Beat the Streak Report: Thursday, August 26
And down goes “warriorclub”.
Yesterday’s leader saw his streak walk Albert Pujols’ bridge to nowhere,
after the St. Louis slugger went 0-for-4 in a loss to the Pirates.
By my count, there are only 39 more streak days left on the calendar,
and if I have my Algebra I skills tidy, that means that all those with
an 18-game streak or better are still chugging along on that $3,000,000
Beat the Streak choo-choo train.
My most favorite train of them all.
Time for Thursday’s picks
Oh, hello there …
? Miguel Cabrera: .625 AVG (5-for-8) lifetime vs. Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero
? Denard Span: .353 AVG (6-for-17) lifetime vs. Rangers starter Cliff Lee
? Ryan Theriot: .400 AVG (4-for-10) lifetime vs. Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo
Feeling kinda spicy?
? Gerardo Parra: .368 AVG (9-for-17) lifetime vs. Padres starter Kevin Correia
You’ll thank me later …
? Delmon Young: .125 AVG (3-for-24) lifetime vs. Rangers starter Cliff Lee
? Jose Reyes: .158 AVG (3-for-19) lifetime vs. Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez
? Ryan Zimmerman: .100 AVG (1-for-10) lifetime vs. Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter
? David Wright: .188 AVG (3-for-16) lifetime vs. Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez
Leaderboard time!
I gave “warriorcub” his/her props yesterday, and look how I get rewarded.
“sunhudson”, you and your 32-game streak have the conch now.
Don’t let me down.
Top MLB streakers
? Omar Infante: 14 games
? Alberto Callaspo: 11 games
? Hideki Matsui: 10 games
? Ichiro Suzuki: 9 games
Beat the Streak Report 
Just a word of caution on Pujols, Zimmermann is said to have a strict five inning limit, so you’re likely looking at 2AB’s max before he has to face the bullpen. Not that the gnats bullpen is such a force…but Pujol’s average against those he’s faced?
.210
Entering & including today: 39 game days remaining. Minimum current streak required to win the prizes outright (assuming season ends Oct 3rd)…
(*) Playing for a tie? add 1 to DL and minus 1 from CS & TS
Abbreviations: DL=Active Streak Deadline, CS=Current Streak Needed, TS=Target
BTS Countdown {resets eliminate you from cash prizes}
Top Prize ($3M): CS:18, TS:57, DL:Aug 8th
*Consolation ($10K): CS:5, TS:44, DL:Aug 21st (pending)
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/bts/y2010/index.jsp?content=prizes
Survivor Countdown {tickets are for 2011 All-Star Game & Homerun Derby}
Top Prize (2 tickets+travel+hotel+$10K): CS:0, TS:37, DL:Aug 28th
*Consolation (2 tickets only): CS:0, TS:30, DL:Sept 4th (pending)
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/survivor/y2010/index.jsp?content=prizes
18 still left in bloggers group with chance at tie or beating Dick/George. Only 2 of those have a chance at $3M. Good luck.
Hey everybody. I’m a little bit upset since I made the dumbest switch in Survivor I don’t know why I made but I did but Tigers had the game won though but blew it. I had the A’s yesterday but changed to the Tigers. Oh well. You live and learn I say and I did.
BTS-Pujols, he may of had an 0 fer yesterday but he hits Zimmerman well and Zimmerman’s first game back so I’m hoping he has a bad game.
HR BTS-Miggy, Toronto is a homer haven for righties so I’m hoping he hits at least one tonight against Romero.
Survivor-Blue Jays, Tigers are 0-4 so far on Artificial Turf this year and I look for that to continue and Scherzer is bad on the road.
Yesterday’s survivor massacre combined to end 75.1% of the survivor streaks.
9 of the top 15 picks lost including the top 3 (Phillies, Cardinals, White Sox) and the split by the Red Sox.
Well, eliminated today, no last AB hit miracles for me, 0-4.
Time to contemplate what might have been, cross out 2010 and write in 2011 on my window-shopping list, and play Survivor more enthusiastically for time being.
