Some of the greatest Red Sox players of all-time have been on video game covers. Will Betts be in their league?
It was announced last week during Red Sox Winter Weekend that center fielder Mookie Betts will be appearing on the cover of the new video game R.B.I. Baseball 16.
The R.B.I. video game series first appeared in 1986 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and was followed by multiple sequels, spanning many gaming platforms, up until the mid 1990’s. The game series was revived by Namco in 2014, where it was released on this generation’s series of consoles. In 2014, the game was a digital download, arcade-style game. It was not until last year that a full game was released, featuring Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the cover.
Betts, who many consider to be the future of the Red Sox, is the second-youngest MLB player to ever appear on the cover of a video game.
"“You see all the greats, people who were idols of mine growing up,” Betts said. “You see those guys on the cover of video games. And now to be a part of that is a blessing.”"
#YaBettsBelieve @mookiebetts is on the cover of #RBI16! #SoxWinterWeekend pic.twitter.com/HI0aR9yZ1i
— Red Sox (@RedSox) January 23, 2016
While he may be gracing the cover of a video game earlier than most, Betts is not by any means the first member of the Red Sox to do so.
In 1991, “Roger Clemens MVP Baseball” was released, the same year he won the Cy Young award, on the NES. Due to licensing issues, Clemens is not wearing a Red Sox uniform on the cover, however, the game, and its 1992 (SNES) and 1993 (Gameboy) sequels, were released during Clemens’ prime years in Boston.
Ten years later, Nomar Garciaparra, coming off a season with a .372 batting average, was on the cover of “Microsoft Baseball 2001.” In that same year, Pedro Martinez can be found on the cover of “World Series Baseball 2K1,” after winning the Cy Young in the two seasons prior, and over a year after his legendary performance in the 1999 All-Star game.
Sox slugger and left fielder Manny Ramirez was on the cover of one of the greatest baseball video games of all-time: “MVP Baseball 2005.” It was an honor well-deserved for Manny, who led the AL in home runs and the Red Sox to their first World Series win in 86 years.
In recent years, the most popular and well-regarded baseball video games have been Sony’s “MLB: The Show” series. David Ortiz (’06), Dustin Pedroia (’09), and even Adrian Gonzalez (’12) all have appeared on the game’s cover in a Red Sox uniform.
If Betts is able to emulate the Red Sox players who appeared on video game covers before him, then the Red Sox are in for a great season. Last year Betts had a .291 batting average and recorded 18 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 174 hits. He finished 19th in MVP voting.
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R.B.I. 16 is set to release some time this Spring.