Beat the Streak Report: Tuesday, June 29
The kiddy gloves came flying off for our new leader, “kbarr9”, who
took the bull by the horns in his first day atop the Beat the Streak
kingdom by riding Andrew McCutchen (1-for-5) to a 40-game streak.
Despite an uncanny trail of victims who have seen their streaks
vanish within days of agreeing to an interview with yours truly,
“kbarr9” consented to answer a few questions to let the world know
about the man behind the streak.
“kbarr9”, aka Kyle Barr, is a cook at a small restaurant called
the Country Post Inn in Huntington, Indiana. A native of Huntington,
Barr grew up a Cubs fan and his favorite player is Ryne Sandberg except
that it’s really Ichiro Suzuki (huh?).
At this point, I’d like to ask you BTS diehards who have been
playing this game for several aggravating (but enjoyable! Enjoyably
aggravating!) years to clutch a pillow because you will starting hating
yourselves in about five seconds:
This is the first year Barr has ever played Beat the Streak. In
fact, Barr only started playing this game in late April or early May
(he doesn’t remember). And better yet, before his 40-game streak, he
already had a 16-game streak already snap. I mean, what?
Beat the Streak has pretty much been “Candy Land” wrapped in “Chutes in
Ladders” peppered with a dash of “Rummikub” for this guy; he’s been
check-mating Bobby Fisher from birth and we apparently haven’t even
been playing checkers for the last 10 years; we’ve been playing
rock-paper-scissors for beginners.
Imagine what his Salisbury steak must taste like!
Anyway, the good news is that Barr is a frequent reader of the BTS
Report, claims to have frequently taken my advice (hiyoooooo!) and put
in a special request to thank his baseball coach, Josh Schoeff, for
introducing him to Beat the Streak.
Thanks, Josh. Because of you, Free Milk Shake Mondays could soon be eliminated from the MLB.com Fantasy Department budget.
Time for Tuesday’s picks
Oh, hello there …
? Andre Ethier: .545 AVG (18-for-33) lifetime vs. Giants starter Matt Cain
? Joe Mauer: .471 AVG (8-for-17) lifetime vs. Tigers starter Armando Galarraga
? Miguel Cabrera: .421 AVG (8-for-19) lifetime vs. Twins starter Nick Blackburn
? Cristian Guzman: .615 AVG (8-for-13) since ’05 vs. Braves starter Derek Lowe
? Denard Span: .462 AVG (6-for-13) lifetime vs. Tigers starter Armando Galarraga
? Magglio Ordonez: .429 AVG (6-for-15) lifetime vs. Twins starter Nick Blackburn
Feeling kinda spicy?
? A.J. Pierzynski: .414 AVG (12-for-29) lifetime vs. Royals starter Brian Bannister
Pierzynski is batting .243 on the year and his average is
sinking like an anvil in an above-ground pool with just one hit over
his last 13 at-bats.
That’s a no for those of you scoring at home.
You’ll thank me later ...
? Kevin Youkilis: .107 AVG (3-for-28) lifetime vs. Rays starter James Shields
? Nick Markakis: .133 AVG (2-for-15) lifetime vs. Athletics starter Dallas Braden
? Manny Ramirez: .154 AVG (2-for-13) lifetime vs. Giants starter Matt Cain
? Andrew McCutchen: .176 AVG (3-for-17) lifetime vs. Cubs starter Ted Lilly
Leaderboard time!
12 games back from Barr is a four-pack of streakers riding 28-gamers.
Yeah, um, good luck with that!
Top MLB streakers
? Josh Hamilton: 21 games
? Corey Hart: 13 games
? Jose Lopez: 11 games
? Chipper Jones: 11 games
? Jonathan Herrera : 10 games
Beat the Streak Report 
“And better yet, before his 40-game streak, he already had a 16-game streak already snap. I mean, what? ”
So if he had gotten a hit in between those 2 streaks, he would have won?
