#benanav

Rule III.3

Before the World Series begins, predict the total number of runs scored by both teams.

Rule IV.3

In the event of a tie, use run total predictions (from III.3 above) to decide outcome:

To decide the winner — whoever’s guess is closer.

To decide the loser — whoever’s guess is farther.

If both guesses are equally close, winner and/or loser will be decided by coin toss.

Today, at the end of my sixth class at a reputed Saint Paul elementary school, I decided to give the students my Game Seven pick.

By a vote of fourteen to two, their choice was the Kansas City Royals.

KC 1-0 Guthrie

One for the ages.

Of course this means that Benanav, trailing by five, will need to side with the Giants—and nail the game pick line—in order to force the tiebreaker.

Well, there you have it folks: The Boston Red Sox are World Champions for the third time in a decade, and newcomer Ben Levinger (123 points) is your victor in the Fourth Annual Big League Ballcap Bet. It was a hard fought battle by the other contestants, but with the sole Boston World Series Bracket Pick in hand, Levinger ended up walking away with it.

David Benanav took second with 98 points, and Joe Klueh third with 96. Both were in it until the end—neck and neck—but thanks to a few extra points in Game Five, Benanav edged Klueh for the bragging rights.

Cale Drange pulled in 88 points for fourth, while Todd Pitman and Joe Schweigert—a last second addition to this year's Bet—tied for fifth with 76. (Worth noting is the fact that Todd Pitman is the Ballcap Bet's only four-time non-loser.)

And Matt Robshaw missed a number of picks, but still eked out seventh place due to William Riley's absolutely egregious showing this postseason.

Riley scored only seven points on game picks—averaging one per game he bothered to make picks for.

It was piddling. Pitiful. Pathetic. Pick your synonym: Whatever it was, it was enough of it to earn William Riley his rightful spot as this year's loser in The Great Annual Big League Ballcap Bet Hall of Shame.