3-Minute Baseball, an abbreviated and casual version of Strat-O-Matic Baseball, was designed as a free and easy-to-access way of introducing baseball fans to the Strat-O-Matic brand. The game features two different teams with ten total players-five hitters versus five pitchers. There is a degree of variation amongst each of the hitters, whether its the mix of left-handed and right-handed batters, or the fact that some hit for power and others hit for a high average (or a low average for that matter). Amongst the pitchers, which include both starters and relievers, there is also a mix of southpaws and right-handers.
The game itself is extremely quick and easy to play. The objective of the game is to score as many points as possible before all of the batters are retired. The gamer will first select one of the five hitters, and then choose the pitcher he feels the hitter has the best chance of reaching base against. Once the matchup has been chosen, the game begins when the user presses a dice button. After that, a white die is rolled, which determines the column the result will come from. After that, two red dice are rolled to determine the row. The final result is found on a grid in the column and row determined by the dice, which is clearly displayed on the screen.
Each batter gets three outs and can obtain a certain amount of points based on the outcome of the at-bat. Once three outs have been recorded against a particular batter, a new hitter and pitcher must be selected, while the original pair cannot be reused for the rest of the game. As soon as all of the batters and pitchers have been used, the game is over. At the end of each game, depending on the users score, he/she may have the opportunity to put his name on the high score Leader Board.
The two baseball teams featured in the game are five San Francisco hitters and five Texas pitchers-the two participants in the 2010 World Series. The teams and players, however, will be changed roughly every two weeks.