Watch out for going against Blackburn. All his troubles come @ road games. Just realized home stats for FL hitters will have to be looked as “road” stats. Pinero is the same. He pitches very well @ home. Only viable option from TX is JH and I think he will probably come through.
Man. Not a single viable lefty hitter on Cubs to go against Karsten. Fuku’s June #s are awful. How does this guy justify playing time. Best thing for him is pay him 3 million per year for 1.5 months of service. After that, send him packing.
i’m rooting for kbarr!
I don’t know why but I am having a warm feeling for some Japanese cuisine today. I could be wrong & I may get sick again. Anyone else having taste for Udon noodle with Shrimp Tempura?
by kevmaan: i’m rooting for kbarr!
Me too (mixed blessing)
why would root for kbarr? because you don’t want to win? why kbarr and not dick.george?
Normally I put my pick on the blog. Today I am not as yesterday I posted my “dark horse” pick of the day and got some flack about him, RICKY WEEKS- WHO WENT 3 FOR 4 with an RBI and a WALK against the pathetic Astros staff. Astros somehow won the game. I am thanking Vinny, my NYY fan friend, for my pick today.
BTS – Super Secret 🙂
HR BTS: Rios of ChiSox
Survivor: Cardinals over AZ— AZ wow – had the game won last night and let it slip away. This is what happens to bad teams. As a Cub fan I know all about how this works.
Jerry Manuel must be panting from overjoy now.
Charlie Manuel must feel nauseated!
I went with David Wright again as he is .412 against left-handers and is hitting well lately.
Today is a rare day that I actually finished analysis and pick entry more than 15 minutes before the deadline, so I figured I would post my pick and accompanying reasoning here now for everyone to consider.
I am going with Udon noodle & shrimp tempura. This is the last time. He burns me today, our BTS relationship is over! I know I may be overlooking Hughes’ pitching this year but it just a gut feeling thing. I have a modest streak going now and it could be back to fat zero again tonight. We’ll see.
I had Robinson Cano picked, then I changed to David Wright when I saw that Cano was up against Cliff Lee who he is 4 for 18 against (.222). I’m only at 7 but as much as I love Robinson Cano, David Wright is an excellent hitter too and I’m more comfortable going against Nate Robertson than Cliff Lee any day of the week.
I had Robinson Cano picked, then I changed to David Wright when I saw that Cano was up against Cliff Lee who he is 4 for 18 against (.222). I’m only at 7 but as much as I love Robinson Cano, David Wright is an excellent hitter too and I’m more comfortable going against Nate Robertson than Cliff Lee any day of the week.
I am going with Udon noodle & shrimp tempura. This is the last time. He burns me today, our BTS relationship is over! I know I may be overlooking Hughes’ pitching this year but it just a gut feeling thing. I have a modest streak going now and it could be back to fat zero again tonight. We’ll see.
I had Robinson Cano picked, then I changed to David Wright when I saw that Cano was up against Cliff Lee who he is 4 for 18 against (.222). I’m only at 7 but as much as I love Robinson Cano, David Wright is an excellent hitter too and I’m more comfortable going against Nate Robertson than Cliff Lee any day of the week.
Who is udon tempura?
And how long is your streak?
Kbarr9 – As Professor Bill Murray so eleoquently stated in the movie Caddy Shack as the greenskeeper Carl Spackler: What an incredible Cinderella story! This unknown, comes out of nowhere, to lead the pack, at Augusta. He’s on his final hole. He’s about 455 yards away. He’s going to hit about a two iron, I think. Boy, he got all of that. The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta. The normally reserved Augusta crowd is going wild. For this young Cinderella, who has come out of nowhere. He’s got about 350 yards left. He’s going to hit about a five iron it looks like. Don’t you think? He’s got a beautiful back swing. That’s, oh! He got all of that one! He’s got to be pleased with that. The crowd is just on its feet here. He’s a Cinderella boy. Tears in his eyes, I guess, as he lines up this last shot. He’s got about 195 yards left, and he’s got, looks like he’s got an eight iron. This crowd has gone deadly silent. Cinderella story. Out of nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now about to become the Master’s champion. It looks like a mirac… It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!
