I’m throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at an A’s game!
I love Twitter contests. Remember back when in order to participate in a contest, you had to write a postcard to a company, find a stamp, then mail it off? Today, all you have to do is hit up your computer or smartphone & send a simple tweet. Free & easy, my kind of contest.
Last December, the Oakland Athletics held their 31 Gifts in 31 Days Twitter contest, in which they tweeted a question (some softball questions along the lines of Who is your favorite A’s player? or Would you rather hit a home run or steal home?) at 11:00am every day, & a chosen Twitter responder would win the day’s prize. Prizes ranged from an autographed baseball, an autographed Moneyball book, to a Ross Dress for Less gift card.
I tweeted on days when I was around my computer/phone at contest time. I played on December 25th, but lost. In checking my Twitter feed, I find a Direct Message notification from @Athletics two days later, saying:
The A’s “31 Gifts” participant on 12/25 could not be accepted. You are the next applicable participant. Please email [the A's]… w/your full name, age, and address to confirm the 12/25 A’s “31 Gifts in 31 Days” gift. Thanks.
Whoa…no way. How cool! I forgot what the contest winnings were for that day, so I check the website:
Jackpot! But could this be true? Still skeptical, I send the email to the A’s. On the same day, I get a response:
Hello Ian,
Thank you for your email.
The originally announced winner of the December 25 “31 Gifts in 31 Days” gift was unable to accept. Your tweet was the next eligible reply. If you would like to accept, you have won four Field Level tickets to an Oakland A’s game in 2012 and the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
We will have to find a mutually agreeable game that works for both the promotional department and your schedule. Could you look at the 2012 A’s schedule and provide me five game dates that might work for you? I can then check with the promotions department if one may work. www.oaklandathletics.com/schedule
Congratulations and thank you for your continued support of the A’s.
Yesterday, I just got confirmation of the date:
Hello Ian,
Thank you for your patience as we secured a first pitch date. Your first pitch game date is Monday, April 9. … [The A's Special Events Coordinator] will be able to provide you additional information when and where to meet on April 9 for the first pitch. Your four Field Level tickets will be in Will Call under your name on April 9.
Thanks for following @Athletics on Twitter.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t score a weekend day game. I’m still extremely grateful! I need to start practicing. The more I think about it, the more nervous I get. Anyone who has seen me pitch/throw will know that my aim is extremely bad.
So if you don’t have plans that Monday evening, I would be eternally grateful if you can come support me! If this is will be your first A’s game, I promise you I will do my darndest to make it the best Monday evening you’ll ever have. For those who have enjoyed a ballgame with me, save me a seat in front so you don’t have to suffer from my loud jeering in your ear.
If you’re on Facebook, I’ve set up an event. If you can come, please RSVP through the page below so we have an idea of how many people can come out. If enough people will come out, we’ll plan to sit in the bleacher section, which has open seating.
Hopefully we’ll see you there! Go baseball & Twitter!
