Top 50 fans vying to be 2013 MLB Fan Cave "dwellers" revealed
Thousands apply for ultimate baseball opportunity; 30 finalists to attend Spring Training
Major League Baseball today revealed the top 50 fans vying to be "Cave Dwellers" in the 2013 MLB Fan Cave. Beginning today through 5:00 p.m. ET on February 13, fans can view video submissions from all 50 applicants on MLBFanCave.com and vote for their favorites. The 50 men and women include at least one representative from each of the 30 MLB Clubs, and boast a wide range of backgrounds and occupations, including recent college graduates, journalists, bloggers, comedians, musicians, a chef, a piano teacher and a former reality show winner.
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. 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. A unique event space at 4th Street and Broadway in New York City's Greenwich Village mixing baseball with music, popular culture, media, interactive technology and art, the MLB Fan Cave is currently being redesigned to feature new technology and interactive elements.
From the 50 candidates revealed today, who were chosen from thousands of entries, Major League Baseball in two weeks will select 30 finalists based on fan voting, quality of the original submissions, and the ability of the contestants to generate buzz and interest in their campaigns. These 30 finalists will earn a trip to Spring Training in Arizona later in the month, where they will compete in a variety of challenges to determine the final group of Cave Dwellers. These winners will begin the season in the MLB Fan Cave with the goal of watching all 2,430 MLB games while chronicling their experiences online through videos, blogs, and social media. Along the way, they will be eliminated or remain in the MLB Fan Cave based on the quality of their contributions, with one eventual winner crowned before the end of the World Series.
More than 400 celebrity visitors including nearly 200 current MLB players as well as musicians, actors, former players and others have visited the MLB Fan Cave since its launch in 2011, participating in more than 500 online videos for fans to share via social media.
Some of the biggest stars in baseball, including Jose Bautista, Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, R.A. Dickey, Bryce Harper, 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. In addition, the MLBFanCave.com Concert Series has featured top artists including Nas, Jason Aldean, The Fray, OneRepublic, Far East Movement, The Avett Brothers, Ziggy Marley, LMFAO, Neon Trees, Daughtry and many more (footage from these and other concerts available here).
Some of the most popular MLB Fan Cave videos in 2012 included Bronson Arroyo and Aroldis Chapman singing a new version of "Red Hooded Sweatshirt," Miguel Cabrera starring as "Miggy Poco" in his own telenovela, Justin Verlander surprising a special young fan, Ryan Dempster and Derek Holland performing dueling Harry Caray impersonations, and pranks involving David Price and James Shields, Cameron Maybin, and Buck Showalter, Jim Johnson and Darren O'Day.