Been nice blogging with you all. Will keep posting the countdown but little to nothing else, at least until I get eliminated from Survivor.
Learned some lessons this year, hope to make a better run next year. Ciao.
LaV’s List
Thursday’s Top Picks of the current Top2500, 110 Batters picked overall.
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Miguel Cabrera 454 18.16
Albert Pujols 408 16.32(3RD)
Josh Hamilton 296 11.84(3RD)
Nick Markakis 121 4.84
Placido Polanco 87 3.48(5TH)(0-4)
Adrian Gonzalez 84 3.36
No Selection 77 3.08
Jimmy Rollins 69 2.76(0-4)
Joe Mauer 68 2.72
Jayson Werth 63 2.52(GOOD)(1RST & 5TH)
Paul Konerko 59 2.36
Matt Holliday 48 1.92
Austin Jackson 14 0.56(2ND)
Highest “No Selection”:Pg# 3 with a streak of 19 back to zero.
Yesterday’s Top2500 Reset was a ******** 46.7% with Prince Albert killing the most hopes and dreams. And 2% paused.
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Rank, Pick
forcook, 25, pg 1, 7, M. Cabrera
baseballgirlie13, 21, pg 2, 31 A. Pujols
Yanksgiantsdevils33, 11, pg 32, 776 J. Hamilton
Jagx, 10 , pg 39, 935 R. Braun
nardberg, 10, pg 40, 935, M. Cabrera
peterkevinperkins, 10, pg 44, 935, M. Cabrera
goober85, 9, pg 54, 1239, A. Pujols
dragbunt104, 9, pg 55, 1239, J. Pierre
whbirdman9, 8, pg, 72, 1715, M. Cabrera
wurster7, 11, RESET BY J. Rollins
dalywalker322, 8, RESET BY A. Pujols
champion_88, 8, RESET BY J. Reyes
GL to all
M
aparently i cant say the word wh0pping???
OOliber – Perhaps the censors’ “program” could be blocking you as the word wh0pping could be interpreted as an ethnic slur directed at those who hail from a Eurpoean country shaped like a boot.
The man at the top of the ChiSox line up has found his batting grove recently and I hope that continues tonight for Juan Pierre.
HR – Why not Sir Albert
Survivor – A’s look good v. Tribe and Masterson
@drag that’s a fair assessment but in the same sentence I wrote prince Albert. Correct me of I’m wrong but isn’t that when a guy pierces the tip of their happy zone.?? Whatever.
Bourn chugs me along to 6. GL to my fellow bloggers tonight.
M
Need countdown blogger!!!!! Need countdown blogger!!!!!
I know I said I’d keep posting the countdown until reset in Survivor, but I’ve changed my mind. I don’t come here to get info for Survivor, so really don’t have any reason to return to these blogs until next year.
So if Dave doesn’t continue the countdown and you bloggers want it, copy and paste the previous days’ countdown and edit these few items:
1) Remove extra lines which you get when you copy it
2) Decrement number days remaining
3) Increment CS values in each of the 4 lines, as needed
If the deadline has passed, adding the number of days remaining to the CS value will equal the TS value
If you don’t know how to bold and want to, here’s some html advice:
— bolding is done by surrounding the text to be bolded with b & /b flags enclosed in angled brackets:
Example: some text, but no spaces inside brackets becomes: some text
Good luck to those still in the hunt
Bolding instructions didn’t come thru like I hoped.
Angled brackets are gotten by hitting Shift+comma and Shift+period.
I’m sure most of you know what html flags look like
Beat the Streak: Josh Hamilton
Home run: Albert Pujols
Survivor: Cardinals (I can’t believe I’m risking them again).
Prince Albert goes deep. I was really regretting my change from Chris Young. Some crazy notion in my head told me to go with Young. That he is due for one hit today. Then I safely crawled back to Pujols.
Then when I saw how Zimmermann was pitching, throwing fastballs in in 93s and 94s with good curve balls, I thought I was doomed.
