Apr 25, 2000  Backyard Baseball 2001 broke ground by being the first game in the beloved series to feature major league baseball players. A streamlined batting and pitching system combined with an easy learning curve made this game accessible for all ages. Team Selection. All 30 Major League Baseball teams are available for use.

This online Baseball batting game is so realistic, that you can almost hear the crowd applauding and chanting your name. Since the rules of baseball are almost the same in every league, they apply in this game as well. As the pitcher winds up, a red marker appears indicating where the ball will be thrown. Use your mouse to move the 'red aim circle' towards the center of the marker. The closer to the center you place the aim circle, the straighter your hit will be. Control the direction of your hit by moving the aim circle relative to the marker to 'hook' or 'slice' the ball. This will help you get the ball going where your opponents are not expecting and win some time for you. The red line, above the red aim circle, indicates the direction of your hit. To hit the ball UP, aim just below the marker. To hit the ball DOWN, aim just above the marker. After the ball is pitched, click the left mouse button to swing. Adjust and time it correctly to hit the 'sweet spot'.

How to Play: Hit the ball only when it is already close to you. Try to hit the ball in the direction somewhere between the players, so that they need to run further. On EASY mode, the yellow 'strikezone' appears on the screen. If the marker center is not within the limits of this box, do not hit, leave it alone for a 'ball' (turn). If you successfully hit the ball, your player will run to the first base. To run to the next one, click on the RUN button displayed next to your player as you approach to the base. To reach the base faster, click SLIDE as he gets close.

If you choose to play the Arcade game, you have to customize your player first. Enter your name, choose the color of the team, skin tone, bat logo and skill level (easy, medium, hard). You have 10 tries. Land the ball as close as you can to the center of the target for maximum points. You receive double points for your first bounce. Your remaining Pitches are shown in the right upper corner of the game screen, and your score is displayed on the left. If you choose to play the Bottom of the Ninth game, set up your team first. Enter the name of the team, choose the color of your T-shirt and the skill level (easy, medium, hard). Harder difficulty levels will multiply your score at the end. Good luck Champ!

If this Flash-based game no longer works on IE11 on your PC / MAC, try playing on Chrome or Firefox browser.

Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers is a surprisingly addicting and challenging online baseball game for fans of all ages who love to casually play a bit of catch in the backyard, sock a few impressive ‘dingers’, and smash a couple of majestic home runs! Set in a fun and relaxed ‘little-league’ environment, you play the role of the hitter (slugger), and have to complete 12 increasingly challenging batting tasks such as scoring home runs, avoiding ‘outs’, and earning as many points as possible.

This light-hearted online sports activity isn’t just for avid devotees of baseball. General sporty-types and fans of challenging skill games can also enjoy the precision-based action that requires good concentration and determination to succeed. Your reaction time and accuracy of swing are all important as you try to guess where the pitcher is going to throw the ball, and where the best area is to hit that elusive leather sphere of glory! Ok pinch hitter, have you got the nerve to hit those ‘clutch’ shots when your team really needs it? Batter up, let’s play ball!

How to Play: Your objective is to complete as many of the 12 difficult ‘Batting Challenges’ as possible. After choosing your ‘little league’ team and selecting your specific batter, you are brought to the list of Challenges. There are 4 different Challenges in 3 different fields. You have to unlock Levels 1-12 by completing the task set in each one. For example; Challenge 1 is simply to ‘hot a home run’. Here, you have 10 pitches in which you have to hit a home run (i.e., hit the ball over the outer fence). Another example of a challenge is Level 2 where you have to ‘score 8000 points’. Each time you hit the ball, you score points depending on the quality of the shot – so here you have to score 8000 points in your allotted balls.

The controls are very simple. Use your computer mouse or touchpad to maneuver your batter, and Left Click to swing your bat. The position of your bat and your timing are key; try to wait until the ball is exactly in your path before swinging to get maximum contact (we won't tell you here where exactly to aim for within the highlighted batting zone as that would lessen the fun of figuring out what works best). If you swing and miss, it’s a ‘Strike’. Three strikes, and you lose one life (Bat) indicated at the top of the game screen. Likewise, if you hit the ball into a catcher’s hands without the ball bouncing, you lose a life. Keep an eye on your Ball Count in the top left corner of the game screen, and your Points Total in the top right corner. If you get on a good run of hits, special ‘Fire Ball’ and ‘Meteor’ capabilities appear. Hitting the ball when one of these icons is flashing greatly enhances your chance of scoring a massive hit. Good luck and enjoy the fun batting action!

If this Flash-based game no longer works on IE11 on your PC / MAC, try playing on Chrome or Firefox browser.