OOTP Developments has released Out of the Park Baseball 12, an update of the baseball sim that runs on the Mac OS X, Windows and Linux operating systems.

Leading off OOTP 12's lineup of features is a complete roster set, from the major leagues to the rookie level. Thousands of real players, from power hitter Albert Pujols to young pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, are individually rated based on updated statistics and realistic contract data. All of 2010's top draft picks are included, too.

OOTP lets players run a major league team from top to bottom, setting lineups and pitching rotations, determining defensive and offensive strategies, and making dozens of game-time decisions, such as when to steal a base or employ a hit-and-run. The game offers a play-by-play text stream, combined with a visual representation of what's happening on the field and such audio effects as the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd.

Between games, players define scouting budgets, make trades, handle the amateur draft, scour the waiver wire, sign free agents, negotiate contract extensions, demote underperforming players to the minors and call up hot prospects, manage team finances, and more. Many tasks can be delegated to computer-controlled personnel, letting players focus on the aspects of baseball management that appeal to them most.

OOTP also features solo or online play, an historical mode featuring all seasons from 1871 through 2010, the ability to create custom leagues stocked with fictional players, a set of league HTML reports, and a realistic statistical engine based on modern baseball theory such as DIPS (Defense Independent Pitching Statistics).

Athletes perform in a consistent, realistic manner over 10, 20, even 50 simulated years. OOTP's FaceGen feature also allows fictional players' photos to automatically change with age and when they switch teams.

OOTP 12 is available now for US$39.99. More info can be found at http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/out-of-the-park-baseball/ .