Student Wins $250,000 Game Prize During MLB All-Star Game
A University of Oregon student was awarded a $250,000 check after winning the MLB2K12 Challenge.
While spending hour after hour on a video game may appear to be a superfluous waste of time to some, it wasn't for one college student who was awarded with a quarter of a million dollars on Tuesday. Justin Chavvarria was earned his largest paycheck yet during festivities surrounding Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game in New York City.
Chavvarria entered the "MLB 2K13" Perfect Game Challenge" earlier this year. During qualifying month he, and the four finalists that he was pitted against earlier this week, all pitched a perfect game. But being a former high school picture himself, Chavvarria says he was able to use his former skills from the real life field to take home the final victory.
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"Yeah, it really helped a lot, like when to throw pitches in certain counts," he told CNN in an interview. "It is a video game, so you don't have to be a star athlete or a pitcher in the MLB. It helps to have that knowledge ... to know the art of pitching."
While he is an admitted New York Yankee fan, Chavarria chose the Texas Rangers as his team for the final challenge. The Rangers "had a pretty strong lineup for the past couple of years and I felt comfortable with what they gave me," he explained. "They've got guys who can hit home runs against lefties and righties" and "their pitching is not bad."
But playing out the video game through the challenge was a long process. Chavvarria admitted that at times he was discouraged and felt "stupid" for thinking he could win. He has advised fellow players in the future to stay strong.
"Just don't give up. I had plenty of times where I thought this was stupid and I ... (was) never going to get it," he said. "Just keep playing. I got mine in the last week. You just never know."