A good call on Prince Albert by baseballgirlie! Thanks and hope that tomorrow will be easier. I will take a little rest and post what I find for tomorrow later tonight.
Hanley Ramirez goes long too!
Juan Pierre lays down a bunt that Ty Cobb would be proud of in the 4th inning for a single, advances to 2nd, steals 3rd and scores on a single. Great “old school push-em-up” baseball. Gotta love a guy who can bunt.
I think i just heard a collective sigh of relief from BTSers across the nation as Don Kelly DOES NOT come up to pinch-hit in the ninth and miggy rips a double. WOW!
Not just any home run for Albert, but #400! Seems like that should count for extra or something. 😛
– Tiffany
http://redbirdfever.mlblogs.com/
Does anyone know any other games similar to beat the streak were you can win prize money
Another____ walk for Hamilton. Another streak down the drain.
Season over.
Of course Joe Mauer gets a 5th/last AB hit. He and Miguel Cabrera get that fortune while Josh Hamilton gets walked twice and only gets 2 real ABs. The only thing worse than this is being pinch hit and going 0 for 1 or making a 1st AB out and then getting hurt or ejected.
I am convinced the pitcher against the hitter stats are the most useless distraction. Only thing its good for is when the batter has a very high avg. against a pitcher, its usually means 50/50 at best warning. I think its because the pitcher will be very careful to that pitcher. This is the biggest trap in BTS which fails everyone year after year. I think its best to go with whoever is hot right now while using stats as a background to keep in mind. For instance, stay away from Reyes during day. Do the opposite with Rios, etc.
You’ll thank me later … (picks ALL come through). Wright blasts a huge long ball.
? Delmon Young: .125 AVG (3-for-24) lifetime vs. Rangers starter Cliff Lee
? Jose Reyes: .158 AVG (3-for-19) lifetime vs. Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez
? Ryan Zimmerman: .100 AVG (1-for-10) lifetime vs. Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter
? David Wright: .188 AVG (3-for-16) lifetime vs. Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez
“I think its because the pitcher will be very careful to that pitcher.”
Oops. I meant against the hitter.
For example, H. Ram today kills despite his penchant for not hitting lefties this season and having goine 0-for-5 against Niese. But if you look at H. Ram swing past couple of games, he was killing.
I think next year I will unemply myself and get the total package baseball on the cable and sit at home with doritos, cheetos, and diet pepsi to watch every game to get th edge. I think its winnable that way.
“Well, eliminated today, no last AB hit miracles for me, 0-4.
Time to contemplate what might have been, cross out 2010 and write in 2011 on my window-shopping list, and play Survivor more enthusiastically for time being.
Been nice blogging with you all. Will keep posting the countdown but little to nothing else, at least until I get eliminated from Survivor.
Learned some lessons this year, hope to make a better run next year. Ciao.”
Aw, please do not tell me you are quitting!
We do not want to lose another person from the blog!!!
“Josh Hamilton gets walked twice and only gets 2 real ABs.”
Why did you pick JH? I crossed him immediately as soon as I saw the southpaw Hamil is only an avg hitter against the lefty pitching. Plus, he has been giving shock treatment to MIN pitching for a couple of days. Him getting nothing to hit was easily forseeable.
btsplayer@yahoo.com
Liriano is on my pitcher to avoid list along with any Lefty-Lefty matchup. Always being killed by walks (the only Ranger with any walks and he had 2) but could not predict 2 strikeouts. JH was hot for the past 5 or 6 games and I felt that would continue and Texas would probably win. Neither happened so my 11 game streak is now history as my 3rd longest streak of the season. I’ve changed my mind and I will still try for the 35 game prize.
In survivor the choking Cardinals lost again making my last 4 St. Louis picks losses to the Cubs, Brewers, Pirates and now even the NATS. St. Louis had grabbed a 10-8 lead in the 9th with 4 runs but blew it in the bottom and lost in 13. I’m never taking the killer Cardinals again I’m sick of short lived 1 game streaks ending to this putrid nonsense.
“I’ve changed my mind and I will still try for the 35 game prize.”
