Some video games I grew up with were the Backyard Sports series from Humongous Entertainment. I had the original Backyard Baseball, Backyard Baseball 2001, Backyard Soccer MLS, Backyard Football, and Backyard Basketball. I loved each one, but Baseball was always my favorite.
One thing they did great was creating these kids in the 90s that were diverse and had their own unique personalities. There were some I loved more than others, and some I hardly ever used on any of my teams. I'm going to go through each character and explain them, how much I used them, and anything else about the character that might occur to me. Since I played Baseball the most, I'll mostly be referring to that particular series when referring to these characters and the teams I had. Also, I'll say what positions they are best at in baseball.
This post was inspired by Kofie's IG videos on the Backyard characters. Check him out!
Pablo Sanchez
Pablo's basically a meme at this point he's so popular and so good at everything. Of course, I liked using him, but I tried not to since I felt that gave me an unfair advantage. I still ended up having him on my teams a lot. I related to Pablo since he was a shorter boy like I was.
Baseball Position: Anywhere besides pitcher, catcher, and first base. He's too short for first, and he's not a great pitcher. He's wasted at home plate unless you want a fast catcher to get all the soft grounders. And hit him in the Top 3 of your lineup.
Stephanie Morgan
Stephanie was always a tempting pick, at least for baseball. And I usually tried to put her at shortstop. In Backyard Baseball 2001, I often had an MLB shortstop on my team like A-Rod, Jeter, or Nomar, so I ended up putting Stephanie at 2nd or 3rd base. She's good at any of those three spots.
Baseball Position: Shortstop is her natural position, but if you already have a shortstop (such as an MLB one), then she's good at 2nd and 3rd base as well. Catcher too. She is featured as a catcher on the game art. As for your lineup, if you're stacked with hitters, put her near the bottom, but if she's one of your better hitters, hit her first or second in the lineup.
Dante Robinson
Dante was another I liked having on any team due to his speed. I didn't like how he wasn't the best hitter, which prevented me from selecting him to be on my baseball team sometimes. But if I did, he usually occupied the leadoff spot because of that speed. I also loved how he ate an entire hotdog in his walk-up animation.
Baseball Position: He's got speed, and he's left-handed, which screams outfield. However, Dante is error-prone, so put him in an outfield spot where the ball won't get hit much. He's not a bad pitcher, either. He's a good leadoff hitter or a good bottom of the lineup hitter.
Kiesha Phillips
Kiesha is awesome, and she's as close to the game's female counterpart to Pablo as it gets. She's fast, can hit, can field fairly well. She's good in football at most positions and she is a good interior scorer in soccer or basketball. I have had her on many teams because there's almost always a spot to put her.
Baseball Position: She's good almost anywhere. She's got the size for first and agility for the outfield, so I'd say one of those spots. Having that combination of speed and power should mean Kiesha is hitting 2-4 in your lineup.
Kenny Kawaguchi
I'm gonna be honest, I did not have Kenny on many of my teams, not even for his pitching. I had this notion that he wasn't as good as anyone else due to his disability. Or maybe I tried playing with him in Baseball and really could not hit with him. But as I got older, I did use him more and more, especially on the mound.
Baseball Position: He's a good pitcher and fields that position well. He also is surprisingly good in most other spots other than first base. I've made him work in the outfield a few times. His bat isn't great, so stick him near the bottom of your lineup.
Vicki Kawaguchi
I guess poor hitting runs in the Kawaguchi family. Vicky can run and field and even pitch if need be, but she can't hit. If her swing somehow manages to make contact, it's likely not leaving the infield. I rarely used her unless I wanted a team of all speed.
Baseball Position: She has tremendous fielding, so try to keep her in the infield, but not at first (too short and doesn't handle fast throws well). She's a decent catcher, too. Unless you can routinely make contact with her, stick her near the bottom of your lineup, where she can provide speed in front of the top of your lineup.
Ashley and Sidney Webber
I rarely used only one of the two Webber twins, as they are below average on their own. But together, they boost each other up and are pretty solid all-around players. I sometimes recruited both and had them play next to each other on the field, such as first and second base.
Baseball Position: It depends on if they're together or not. If not, stick the one you have at an infield position (avoid first base if possible). If they're together, they're good anywhere on the field. Literally anywhere, including pitcher and catcher and outfield.
Dmitri Petrovich
I loved Dmitri as a kid, but now I see he's not that great. He's a solid hitter with decent wheels, but he cannot field. I used him a bit in football, I think as my center/snapper (since he sort of looks the part). If I used him in baseball, I stuck him in the outfield and prayed no one hit a ball to him.
