Couple takes swings at winning big 'Bucks'
William and Jodi Stewart of Montrose, Colo., have been married 16 years, and they will never forget the first time they went to a Rockies game together.
"We have fun every time we come to Coors Field," he said. "The very first game we came to was 13 innings, and we won with a walk-off single. There were not a lot of people left."
"We came with a group of 10," she added, "and we were the only two people left."
The Stewarts probably just had their most fun trip to the ballpark since then, because they are the latest contestants in the hit MLB.com game show "Bucks on the Pond" powered by Ford. Watch Episode 38 and see whether the couple can add to the $21,350 doled out by MLB.com at 25 of the 30 Major League Baseball parks since the series debut last year.
"Bucks" is hosted by Jeremy Brisiel and you might be a part of this season when you least expect it. Fans at the ballpark interact with MLB.com's studio through the magic of technology in conjunction with game action inside, and shows are released each Tuesday and Thursday.
Contestants are asked a trivia question -- general knowledge and baseball -- on each pitch during a half-inning of baseball. Get the question correct and win money. Get the question wrong and it's a strike. Three strikes and you're out.
The questions' difficulty and value increase with the number of outs in the on-field action: $5 easy questions to start, $10 medium-difficulty questions after one out, $20 hard questions after two outs. If the contestant lasts longer than the team's at-bat, they win the bucks in their bank.
Cross the $100 mark during the show, and it's time for "Say the Word" powered by Ford SYNC. You can wager any part of your bank on that next question, which is asked each episode by 2014 Hall of Fame candidate Frank Thomas. Answer correctly and you win, answer incorrectly and you lose that amount ... and it's another strike.
"I was wondering what my husband got us into again," Jodi said when asked about being approached to play concourse trivia. "I typically say 'no' and walk away. I'm glad we played. My advice to other people would be to try it. It gives you something to talk about later."
It is a 265-mile drive from Montrose to Denver. When asked what they would do if they won bucks from MLB.com, Jodi replied: "Come back to Denver for another game."
This was the third Rockies episode of "Bucks" this season, following the Nieusmas in Episode 13 ($220 won) and the trio of Coors Field first-timers in Episode 23 ($230).
In addition to the Rockies, teams visited by the "Bucks" crew include the Angels, Astros, Athletics, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, D-backs, Dodgers, Giants, Indians, Mariners, Marlins, Mets, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Reds, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox and Yankees. Bookmark MLB.com/bucks and be on the lookout for the "Bucks" crew at your ballpark.