10 iPhone Apps to Make the 2010 Baseball Season a Grand Slam

by Nathan Eddy

Yeah, we know, its almost pricier than the cost of a beer and hotdog at the game (almost), but with this app you get access to live streaming audio and video of every regular and postseason game, view up-to-the-minute box scores and player stats, as well as watch condensed games and highlight reels. There are also a video library searchable by player and team, spring training statistics with live audio and home/away broadcast feed selection—youve got your bases well-covered.

This app lets you manage your Yahoo Fantasy Sports baseball team (or any major league sports team, for that matter) from your iPhone or iPod Touch, and includes the ability to manage your teams roster, view daily performance for any day of the year or from previous months or years, track progression up your pools standings, offer and accept trades and get scores, stats, injury reports, league standings and news.

Perfect for longtime fans and beginner scorekeepers alike, this intuitive scorekeeping app features a Team Manager section where teams and team rosters can be created and managed. A pitch tracker allows you to track every pitch location, type and speed, and speckle charts let you review the pitch history. Statistics can be e-mailed in Excel, CSV and HTML formats, and a built-in TwitterCast allows people unable to attend the game to get continuous updates through Twitter.

Perfect for trivia fans, this app has a long list of quotes and wisdom from famous baseball players, and it works offline, so you can be assured of access whether youre in the stadium or in the subway. The app also allows you to rate quotes and mark favorites so you can easily find them again, and all proceeds from the app go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

As retro as Rollie Fingers mustache, this classic game is back with controls for batting and running, while the game does the pitching and fielding. An update has fixed minor bugs and added calls for grand slam and strike out. Other features include Rookie and Pro difficulty modes, five-inning games for quick play, an option to turn the sound on or off, and an auto-save feature for games in progress.

Think you know the rules of the game inside and out? Then test your knowledge with this app on the rules of baseball, based on the MLB rulebook. With access to 90 questions on every aspect of the game, youll be able to retort effectively when an opposing teams loudmouth fan starts spouting off. The questions are divided over three categories: True or False, Fill in the Blank, and Difficult.

Take a tour of Americas great baseball stadiums with this app, which includes stadiums no longer in existence. The app includes photos as well as in-depth information on the parks and teams. You can line up automated slide shows with Ken Burns effects, and you can also view their locations in the Maps application. Plus, you can zoom around using the multitouch controls, or even add music to the photos as you browse.

The only game featuring all 30 Major League clubs, official rosters and Major League ballparks, this 3D gaming app features multitouch pitching mechanics, accelerometer targeting, World Series and Regular Series modes, and fielding modes that let either you or the computer play defense. Also included are updated MLB rosters with player names, statistics, skill ratings and hit zones.

Leave the pen and pad at home and dominate your draft with this app, which offers a preranked cheat sheet of 400 players. You can reorder players to fit your personal preference, view and rank players by position, keep track of your team with a dedicated Team View option, and view projected 2010 stats compiled from several fantasy baseball resources. It also offers multiple league support, allowing you to save rankings and draft results for multiple leagues.

This is the ideal app for following your favorite teams at home or on the road. You can find insider tips on all 30 major league ballparks as well as neighborhood restaurants, hotels, sports bars and other attractions to round out your trip. Also included are team phone numbers, schedules, ticket information, seating charts and links to local newspapers for all 30 teams. An interactive feature enables you to rank each ballpark in 10 different categories.