January 27^th, 2005 (1:25pm) - Pull out the pine tar and grab a rosin bag. A new breed of baseball is coming exclusively to Nintendo GameCube. Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball brings video game play to a new level of excitement and reality with fan-favorite players and teams. Slugger David Ortiz of the 2004 World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox, will grace the cover of Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball, which will be available April 4.

Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball, developed by Exile Interactive and Nintendo, includes players from every Major League Baseball team. Players will be able to compete in all 30 current Major League ballparks, as well as in a few from the past. To ensure a completely authentic experience, the game has been licensed by Major League Baseball Properties, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, with statistics and ratings provided by STATS, Inc.

In addition, players will hear real-time, in-game commentary and announcing from some of the best in the business. Nintendo has secured the services of veteran sportscasters Bob Brenly, Rick Rizzs and Tom Hutyler. Brenly played nine years with the San Francisco Giants. After a tour in the broadcast booth, he managed the Arizona Diamondbacks to victory in the 2001 World Series Championship. This spring he will begin announcing games for the Chicago Cubs. The duo from Seattle brings decades of broadcast experience to Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball. Rizzs has been a member of the Seattle Mariners broadcast team for 20 years, while Hutyler has served as the public-address announcer for the Mariners since 1987.

Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball will feature new game modes that combine the authenticity of Major League Baseball with the great game play that consumers have come to expect from Nintendo.