sports
Ribbie Turns MLB Data Into 8-Bit Pixel-Art Game Broadcasts
TechCrunch reported that Eric Brownrout built Ribbie to display real-time MLB games with retro pixel art. The site uses public MLB data and AI coding tools for animated stadiums and player sprites.
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Eric Brownrout created Ribbie, a website that converts real-time Major League Baseball data into 8-bit broadcasts featuring arcade-style animated pixel art. TechCrunch reported that Brownrout began the project after generating a pixel-art image of Phillies player Kyle Schwarber for his fantasy baseball team logo.
He used the MLB public StatsAPI to pull game information and built the site with Claude Code for the web app and Codex for image and sprite generation.
Brownrout stated he had never built a video game before creating Ribbie. The site displays active MLB games, unique pixel-art representations of every stadium and player, the current score, the pitcher, the batter, and runners on base. Brownrout recently added fantasy baseball support so users can add rosters and track active players.
He is now adding sound effects and fuller animations, including 100 recorded takes of the phrases "Ball! Strike! " on his iPhone. Brownrout, co-founder of AI SaaS platform Frigade, described the project as a non-commercial fan effort.
He noted that the same MLB API powers other fantasy and stats sites and referenced a 2007 court ruling that baseball statistics are facts and not copyrightable.
