As the last of the snow melts and BALCO agents warm up their syringes, it's time for another season of baseball, and along with it, another year of deciding whether I want to play actual baseball or if I'd rather play it in the latest edition of MLB. While sports gaming franchises such as MLB and Madden are notoriously light on year-to-year upgrades, this most recent release receives big boosts in several areas, most notably graphics and sound, thanks to the souped up 360 engine. Watching pitcher C.C. Sabathia's majestic gut rippling in the breeze makes one truly realize the splendor of America's game.

Pitching is relatively easy, as the gamer is able to either pinpoint where his pitches will land, or where they will break. Each pitcher has his own arsenal of pitches, windups, and deliveries, making pitching probably the most fun aspect of the game: mixing it up against a hitter with a change-up and a slider before smoking a ninety-five m.p.h. high fastball always brings a smile to one's face. So does nailing said batter in the ear with said ninety-five m.p.h. fastball and watching him stagger his way to first base. If you look real close you can see him bleeding from his eyeballs!!

Hitting brings it's own pros and cons: you may elect simply use the A button to swing, or you can use the swing stick, by holding back the right analog stick and releasing it to hit the ball. It took this reviewer a bit of time to get the timing down before striking out less than ten times during a game, although there is no more exciting matchup than a low scoring pitcher's duel.

The gameplay is good overall, although it seemed at times that my players were doing things I didn't quite want them to do: stealing (or not stealing) bases at inopportune times, throwing at incorrect infielders, diving for balls that were either out of their reach or too close to be diving in the first place, and bizarrely, in one of the throwback games, Reggie Jackson unearthing a gun under second base and trying to kill the Queen of England as she sat in the bleachers. Thank goodness for Frank Drebin cheat codes.

MLB 2K7 has a very high replay value, especially due to the ability to update rosters throughout the season on XBox Live. Whether you're in it for the long haul in franchise mode, or it's just you and your buddies going head-to-head, MLB 2K7 is as satisfying as a hot dog and a beer at the stadium.