Beat the Streak Report: Thursday, May 13
Another sunny day in Streakland, as the day’s Top 6 picks (Ichiro Suzuki, Andre Ethier, Michael Cuddyer, Albert Pujols, Joey Votto and Adrian Beltre ) each got on base by virtue of a hit, extending the streaks of about 42 percent of our streakers just by themselves.
It might have been the greatest day in the history of ever for our main man and Quebec native John Gartshore, as “cruj” reached a 36-game hitting streak (thanks to Ichiro) on the same day that the Montreal Canadiens defeated Sidney Crosby & Co. in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
I’m sorry, am I really talking about hockey? Anyway, with a 36-game streak, Gartshore is now 63.2 percent on his way to buying as many pizzas at McDonald’s that he ever could dream of.
That’s right, they serve pizza at some McDonald’s in Canada.
Time for Thursday’s picks.
Oh, hello there …
? Nick Markakis: .500 AVG (13-for-26) lifetime vs. Mariners starter Felix Hernandez
? Derek Jeter: .400 AVG (6-for-15) lifetime vs. Tigers starter Justin Verlander
? Ichiro Suzuki: .406 AVG (28-for-69) since ’05 vs. Orioles starter Kevin Millwood
? Asdrubal Cabrera: .450 AVG (9-for-20) lifetime vs. Royals starter Zack Greinke
? Miguel Cabrera: .625 AVG (5-for-8) lifetime vs. Yankees starter CC Sabathia
? Brad Hawpe: .444 AVG (4-for-9) lifetime vs. Nationals starter John Lannan
Feeling kinda spicy?
? Gerald Laird: .417 AVG (5-for-12) lifetime vs. Yankees starter CC Sabathia. Zero chance I’d touch this one.
? Fernando Tatis: .667 AVG (8-for-12) lifetime vs. Marlins starter Josh Johnson. Or this one.
You’ll thank me later …
? Hanley Ramirez: .167 AVG (3-for-18) lifetime vs. Mets starter Johan Santana
? Mark Teixeira: .083 AVG (1-for-12) lifetime vs. Tigers starter Justin Verlander
? Matt Holliday: .111 AVG (1-for-9) lifetime vs. Astros starter Bud Norris
Leaderboard time!
“Bosox19” (Matt Holliday) and “kevinw223” (Ichiro) each saw their respective streaks extend to 25 games yesterday and are currently pondering whether to go in together on a “cruj” voodoo doll.
Top MLB streakers
? Elvis Andrus: 12 games
? Miguel Cabrera: 11 games
? Jeff Mathis: 10 games (DL)
? Troy Glaus: 8 games
? J.J. Hardy : 8 games (DL)
? Russell Martin: 8 games
Beat the Streak Report 
I’m going with Ichiro today because I doubt they sit him against Millwood and he’s hit .400 over his last 7 days and .500 at Camden Yards this year so I’m sticking it with Ichi today.
I’m going to try to get to 1 in Survivor with the Cards since their ace is on the mound so hoping they win one against the Stros today.
nardberg picking Ichiro; rest of us best think of another player. The nardberg jinx will take down 30%+ today 😉
vinny – I’m with you on Ichiro. Hopefully I won’t jinx you. Am back to 1 for the first time in five days so hopefully my “slump” is ending. 🙂 good luck!
Anybody ever thought about picking guys you know aren’t going to play on days you’re having trouble finding a solid pick?
Today, for example, doesn’t offer a lot of options. There are very few games and a lot of aces on the mound. Even the “safe” pick — Ichiro — has very poor numbers in day games…
I’ve thought about picking Nick Swisher, who I think will be out at least today with a biceps strain, just to live and fight another day. He could pinch hit though, which could end my streak. Anyone else ever done that — pick someone you hope will not actually play?
Hey leeung! Too funny… I’ve thought of doing that a million times! I’ve never done it though.. your right.. a guy could pinch it and just finish you off.. this is something I would strongly consider once i got to 25 and higher… if you knew 100% a guy wasn’t playing that day… and it was the day of the # 1 starters.
Markakis sounds good to me today
In case anyone’s curious, I just got this from the ESPN Fantasy BB site “Swisher (biceps) is not in Thursday’s lineup, according to Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.”
No word on whether he’s eligible to pinch hit, but if anyone else is thinking of hitting the “pause” botton on their streaks until tomorrow, Swish might be your best bet.
