Imagine watching your son or daughter "choosing up sides" from the neighborhood kids for a baseball game and the first pick is reigning National League Most Valuable Player, Albert Pujols. Such a "dream team" moment can come a lot closer to reality than fantasy thanks to the latest version of a popular children's video game that lets kids experience what it's like to play with current Major League heroes.

The game, "Backyard Baseball 2007," lets children play ball with an animated kids' team including young versions of Pujols and other professional baseball stars of today, such as Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Paul Konerko and David Ortiz. Best of all, it brings into play all the strategy and stats of real baseball along with the humor and fantasy kids love.

Pujols was introduced to a previous version of "Backyard Baseball" by his 6-year-old son AJ, who is already an avid baseball fan. Playing "Backyard Baseball" has become a favorite activity that Pujols and AJ enjoy doing together.

In a recent interview, Pujols said that one of the reasons he likes the game-he's featured on the cover of the 2007 version-is that it actually teaches kids the rules of baseball so they can understand the game better when they watch it on television or play it with friends.

Said Pujols, "It helps kids understand real baseball strategies, like when's the right time to steal, what pitches to hit or when to try for a double play."

Players select lineups, team logos and backyard fields and control every pitch, choosing from the standard fastball to specialty pitches such as the screwball and curveball. Players can select from multiple camera views and use the instant replay feature. They can also play single baseball games or engage in seasonlong competition.

In its fifth iteration, "Backyard Baseball" is the best-selling children's baseball game of all time and the only kids' game to hold the coveted Major League Baseball (MLB) and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) licenses. Its multilevel design is said to make it easy enough for beginners yet challenging enough for veteran players. This, some say, increases the chance that both parents and kids can find playing it fun.

Plus, the "handicapping" feature can be used to level the playing field when parents and kids play together.

"Backyard Baseball 2007" is rated "E" for Everyone and is available for the Sony PlayStation 2, Game Boy?, Nintendo GameCube? and Windows PC. With over 2 million "Backyard Baseball" games sold, it continues to be extremely popular with both kids and adults, thanks to its entertaining graphics, message of good sportsmanship and nonviolent format.