INTRODUCTION: • For one or two players. • Choose your starting team and pitcher. • Bring in a knuckleball throwing reliever when your starter "tires"'. • Play solitaire against a hard hitting computer team or human opponent - take batting practice against the legendary "Heat Muldoon". • Two realistic screens of enhanced play. Incredibly lifelike animation, from the wind-up of the pitcher to the arc (and shadow) of a fly ball. • Totally involving sounds, from the crack of the bat and cheer of the crowd to the music of the • 7th inning stretch. • Use with (1) or (2) joystick controllers. LOADING THE GAME CASSETTE 1. Make sure your computer is OFF, the cartridge slot is empty, and your cassette player is properly connected. 2. Turn your computer's power switch ON. Place the game tape into your cassette player, close the door and rewind to the beginning. 3. Type LOAD"BASEBALL",1,1 and press RETURN key. Press the PLAY button on your cassette. When the computer responds FOUND BASEBALL, press the COMMODORE LOGO key. The game will load in several minutes. COMMODORE FUNCTION F3 F5 F7 1. Press the F3 key on your Commodore for OPTION functions. 2. Press the F5 key on your Commodore for SELECT functions. 3. Press the F7 key for START functions. WELCOME TO GAMESTAR STADIUM Congratulations. You're in the middle of a tight pennant race and momentum is on your side. But everyone's out to beat you, especially the hard-hitting computer team. So if your want to win the pennant, please read this official program. With the right combination of pitching, hitting and strategy, you may even become a Star Leaguer! Have fun. THE SCOUTING REPORT You get to choose your starting pitcher in Star League Baseball, as well as bring in a reliever. Here's the latest scouting report: "HEAT" MULDON Overhelming fast ball. Good screwball and slider. Tendency to miss the strike zone when he goes for the comers. Tires quickly if fast ball used too often. "CURVES" CASSIDY Great curve ball and incredible sinker. Excellent control and good stamina. Clearly the most balanced pitcher in the league. "KNUCKLES" FLANAGAN "Liveliest" knuckleball this side of the rockies. Good control and stamina. Only used for short-term relief work. PRE-GAME CEREMONIES OPTION - GAME SELECT - 1 PLAYER START - NEXT MENU 1. Press the OPTION key on the computer console to choose between playing a GAME or taking BATTING PRACTICE. 2. Press the SELECT key to select between a 1 PLAYER or 2 PLAYER game. 3. Press START key to go to the NEXT MENU or PLAY BALL when you choose the BATTING PRACTICE option. If you take BATTING PRACTICE, you will face "Heat" Muldoon in a series of random pitches until you press the OPTION and SELECT key simultaneously. 4. Plug a joystick controller firmly into jack 1 on the front of the computer console if you are playing solo. Plug a secondjoystick into jack 2 if two are playing. Hold the controller with the red button in the upper left corner, towards the TV screen. 5. To break out of a game, press the OPTION and SELECT keys simultaneously any time the PLAYFIELD screen is up. Do NOT press SYSTEM RESET. 6. If you choose to play a GAME, a new menu will come up when you press START: OPTION: HOME - CURVES-LINERS SELECT: VSTR - HEAT-SLUGGERS START: PLAY BALL 7. The HOME team uses the OPTION key to select its starting team and pitcher. The LINERS hit for average; the SLUGGERS hit for the fences. 8. The VISITOR team uses the SELECT key to select its starting team and pitcher. 9. Both teams can have the same combinations if you choose. When playing solo against the computer, the scoreboard and menus will read COMP in place of HOME. 10. When both teams have made their selections, press the START key to PLAY BALL! PLAY BALL As in real, your goal in Star League Baseball is to outscore your opponent in 9 innings (extra innings if necessary). If you beat the computer team, consider yourself a Star Leaguer! PITCHING & HOLDING RUNNERS 1. Each half inning begins with the pitcher starting in the PITCHING MODE. This mode allows you to pitch the batter and is indicated when the pitcher bends over to look for a "sign" from the catcher. 2. To designate a pitch press and HOLD the red button on the controller. The pitcher will move to an upright pause option. 