Stuck with Ichiro, he just got an infield single, glad I stuck with my guns….BTW, Anyone who takes Markakis vs. King Felix has got bigger stones than I’ll ever have! Hope it works out for you guys!
leeung. ive done that about 10 times in the few years ive played but today doesnt seem to me like a day to do that. there are plenty of good options today. ive got carlos gonzalez who is 4-4 against lannan and hitting .378 against lefties this year
Sorry, cruj, but I hate when I pick the same player as the leader & forced to hope their streak is extended as well as mine.
Micheal Young and STL for me today to go to 2. BTW Gutierrez is out( back spasms) for Sea if you want to skip.
Who did the leader take??
Yikes, 55% took STL in survivor. 20% Ichi, 17% Puj, 11% Jeter. But i guess when there are so few games to choose from thats what happens.
1)Cruj (36) took Pujols, T2)Bosox19 (25) also Pujols, T2)kevinw223 (25) Ichiro, 4) csmurphy08 (24)Sandoval T5)cannons49 (23) Pujols, T5) jamivdb (23) Mike Bourn
I would like to read some of the bloggers Great Beat the Streak Moments, the sort that lead us to say, “If I win the money, I’ll have to remember this hit.” For instance, sometime last season, in August I believe, I pick Ichiro in a home game against the Orioles (I think). Going into the top of the ninth, he was 0-for-whatever and the Mariners led 3-0. He would bat second in the bottom of the ninth if the Orioles could score three or more runs. Fat chance, huh? They scored five and Ichiro slapped a single into right field. I can’t remember for certain, but I think that streak was ended when I allowed Dragbunt and the Supremes to talk me into Johnny Damon against Roy Halladay (an event which added the following rule to my BTS Bible: Never go against a great pitcher even if he has sucked through the previous handful of starts). Halladay had stunk for weeks, and pitched a one-hitter.
?Professor Pete
i love pujols but i kinda hope he goes hitles tonight. i took the cards in survivor but if they can win without pujols doing anything i would be pretty happy
Lol, I picked Ichiro Suzuki and he just got an infield hit.
I finally got a 5 game hit streak now
Stuck with Ichiro, he just got an infield single, glad I stuck with my guns….BTW, Anyone who takes Markakis vs. King Felix has got bigger stones than I’ll ever have! Hope it works out for you guys!
I picked Cardinals in Survivor today, but I lost my 13 game win streak last night, so it’s really not that exciting.
Professor Pete – Your memory is too good! I stand guilty as charged as the person who “urged” all to take Damon last Sepetember v. Halladay who then one hit the NYY and Damon did not get the one NYY hit! I will never pick against Halladay again.
My Great Moment – Last year Nats sucked but Cristian Guzman was on a major red hot streak early in the year, so I took him. The Nats were down a few runs and Guzman was hitless. The Nats rallied in the 9th to tie the game that went to extra frames and Guzman singled in the 11th inning to get my streat to double digits.
I did not post before the BTS closed today because of my unlucky streak – I have Ichrio today, Cardinals and Guerrero in HR BTS.
Ut oh Cruj Bud norris has faced the minimum through 5, pujols 0-2
I haven’t made it past 1 since I lost my 13 game streak on Saturday w/ Werth. I’m definitely in a BTS slump.
Lol, Pujols just grounded into a force out.
0-3 through 7 innings.
I picked miguel cabrera for the 2nd day in a row. now my streak is 3! wooohooo!!
Pujols will get up 1 more time in the bottom of the 9th.
Wow, Cardinals, Seattle, and the Yankees all lost this afternoon and destroyed everyone’s win streak on Survivor.
The highest current win streak is going to be like 9 – 10 now.
Albert Pujols goes 0 – 4, so Cruj 36 game hit streak ends and the current leader is now going to be kevinw223 at 26.
i had the yankees today..got the phillies for tomorrow and m.cabrera again
Wow…….Pujols went 0-4 today….that’s going to affect alot of streaks…..Glad I picked Ichiro…
Does anyone have a group they’d like to form? Also, how does this contest deal with rainouts….does it count as a “miss” or a continuation?
Good luck everyone!
Frosty
SIX of the top twenty picked Pujols and are now back to Zero. Five more people at 19 lost cuz of him.
I guess in the battle of sashimi v. McD pizza, sashimi won today. As soon as Jeter and Ichiro got hits, I knew Pujols would come up empty. There is no way the odd makers would allow 3 top easy picks with chunks of streakers to go through. If that was the case, I would have won this yrs ago.
good run Cruj thought for sure the leader would go with Ichiro today. Good run anyway 36 is quite a bit
I’m only 52 hits in a row away from $$$ 3 million now.
