In a surprise twist, yet another of the Genesis line of sports games with a name slapped on manages to be very, very good, yet STILL not quite up to the level of the very, very GREAT World Series Baseball ’95 released that same year.

The first thing you’ll notice is the intro screen, which sported some terrific graphics at the time. I can go as far as to say this is probably the best-looking 16-bit baseball game I’ve ever played. Gameplay is kept fairly simple and PITCHING/DEFENSE ORIENTED (how bout that?), although pitching feels a little more overly complex (and harder to fool the opponent) than WSB, and bunting is a painstaking task of combining buttons and directions instead of simply designating it to one of the other two unused buttons.

Missing the MLB license, as should be familiar with many of these types of games, you are kept selecting locations instead of official teams, although it’s fairly easy to distinguish this time around. Also, although it still does an okay job, the stadiums don’t quite feel as "on location" as in WSB. You’ll find yourself playing in Wrigley Field at night far too often, and no self-respecting White Sox fan should have to go without some angle shot where Chinatown is in the background, and with the Revenge of Shinobi "Chinatown" theme playing.

PSYCHO TIP: Pick the AL Chicago team with Frank Thomas on it. You know, the guy the game is named after. As a bonus, you can even play as Ozzie Guillen! Definitely worth a bargain bin price. I give it one Ozzie Guillen Gay Kiss.