Good Luck KBarr9 – You are the man!
What part of Indiana is Huntington in? Some of the Cub fan bloggers my come for a visit. I’m already tasting the meat loaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and peas with hot biscuits and coffee.
Today’s Top Picks of the current Top2500
All games included, 128 different batters picked overall
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Miguel Cabrera, 536, 21.44%
Alex Rios, 450, 18.0
Albert Pujols, 376, 15.04
Josh Hamilton, 111, 4.44
Robinson Cano, 110, 4.40
Ichiro Suzuki, 59, 2.36
Dustin Pedroia, 53, 2.12
Joe Mauer, 51, 2.04
David Wright, 48, 1.92
Derek Jeter, 45, 1.80
Martin Prado, 42, 1.68
No Selection, 36, 1.44
Highest “No Selection”: Page#9 with a streak of 15 now back to zero
Yesterday was painful for many, 30.6% reset
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Pick
blanco21, 21, Pg#1, David Wright
popi21, streak of 10 reset yesterday wtih Joe Mauer
Whacky blog clock! Top2500 posted way above. Scroll up
Oakland pitcher just changed. I will look into this now.
Suddenly Tejeda is looking awfully good. I don’t want to change it and jinx my pick now.
“Kbarr9 – As Professor Bill Murray so eleoquently stated in the movie Caddy Shack as the greenskeeper Carl Spackler: What an incredible Cinderella story! This unknown, comes out of nowhere, to lead the pack, at Augusta. He’s on his final hole. He’s about 455 yards away. He’s going to hit about a two iron, I think. Boy, he got all of that. The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta. The normally reserved Augusta crowd is going wild. For this young Cinderella, who has come out of nowhere. He’s got about 350 yards left. He’s going to hit about a five iron it looks like. Don’t you think? He’s got a beautiful back swing. That’s, oh! He got all of that one! He’s got to be pleased with that. The crowd is just on its feet here. He’s a Cinderella boy. Tears in his eyes, I guess, as he lines up this last shot. He’s got about 195 yards left, and he’s got, looks like he’s got an eight iron. This crowd has gone deadly silent. Cinderella story. Out of nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now about to become the Master’s champion. It looks like a mirac… It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!
Good Luck KBarr9 – You are the man!”
That makes no sense.
Why would you start with an 2-Iron on a par 5?
Or use an 8-Iron with 195 yards left?
What the hell?
Why did the Probables page change?
I have been looking at the same layout for the last NINE YEARS!
I don’t want a new layout!
PLEASE tell me there is a way to keep the old layout!
I would even be willing to pay a monthly subscription fee!
PLEASE MLB.com. CHANGE IT BACK!!!
I agree, the super-hot Tejada is looking great right now. Might be enough for me to pick him over Maggs.
Mazzaro sucks on the road, but Tejada is cooling and I already completed my analysis for the day.
I will hold firm here.
I hope I don’t regret this but I just changed to Tejeda. I am only @8 streak. Ichiro killed the last one for me. BTW, Wright looks really good too!
Same here, sticking with Maggs.
Are you talking about Magglio? Is he in the line-up tonight? I thought you meant Miguel Cab.
Went with Votto. He has a .314 average and is up against Joe Blanton, who’s opponent’s average is over .300. Hope it works out.
wow, someone screwed up on Gameday.
I was just about to post a rant about Reyes homering today, after I had him in HR BTS yesterday, and apparently run(s) meant a fly out there!
YES!
Wright with a 1st-inning single!
Back to 4.
I am back on my way!
All it took was one pitch. Man that was easy………
Wright comes through. Magg is in the line-up.
Whacky blog clock! Top2500 posted way above. Scroll up
you had Wright too, blanco21?
“Whacky blog clock! Top2500 posted way above. Scroll up”
way above? you only posted that 2 minutes after the list and it was directly above that post!