I’m on a roll……………..LOL
Off topic but what value is Ichiro besides BTS? He rarely ever comes through in clutch situations. I know he hit a rare HR today but he came up short in the 9th. With all the hits that he is getting, couldn’t he just slap one over the infield? I was astonished and had to re-read the MLB article just to be sure when he got his first walk-off of his MLB career. That weekI remember, Melky Cab had like 3 of them. He was getting cream pied left and right.
btsplayer@yahoo.com…
How are you going to blame Ichiro for singling to left field with two outs and two on? How on earth is it his fault that Wieters made a great play at home to tag Ichiro’s teammate out??
Sorry. I thought he just got out. I didn’t realize he singled.
Nice run CRUJ….. was hoping that you or someone else could make the 57 streak and take us all out for a drink….
I am now at 4… took Gonslaves and Rockies today
LOL ALL
forcook@aol.com
Please join our group!
Go to Groups on the menu bar a few words to the right of the “Pick of the Day.” When you get to the next screen put in the name – The Bloggers and you can join our group.
Good luck and post your picks with your thoughts of the day. Some days you will look like a genius and other days (hopefully not too many) you will look like the village idiot!
The idea is to have fun. Cards were doomed today as I picked them as a Cub fan this must have been their kiss of death.
cruj crashes and burns – 2 items to note:
1. He spoke to our Grande Amigo, the blog guy. Cruj is now the 2nd leader to go down in flames shortly after talking to him. Don’t answer the phone or his emails if you want your big streak to survive!
2. Cruj just started reading the blog so he did not know about my “sage” advice: Stay away from M.V.P.
M. is Mauer always looks good then has an 0-fer.
V. is Joey Votto – He had “social anxiety disorder” last year and left a game after batting twice without a hit. And about one month later, he struck out in the 1st inning argued with plate umpire and got tossed from the game.
He took down the leader with a streak of about 35 games that day. His replacement batted 6 more times in that game as it went into extra innings. Votto is “El Gato Negro” aka “The Black Cat”
P. is Pujols (see comment on Mauer) Pitchers do not pitch to him. Taking him is an accident waitng to happen to your streak.
D. is for Damon who has burned me more than once!
Ichirios job is to get on base, steal a base, upset the pitcher and score runs. I wish he partrolled RF for my home town Cubs.
I had Ichiro today, but made a last minute change to Vlad the Impaler. Maybe I have a subconscious desire to experience drama, turmoil, and chaos, instead of an easy, comfortable fourth inning single.
With regard to speaking to Grande Amigo, if you think that there is about a 75% chance of being correct on any given day, there is about a 70% chance of missing at least one of the next four days. So whether you speak to Grande Amigo or not, odds are that your current streak won’t last the week.
And just as your investment advisor tells you that ‘past performance is not indicative of future results’, the fact that you are on a 32-game streak does not change the fact that you’re 70% likely to miss at least one of the next four picks.
Regarding picking a player on the unofficial DL or loading up 10-days with a player about-to-be-placed-on-the-DL strategies… I look at it this way: The $3Mil is first-come-first-served per the rules; I can’t move forward if my player doesn’t bat.
Here’s a different strategy I often employ when I’m far behind the leaders: Pick a player you are pretty sure will not be the sure-fire 2 picks of the day. For example, today I removed Ichiro & Pujols from my list of picks & went with my 3rd choice. Why? I figure the only way I can jump ahead a chunk of players is to stay away from the obvious, hoping they will fail, but hoping my choice succeeds. It’s just a different strategy and like any strategy in a game of chance — subject to debate & failure.
p.s. Pujols is only a “soft” pick for me anyway, I’m a die hard Cubby fan and can’t find it within myself to cheer for him to get a hit; I haven’t picked him yet this year.
And wow, did Survivor take a beating today. With a streak of only 4, I will find myself on Page 4 after last game is played tonight. I can’t remember the last time I was so high in the current standings 🙂
If Miguel Cabrera landed on the sun he would raise the temperature there. He could go 4 -5 vs. Roger Clemens in his prime.
with the triple by carlos gonzalez my streak goes to 9
taking magglio ordones tomorrow hes 3-5 against buchholz and buchholz has struggled in his 2 outings in may and i wouldnt be surprised to see him struggle again against this tigers offense
Tomorrow I have Ethier. Don’t know if I’m sticking with him but as soon as I look at his numbers recently I will see if I will.