Beat the Streak Report: April 6
By the time the smoke cleared Tuesday night, carnage stretched far and wide across Streakland.
That twisted hulk of hope and dreams out your left window? It’s a four-gamer dismembered by Robinson Cano. The steaming wreckage on your right? It’s barely recognizable now, but that thing was five games before it ran into Ichiro Suzuki.
And of course, there’s the 10.4 percent of you — err, us — who picked Hanley Ramirez …
We know it was painful to watch, but it’s better that you witnessed this. Six of Tuesday’s top eight picks went south, taking more than 30 percent of all Streakers back to square one with them. Only Albert Pujols and Howard Kendrick escaped unscathed.
In times like these, we have no choice but to carry on. No choice but to build our newest streaks longer and stronger than those that have fallen by the wayside. Be strong, Streakers. Grief counselors are standing by in the comments.
Wednesday’s picks
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there …
• Ryan Zimmerman: .619 AVG (13-for-21) since ’06 vs. Marlins starter Chris Volstad
• Manny Ramirez: .500 AVG (16-for-32) since ’06 vs. Angels starter Dan Haren
• Joe Mauer: .455 AVG (10-for-22) since ’06 vs. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia
• Juan Pierre: .385 AVG (10-for-26) since ’06 vs. Royals starter Jeff Francis
• Orlando Hudson: .438 AVG (7-for-16) since ’06 vs. Giants starter Tim Lincecum
• Chris Coghlan: .556 AVG (5-for-9) since ’06 vs. Nationals starter Livan Hernandez
Feeling kinda spicy?
• Jason Kubel: .636 AVG (7-for-11) since ’06 vs. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia
• Melky Cabrera: .571 AVG (8-for-14) since ’06 vs. White Sox starter Mark Buehrle
You’ll thank me later …
• Jayson Werth: .050 AVG (1-for-20) since ’06 vs. Marlins starter Chris Volstad
• Ben Zobrist: .071 AVG (1-for-14) since ’06 vs. Angels starter Dan Haren
• Placido Polanco: .091 AVG (1-for-11) since ’06 vs. Mets starter Mike Pelfrey
• Josh Hamilton: .194 AVG (6-for-31) since ’06 vs. Mariners starter Felix Hernandez
• Jose Reyes: .133 AVG (2-for-13) since ’06 vs. Phillies starter Joe Blanton
Leaderboard time!
Four Games (4/1/2011-4/4/2011)
You never forget your first.
Beat the Streak Report 
Keep it going Yanks.
Im Going with Gordon Beckham today. GL all.
M
I’m having a tough time deciding if I should stay with Mauer since he hits Freddy well, or if I should avoid him since he is only 2-14 on the year. H. Kendrick has been hot and he looks like a good pick but he is facing a pitcher that he’s never seen before. Hellickson pitched well last year also. Decisions, decisions…
Good job Yanks. Glad to see your doing well as well. Mention tomorrow if you keep it going in my blog tomorrow. Also Baseball girlie stay far away from new pitchers. They are tricky. They can either shut the other team down since it is the first time seeing him or they can get rocked. Last year most of the first time pitchers shut the other team down. Miggy is going to kill a lot of people today as he can’t hit in Baltimore.
@Vinny. Hoping your wrong and am betting on it. Cabrera is my pick for next 2 days, adjustable if necessary.
@vinny- good point, and Hellickson pitched really well in his brief MLB season last year. I am staying with Mauer even though he is not hitting well this year. Hoping that he can get it started against a pitcher that he hits well against. GL to you and all bloggers today!
I went with Dustin Pedroia.
Shockingly, today is the FIRST day of the season where my pick falls into the top 15.
I went 5 for 6 when picking outside the Top 15.
So far, my picks are 8 for 26 so far or a .308 batting average.
@vinny1979 I saw that Miguel Cabrera’s O fer came against Jake Arrieta. JA is a young pitcher that made his debut last year against us and I took Nick Swisher based off his numbers against Jeremy Guthrie when I had a 17 game hit streak thinking that we were seeing JG instead. I was looking at the preview on my phone, when I found out that Arrieta was starting instead. I was shocked and was no where near a computer. It was 12:15 on a 12:30 lock day that I saw the preview and I was no where near a computer. I never pick against new/unfamiliar pitchers unless by accident.
