2015 MillersTime Baseball Contests

28 Saturday Feb 2015

Tags

"20 Best Basebll Books Ever Written", 2015 Millerstime Baseball Contests, baseball, Baseball Contests, MLB

Contest # 1: Pick your favorite MLB team and predict what their regular season record will be in 2015. Tie-Breaker: Will they make the playoffs, and how far will they go if they do?

Prize: Two great seats/tickets to a Nationals’ game in 2016.

** ** ** ** **

Contest # 2: Make a prediction about something that will happen during the 2015 MLB season.

(Your prediction could be about a team (e.g., Yankees again will miss the playoffs), about a player (e.g., A-Rod will have a rebound year and will (re)gain the support of Yankee fans and the continued hatred of everyone else), about a record (e.g., an extra inning game will go 27 innings), about an ‘event’ (Big Papi will hit five home runs in one game), or about whatever you think has a chance of happening in MLB in 2015. Lots of possibilities. One prediction only.

Of the predictions that come true, MillersTime readers will determine which one is the best prediction (and, therefore, who wins the prize). In the past, voters have selected the most specific predictions, ones that showed both baseball knowledge and a willingness to predict something a bit unusual.)

Prize: Your choice of One of These 20 Best Baseball Books Ever Written.

** ** ** ** **

Contest #3:

Part A. In 2014 in MLB (AL and NL), the combined batting averages of the three top hitters equaled 1.003. Will the combined batting averages of the three top hitters in 2015 be above or below 1.000? Name the three leading hitters in BA in 2015.

Part B. In 2014 in MLB (AL and NL), the combined pitching wins of the top three pitchers was 61. Will the combined wins be above or below 61 in 2015? Name the three leading pitchers in wins in 2015.

Prize: One ticket to either one ALCS or one NLCS game in 2016

** ** ** ** **

Contest # 4: Choose two teams whose combined won/loss record will be closest to .500.

Prize: Your choice of one of these books on baseball statistics.

** ** ** ** **

Contest # 5: Predict who will lead the AL and who will lead the NL in getting the most All Star votes in 2015? Tie-Breaker: Which of the two will receive more votes?

Prize: A T-Shirt that says, “MillersTime Baseball Contest Winner”

** ** ** ** **

Contest # 6: Predict the ten (10) teams who will be in the 2015 playoffs. Tie-Breakers: A. Which two teams will make it to the WS? B. Which team will win it all?

Prize: One ticket to a World Series game in 2016.

** ** ** ** **

Additional Details:

1. Enter as many or as few of the contests as you want.

2. Be sure to answer all parts of each contest you do enter, including the Tie-Breakers as some of the contests winners will no doubt depend on Tie-Breakers.

3. If you get a friend (or foe) to participate in these contests, and if he/she wins and has mentioned your name in their submission, you will get a prize also.

4. Get your predictions in soon. In case of ties in any contest, the individual who submitted his/her prediction first will be the winner. (Each year it seems as if at least one contest is decided by which prediction was submitted first.)

5. Submission can be sent in an email to me: Samesty84@gmail.com or can be left in the Comment section of this post.

Deadline for submissions: Sunday, April 5, 2015, 8:05 PM, EST

Chronicling “The Fallen Slugger’s Winding Road Back to Pinstripes”

20 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by Richard in Articles of Interest, Go Sox

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

" J.R. Moehringer, "Open", "The Final Walk Off", "The Tender Bar", A-Rod, Alex Rodriquez, Derek Jeter, ESPN The Magazine, Pulitzer Prize Winning author

mag_arod

PEOPLE HATE HIM. Boy, wow, do they hate him. At first they loved him, and then they were confused by him, and then they were irritated by him, and now they straight-up loathe.

