Okay, it's time for the annual edition of Batter's Box's The Contest, whereby you predict various things about the forthcoming 2009 season -- standings, awards, achievements, etc. Your answers -- well, the correct ones anyway -- earn you points on a carefully-considered, awesomely well-thought-out (translation: randomly-assigned) basis.
The Bauxite who compiles the highest number of points will be awarded the title of Unbelieveably Awesome Basebally Predictor-Head of the Internets and win a standard Batter's Box No-Prize, which in the past has included a cuttlefish, multiple cuttlefish and once, if I recall correctly, an entire school of cuttlefish. Note: your deadline for entering The Contest is Monday, April 13 at 5 p.m. -- but enter early, for each day you wait to post your predictions past Wednesday, April 8, 10 points will be deducted from your score. Unless you have a really excellent excuse that we buy, fictional or otherwise. (See, it really is random!)
Anyway, on with The Contest '09 ... your 38 predictions-to-be-made, worth up to 700 points in total, are as follows ...
(10 points) AL West winner:
(10 points) AL Central winner:
(10 points) AL East winner:
(15 points) AL Wild Card winner:
(10 points) NL West winner:
(10 points) NL Central winner:
(10 points) NL East winner:
(15 points) NL Wild Card winner:
(20 points) AL Champion:
(20 points) NL Champion:
(50 points) World Series Champion:
(20 points) AL MVP:
(20 points) NL MVP:
(20 points) AL Cy Young:
(20 points) NL Cy Young:
(25 points) AL Rookie of the Year:
(25 points) NL Rookie of the Year:
(15 points) AL Manager of the Year:
(15 points) NL Manager of the Year:
(25 points) AL Comeback Player of the Year:
(25 points) NL Comeback Player of the Year:
Major League Leader in ...
(20 points) Batting Average:
(20 points) Home Runs:
(20 points) RBI:
(20 points) SB:
(30 points) Wins:
(35 points) Saves:
(25 points) Strikeouts Pitched:
Educated guesses:
(note: answers of "Nobody will" are perfectly acceptable)
In 2009, the following MLB individual (one name per answer) will:
(40 points) Throw a no-hitter:
(25 points) Hit for the cycle:
(20 points) Be the FIRST manager ejected from a ball game:
(25 points) Be the FIRST manager fired:
(20 points) Throw the FIRST complete-game shutout:
(30 points) Steal four or more bases in a single game:
(30 points) Be the FIRST player to hit three or more homers in a single game:
(10 points) Hit the FIRST game-winning walk-off home run:
Tie-breakers (closest without going over wins):
(5 points) How many regular-season games will the Jays win in 2009?
(10 points) How many regular-season runs will the Jays score in 2009?
The Bauxite who compiles the highest number of points will be awarded the title of Unbelieveably Awesome Basebally Predictor-Head of the Internets and win a standard Batter's Box No-Prize, which in the past has included a cuttlefish, multiple cuttlefish and once, if I recall correctly, an entire school of cuttlefish. Note: your deadline for entering The Contest is Monday, April 13 at 5 p.m. -- but enter early, for each day you wait to post your predictions past Wednesday, April 8, 10 points will be deducted from your score. Unless you have a really excellent excuse that we buy, fictional or otherwise. (See, it really is random!)
Anyway, on with The Contest '09 ... your 38 predictions-to-be-made, worth up to 700 points in total, are as follows ...
(10 points) AL West winner:
(10 points) AL Central winner:
(10 points) AL East winner:
(15 points) AL Wild Card winner:
(10 points) NL West winner:
(10 points) NL Central winner:
(10 points) NL East winner:
(15 points) NL Wild Card winner:
(20 points) AL Champion:
(20 points) NL Champion:
(50 points) World Series Champion:
(20 points) AL MVP:
(20 points) NL MVP:
(20 points) AL Cy Young:
(20 points) NL Cy Young:
(25 points) AL Rookie of the Year:
(25 points) NL Rookie of the Year:
(15 points) AL Manager of the Year:
(15 points) NL Manager of the Year:
(25 points) AL Comeback Player of the Year:
(25 points) NL Comeback Player of the Year:
Major League Leader in ...
(20 points) Batting Average:
(20 points) Home Runs:
(20 points) RBI:
(20 points) SB:
(30 points) Wins:
(35 points) Saves:
(25 points) Strikeouts Pitched:
Educated guesses:
(note: answers of "Nobody will" are perfectly acceptable)
In 2009, the following MLB individual (one name per answer) will:
(40 points) Throw a no-hitter:
(25 points) Hit for the cycle:
(20 points) Be the FIRST manager ejected from a ball game:
(25 points) Be the FIRST manager fired:
(20 points) Throw the FIRST complete-game shutout:
(30 points) Steal four or more bases in a single game:
(30 points) Be the FIRST player to hit three or more homers in a single game:
(10 points) Hit the FIRST game-winning walk-off home run:
Tie-breakers (closest without going over wins):
(5 points) How many regular-season games will the Jays win in 2009?
(10 points) How many regular-season runs will the Jays score in 2009?
