Ashley Chavez Named Winner of 2012 MLB Fan Cave

Major League Baseball today named Ashley Chavez the winner of the 2012 MLB Fan Cave, earning a prize package that includes among many other gifts a “golden ticket” that grants her a season pass to all 30 MLB ballparks in 2013.  From an initial pool of 22,000 applicants, Chavez, a 25-year-old San Francisco Giants fan from Lathrop, Calif., was chosen as one of nine finalists to begin the season in the MLB Fan Cave with the goal of watching all 2,430 regular season games plus the Postseason while chronicling her experiences through videos, blogs and social media.  Along the way, six were eliminated based on a combination of a fan vote and a panel of MLB judges.  The three remaining “Cave Dwellers” – Chavez, Ricardo Marquez and Kyle Thompson – all earned a trip to the World Series, where Chavez was crowned the ultimate winner for 2012.

The judging throughout the season-long process was based on a variety of factors, including a fan vote on MLBFanCave.com, social media engagement and following, content creation and creativity, on and off-camera personality and work ethic, among many other factors. 

As a child, Chavez owned multiple stuffed animals all named Will Clark, and at age 12 once bypassed a series of All-Stars in order to seek Peter Gammons' autograph. She studied fashion design at City College of San Francisco and left behind her job as operations/formalwear manager at The Men's Wearhouse in Stockton, Calif., to move to New York in the spring to join the MLB Fan Cave.  While part of the MLB Fan Cave, Chavez met more than 200 famous guests who visited, including more than 100 current MLB players as well as musicians, actors, former players and others, while participating in video skits, writing blog posts and sharing her experience with fans through social media. 

"The key word in MLB Fan Cave is 'fan,' and from the day she joined us, Ashley has exemplified all of the best qualities of our most passionate fans -- undying devotion to her favorite team, relentless positivity and an unbreakable spirit," said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball.  "Ashley's personality has earned her a strong and loyal following on social media, and she's been a big part of the huge success of the MLB Fan Cave this year.  She has a very bright future no matter what she sets her mind to."

In addition to the honor of being named the winner of the MLB Fan Cave, Chavez will also receive a significant prize package from Major League Baseball and some of its official sponsors and licensees, including:

• A “golden ticket” granting her a season pass to all 30 MLB ballparks for the 2013 season
• A $10,000 prize
• Her own customized bobblehead trophy with a commemorative plaque
• A World Series gift bag containing the same collection of officially licensed merchandise given to the participating players
• A Playstation 3 or Xbox console with every MLB licensed video game
• $500 in product from Majestic
• $500 in product from ’47 brand
• A fitted New Era Authentic Collection cap for all 30 teams
• A collection of Budweiser gifts including a grill/cooler, mini-fridge, foosball table and trunk cooler
• A $250 gift card from Mastercard
• A $150 gift card from Taco Bell
• One year’s supply of Head & Shoulders shampoo
• A copy of “The World Series: History of the Fall Classic,” a new 4-disc DVD from MLB Productions

Ricardo Marquez and Kyle Thompson, the runners-up, will also receive gifts from MLB and the partners listed above in addition to continuing to enjoy their trip to the World Series. 

Major League Baseball announced last week that the MLB Fan Cave will return for a third season in 2013, following a year of tremendous growth in social media activity, fan engagement and video content, as well as a highly successful concert series featuring top musical acts.  Fans can apply now at MLBFanCave.com to be a “Cave Dweller” in 2013.  With more than 1.2 million combined followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the MLB Fan Cave has built a large community of baseball fans that the Cave Dwellers will have a chance to interact with during the 2013 season.

Some of the biggest stars in baseball, including Jose Bautista, Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, R.A. Dickey, Ryan Howard, Derek Jeter, Adam Jones, Matt Kemp, Andrew McCutchen, David Ortiz, David Price, CC Sabathia, Chase Utley, Justin Upton, Justin Verlander and David Wright have visited the MLB Fan Cave, while celebrity guests have included Kevin James, Kate Upton, Jesse Eisenberg, Nick Offerman, Craig Robinson, Charlie Sheen and Eric Stonestreet. The MLBFanCave.com Concert Series has featured top artists including Nas, Jason Aldean, The Fray, OneRepublic, Far East Movement, The Avett Brothers, Ziggy Marley, Neon Trees, Daughtry and many more.