More often than not, the mention of Alex Rodriguez in polite company triggers one of a spectrum of deeply conditioned responses. Pained ugh. Guttural groan. Exaggerated eye roll. Hundreds of baseball players have been caught using steroids, including some of the game’s best-known and most beloved names, but somehow Alex Rodriguez has become the steroid era’s Lord Voldemort. Ryan Braun? Won an MVP, got busted for steroids, twice, called the tester an anti-Semite, lied his testes off, made chumps of his best friends, including Aaron Rodgers, and still doesn’t inspire a scintilla of the ill will that follows Rodriguez around like a nuclear cloud.

from The Education of Alex Rodriquez by J.R. Moehringer

If you don’t know the name or writing of J.R. Moehringer, you’re in for a treat. He won a Pulitzer Prize for feature newspaper writing in 2000 and at least two of his books over the past few years have been among my favorite reads of the year(s): The Tender Bar, a wonderful memoir of Moehringer’s own growing up and Open, the most honest and most informative sports memoir (about Andre Agassi) I’ve ever read. (Agassi’s name is on the cover of the book, but Moehringer wrote it). He also wrote what I think was the best tribute to Derek Jeter in his ESPN article The Final Walk Off.

If you do know of him, then know that he has once again produced an article that goes beyond what all other writers have produced about a current story in the news – A-Rod’s return to baseball after his 162 game suspension.

An Apology to Mr. Rizzo

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Richard in Family and Friends, Go Sox

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

"MillersTime" Contest, Listen to Your Father, Max Scherzer, Mike Rizzo, Nats, Tyler Clippard, Washington Nationals, Yunel Escobar

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According to the Washington Post:

The Washington Nationals radically altered the baseball landscape Sunday night, ending a winter of relative inactivity by agreeing to a seven-year contract with free agent pitcher Max Scherzer, according to a person with direct knowledge of the talks.

I shoulda listened to my father, the chess player.

He tried to teach me to take my time when my opponent made a move that perhaps seemed weak, foolish, or one I didn’t understand. He warned not to jump too quickly in my next move and to beware of what further moves my opponent might have in mind.

For the most part, I’ve followed that advice, at least with reference to MillersTime.

Your Predictions: A One Question Contest

18 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

"MillersTime" Contest, Baseball Contest, Nats, Oakland Athletics, Tyler Clippard, Washington Nationals, Yunel Escobar

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Boston Red Sox v Toronto Blue Jays

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Thanks to the suggestion of a long time baseball fan and a MillersTime reader (and with some adjustments on my part), I’m creating a new Baseball Contest, this one limited to just one question.

Contest: List three impacts you predict the trade of Tyler Clippard for Yunel Escobar will have for the Nats and/or for the Athletics.

Prize: Two seats in Section 117, Row G or H (three or four rows behind the Visitors’ dugout and between home and third base) for a Nats’ game next year.

Details:

Baseball: Business vs Family

16 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by Richard in Family and Friends, Go Sox

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

baseball, Family, Loyalty, Nationals, Red Sox, Tyler Clippard, Values, Winning, Yunel Escobar

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My post yesterday, Nats: Terrible, Terrible Decision, reminded me of what most bothers me about baseball, a game I’ve loved for as long as I can remember (at least six and a half decades).

Nats: Terrible, Terrible Decision

15 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

"Tu ere maricon", "You are a faggot", baseball, MLB, Nats, Tyler Clippard, Washington Nationals, Yunel Escobar

Boston Red Sox v Toronto Blue Jays

“Tue ere maricon” – “You are a faggot” – Just a joke? Some of his best friends are gay!

I read last night as the story was developing about the Nats trading Tyler Clippard for Yunel Escobar.

I understand that baseball is a business.

I understand there are problems with the Nats at second base.

I understand that Ian Desmond has only one year left on his contract and could go elsewhere. I understand Escobar could play second base this year and move to shortstop next year if that’s necessary.

I understand Escobar’s hitting has averaged .276 over his career, (tho only .258 in 2014) and he has averaged 145 games a season over that career.

I understand Escobar “has a team-friendly contract that will pay him $5 million in 2015 and $7 million in 2016…(and) the Nationals hold a $7 million club option for 2017.”

I understand the trade “saves the Nationals somewhere between $3 million and $4 million, depending on Clippard’s arbitration process.

I understand that this is Tyler Clippard’s last year of arbitration before being eligible for free agency and that there are “”young arms behind him” in the Nats’ organization.

