When we claim UBTG includes more strategic choices, we deliver!

PITCH-BY-PITCH ACTION

We simulate every pitch. Most traditional games utilize a multiple-dice roll per at bat (i.e., entire at bats are determined all at once). To be sure, this affords quick results and quick play. While UBTG has a basic version that takes less than an hour to play, the advanced game takes as long as real-life baseball. UBTG gamers realize there is a trade-off, but they are willing to spend more playing time in order to enjoy the increased realism and excitement afforded by simulating every pitch. You can even fool batters with off- speed pitches like change-ups.

REALISTIC UBTG PITCHER ROTATION

Real baseball strategies like pitch counts and pitcher fatigue are tracked with amazing accuracy, and the strategic decisions you will have to make (e.g., whether to keep a pitcher in or take him out) are as true-to-life as you can get. We believe there's nothing like it on the market... even in computer simulations.

EVERY POSSIBLE PLAY

UBTG simulates EVERY play possible in real-life baseball. This claim is not inflated. We simulate EVERY hit, out, error, double, and triple play possible.

GREATER STRATEGIC EXCITEMENT

Because of UBTG’s realistic pitch-by-pitch simulation, and because UBTG simulates EVERY play in baseball, gamers are afforded a host of strategic options not available in other baseball board games. Gamers must make strategically impactful decisions on practically every pitch and play, and the outcome of the game depends much less on the vagaries of the dice (just as in real-life baseball). For example:

Intricate Pitcher / Batter Strategies:

• Pitcher rotation/fatigue simulation in UBTG is extremely accurate.

• Pitchers (if within their skill sets) can pitch mainly to contact or throw heat.

• Throw strikes or pitch around batters. Batters can take pitches or swing away.

• Some batters can sacrifice power in favor of situational hitting.
  

• Batters can attempt bunts (including bunting for hits with the bases empty, something that curiously appears to be left out of many other games).

• On certain bunted balls, a fielder can choose whether to let the bunt roll foul or field it fair and go for a risky out.

• On certain fly balls, a fielder can choose to play containment defense or attempt a more risky dive play, getting a crucial out if successful, but giving up precious runs if not.

• Hold base runners.

Base Running Strategies:

• Attempt to advance even as a play unfolds (we call it “Delayed Unforced Advance”).

• Base runners can even choose to advance just as a pick-off is being attempted.

• Steal bases.

• Tag and run on a sacrifice fly and watch the bang-bang play explode at home plate.

PLAYER-centric vs TEAM-centric

Most traditional baseball board games tend to be focused on simulating team-oriented outcomes. Player cards in those games reflect real team rosters and have stats and play results based on particular seasons with particular teams. Surely this affords simulation fun for many gamers. UBTG, on the other hand, focuses more on entire careers, composite skills of the best players of all time. There is only one Ted Williams card in UBTG, and you can count on it to represent how Williams played in real life. We are not as interested in a particular game or season or at bat so much as in how he played throughout his entire career.

HISTORICAL SPAN and PLAYER REGISTER

UBTG has researched EVERY player on record ever to have played in American major leagues (including Negro leagues and the All Nations teams). Our OFFICIAL UBTG PLAYER REGISTER ranks over 4,000 of the top-ranked players of all time, a register we believe is unmatched by any other board game company. We are confident at the time of publishing that we have included several player cards that have never appeared in any other games. We have included players even from the time of baseball’s obscure beginnings in the 1840s. We believe our player cards and player register stand alone in accurately ranking all these players alongside each other (you’ll see that Pop Lloyd matches up well with Honus Wagner, and Josh Gibson’s slugging matches up well with Babe Ruth). We even account for era-to-era discrepancies (such as dead ball, high mound, etc.). Traditional games focus on current seasons while also providing card sets from some previous seasons. Some of them have begun to include Negro league and vintage player card sets, though often pitting players from different seasons and eras against each other creates some simulation difficulties (for example, a player who was injured for part of a season will reflect that on that season’s card stats, and, therefore, will not match up well against other cards).

UBTG Player Cards

We have included 240 UBTG PLAYER CARDS in the game box (i.e., representing top major league stars), which can be used for any gaming situation, league, or tournament. Each UBTG PLAYER CARD is a composite of lifetime achievement, and you don't need more than one card per player to represent that player's skills (i.e., you don't need a Ted Williams card from 1954 as opposed to a different Ted Williams card from 1955). If you wish, or if your league is large enough, you can order additional PLAYER CARDS (see the PLAYER CARD EXPANSION SETS on our online store). We have hundreds of PLAYER CARDS ready to ship! But the game box contains enough PLAYER CARDS to form at least a 4-team league!

These are just some of UBTG's unique options. We could go on... but we hope you’ll jump in and join the revolution in strategy baseball boardgaming. If you do, you’ll see for yourself what we’ve been talking about. Give us a try. We believe you’ll be glad you did!