Judging by how ubiquitous the pitching machine trap is, I found it odd that nobody had ever tried to convert it into a man-portable weapon. Being hit by a baseball flying at speed would be quite devastating, so I decided to give it a try.

Parts Used

I started with the legacy-content pitching machine trap and rearranged the pieces to orient the flywheels horizontally. I then added the handle from the Plasma Caster, and rigged the weapon to use the reload animation from the Gatling Laser.

Perks and Challenges

The following properties, perks and challenges apply to this weapon:

• Curios and Relics
• Open to Experimentation

Usage Notes

Unfortunately, the New Vegas engine does not allow MISC items to be loaded into weapons the way Fallout 3 did with the Rock-It Launcher. This means a separate ammunition type must be crafted manually at a workbench. However, by using the console command set aaaGLOBHardballerAutoConvert to 1, the game will automatically convert any Baseballs and Pool Balls in the Player's inventory into the corresponding ammo type.

Procurement

This weapon must be purchased from Dr. Quarton, and cannot otherwise be obtained without console commands.

Dr. Quarton's Notes

The terminal entry in Dr. Quarton's laboratory notes the following:

Project #G-591-D - "Hardballer"

I was never fond of sport, not even as a young man. It had nothing to do
with the fact that I was always picked last, and everything to do with the
fact that sport is a pointless waste of time and energy. Time and energy
that can be better spent expanding the boundaries of SCIENCE!

Father never understood that, and always insisted that I indulge in this
dullard's pastime for the sake of "exercise" and "building character". Bah!

It was for that reason that I built this contraption, to spare myself the
running, the wheezing, and all the humiliation associated therewith.