Glenn Sparkman gets player card on MLB The Show 17

One of my addictions, as a baseball fan, is Sony's MLB The Show. The addiction is so bad that I have purchased every one that has been released since the first one, MLB The Show 06.

The baseball simulation is so engrossing that despite owning one version or another for more than a decade, I still hadn't gotten into all aspects of the game. About a month ago, I decided I would give the Diamond Dynasty section a chance. Growing up on Nintendo, the only multi-player format I had ever known was when a buddy would take the second controller and we would play Contra and go shoot everything. Playing against opponents on-line was something that I had never ventured in to. On-line play is one of the major aspects of Diamond Dynasty, although there are a lot of offline missions as well.

The Diamond Dynasty section of The Show 17 starts you off with a "Card Pack." You get a random selection of player from all different positions, and these players make up the team that you use. Every game you play earns you another card, as well as missions that give you a chance to earn better cards. (Each card has a rating. Superstars, like Mike Trout for example, are highly coveted cards and carry a 99 rating, the best in the game.) There are also weekly roster updates and any rookie that makes his major league debut is issued a card.

This weekend, after finishing a game, I was surprised to receive the card of Ganado's own Glenn Sparkman!