Ichiro: 0 for 1
Tejada: 0 for 1
@champ88. Yea I couldnt pass him up he is smoking hot right now. I had him yesterday too…. Who do we pick tomorrow champ? Short night for us tonite…..lol
@champ88: “way above? you only posted that 2 minutes after the list and it was directly above that post!”
Yep, then again a few minutes later and posted at the end like it should have been. Notice that the Top2500 is posted while people are still talking about who they are going to pick; game wasn’t even locked out, yet there it is out of place.
“@champ88. Yea I couldnt pass him up he is smoking hot right now. I had him yesterday too…. Who do we pick tomorrow champ? Short night for us tonite…..lol”
haha, well I normally have a policy of not looking at games until everything on the current day has gone final…and tonight will be no exception…lol
but I have to get everything done real early tomorrow, so I should have my pick posted by around 6-8 AM tomorrow morning.
you can leave me hints and things to look at though in the interim period.
I will look at them when I wake up from my nap.
Has the probables’ page on MLB.com changed for you too though?
Tejada 1-1. Oops, wrong Tejada, that was the Mets 🙂
Yeah it sucks now…..
I know I am gonna regret my change. I should have stuck with udon noodle. I hope rice&beans don’t screw me!
Man. Ichiro screws me left&rght. The only reason i changed was my vow to stay away from him after he burned me so many times. I would be sitting at 14 or 15 now if not for bad sushi. Now, he screws me again!
Well my new formula used for past 3 games allowed M.Cabrera to be my pick for today; I’d take a reset today without much complaints.
Man. Ichiro is getting old. He used eat up bloop hit that Jeter just got. Now, he is just a good outfielder. He used to get everything out there.
With one swing of the bat, Big Papi moves me on to tomorrow. I may be only at 2, but I’m determined to get to higher than my season high of 11 and my career high of 12. Damn, with all of the streaks I have gotten going, I’d be there by now. Too bad too, I could really help myself and others with $3M.
Man. It looks bad. K plus double play. 20% chance of moving on tomorrow.
Philly is doing even better with Utley and Polanco. The scrubs are bringing home the bacon.
Hughes looks to be falling back to earth. The worst hitting team is tagging him now.
Well my formula holds true, but that also means kbarr continues his streak too
Nah, not falling back to earth, just 9 days of rest is way too much.
back to fat zero for me. darn it. why did oakland change their pitcher. I was sitting pretty.
Here comes 41 for kbarr. This guy has got some luck with his lemming picks.
Here comes 41 for kbarr. This guy has got some luck with his lemming picks.
I guess its either M. Cab or Cano for Kbarr tomorrow. I just hope Slowey does not suck anymore than he already is.
Beautiful. Ryan Rowland-Smith pitching 2 days later. This guy should be out selling kangaroo meat burgers to Crocodile Dundee instead of trying to throw baseball.
I wonder; is it just me, or does everyone enjoy reading a handful of bloggers’ inning-by-inning reports of how their selections have performed? I have trouble sleeping if I don’t know whether several of you have made a brilliant pick or are “back to zero.”
?Professor Pete
The next 6 days all lock very early. UUGH
On the other hand David Wright went 3 for 4 so I’m at 8.
Professor Pete wrote: “I wonder; is it just me, or does everyone enjoy reading a handful of bloggers’ inning-by-inning reports of how their selections have performed? I have trouble sleeping if I don’t know whether several of you have made a brilliant pick or are “back to zero.” ”
Blogging is here is lots of chatter & jibberish. Keep the profanity down and degrading comments down & I can live with it. What did you have in mind: censorship? Who decides content? Or is it just a bad BTS day?
just some info if you didnt know already, i guess Teixeira is at a 10 game hitting streak and Cano is at 7….they wouldn’t be a terrible choice tomorrow seeing as the Mariners are never consistent
For me, i plan on sticking with some Mets or Brewers, they’ve done me well all year!