3. Move the joystick to pitch: "HEAT" MULDOON LEFT - Fast Ball LEFT+UP - Medium Slider UP - High Slider (Ball) UP+RIGHT - Slow Slider RIGHT - Change-Up RIGHT+DOWN - Slow Screwball DOWN - Low Screwball (Ball) DOWN+LEFT - Medium Screwball "CURVES" CASSIDY LEFT - Medium Fast Ball LEFT+UP - Medium Curve UP - High Curve (Ball) UP+RIGHT - Slow Curve RIGHT - Change-Up RIGHT+DOWN - Slow Sinker DOWN - Low Sinker (Ball) DOWN+LEFT - Medium Sinker "KNUCKLES" FLANAGAN LEFT - Fast Ball LEFT+UP - Knuckler UP - High Knuckler (Ball) UP+RIGHT - Slow Curve RIGHT - Change-Up RIGHT+DOWN - Slow Sinker DOWN - Low Knuckler (Ball) DOWN+LEFT - Knuckler 4. RELEASE the red button BEFORE moving the joystick. You can then throw to any base as follows: LEFT - Home UP - 3rd Base RIGHT - 2nd Base DOWN - 1st Base 5. Press the red button TWICE to return the ball to the pitcher from any player. The pitcher will change color to black, indicating ball possession. Press the red button TWICE again to go back into the PITCHING MODE. The pitcher will change color from black to yellow or blue and bend over to look for a "sign" from the catcher. YOU MUST BE IN THE PITCHING MODE FOR A NEW BATTER TO COME UP AFTER A HIT OR AN OUT. RUNNING 1. Once the ball is hit fair, the batter automatically runs to 1st base. 2. To move him AHEAD, push and hold the joystick to the RIGHT; to move him BACK, push and hold the joystick to the LEFT. To STOP the runner on or between bases, return the joystick to its neutral CENTER position (just release it). 3. If there are runners on base, you control the LEAD runner; the other runners will run automatically if forced. As soon as your LEAD runner scores or is put out, control QUICLY shifts to the next LEAD runner. Don't daydream or your new LEAD runner may wander off base and be tagged out. FIELDING 1. After the ball is hit FOUL or a HOMERUN is hit, the ball is returned to the catcher. You must throw it back to the pitcher (press red button TWICE) and go into the PITCHING MODE (press red button TWICE again) to continue pitching. 2. When the ball is hit FAIR, the player nearest the ball's PATH becomes eligible to field it. 3. Use the joystick to move your eligible fielder to the ball. He will change color to solid black when he is in possession. LEFT - Move Left UP - Move Up RIGHT - Move Right DOWN - Move Down 4. A ball with a shadow is a FLY ball; a ball without a shadow is a GROUNDER. FLY balls can be CAUGHT for an out; GROUNDERS require you to take some action to force an out (throw to base, tag runner, etc.). 5. To catch a FLY ball, keep your eye on the ball's SHADOW. As the ball descends, position your outfielder so he'll collide with the ball's SHADOW. If you miss the ball, move your fielder to pick it up. THROWING 1. Press and RELEASE the red button on the joystick controller to DESIGNATE a throw. 2. Move the joystick to THROW to a base; press the red button again to THROW to the pitcher. LEFT - Home UP - 3rd Base RIGHT - 2nd Base DOWN - 1st Base The positions on the joystick are set up just like the based on the screen - throwing from base to base to base will soon be like second nature to you. 3. If a runner tries to steal HOME, you must MOVE your catcher to TAG the runner coming hime. If you don't MOVE your catcher, the runner will run by you and score. SCORING 1. STRIKE - pitch that crosses home plate between batter's shoulders and knees. Three strikes results in an out. 2. BALL - pitch that is high or low out of strike zone. Four balls results in a walk. 3. OUT - catching fly balls, striking out batters and forcing/tagging runners results in an out. There are three outs per half inning. 4. BATTING ORDER - visitors (VSTR) bat top of inning; home (HOME or cpmputer (COMP) bats bottom of inning. 5. RUNS - score runs by moving runners around the bases and home. Team ahead after 9 innings wins game. If score is tied after 9 innings, extra innings will be played until one team wins. HOME or COMP doesn't bat at the bottom of the 9th or extra innings if it is ahead. SPECIAL FEATURES 1. Play solo against a hard-hitting computer team or a human opponent. The computer team is very consistent and rarely makes mental errors - you'll have to be at the top of your game to beat it. 2. Take batting practice against the legendary "Heat" Muldoon to fine-tune your swing. 3. Choose your starting team and pitcher. Mix up these combinations to take advantage of your strengths or your opponent's weakness. The difference between the teams and pitchers will have an effect on your STRATEGY. 4. As the game progresses, the starting pitchers "tire". They'll begin to lose their "stuff" and/or start missing the strike zone. Between the 7th and 8th innings there will be a 7th inning stretch, complete with music. A menu will come up for you to change pitchers: OPTION: HOME - NO RELIEVER SELECT: VSTR - KNUCKLES START: PLAY BALL When both teams have made a decision to change pitchers or not (by pressing the OPTION and SELECT keys), press the START key to continue the game.