Baseball Position: He's actually a pretty solid catcher as I've discovered. His arm is pretty good, so outfield wouldn't be bad, either. But avoid all other infield positions with Dmitri. He's got a good combination of speed and power, so anywhere from 3-6 in your lineup is a good spot. Just be careful not to put anyone too fast behind him, as Dmitri tires very quickly.
Ernie Steele
I used Ernie on occasion, mostly due to his incredible fielding. He's also not a bad pitcher. I strongly considered Steele Stadium as my home field if I drafted Ernie. I always stuck him near the bottom of my lineup due to his less-than-average hitting.
Baseball Position: First base is definitely the best spot for him; he's tall and has great fielding. If you've already got a first baseman, I'd suggest the outfield. He should hit in the middle or bottom of the lineup (5-8).
Kimmy Eckman
The only time I ever selected Kimmy was when I used her backyard as my field. She was awful without it. She ended up being one of my least-used players as a result.
Baseball Position: It depends on if you're at Eckman Yards or not. If you are, she's good at any infield position (other than 1st) and any outfield spot. If you're not, stick her at 2nd and give her a good shortstop to work with. Hit her high if she's playing at her home field (1-4), or low if she's not (7-9).
Reese Worthington
I used Reese fairly often in Baseball, mostly due to the fact that he was the lone shorter blonde boy (like me). I also used him as my kicker in Football because I think he had a good kicking skill. But he was not great at hitting or running, so I lost interest in him quickly.
Baseball Position: He's decent at most spots. I like him at catcher or middle infield the most. He should be hitting near the bottom of the lineup (6-9).
Mikey Thomas
I used Mikey Thomas a good amount in Baseball due to his amazing bat. Outside of Pablo, there isn't a better power bat in the game. Unfortunately, he's slow as hell, so it was basically all or nothing with him. One good thing I noticed was his arm--he has a cannon for an arm. So I stuck him in the outfield, third base, or catcher.
Baseball Position: Mikey says he likes to play the outfield, but be careful as he's pretty slow. I'd prefer to use him at 3rd base or catcher to throw out runners with that cannon of an arm he has. And put him in the heart of your lineup (3-5) so he can drive in your faster players.
Tony Delvecchio
I know Tony gets praise for being a solid, all-around player, but I actually rarely picked him. He's a jack of all trades, but a master of none. I didn't like that, and still don't. He's a good line drive hitter, at least. I also didn't pick him a lot since he doesn't pair well with his sister.
Baseball Position: He's good most places, even first base, to an extent. I like him at 3rd base due to his good arm. Hit him somewhere near the middle (5-7) as he might be able to drive people in.
Angela Delvecchio
Oddly, she has the exact name as an offscreen character on the TV show, Friends (mentioned in Season 1). Anyway, she was usually my pick for pitcher. I loved her on the mound. She was slow, though, especially once she got tired from pitching. If she's tired and she's on the beach field, it takes her FOREVER to get to first, and literally any batted ball results in an out.
Baseball Position: She should be pitching whenever possible. However, if she must be stuck elsewhere, I'd say 2nd or catcher. Her fielding sucks for anywhere else. Hit her in the middle like her brother, but be careful not to put anyone fast after her, as she gets slow and tired real quick.
Jocinda Smith
Jocinda is one I used a lot as a kid but not much as I got older. I realized her hitting was misleading. She can sort of make contact, but she does not have much power. She's a good defensive first baseman, but that's about it. I think she's perhaps the most overrated Backyard character. MVP my butt.
Baseball Position: For the most overrated character, I'd say 2nd, catcher, or outfield. She's not got a great arm. Hit her in the middle of your lineup (5-7), and hope you get lucky.
Pete Wheeler
Pete was almost always a must for any of my teams due to his speed. He's the fastest kid, even faster than Dante. He was my first choice to be leadoff hitter on most of my teams. He's also surprisingly adept in the field (probably outfield though).
Baseball Position: Outfield for sure, preferably center field. Gotta take advantage of that speed. Hit him first in your lineup. There's literally no other spot. He's the best leadoff hitter in the game.
Billy Jean Blackwood
I did not use Billy Jean very much. She could sort of hit (like Jocinda), but that was about it. She wasn't slow, but not fast. She couldn't pitch. And her fielding was below average. I just never saw much appeal to using Billy Jean.
Baseball Position: First base is her best position, but if you can't put her there, I'd say a corner outfield spot, as she doesn't have great speed. Hit her somewhere in the middle of your lineup.
