The closest we will get to virtual reality?

I found this news report floating around on the internet:

As realistic as modern sports video games are, it still doesn't quite compare to the real thing. Still, Kansas City's idea of pitting two gamers against each other in MVP Baseball 2005, as reported by the Kansas City Star, while playing from home plate on the CommunityAmerica Ballpark's 16-by 24-foot video screen is pretty close.

The gamers will play out the first two innings of a match up between the Kansas City T-Bones and the Schaumburg Flyers, elevating "new meaning to the term 'fan involvement'," in the words of Mike Stone, commissioner of the minor-league baseball Northern League.

When the gamers finish their virtual innings, the real-life players will take the field and finish up the remaining seven. The gamers will be picked through a high score competition at local CompUSA stores.

Regardless of the outcome, it's definitely a unique kind of promotion. "Everybody in the world is going to want to do this after us," said Bryan Williams, T-Bones director of community relations.