With the conclusion of the World Series (wasn’t that just dandy?) and the naming of Wil Myers as the American League Rookie of the Year today, the voting closes for choosing the winners of Contests #1 and #6.
Contest #1 – Make a Prediction about the 2013 baseball season:
I put the 12 predictions that came true to a vote of MillersTime/GoSox baseball readers, and the result was a tie between two as voters seemed to appreciate the specificity of the these two predictions:
#3 – RA Dickey will struggle, his ERA will be higher than the past three seasons, and he won’t win more than 15 games. (His ERA was indeed higher, 4.21 vs 3.28, and his record was 14-13.)
#7 – Jordan Zimmerman will be the Nats best and most consistent pitcher, over Strasburg and Gonzales. (Zimmerman was 19-9, Strasburg 8-9, Gonzales 11-8.)
So Rob Higdon (#3) and Dan Cate (#7) tie. Their prize is an all expense over night car trip with me to Cooperstown between the end of the 2013 MLB baseball season and Opening Day in 2014. Hopefully we can work out a mutually satisfying time for this trip.
Contest #6 – Who will be in the World Series? Who will win? Who will be the MVP?
Another tie.
Both Chris Bourtourline and Elizabeth Miller predicted the Sox would be in the WS. No one had the Cards in it (where were you Ben Senturia?). Chris had Victorino as the MVP, and Elizabeth had Ellsbury. We all know Big Papi was the MVP. Some of you made a case for Chris’s choice, some for Elizabeth’s. By the power invested in me by me, and with acknowledgement that Elizabeth is my daughter (yeah girls and baseball), I hereby declare both Chris and Elizabeth winners of this contest. They each get a ticket to the World Series in 2014.
And to recap the other 2013 winners who have already been announced:
Contest #2 – Predict your favorite team’s record for 2013 and whether they will make the playoffs and how far they will go, if they do.
Steve Begleiter is the winner as he had the Yanks at exactly 85-77 and out of the playoffs. He wins two tickets to a regular season game next year.
Contest #3 – Which League wins the All-Star game, what will the score be, and who will be the MVP?
Tim Malieckal won with his prediction of the AL wining 4-2, which was the closest and will join me in 2014 at Target Field in Minneapolis for next year’s All-Star game.
Contest #4 – Will the Nats make the playoffs? If yes, how far will they go? If no, why not?
Randy Candea won this contest with his prediction “Nats (88-74) will finish behind Atlanta and not make the playoffs due to sophomore jinx. Unlike last year, they won’ win the close games.” Randy gets two tickets to a Nationals’ game of his choice in 2014. (Now you have to come to DC, Randy.)
Contest #5 – Predict the Sox-Yankee split of the 19 games they play against each other. Who will be the heroes and who will be the duds?
Meg Gage wins the two tickets to Fenway in 2014 for her prediction of a 12-7 split (no one got the actual split, 13-6). See this earlier post on why Meg was chosen over Jere Smith.
Contest #7 – Worst Prediction.
Actually this one was not one of the six original 2013 contests. In a moment of anxiety about how the Sox were doing, I distracted myself by going through everyone’s predictions and decided to add a category of the Worst Prediction for 2013. I found 15 predictions that were pretty wide of the mark and let you folks choose which one was the worst. (See all the 15 in this earlier post.)
Elizabeth Hedlund ‘won’ (got the most votes from you) with her prediction that “Stephen Strasburg wins 30 games, first since Denny McLain in 1986.” And because contestant Tracy Capullo encouraged Elizabeth to join the contests, these two Red Sox fans get to go to a Nats’ game of their choice in 2014.
Elizabeth said:
Wohoo! How many days until next season?!? Go Sox!
Tim Malieckal said:
Minnesota here I come!
Richard said:
EM,
Less than 100 days til pitchers and catchers.
Meg Gage said:
So much time, no more baseball! Where are those pitchers and catchers?
Meg Gage said:
Thanks, Richard!
Chris Boutourline said:
Richard, thank you so much. I knew the Sox would be a lot better but am still surprised how the team, pretty much, won ‘gate to wire’.