Gentlemen and Rod, I give you the first GIG-2019 prediction questions! Yes, even before the games get started, we can have some fun. Rod plans to start running games on Monday, April 2, so we'll give you until Sunday at 9 PM PST to do your best to answer the following questions correctly.
And Rod has made it very easy for us with how the games are scheduled this season. Every team will play 13 straight games and have the same day off (every other Sunday) all season long. And we will have an All-Star break near the middle.
This time only, I'm going to post my personal answers right away, so the newbies can see examples of how this all works.
You ready? Here we go!
GIG1-20191) This might be the most complicated question I've even come up with, but let's see how it goes... Among all players with 500+ at-bats, 4 players had more walks than strikeouts. In MSB, with the pitching competition being stronger, name any of the 4 players you believe will keep it up and have less K’s than BB’s after the first 13 games have been run through April 14. Yes, you can name as many players as you wish, and will get 2 points for every correct answer, BUT you will get -1 point for every player you name that doesn’t qualify. You may also take the "easy" way out and say “none of the above,” which if correct, is worth 1 point, and if incorrect, you just get zero. Here are the names, with their total number of real-life K’s followed by their total number of real life walks:
- Alex Bregman, Blues (85 K’s / 96 BB’s)
Carlos Santana, Koi (93/110)
Joey Votto, Cache Hogs (101/108)
Jose Ramirez, Kraken (80, 106)
“none of the above”
2) The Cache Hogs’ Mike Trout is a sure-fire candidate for MSB’s 2019 MVP Award. With all his amazing stats, he only finished 1st in real life in OBP in 2018 (.460). For 1 point, Yes or No: Trout will be leading MSB in OBP after the games have been run through April 14.
3) The 5 GMs in the Vin Scully Division ALL believe they’ve improved their squads over the off-season, and the top 4 (Brendt is being very humble about his 2nd-year Bums right now) have been engaging in some good-lovin’ smack talk via group-email a couple times this off-season. For 1 point: Which team will be sitting atop the pack come April 14 (ties will count)?
4) Predict the number of wins YOUR team will have once the games have been run through April 14 (remember, every team will have played 13 games). I encourage you to check the database for your schedule. If you are correct on the nose, you get 2 points. If you’re off by one (either direction), you get 1 point. If you’re off by 2-4 wins, you get nuthin’. If you’re off by 5 or more, you lose 1 point. And please do me a favor: include your team name in your answer. Example: “Blues, 13.” :)
5) Winning streaks are certainly “a thing” in MSB to watch for. During the first week or two of the season there’s usually one or two teams that start off with impressive unbeaten streaks. For 1 point (ties will count), what will the best undefeated record be out of the gate (example: 8-0)? Bonus point (no risk of negative points if you’re wrong): Which team will it be (one point, regardless of whether or not you’re correct about the win total)?
1) Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez
2) NO
3) Blues
4) Blues, 8
5) 6-0, Landlubbers
1 - Joey Votto & Alex Bregman
2 - NO
3 - Blues
4 - Kraken, 9
5 - Landlubbers, 4-0
1) Joey Votto and Jose Ramirez
2) No
3) Miners (I have to)
4) Miners, 8
5) 6-0, ACLs
1) Votto and Jose Ramirez
2)NO
3) Dogs
4) Sweets, 6
5) Landlubbers, 5
1. Jose Ramirez
2. No
3. Koi
4. Bums, 13!!!! (Just kidding . . . let's say 5)
5. Argonauts, 6
1. None of the above
2. No
3. Koi
4. Cutthroats | 7
5. Argonauts | 6
1. Bregman, Ramirez
2. No
3. Koi
4. Rougarou 6
5. Landlubbers 3-0
Robots predict:
Q1
1. Jose Ramirez
2. Alex Bregman
3. Joey Votto
Q2 - NO
Q3 - Miners
Q4 - Robots (4)
Q5 - 4-0, Landlubbers
bob h - Robots
Bob, Andrew Benintendi had a K/BB ratio of 112/70. He's not one of the 4 I mentioned that qualified in real life.
OK, strike Benintendi, and replace with Bregman, and for Q5 I meant 4-0 to the Landlubbers.
bob h
1. Bregman
2. Yes
3. Blues (Divisions look to be wack in the database)
4. Rum Runners 6
5. Blues 5-0
1. Ramirez
2. No, that will be Mookie leading :)
3. Blues
4. ACLs with 8 wins
5. Blues with a 5-0 start.
1. Jose Ramirez
2. NO
3. Dogs
4. LandLubbers, 7
5. Kraken 4-0
1. Votto
2. No
3. Blues
4. Koi, 8
5. AnnArbor 5-0
1. Bregman, Santana
2. No
3. Blues
4. Madmen 4
5. Landlubbers 5-0
1. Jose Ramirez
2. No
3. Miners
4. Argonauts, 9
5. Argonauts, 6-0
"Gentlemen and Rod"
Oh, this is going to be another fun year Kyle.
My picks:
1) Bregman, Votto
2) Tough to take Trout over the field, but we'll go against the consensus and say Yes
3) Dogs (duh)
4) 8 (I want to say 9, but that might be too optomistic)
5) Fantastic question. I'll say the Landlubbers start 6-0
Since we're still missing 3 MP's, we're extending the deadline until Rod finally gets those and then runs the first two games. So let's see if we can get 100% participation! Check the League Office Press Clippings Forum, and if Rod's Highlight of the Night isn't up yet, that means he likely hasn't run the games, and your answers would still qualify.
1) Santana/Votto
2) No
3) Blues
4) Cache Hogs 7 wins
5) 6-0
1) Jose Ramirez
2) No
3) Blues
4) Brewers, 5
5) Argonauts, 7-0
Rainiers predict:
1-Ramirez,Votto
2-NO
3-Dogs
4-Rainiers 7
%-5-0 Hogs
GIG closed, I'm running games now...
We have one answer already: There are no undefeated teams after 5 games played. Hogs started out 4-0. Congrats to the Kraken, Landlubbers, and Robots for guessing 4-0 (1 point each), but nobody guessed the Hogs.
The Rainiers picked the Hogs.
Thanks, Matt - missed that. Sorry Don! Well done.
Man, I thought my guess of 7 wins was taking into account how awful my team starts every year (including playoffs) but I guess not. Degrom and Kluber with losing records. I didn't even get as many wins as people were guessing I would have in a row. New year, same team.
You are gonna be just fine, Craig. Long season, and you've got the goods.
Congrats to Franny (Brent) - the early leader with 4 points!
Interesting note: The Blues' Alex Bregman was the only correct answer for question 1. Here are the results:
Bregman: 8 W, 4 K
Santana: 5 W, 11 K
Votto: 7 W, 9 K
Ramirez: 2 W, 14 K
It'll be interesting to see if the numbers even out for each player over time.
Correct answers:
1) Alex Bregman
2) No
3) Dogs
4) (check the database for your team)
5) 4-0, Hogs