit the Pros from conventional PC and console baseball games is the pitch telemetry. Fox Sports has three cameras located in every stadium right behind and above the catcher to triangulate on the ball in real time. The data from these cameras is already used on Fox Sports telecasts to depict pitch location, and it will be compiled shortly after each game for use in Hit the Pros. Fox Sports has a full player license, and a number of well-known pitchers and batters have been carefully modeled and motion-captured. Hitting statistics from the ongoing major league season have an impact on how easy it is to hit the ball, so you'll have an easier time of things when playing as a hitter with a recent streak and a high average. Player statistics can be continually updated because the game is Web-based.

Hit the Pros will be freely downloadable. There are two free modes of play: a home run derby against a major league pitcher that counts points based on 10 to 15 pitches and a five-pitch batting contest in which players challenge friends or anyone on the leader board. The $19.95 season subscription to Hit the Pros gets you access to tournaments and the ability to send unlimited challenges. A fully downloadable, offline version of the game is also planned for subscribers.

For more information about the game and its subscription service, visit the official Fox Sports Web site and watch the video footage linked below.