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This is 3DO's third game in their High Heat Baseball series, and for the 2001 version they've brought out some of the big lumber and have signed up Sammy Sosa and his winning smile as their endorsement guy. As expected, every major league team and their players are represented in all their 3D glory, complete with 45 authentic stadiums which include not only the new parks in San Francisco and Detroit but also classics such as Shibe Park and Baker Bowl. Little touches such as the fountains in Kansas City and stadium-top championship pennants fluttering in the breeze are scattered throughout. Team .366 (their name is a nod to Ty Cobb's lifetime batting average) promises that they've significantly upgraded their graphics from the 2000 version. One new feature which they've been touting is a technique called "motion blending," which smoothes transitions from one animation to the next in real time so that the players' moves are as fluid as possible. They've also scaled the players' bodies so that a slight speedster like Kenny Lofton will look much different from an imposing hulk like Mark McGwire, complete with their actual faces. One of the biggest additions to the game is the ability to play up to literally 63,000 seasons in Career Mode, with brand new rookies every year and the ability to track records in every category. This is coupled with a new custom league feature and the option to play exhibition, season and play-off games against other gamers over the internet or a LAN. Custom leagues can contain anywhere from 2 to 30 teams and the season can last from 1 to 162 games. While the computer determines how many teams will make the playoffs and how they will be matched against each other, you can select one, three, five or seven games for each round. San Francisco Giants announcer Ted Robinson is back with an even bigger array of quips and observations than last year, and the Home Run Challenge has been augmented by a Batting Practice Mode which allows the player to take their swings against three different types of pitchers (overhand, sidearm or submarine) and ask for specific pitch types. After every contest the gamer gets a chance to look at the box score as well as an at-bat-by-at-bat account of the game. Furthermore, there's the chance to watch a sort of post-game highlights show wherein the computer selects the most significant plays of the game and runs them again (replays are also available after the action has just happened). True-to-life physics are always an important part of any sports simulation, and Team .366 has brought a 3D mound into the game for 2001. Instead of being a meaningless part of the field, it now plays a part in pitch trajectories and the paths of balls which hit it and ricochet away. Improved player fatigue levels and CPU AI are also part of the effort to make the game as close to real life as possible. Unlike the 2000 edition, this one allows for saves of games in progress. The Championship Edition includes Final opening day rosters for 2000 season, 2000 All-Star break rosters, and the ability to play with the 2000 All-Star game lineups.