Yes. Do it as practice for next year. I actually have gotten to be a better picker this year but I had better streaks last year. This year is so much harder. Mainly because of much better pitching and damning of Ichiro. Just look @ how many hitters are hitting over .300 this year. Not many.
I feel for your Hamilton pick. I too have made many mental mistakes this year similar to yours. I guess it only seems like a mistake when the hitter doesn’t follow through. Like with Pujols today. If he didn’t get a hit, I would have cried and said I should have not gone against a new guy.
I can’t wait to start again next year! Only several months after the world series.
Well I’m disappointed about being eliminated from $10 Grand contention in Beat the Streak but I have reach double digits 4 times so far this season which is my 2nd year playing. My highest is 17 last year my tops was 9 with an 0 for 3 with 2 walks Jeter pick ending that streak. The 17 game streak ended with Nick Swisher going 0 fer against a new pitcher on the Os in June. I’m still going to try to get all the way to 35 and can still get $10K on survivor if I get to 37 or get to 11 on HR BTS.
Then again if I got 10,11,12 and 17 game streaks in the “year of the pitcher” imagine what would be happening in an ordinary season.
“Another____ walk for Hamilton. Another streak down the drain.
Season over.”
There is still the September contest to go after?
Are we still doing that this year Dave?
“I am convinced the pitcher against the hitter stats are the most useless distraction. Only thing its good for is when the batter has a very high avg. against a pitcher, its usually means 50/50 at best warning. I think its because the pitcher will be very careful to that pitcher. This is the biggest trap in BTS which fails everyone year after year. I think its best to go with whoever is hot right now while using stats as a background to keep in mind. For instance, stay away from Reyes during day. Do the opposite with Rios, etc.”
I agree, although I like to stay away from guys under .200 with 10+ AB’s though if I can.
“I think next year I will unemply myself and get the total package baseball on the cable and sit at home with doritos, cheetos, and diet pepsi to watch every game to get th edge. I think its winnable that way.”
It definitely is.
The problem is that you could never keep that intensity for 57 days straight.
I think that is the only reason why no one has ever won yet.
There is simply too much information to keep track of, although I think I am converging on the formula soon.
For example, my picks rarely are on the top 15 and I have had a lot of 7-10 game hit streaks this year, parsed by a lot of 1-game misses.
And that continued today with Daric Barton bringing me back to 1.
“OOliber – Perhaps the censors’ “program” could be blocking you as the word wh0pping could be interpreted as an ethnic slur directed at those who hail from a Eurpoean country shaped like a boot.”
I have never seen this word blocked elsewhere though and there have been other odd words blocked as well, although I cannot recall any off the top of my head.
“The 17 game streak ended with Nick Swisher going 0 fer against a new pitcher on the Os in June.”
That would probably be Jake Arrieta, as the rest of the rotation was TERRIBLE in June!
“Then again if I got 10,11,12 and 17 game streaks in the “year of the pitcher” imagine what would be happening in an ordinary season.”
But 43 right now is winning the year and only 45 won last season.
So the 2 seasons are fairly similar.
@btsplayer@yahoo.com & champion_88
“I am convinced the pitcher against the hitter stats are the most useless distraction. Only thing its good for is when the batter has a very high avg. against a pitcher, its usually means 50/50 at best warning. I think its because the pitcher will be very careful to that pitcher. This is the biggest trap in BTS which fails everyone year after year. I think its best to go with whoever is hot right now while using stats as a background to keep in mind. For instance, stay away from Reyes during day. Do the opposite with Rios, etc.”
I agree, although I like to stay away from guys under .200 with 10+ AB’s though if I can.
