Wouldn't it be a great idea for Batter's Box to run a contest where readers predict the final 2003 order of finish for MLB teams? Actually, it would be redundant; there are many opportunities on the Internet to test the accuracy of your statistical model or ouija board, and here are two I'm planning to enter.
Aaron's Baseball Blog has the more complicated rules and the smaller prize, so I can't resist. Just kidding; Aaron Gleeman is on my must-read list, and his great blog was instrumental in pointing me to the other contest, run by Lee Sinins. Bragging rights, and a book from A.G.'s personal library, would mean a great deal to me. My copy of Ball Four is getting dog-eared...
Sinins' grand prize is a free copy of the next edition of his sabermetric baseball encyclopedia, with the runnerup prize a free entry in the Legends of Baseball League, and monthly prizes provided by Baseball Prospectus. Here are his rules:
ATM REPORTS 3RD ANNUAL PREDICTIONS CONTEST
1) You must predict an order for each division, from first place to last. Entries that only predict division winners will be discarded.
2) You will start with 5 points per teams. If you correctly predict that team's place in the standings, you will receive 3 bonus points for a total of 8. If you incorrectly predict that team's spot, you will lose 1 point per difference in their place in the standings.
3) Ties will be broken in the following manner--(1) By the date of the entry (but not the time of day), (2) by the number of correctly predicted division winners, (3) total number of correctly predicted teams. If there is still a tie for a monthly prize, the winner will be chosen by a random number generator. If there is a still a tie for an end of the season prize, multiple copies of the sabermetric baseball encyclopedia will be awarded.
(...other sponsor acknowledgements and prize list...)
7) The final set of predictions is due by Monday, March 31, 2003. A contestant may enter earlier and then make any changes prior to the deadline. Only the most recent set of picks will be considered as the entry. In case of any changes to the entry, the date of the amending shall be used as the date of the entry, for purposes of the tie breaker.
8) Entry into the contest shall be limited to members of the around the majors list and the Baseball Immortals Discussion List. If a contestant drops his membership from the list, then will be considered to be a withdrawal from the contest.
The ATM reports list features news, commentary, stats and rumors. To subscribe, send a blank message to subscribe@baseballimmortals.net
9) The entries should be emailed to contest@baseball-encyclopedia.com.
10) Please please the entries in either of the following formats--
NAME OF DIVISION--1st place team, 2nd place team ...
or
NAME OF DIVISION
1st place team
2nd place team...
Please do not line things up in columns, with all of the 1st place teams in one row, the 2nd place in the next ... Experience has proven that such entries tend too often to turn into a mess when they appear in my inbox.
As highlighted in #8 above, you do have to subscribe (it's free) but I enthusiastically endorse Lee's ATM reports -- a daily, concise summary of MLB news, with almost no transaction overlooked. Sinins includes stats you can't get anywhere else -- he "invented" RCAA (Runs Created Above Average) for hitters and RSAA (Runs Saved Above Average) for pitchers -- and it is fact-filled, but with unexpected treats, like this tidbit the other day:
Brewers 1B Richie Sexson had to miss an intrasquad game last week, after suffering a strained neck. The cap he was given to wear for photo day was too small, so to stretch it out, Sexson pulled so hard on the bill that he hurt his neck.
So instead of creating the first annual BB predictions contest, I suggest you add ATM to your Inbox every day, and try your luck/skill in one, or both, of these other challenging tests. Besides, we already have the Andujar awards.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20030304081818999