However,

2015 Baseball Contests – Help Needed

08 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

2015 MLB Baseball, baseball, MillersTime Baseball Contests

Hus-on-first by: JamieD 9/3/10, Total ProSports.com. (If you’ve never seen, or want to see the Abbott-Costello piece Who’s on 1st: http://bit.ly/1mV1fyH)

Baseball Fans:

Now that it is officially 2015, and we are all freezing, my thoughts naturally turn to the upcoming baseball season and the annual MillersTime Baseball Contests.

And I’m asking for some help.

Final: All Six 2014 MillersTime Baseball Winners

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2014 Baseball Predictions, 2014 MillersTime Baseball Contest Winners, 2014 MillersTime Baseball Contests

Take_Me_OutA

With the closing of the ‘polls’ at 7:23 PM Tuesday night, a winner has been chosen for Contest #1: Make a prediction about the 2014 MLB season.

Vote Now – MillersTime Baseball Poll Closes Tues. , Nov. 4, 7:23 PM

03 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 8 Comments

Contest #1: Make a prediction about the 2014 MLB season:

Below you will find all of the predictions the MillersTime contestants made prior to Opening Day that came true (or, in a couple of cases, almost true.).

The Fans Win

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

2014 World Series, KC Royals, MillersTime Baseball Contests, SF Giants

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It’s ‘every’ boy’s dream to be at bat in the bottom of the 9th with the chance to win the game and the World Series.

Alas, for Royals’ fans, the result last night disappointed.

But what a season it was for the Royals.

And it was a wonderful playoff season for all of MLB, from the wild card games, which resulted in both wild card winners making it to the World Series, thorough the Division Series and including the Championship Series.

As for the World Series, it’s always better when it goes seven games. This time either team could have won. The Giants, thanks primarily to Madison Bumgarner’s outstanding pitching, prevailed, 3-2 (for the third time in five years). But it could have easily been the Royals.

The biggest winner?

The fans.

Another Baseball Contest Winner

09 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

"Managers Are Playing Less Small Ball Than Ever", "The Dead Ball Century", 2014 Baseball Contests, Brian Curtis, Deadspin, Grantland, Ross Benes, Washington Nationals

2014 MillersTime Baseball Contest #3: What will the Washington Nationals’ record be this year? Tie Breakers: Will they make the playoffs, and how far will they go?

Six contestants were close — Ed Scholl, Peter Shimm, Tiffany Lopez, Nick Nyhart, Steve Begleiter, and Nelson Romerez – missing the Nats’ regular season record by one game. Not bad.

However, four contestants got the season record, 96-66, exactly: Dan Fischer, Elizabeth Tilis, Nick Fels, and Bill Trost.

Dan said they’d lose in the NLCS. Elizabeth said they’d lose in the 1st round. Nick said they’d lose in the World Series. Bill said the Nats would lose to the Dodgers.

So, Elizabeth Tilis (that’s a ‘familiar’ name, someone, no doubt, who benefited from good parenting) wins and gets two tickets to a 2015 Nats’ game of her choice.

For the other two contests, we will have to await the conclusion of the World Series.

** ** ** ** ** **

Meanwhile, two more terrific articles to draw to your attention, particularly for those of you whose teams are no longer in the WS chase. MillersTime readers tipped me off to these articles:

The Dead Ball Century: Why Is Baseball Always Dying? – by Brian Curtis, Grantland/The Triangle, Oct. 7, 2014 (Thanx MWK)

Managers Are Playing Less Small Ball Than Ever – by Ross Benes, Deadspin/Regressing, Oct. 6, 2015 (Thanx BT)

Why the Nats’ Season Is Over

08 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

2014 NLDS Playoffs, baseball, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals

Why did they lose three out of four games to the Giants after having the most wins in the National League in 2014?

It wasn’t their pitching. (Nat’s ERA – 1.23, Giants – 1.60)

It wasn’t their fielding. (Each team made one costly miscue -Nats’ Fielding Pct. – .993, Giants – .994)

It wasn’t the managing (Despite what you read or think about Game 2 & 4).

Here’s why:

“Nobody Knows Anything” – Tyler Kepner

05 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

ALDS, Detroit Tigers, KC Royals, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, MLB, NLDS, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburg Pirates, Playoffs, SF Giants, St. Louis Cards, Washington Nationals, Wild Card

Is it me or has this October baseball already given us some of the most wonderful baseball in a long time?

