Icthyomancy Round 1: Let the Games Begin!

Welcome to the first Icthyomancy update post of 2018! I’ll be your host this season, and I couldn’t be more excited. We’re here to find out who deserves the claim of most informed, attentive, clairvoyant, and/or lucky Marlins fan in all of the wild expanse known as the World Wide Web. Additionally, I’m still playing around with the set-up of these posts, so if you have any opinions on it then please drop a comment below or reach out to me on Twitter.

There are three points that I want to clear up before we get down to the nitty-gritty:

First, we have yet to nail down the prize for our esteemed 2018 Icthy Champion. I am both a middle school teacher and a sports blogger, so when I say you’ll be handsomely rewarded I mean you should expect a signed picture of yours truly. Again, speak up in the comment section/Twitter, and I’ll try to make the most creative and realistic ideas happen. For what it’s worth, the Internet did in fact devise the best rivalry trophy in college football. I think we can do something equally special here.

Second, these standings posts will almost always be coming to you on Saturdays. I just wanted to let a little time develop between the start of the season and our first post. If I am late then please, please follow this link and let out all of your disgruntled fan rage like the proper Marlins fan you are!

Third, we need more people playing! If you can get someone to sign up as a Fish Stripes member and participate in Icthyomancy, then tell them to drop your username in their prediction as a reference of sorts. I’ll give the new player and their reference one point a piece for growing the game! Competition encourages improvement! Also, I don’t want to create charts and spreadsheets all season long for something like five or six player.

Here’s the rules again for any #NewFriends that want to play along:

Attendance

Attendance is a big deal in Marlins baseball, like it or not. In each game, we will guess the attendance of the game, home or away, and the closest guess will be worth 2 points.

Individual Games

You can make your best prediction for game scores. A pass costs you nothing. Post your prediction of the score, and if it’s a direct hit (with the correct teams), that’s three points. If you pick the correct winner and by the actual number of runs, that’ll be two points. Predict which team wins, and that’s a single point.

Individual Predictions

These are our prop bets. You’re allowed to make up to two “outside the box” predictions for each contest. Points will be awarded based on the probability of something happening at my discretion. If you’ve predicted something unfathomably rare (a no-hitter, pitcher hits two home runs, Justin Bour steals seven bases) and it comes true, that’s going to be a lot of points. Everyday things will be worth less. What the heck? The game is free - swing for the fences

Current Overall Standings:

Game 1:

March 29th, 2018

Chicago Cubs 8, Miami Marlins 4 Attendance: 32,151

Points awarded: Marlon D got the two points for the closest guess on the reported attendance!

Game 2:

March 30th, 2018

Marlins 2, Cubs 1 Attendance: 12,034

Points Awarded: gustavopim received one point for the winner pick and three points for the prop bet that Caleb Smith would go at least 4 IP. Marlon D got one point for both picking the winner and his prop bet. Paolo2387 won our attendance count of the day (2 points) and selected the Marlins to win.

Game 3:

March 31st, 2018

Cubs 10, Marlins 6 Attendance: 13,422

Points Awarded: 2qbn just ran away with this one! He nailed the attendance pick, the winner, and two prop bets. The first being that Odrisamer Despaigne would go 5 IP, for which I awarded two points. However, the Derek Dietrich home run pick racked up four points, specifically because it was the first home run of the year for the Marlins. Paolo2387 received one point for the double play prop bet.

Game 4:

April 1st, 2018

Marlins 6, Cubs 0 Attendance: 10,428

Points Awarded: Paolo2387 received two points for attendance. Both he and gustavopim were gifted 1 point for picking the Fish to win.

Game 5:

April 2nd, 2018

Boston Red Sox 7, Marlins 3 Attendance: 11,113

Points Awarded: Pretty slow day! 2qbn grabbed the two points for attendance.

Game 6:

April 3rd, 2018

Red Sox 4, Marlins 2 Attendance: 14,953

Points Awarded: Marlon D got the two for attendance and three for calling Jose Urena’s Quality Start. 2qbn nabbed the 2 points for picking the winner and the point differential. Paolo2387 was given one point for identifying the Urena QS, but wasn’t awarded as much because of the specific stats listed after the QS prop. gustavopim was given one point for picking the Sox to win.