When Blue Jays base thief Rajai Davis first launches into "MLB 2K12," first thing he wants to check is his game speed.
And why not? For a guy who has already swiped 177 bases in his short career, Davis wants to make sure he's as big of a headache for virtual catchers as he is in real life.
"They got the right speed in there, because there are days when I'm flying," Davis tells me after checking out the game at 2K's hospitality suite during the recent Major League Baseball Players Trust golf tournament in San Diego. "On my best days, I'm really flying, especially when I'm all stretched out and feeling fresh, and they have me feeling fresh in the video game, that's for sure."
But when Davis took a look at his character in "Nicktoons MLB," all he could do was laugh. "They had me with some facial hair on there, I don't usually have any facial hair," he says. "Then I turn on the game and there I am with a beard. I guess they didn't get that memo that I shave."
Davis, who calls himself an old-school gamer, still loves playing games like "RBI Baseball" and refers to "Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball" on the Super Nintendo as his favorite game of all time.
Adds Davis: "A lot of clubhouses still have the old 'RBI' machines in them so you can play before a game. If only someone would hook up a Super Nintendo.
"I still remember when I got my Sega Genesis with 'Joe Montana Sports Talk Football.' My brother used to get me up at five in the morning just so we could play."
These days Davis says he can't get enough of another 2K Sports game, "NBA 2K12."
"The way they captured all of Michael Jordan's moves, his look, every shot is unbelievable," Davis says. "First time I saw the way they made Jordan, I knew that was the game for me. The baseball games are one thing, but the way they have Jordan in there, that game's on a whole different level."