Marky Dubois
I wasn't the biggest fan of Marky's, either. He was slow, and his hitting was overrated. I noticed his speed was made even worse on the dirt and sand fields. I only picked him when I wanted a challenge.
Baseball Position: He's slow, so I'd say catcher or maybe first or second base. His arm is average, so you could maybe put him at 3rd. Hit him near the bottom of your lineup due to his lack of speed (6-8).
Sally Dobbs
I actually wasn't a huge fan of Sally's, as well, due to her personality. She was domineering and bossy and she reminded me of Angelica from Rugrats. Although I did use her a bit, even with Ronny her brother, as she got a huge boost when he was on the team with her.
Baseball Position: She's a decent pitcher, especially if she's got her brother Ronny on her team. Otherwise, she's good at most spots as her arm is decent, and she's got at least average speed. Third base is good for her too. I'd say hit her anywhere from 2-7 based on her boosts/reductions for the game.
Ronny Dobbs
Ronny was one I actually used the most when I shouldn't: With his sister, Sally. His stats are so nerfed he's basically useless. But I stuck him in the outfield (or 2nd) and at the bottom of the lineup and hoped he didn't hurt my team too much. Sally was just a beast when he was there.
Baseball Position: He's awful in the outfield, so stick him at 2nd or catcher and hope he doesn't get the ball hit to him. Put him near the bottom of the lineup, although his bat may surprise you.
Achmed Khan
I often chose Achmed for my team (at least my Baseball team). He's a great hitter and speed and defense are ok. He's one of the best all-around hitters in the game with power to all fields. I've never settled on a position for him defensively, as I think I've had him at third, catcher, and all outfield spots.
Baseball Position: Like I said, he's good at catcher, third, and outfield. He's even decent at the middle infield spots. Hit him in the heart of your lineup due to his great bat (3-5).
Amir Khan
Amir, Achmed's younger brother, is also a good player. I didn't choose him quite as often as he's not quite as good of a hitter as his brother. But he's a really good pitcher and was my second pitcher choice after Angela.
Baseball Position: Preferably pitcher. He's like Angela where he's not fast and is very error-prone, so if he has to be put somewhere else, maybe 2nd or a corner outfield spot. Hit him in the middle of the lineup (5-7).
Gretchen Hasselhoff
I rarely chose Gretchen because, along with Vicki, she's one of the worst hitters in the game. She will strike out. But unlike Vicki, Gretchen's speed is only decent. It's not really fast like Vicki. And Gretchen is a mediocre fielder and isn't a great pitcher, so I never saw the point in using her.
Baseball Position: She's ok at some spots, like 2nd base, shortstop, and the outfield. She's actually a decent pitcher with a good left hook pitch. I'd stick her at one of the last positions in the lineup (8 or 9).
Jorge Garcia
Another I rarely used was Jorge, and not just due to his mediocre attributes. His pompous nature also put me off. He's a decent line drive hitter, but not really above average at anything else.
Baseball Position: He's actually a surprisingly good fielder and got a good arm, so he's good at 3rd, shorstop, or catcher. Hit him in the middle-ish part of your lineup.
Luanne Lui
I think I actually used Luanne a lot. She's maybe got the best combination of speed and pitching in the game. She's not an awful hitter, and if she can just make contact, she can get on base. Her fielding sucks, but I usually tried sticking her somewhere she wouldn't hurt me too much. I think I remember she was good in football, too, as a running back (don't think she could catch).
Baseball Position: She's a good pitcher, but if not there, try catcher or 2nd base. I'd avoid the outfield with her. Hit her either near the top (1-2) or the bottom of your lineup (8-9), depending on if you have a better hitter that also has speed.
Maria Luna
I never knew about Maria playing better with pink uniforms as I never chose pink uniforms. So I didn't use Maria a ton. I remember using her as a middle infielder on occasion, as her defense and arm are solid. She's got good wheels, too. But her hitting leaves a bit to be desired.
Baseball Position: She's a solid middle infielder, but that's about it. Maybe catcher? Stick her near the bottom of your lineup.
Lisa Crockett
Last is Lisa, who again, I didn't use much. She is kind of like the female Tony; solid at a lot of things, but master of none. I tended to favor players who at least mastered something, whether that be pitching, hitting, or speed. (Rarely did I get someone who was only a master of fielding). Her standoffish nature also didn't really make me want to put her on my team.
Baseball Position: She's surprisingly good at a lot of positions, including pitcher and first base. She could play just about anywhere. She also could lead off if you really don't have anyone else. If you do, she's a very solid 7-9 hitter.
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