Early in the season during the first 2 of the many times I’ve taken Miguel Cabrera I took him for his past success off Luke Hochevar. Going into the first pick Miggy was 9 for 12 so I felt great about it. Then he went 0 for 3 against Hochevar and my season opening streak would have been snapped right at 3 if not for his home run off reliever Joakim Soria. Five days later with my streak at 8, I fell for the same pick not thinking about it being the same matchup of what I had gone through 5 days before and just saw that Cabrera was then 9 for 15 off Hochevar. Miggy started 0 for 2 and a walk while facing Luke and I was suddenly wondering how does he go 9 for 12 and then get out 5 straight times against him? Thankfully I was rescued once again by the pen. However pitchers changing their approach to certain hitters is something that I among many others fail to think about. During my long streak I was temped to take Todd Helton against Wandy Rodriguez based on being 11 for 22 and I switched to him from Andre Either on a 12:30 lock day. However I decided to change back and switched at 12:29. Either got a hit, Helton did not. Making those miracle switches all the time would be great but of anyone / everyone could do that there would be 100+ streaks. Checking to see how hot a hitter is I feel is #1, then the Opposing pitcher (I don’t pick against pitchers whose opponents hit below .240 against). Day night splits is something I need to start doing if I’m ever going to see the 30+ range.
I am having trouble picking tomorrow. I really like Prado, M. Young, and Braun. Braun has been hot lately and they are playing the pirates. Prado has been good since coming off the DL and he hits righties well and at home. The only downside is that he only has two previous hits off Volstad. Young has started to swing a better bat and he is 5-8 against Anderson. I think I’m leaning towards Young but I won’t know for sure until the morning. Good luck to everyone tomorrow!!
Can anyone explain to me how the September edition of BTS works? Just pick players starting in September.. and their are prizes? Do i need to make my selections in a different location? Or the same place I have been all season? Thanks
@baseballgirlie13: They all seem equally doable. Prado is hitting at home which is a good thing. I will post more later in the after noon before 2pmEST.
Wow. After 2 days of hard picking, I really thought today would be easier but its just as bad. Lots of blacklist pitchers like Latos, Jimenez, Hanson, Enright, Verlander, etc. And there are are at least 3 or 4 more that is iffy-blacklist like Marcum, Price, Lincecum.
I am thinking maybe Cano. His #s against Garcia is not good but he only had one game against him this year. And Garcia is getting hit from both sides for the last 2 months.
Ichiro also looks maybe but the way SEA is playing, he may only get 4 ABs if they end up winning a low scoring game.
I am thinking maybe Prado but most likely there won’t be 9th inning for ATL. So 4 ABs most likely. Maybe there is one more day of juice left in Infante but I think he got lucky on Wed because it turned out to be a high scoring game.
@btsplayer- I think I am going to go with Prado. I was leaning towards Young but I just have a feeling Prado is going to come through for me. He usually doesn’t when I pick him as he has reset me three times this year and only got a hit for me once. But he hits righties at home well and that is what he is facing today. Hopefully a first inning hit and I will be happy I can move on and not worry all night, haha. GL all!!!
“During my long streak I was temped to take Todd Helton against Wandy Rodriguez based on being 11 for 22 and I switched to him from Andre Either on a 12:30 lock day. However I decided to change back and switched at 12:29. Either got a hit, Helton did not. ”
Another thing you have to look at with career numbers is how the batter’s career is declining.
Helton used to be a .360 hitter, but he clearly is not that anymore, even though he is still a useful BTS pick occaisonally.
“Can anyone explain to me how the September edition of BTS works? Just pick players starting in September.. and their are prizes? Do i need to make my selections in a different location? Or the same place I have been all season? Thanks”
You pick in the same place, so there is no strategy about picking different guys on the 2 contests, if you are still in the hunt for the regular BTS.
But has it been confirmed that they are doing September BTS again?
“I am having trouble picking tomorrow. I really like Prado, M. Young, and Braun. Braun has been hot lately and they are playing the pirates.”
I’ve seen Braun go 0 for 4 a couple times recently, so I would stay away.
Anderson has been pitching great lately.
Prado is probably a good pick though.
“I am thinking maybe Prado but most likely there won’t be 9th inning for ATL. So 4 ABs most likely. Maybe there is one more day of juice left in Infante but I think he got lucky on Wed because it turned out to be a high scoring game.”
That is the double-edged sword for those hitters who have great home splits.