KC vs Oakland – Wild Card game: Royals score in the bottom of the 9th to tie and down by one in the 12th, score two to win. Fans can hardly believe it.

KC vs LAA – First two ALDS games: Royals score one in the 11th and hold on to win the first game away. Then, in the third extra inning game in a row, the Royals score three in the top of the 11th to beat the Angels again, this time 4-1. KC fans believe it it. Angels’ fans stunned. K-C up 2-0.

O’s vs Tigers – Other first two ALDs games: Baltimore scores eight in the 8th, and the power hitting Tigers lose the first one 12-3. Camden goes wild. Then, in the second game, the O’s are down 6-3 in the 8th and score four in that inning to win 7-6. Fans go nuts, again. O’s up 2-0.

Giants vs Pirates – Wild Card game: Giants get a grand slam in the fourth (first ever by a shortstop) and four-hit the Pirates to win surprisingly easily, 8-0.

Dodgers vs Cards – First two NLDS game: Probable 2014 Cy Young & MVP winner Clayton Kershaw gives up eight runs in 6 2/3 innings, and the Cards win it 10-9 in the bottom of the 9th. Second game, Dodgers eke out a 3-2 victory, after some terrific pitching, thanks to a home run by Kemp. Series tied 1-1.

And then Giants vs Nats – Other first two NLDS games. Aging Peavy out pitches the young Strasberg, and the Giants beat the Nats 3-2 in Washington. Then, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, after getting 20 out in a row, Nats’ pitcher Jordan Zimmerman (his previous game a no-hitter) walks a batter and is pulled. The Giants then get two hits off closer Drew Storen (remember him from two years ago not being able to hold a two-run lead in the playoffs?) to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th. Eventually (after nine more innings), the Giants win it with a home run in the 18th inning (longest game, time wise, in playoff history). Giants up 2-0.

Ten games. Seven decided by one run. Four in extra innings. One in the 18th inning. One in the bottom of the 9th. And even the three that were not close we’re surprising victories.

And we’re only part way into the Division Series playoffs.

Maybe it’s just that my beloved Red Sox are not in it, and so I can watch and listen differently.

And another observation: So many good articles about these games, some written within the hour that a game finished.

Check out this morning’s NYTimes‘ Tyler Kepner’s In October: Exceptions Rule, Most of the Time (“Nobody knows anything…”).

Or Washington Post’s Thomas Boswell’s, Washington Nationals Discover How Tough the SF Giants Can Be in October, which begins with “Losing to the San Francisco Giants in October is like being beaten to death with wet noodles.” And it just gets better.

Or how about Boswell’s post this morning, Could Jordan Zimmerman Have Made History in Game 2? We’ll Never Know ?

You’ve probably seen other good ones (pass them on to all of us in the Comment section), but the best ones seem to take what happens and push our thinking further.

Why You Need to Read the MillersTime/GoSox Blog

01 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

"Sluggers' Slump: What's Going on Here", baseball, Batters, GoSox Blog, John Branch, MLB, NYTimes, Pitchers

Why?

Beyond the obvious — you think you can win one of the MillersTime Baseball Contests, you’re going to see me in a few days and don’t want to be embarrassed when I refer to something I wrote, you’re looking for free tickets to a Nats’ game, you’re a member of my family and want to humor me — there is the possibility that once or twice a year I might have something useful to say about baseball.

I was reminded of this last reason this morning (Wed.) when I saw on the front page of the NYTimes the headline, “Many Strikeouts, Fewer Runs/As Pitchers Gain Upper Hand.” Having written a post on this very topic, Sluggers’ Slump: What’s Going on Here? I was curious to see if the author of the Times’ piece, John Branch, had anything new to say (or anything I didn’t say).

Announcing Three 2014 MillersTime Baseball Contests Winners

01 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Richard in Go Sox

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2104 MillersTime Baseball Contests, baseball, Contest Winners, Nats' Playoff Tickets

With the end of the regular 2014 MLB season and the beginning of the playoffs (wasn’t that a terrific game at KC last night?), I can announce three winners of this year’s MillersTime Baseball Contests. The remaining three contest winners, #1, 3, & 6, will not be chosen until the end of the playoffs.