I meant to say: It was 12:15 on a 12:30 lock day that I saw the preview and I could not reach a computer in time. I never pick against new/unfamiliar pitchers unless it’s by accident.
I stay far far away from Arrieta ever since the Swisher incident.
Well Kendrick did get a hit, though it wasn’t against Hellicskon. Hopefully Mauer comes through for me or I’ll be disappointed I didn’t switch. All this second guessing haha.
I wouldn’t 2nd guess yourself too much. Kendrick pickers were lucky. You, all of us, are picking against the starter pitcher, not unknown relievers. Anytime your only hit comes off a reliever, count yourself lucky, not good IMO
@Lav-that is true, and he since he didn’t get a hit off the starter I feel like I made a good choice in not picking him.
@Lav, Cabrera is hitting .148 in Camden Yards in the last 3 years. 4 for 27. I had him for tomorrow but switched him based on that.
Craaaappppp! 18 hits, 2 extra inning ABs, and I pick the guy that goes 0-7. Oh well back to the drawing board.
Let’s go Zimmerman, keep our blogger representative up there.
GL to the rest of you tonight as well.
M
@Vinny. I rarely pay attention to ballpark stats. However, lifetime stats: better at home than away, but still 307 away. 1st half season AVG better than 2nd half, 328 April AVG, 305 vs O’s, 320 at night…. 186 lifetime at Camden, but only 48 ABs over his 11/12 year career. I think the other stats far outweight, risk-wise, that one stat.
I’m liking this baseball-reference.com site 🙂
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=cabremi01&year=Career&t=b
And on a another note. I’m not set for Miggy tomorrow. I just realized that Tillman had a great outing last and not sure if I want to risk my piddly streak on him having a worse outing tomorrow.
@00Liber. How’s that saying go…. “Without bad luck, I’d have no luck at all”. I thought about that while watching tail end of the game. When ChiSox took lead at top of 10th I thought you were done. Then a tie and Beckham actually gets to bat 2 more times; unfortunately, for naught.
^^ oops, meant Top of 9th, not 10th
@00liber-sorry to see that. That is truly unfair. Unfortunately that is what makes this game almost impossible. GL tomorrow.
Well it is raining in New York right now and Joe Mauer is not in the line-up. I have a feeling I will stay at one or if the game gets played Mauer will probably pinch hit and get out in his only at bat.
I lost a 17-game hitting streak 1 year with Cristian Guzman going 0 for 7 in a 14-inning game.
The worst thing is that he won the game with a walk-off sacrifice fly in his 8th plate appearance.
Mauer is the most picked today also. Lots of other nervous onlookers then.
I want to thank all of you for your support for my season opening streak. I will admit that I was luke warm I had a total of 7 hits during the first 6 days. I was just lucky for them to all be spread out. In 4 of those 6 days I had to wait until at least their 4th appearance so I was getting some nice luck. I will say I’m glad that I’m getting reset tonight so my better runs can be saved for later in the season.
@Yanks: You’re giving up too early. It is entirely possible that Zimmerman will come up in the 9th. Just hope for no double plays and at least one more baserunner.
Hmmmm, WSH just hit into double play. Possible but a bit more work needed. WSH needs to send 2 extra batters to the plate & Zimmerman bats again. If he gets there, what he does with that AB we’ll see.
@yanks- there is still a small chance he will bat again. And I think he was a good pick today as a lot of others picked him as well. I’m pulling for you to get one more chance. Come on Washington!
A Ian Desmond single and a Jayson Werth walk means Zimmerman is getting one more shot, lets see what he does.
If it’s any consolation, you went down in good company. Many of the bloggers group and I’m sure many other perfect 6-gamers too.
Zimmerman strikes out oh well. I’m sorry for the rest of those who fell for his 13 for 21 trap against Volstad.
I don’t regret this pick Zimmerman took a lot of people down including the top 4 in the bloggers. At least he got a final chance, that would have been terrible to only get up once in the last 5 innings.