Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Mystery Competition Revealed!

Well, you have each claimed to possess a high tolerance for ridiculousness. Time to put your money where your mouth is.

The Mystery Competition will pit the four teams against each other in a single-elimination tournament of SoSG Baseball. The rules are as follows:

  • Each game will consist of one inning.
  • As with regular baseball, the team at bat will have its members take turns at bat. Therefore, unlike regular baseball, the batting order is only four deep.
  • Unlike 'regular' baseball, the team in the field will also have its members take turns pitching. This is to give everybody approximately equal playing time.
  • The result of each at-bat (e.g., a hit or an out) is determined by competing in one of several simple yet inane online games.
  • In the morning (I reserve the right to skip some mornings without notice), I will announce the online game that will determine the outcome of the next at-bat. Whoever is scheduled to pitch or bat will have until midnight PT to take a screenshot of their high score in the indicated game and email it to us. Failure to mail in a score results in forfeiture of your at-bat.
  • Do not reveal to anyone except SoSG what score you attained. Please don't include it in any comments you post. Doing so will also result in forfeiture of your at-bat.
  • Therefore, for each at-bat, SoSG will receive a score from both the pitcher and the batter, and each will be unaware of what the other scored.
  • There are five possible outcomes of each at bat: a single, a double, a home run, an out, or a double play. Which outcome applies will be determined by two factors: 1) whose score is higher, and 2) by the last digit of the scores themselves.
  • If the batter's score is equal or greater than the pitcher's, then:
    • If the last digit of each score is equal, it is a home run
    • If the last digit of each score is within one of each other, it is a double
    • Otherwise, it is a single
  • If the pitcher's score is greater than the batter's, then:
    • If the last digit of each score is equal or within one of each other, it is a double play.
    • Otherwise, it is an out
  • Here are some examples:
    • Pitcher scores 55, batter scores 40 -> out
    • Pitcher scores 50, batter scores 131 -> double
    • Pitcher scores 50, batter scores 52 -> single
    • Pitcher scores 40, batter scores 50 -> home run
    • Pitcher scores 50, batter scores 50 -> home run
    • Pitcher scores 51, batter scores 50 -> double play
    • Pitcher scores 50, batter scores 51 -> double
    • Pitcher scores 65, batter scores 36 -> double play
  • Furthermore, the following baserunning rules will apply:
    • No runners advance in case of an out.
    • A double play will always erase batter and lead runner
    • A single advances a man from 1st to 2nd and scores a man from 2nd or 3rd.
    • A double scores a man from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
  • The result of each at bat will be announced a day or two afterwards, and the game status will be adjusted accordingly.

Other than the above, it's EXACTLY like real baseball. And yes, it probably is possible to cheat, either through doctoring your screenshot, rigging the games, or some other way. And we probably won't catch it. But if you're doing that, then come on, you're cheating at this? Really?

Anyhow, here are the team matchups (thanks to Orel for creating the logos):

(click image to enlarge)

So the semifinals have RISPy Business facing off against Sweeney Sour Pork, and Rancho Ardiendo taking on GSoSG (with RISPy Business and Rancho Ardiendo up to bat first). The winners of each showdown will then meet in the final. The teams' initial batting and pitching orders are as listed in the logos, though they will shift after the first run-through to avoid repeating matchups.

So get ready to rumble. Monday morning the competition will begin with the announcement of what online game the leadoff hitters (and pitchers) will compete in. Any questions please post here.

10 comments:

QuadSevens said...

This is going to be a lot of time wasting fun!

Unknown said...

Just what I needed.... a reason for wasting time playing online games!

Eric Stephen said...

Do we determine our own lineup order, or is the lineup in the order within the logos?

This game will make the "Play Ball" game from the back of 1978 Topps cards look like children's play time at the bike shop with Gordon Jump!

(I do love the name Sweeney Sour Pork, but no fraternization with the enemy, so I hate it.)

Eric Karros said...

Eric S - the lineup is the order within the logos. After each team has batted around (and pitched around), we'll switch it up to avoid having the same matchups.

karina said...

How much time do we have to pitch and bat?. I'm worried because i'm in the US right now and i won't get home 'till Tuesday night. However, since it looks like real baseball i'll do whatever it takes.
Also, who chose the names of the teams?

Eric Karros said...

Karina, would you prefer to bat 4th? You and Quad can switch if you guys want. Let me know...

QuadSevens said...

If we have the whole day to "bat" or "pitch" I'm good in any spot. I'm guessing the game won't be played on weekends, is this right? Any order is fine by me.

Eric Karros said...

Yes, you'll have the whole day to bat or pitch. So consider yourselves switched - new Rancho Ardiendo batting order:

Bryan
Cigarcow
QuadSevens
Karina

karina said...

Thanks Eric! so, we start tomorrow, whatever it takes...

Eric Karros said...

And to answer Quad's question - yes, we will be skipping weekends.