Win a Copy of the iOOTP App for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad!

My good friends at Out of the Park Developments have given us three free copies of their iOOTPapp to give away to you, our loyal readers.  All you have to do to qualify is subscribe to our Seamheads Outsider Baseball Bulletin e-zine and you’ll be automatically entered into three drawings, to be held at the end of October, November and December.

And remember, if you subscribe between now and the final out of the 2011 World Series, you’ll get two years of the Seamheads Outsider Baseball Bulletin for the price of one.  That’s 104 issues for only $22, which comes out to 21 cents an issue (he said in his best announcer guy voice)!  Do you know what you can buy for 21 cents these days?  Me neither.  If you miss out on the two-for-one deal, though, no worries; you’ll still have a chance to win an iOOTPapp in November and December, and by subscribing to our e-zine, you’ll get informative and entertaining articles in your email inbox each week.  It’ll just cost you a little more than if you’d subscribed during the playoffs and World Series.

Here are some excerpts from last week’s e-zine just in case you’re still not convinced:

From STARS, MONEY & POWER: Part 2 by Scott Simkus:

STARS, MONEY and POWER is based on three simple truths:

1. The majority of the best players in the world make it to the major leagues. There are exceptions: Most notably, the top African-American and dark-skinned Latin ballplayers before 1950, but we’ll deal with that down the road.

2. In general, the very best players in the major leagues have the longest careers. There are exceptions, of course, but since this is going to be a bird’s eye approach, looking at large numbers of players at one time, they’re not going to matter in the long run.

3. In general, baseball players reach their athletic peak (their MONEY years) in their late 20s. Some say 27 is the key age, others go with 29: but this is my little rodeo and I’ll settle on 28. Twenty-eight years old is going to be a very important part of this system.

Every baseball player has a Service Time Score, or what we call STARS, based on two basic things: a) their tenure in the major leagues and b) their baseball age. Every position player with 50 or more plate appearances in one season (or every pitcher with 20 or more innings pitched) is given ONE point. Willie Mays, for instance, has 22 qualifying big league seasons and therefore a maximum STARS score of 22.

And from The Ultimate Seven-Game Fall Classic: Game One by Mike Lynch:

The A’s were heavy favorites going into the Series and few thought the Dodgers could win. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog insisted the Dodgers weren’t even the best team in the National League; Twins manager Tom Kelly predicted an A’s victory; and the A’s themselves, especially Canseco, were confident that they could dispatch L.A. in five games. “We’re on a roll; we’re enthused; and we’ve got lots of confidence,” the slugger told reporter Michael Martinez. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post agreed. “They’re better. They’re hotter. They’re more rested. Their aim—a world title— has always been higher than the Dodgers’, who’ve been playing for respect, more than rings, all season.” Boswell predicted the A’s would win in five.

Writer Phil Elderkin called the matchup a battle of the “resourceful Dodgers” vs. “Oakland’s power company” and wondered if the old adage about good pitching beating good hitting would apply. “Canseco, who hit three homers in the playoffs, is so strong that often he doesn’t even have to make good contact to ride the ball out of the park. Jose’s forearms are so massive that one could probably tattoo all of the Los Angeles freeway system on them.”

Then Elderkin wrote something that proved prescient: “Barring the unexpected, this is a series that pits Oakland’s power, pitching, and defense against the Dodgers’ pitching, timely hitting, and hard-to-explain ability to overcome seemingly impossible odds.”

iOOTPis the portable (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad) version of Out of the Park Baseball , the best baseball management game ever created!  Take over your favorite team and guide it to the championship. Trade players, set your lineups & pitching staff, negotiate contracts, draft youngsters, call the shots from the dugout or the front office.  iOOTP Baseballis the ultimate baseball experience for your pocket!

PLEASE NOTE: iOOTP Baseball 2011is optimized for 3rd and 4th generation iPhones and iPod Touch or newer (or iPad first/second generation). You can play it on an iPhone 3G or iPod Touch second generation, but your experience might not be optimal.

iOOTP Baseball 2011features a living world that uses the same robust simulation engine found in Out of the Park Baseballfor Mac and PC, the best-selling and best-rated baseball management game of all time. Out of the Park Baseballis the second-highest-rated PC game ever on Metacritic and also received the PC Gamer Sports Game of the Year Award.

iOOTP Baseballoffers three gameplay modes:

• Major Leagues: Choose a team and play out the 2011 season. Will the San Francisco Giants successfully defend their 2010 championship? Can the Philadelphia Phillies’ “Fab Four” starting pitchers lead them to the playoffs again? Will the Texas Rangers be able to prove their 2010 championship series berth wasn’t a fluke, despite Cliff Lee’s departure?
• Fictional: iOOTP creates one of three fictional baseball worlds — 2 divisions, 8 teams; 4 divisions, 16 teams; or 6 divisions, 30 teams — and populates it with fresh players and clubs. Select a team and build a dynasty from scratch.
• Historical Replay: Choose one of three past seasons — 1923, 1965, or 2004 — and see if it produces a different outcome.

After selecting a gameplay mode, choose a team and handle every aspect of managing it:

• Manage your team: Assemble your pitching staff and assign starting and bullpen roles. Create depth charts and batting lineups, including the ability to set lineups against right- and left-handed pitchers.
• Call the shots: Decide when to steal bases, bring in relief pitchers and pinch-hitters, put on the hit-and-run sign, pitch out with speedy runners on base, tweak your defensive alignment, and more.
• Step into the shoes of the General Manager: Negotiate contract extensions, sign free agents, put together trades, draft first-year players, promote players from the minors, put players on the disabled list, and more.

During games, the play-by-play text is generated from a huge database of tens of thousands of lines that bring the action alive. Bottom of the ninth, two outs, bases loaded, you’re down by two runs and you have your best hitter stepping to the plate against your opponent’s rock-solid closer … What will happen next?

During the season, news tickers bring you headlines from around the leagues as computer-controlled teams make decisions that you will need to pay attention to and possibly counter. Your biggest rival just pulled off a blockbuster trade with the trading deadline looming … How will you respond?

iOOTP’srealistic simulation engine generates extensive statistics for your perusal. You have plenty of options for assessing your players’ output and making managerial decisions, and at any time you can view the best performances in the leagues, both from an individual and team perspective.

As iOOTP’sliving world evolves, players develop their careers, age, and eventually retire, with a possible spot in the Hall of Fame waiting for them. New players drafted by you and groomed in the minors take their place and become the next generation of superstars.

iOOTP Baseballis the ultimate game for baseball fans!

• NEW! Full HD support for iPad
• Manage your own baseball franchise
• 2010 opening day major league rosters, plus top prospects
• Play select historical seasons
• Create your own fictional league
• Infinite career play! Guide your franchise to the future
• Read more

“A Grand Slam for Baseball Sim Lovers” ( Touch Arcade )
“There is really no other iPhone baseball game that is like iOOTP.” – 5 Stars! ( iPhoneGamerBlog.com )
“The best text-based sports simulation in mobile gaming.” ( Examiner.com )
“I found myself engrossed and entirely addicted by the game.” ( 148Apps.com )

SUBSCRIBE to the Seamheads Outsider Baseball Bulletin HERE!