Alright, I had to cover this story since I live in Wisconsin and I’m a glutton for punishment (read: Brewers fan). Price Fielder, 1st baseman, and slugger extraordinaire for the Milwaukee Brewers is going to grace the cover of 2K Sports’ “The BIGS 2.” While I’m not that biggest fan of baseball games, or most sports games for that matter, I did play “The BIGS,” and it was a hell of a lot of fun. Since my boy is on the cover this year, I may have to go out and pick up a copy. Also the Brewers probably won’t be as good in next season’s baseball games as they are in this year’s.

Anyways, the game is currently set for release this summer, and will most likely see a Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii version. Go check it out TGH’ers. Fielder is the man, after all, just look at that face. If Fielder wasn’t enough for all you baseball fans, legends like Reggie Jackson, Wade Boggs and Roberto Clemente are all set to make appearances as well. Check out the trailer for 2K Sports’ “The BIGS 2″ below.

In case you hadn’t noticed, Major League Baseball started yesterday. Yeah, I hadn’t either. I stopped following MLB quite some time ago, dissillusioned by the great strike of 1994. However, that’s not to say that I don’t still enjoy a good baseball video game every now and then. While I’ll admit that I tend to find some of the newer baseball sims a huge hassle to really dig into, if you give me a solid arcade-style baseball game, I’ll play for hours. I miss the days of games like “R.B.I.,” “Little League Baseball: Championship Series,” and the often overlooked classic “Dusty Diamond’s All-Star Softball.” Also, baseball video games has lost a bit of their appeal when pro ballers stopped having their names on games – Roger Clemens, Bo Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr. just to name a few. What’s a gamer to do if they want to play a little baseball, but has been scorned to the point of no return by the Majors? Here’s three options that should help solve your problem, and kill more than a few hours at the same time.

#1 – Baseball Superstars 2009 (Mobile, iPhone – Gamevil)
I swear this game may be the best $1.99 I have ever spent (it was on sale, it’s regularly priced at $4.99). It appears to be a distant, and unrelated cousin, to Konami’s Jikky? Powerful Pro Yaky? series, more commonly known in the states as “MLB Power Pros,” since the characters have big heads with no mouths, and there are some light RPG elements worked into the game. However, even though isn’t as in-depth, it’s super addictive, with simple pick up and play, on-screen controls, it will take you back to the simplicity of the ‘80s as you manage your character’s morale as you level him up, on the road to the championship.

#2 – Baseball Juiced (Flash – Addicting Games)
Ever wanted to be a slugger in the Big Leagues? Well, now you can, it’s just a matter of what you want to do to get there. “Baseball Juiced” allows players to step up to the plate with their favorite character, whether it be Josie Conswaco, Jasen Gambini, or Berry Bombs, and see how many homers they can hit out of the park. The only catch is, can they do it without steroids? It’s up to the player to make the decision as to whether or not their player will juice it up, running the risk of being banned from the Hall of Fame, or if they are going to make it on their own merits. While “Baseball Juiced” may not be as simple as “Cat Baseball” it still puts your mouse clicking skills, as well as your morality to the test.

#3 – Bases Loaded (NES, Wii Virtual Console – Jaleco)
Ah, the old standby is back courtesy of the Wii’s Virtual Console. While “Bases Loaded” may pale in comparison to 2K or Sony’s latest releases, it is easily one of the greatest baseball games of all time. It’s the first NES game I can remember that emulated an umpire’s voice to call you out when you didn’t make it to first on time, or the first real celebration for hitting a homerun. If baseball video game’s had a Hall of Fame, “Bases Loaded” would be the first inductee.