We here at 108 Red Stitches are scratching our heads in wonder; "Why no updates from 2K Sports on their latest video game title?"

December 8, 2007 was the last update to their site. Refreshing hundreds of times on their landing page, we only get "Image Coming Soon" and "Video Coming Soon" banners.
There's no sneak previews, no screen shots, no hints as to what's coming next. The only info on the game is what's posted in the press release section, announcing Jose Reyes as the next cover boy for the series.

So we thought we could make some predicitions to help you guys out. We know you're looking for MLB 2K8, the folks at FeedBurner are telling us so.

108 Red Stitches Predictions for MLB 2K8:

1. Improved Injury Reporting System: Now, along with missing five games due to a pulled hammy, players can be suspended for use of PEDs. (XBox Cheat Code for administering Flaxseed Oil is - Left Trigger, A, A, Right Trigger, Left Stick Click.)

2. Build Your Own Stadium: EA Sports managed to work that into their system before the series died, now 2KSports has acquired that knowledge. Design every last detail, including the height of your bullpen walls to keep guys like Karim Garcia from going after the fans.

3. Design A Player: Function is improved to include adding custom designed jewelry, grill plates, and add custom designed felonies.

4. Sell Google Adspace On Your Outfield Walls: Just enter your Adsense Account ID and Paypal info into the correct fields, and within minutes, Johnny Damon will be crashing into a Penile Enhancement Ad.

5. Real Time Player Interaction: Is your XBox system running slow or are your Wii Remote Batteries waining? Well, Jose Reyes is designed to run as fast (or slow) as your system prohibits. Want to make sure he runs out that ground ball? Make sure you use Lithium Batteries in your wireless controller!

6. Special Mini Games: Unlock hidden mini games such as BeJuiced or Pin the Tail on the Boras. See how much HGH you can inject into Barry Bonds (excuse me, John Dowd, because Bonds is too good for the Players Union) before he gets caught by that pesky Mitchell guy!

7. Create a Team Function: Draft hidden talent, farm Major League Super Stars, and then trade them away to cut costs, the Jeffrey Loria way!

8. New Bench Coach Mode: Watch the entire game from the bench. There's no real reason for you to be playing in this mode, because you only get to play for whatever team Joe Torre is coaching, and you only get to make one suggestion per game. It usually gets ignored.

9. Superstar Mode: Follow a player through his college life, the amateur draft, the minor leagues, his three weeks in the majors, and then retire and run a car dealership until Ken Burns contacts you to make a documentary on baseball.

10. User Generated Feature: Because We're All Out of Ideas. So 2KSports is letting you, the gamer, handle all of our important PR, development, and strategic decisions from now on. We're washing our hands of all this.

Hey it worked for Doritos.

Its that time of year again when winter baseball begins to heat up. Many of the MLB's Latino stars head south to sharpen up their diamond skills.
Yankee second baseman, Robinson Cano, was playing in the Dominican League, batting .389 when his parent club put an end to his season.
Other notable MLBPers basking in a Caribbean Winter are Baltimore's Miguel Tejada, Tampa Rays' first baseman Carlos Pena and Red's third sacker Edwin Encarnacion. Along with the Dodgers speedster Rafael Frucal, Encarnacion and Tejada combine to power one of the Dominican league's best lineups.
usually a hesitation to let their stars play. In Cano's case, the Yankees have a lot vested in their young second baseman. Nursing a sore calf, Cano needs to consider resting until spring training. With today's multi-million dollar, guaranteed contracts, there's calf, Cano would be foolish to continue playing.
The Yankees, too, would be up a creek. Since it's late in the offseason, they would pay through the nose for a second rate second baseman, such as a Marcus Giles or Jose Valentin.
MLB 2K8 cover boy Jose Reyes is also playing winter ball in Santo Domingo. Hopefully the Gigantes have figured out a cure for laziness.

Looks like the folks over at 2K Sports have released the cover boy of this year's installment in its baseball franchise, MLB 2k8:
Interesting choice of player, since Derek Jeter had been the front man for the past versions of the game. In a press release on their website, MLB 2K8 developer Ben Brinkman said;
"This year we have signed one of the most exciting players in all of Major League Baseball® as our official cover athlete. Jose Reyes is a multi-talented player – a great baserunner, fielder and hitter, making him the perfect spokesperson for Major League Baseball® 2K8.”
The game will be available for the XBox360, Playstation 2 and 3, PSP, and Wii consoles. Gone, it seems, is the version for the regular XBox...

You have to admit, you knew this was coming.
All those weeks of tormenting the Yankee Fan sitting in the cubicle next to you. All those summer months you sat on top of your perch, looking upon the downtrodden, the Yankee faithful. Peasants looking for a whiff of freedom, just a ray of light, any sign of hope.
Yesterday, as you have for the past week, you lose a little bit more of your throne.
The peasants are rising.
The Mets are failing.
What is happening to your Mets? As you sit silently in your cube/office/car, you catch shrapnel from every angle. The newspaper, the radio, internet, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, and the ever jerky smiling office temp with the neatly pressed Yankee tie.
This is your silent hell.

Willie Randolph is peering out from the left field fence, looking towards the Bronx. What would Joe do, he thinks. How would his mentor fix this flailing franchise. Believe it or not, what Willie learned while wearing Pinstripes will make or break the Mets during their playoff run.

Trust in Veterans: Mike Pelphry and fellow young guns on the Mets roster have offered their arms to aid a sinking bullpen. Torre preaches a trust in veterans, and Randolph will likely do the same. Rejecting the youth's plea to move to the bullpen, Willie doesn't think that "throwing these guys to the wolves" or forcing them in on a situation they are neither comfortable or familiar with, is a good move for the franchise.

Light a Fire: Randolph doesn't seem to be overly critical of his players. Not suggestion to call out underachievers, but Torre has a way of getting his point across to his players through the media (see Mussina, Farnesworth, Matsui).

Don't point fingers: Making a huge deal out of numbers and declines can often rub players the wrong way. So what if Reyes' batting average has slipped to a tune of 40 points since the All-Star game. John Maine, worthy of first half Cy Young Award Contention, has more than doubled his era in the second half. These players are young, and don't need to be beaten over the head with numbers.

For Mets Fans: Keep the hope alive. Invest in a Rally Monkey. Bring Mr. Met to his AA meetings, because there's no way he's a sober ball over the past few weeks. Don't shave until the magic number is down to 1, and keep those champagne bottles on ice.


That jerk in the next cubicle is probably going to ask to borrow them.