Flyers/T-Bones Rivalry Gets Virtual

Another entry in the "Minor League Baseball Promotions Are Insane" category: According to this story from the Kansas City Star, the first two innings of the July 16 game between two independent Northern League baseball teams--the Kansas City T-Bones and the Schaumburg Flyers--will take place on an Xbox. Two gamers (presumably not players on the team) will take control of the Flyers and T-Bones and play the first six outs on both sides using MVP Baseball 2005, while fans in attendance watch the virtual game play out on the video screen at the T-Bones' ballpark.

From the article:

The T-Bones are creating two Xbox teams with the statistics and even facial characteristics of T-Bones and Flyers players, Williams said. The gamers will be allowed to choose their lineups, and the play-by-play will be called by stadium announcers.

Presumably both gamers will need to be hand-picked by the teams themselves; otherwise what's to stop a pair of Flyers fans from sabotaging the game in favor of Schaumburg by totally screwing the pitching rotation or lining the batting order with relief pitchers? I wonder who will oversee the team creation process. Will player ratings accurately reflect the deadly batting prowess of guys like Eddie Pearson (.318, 9 HR, 34 RBI) and Josue Lopez (.308, 5 HR, 14 RBI)? What about fireballers like Greg Bicknell (5-0, 2.35 ERA, 34 K) and Matt Bailie (4-0, 1.03 ERA, 45 K)? By God, they've got to get Bailie right!

They've got until July 16 to work these matters out. The world--or at least Kansas City and Schaumburg baseball fans--will be watching.