Beat the Streak Report: April 7
BTS headquarters received quite a strange and humorous phone call yesterday afternoon.
It’s unclear how the caller — who refused to give a name — located our unlisted number. But he did, and then demanded to speak with the person in charge of “that streaking game.”
The Vice President of Nude and Scantily Clad Programming was out of office for the day, so we assumed that meant us.
“So, uhh, I had a streak of like two, and then I didn’t make a pick yesterday, and now my streak is at zero,” he said.
“Yes, and …”
“So, uhh, I think the game is broken.”
To avoid future conversations like the 10 awkward minutes that followed, we’re going to make this as clear as possible:
To keep your streak alive, you must make a BTS pick every single day.
If you do not, your streak will return to zero. And you will be a zero.
We assume that 99 percent of you fully grasped this aspect of the game. For those who didn’t, no need to keep Googling “bts support number so lonely”. Also, Jumpstart Picks! Magic!
Thursday’s picks
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there …
• Dexter Fowler: .571 AVG (8-for-14) since ’06 vs. Pirates starter Paul Maholm
• Troy Tulowitzki: .500 AVG (8-for-16) since ’06 vs. Pirates starter Paul Maholm
• Marco Scutaro: .440 AVG (11-for-25) since ’06 vs. Indians starter Fausto Carmona
• Hanley Ramirez: .467 AVG (7-for-15) since ’06 vs. Nationals starter John Lannan
• Joe Mauer: .412 AVG (7-for-17) since ’06 vs. Yankees starter A.J. Burnett
Feeling kinda spicy?
• Edgar Renteria: .481 AVG (13-for-27) since ’06 vs. Astros starter Brett Myers
• Jack Hannahan: .500 AVG (6-for-12) since ’06 vs. Red Sox starter Jon Lester
On the Milk-to-Habanero scale of spiciness, picking Jack Hannahan against Jon Lester rates a very respectable Tabasco Sauce.
You’ll thank me later …
• David Wright: .133 AVG (2-for-15) since ’06 vs. Phillies starter Roy Halladay
• Brandon Phillips: .158 AVG (3-for-19) since ’06 vs. Astros starter Brett Myers
• Manny Ramirez: .143 AVG (2-for-14) since ’06 vs. White Sox starter Edwin Jackson
• Mark Teixeira: .188 AVG (3-for-16) since ’06 vs. Twins starter Francisco Liriano
Leaderboard time!
Seven games — good for you! If you can keep the mojo going for three more days, you’ll be only 47 days from $5.6 million cash money.
Top MLB streakers
Howard Kendrick: 6 games
Buster Posey: 6 games
Jose Tabata: 6 games
(Make a BTS pick)
Beat the Streak Report 
Only 1 week into the game and a 2-game separation between 1st & last pages of the Top2500 standings. Over 2500 perfect streakers existed Monday (only 2500 available on standings pages) and today 591 remain perfect. These past 2 days are showing everyone, picking the player with the highest AVG vs. a pitcher is not always the best strategy. Hint, hint
Dave, sorry about that phone call. I thought I was calling regarding my other streak contest: the one where we try to pick which city will next have a public streaking incident… “And I hollered over t’ Ethel, I said, “Don’t
look, Ethel!” But it’s too late, she’d already been incensed.” 🙂
Wow. That’s crazy only 591 left perfect so far. A lot more will be gone today with the no selections like always.
Thanks for the number crunching LaVolpe. Any idea how the attrition rate compares with last year?
I think there should be a new game: pick the starting position player who will go hitless. It’s harder than it sounds but I’m pretty good at it. 😉
@dave55-I think that would be an interesting game. Trying to pick someone who doesn’t get a hit probably would be harder then it seems. I know at first it seems easy because I always seem to pick someone who doesn’t get a hit but if I had to do it I’m not sure I could string a long streak together. Anyway, I know Tulo isn’t the best in April but I am going with him as he hits Maholm really well. GL everyone!
@Dave55. Regarding comparison to last year, I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t start keeping stats until May. Last year, I was exactly where yanksgiantsdevils33 is today: 6 gamer then reset. I was caught up in the glory of being perfect only to be knocked down like everyone else eventually has been, in previous years.
Out of 590 players with streaks of seven (including me), I count nine with No Selection today. I picked Ryan Braun in hopes of an eight streak.
@gpearson17. Good pick. Braun just homered.
3rd-most-selected Scutaro pickers are either gamblers or very committed. The way BOS has been hitting lately and Scutaro being last in the order, he may not even see 4 ABs, but it only takes one.
@Lav, Scutaro just got a base hit. Infield single that he barely beat out.
I’ve got Robinson Cano to start back up. He went O fer in his last game so I hope he has a hit in him today.
Got my eight streak. 🙂
@gpearson-congrats on getting to 8, that is an impressive start to the season. Tulo just homered for me so I am back to 2. Hoping to get past that for the first time this year. Looking ahead to tomorrow already, I am thinking of Carlos Gonzalez. GL to those still waiting!
Cano just got a hit, I’m back on board!
Looks like we’re going to avoid the bloodbath of recent days. Day games as of 3:00 ET:
*8.3% have already missed (Crawford and A. Gonzalez).
*36.6% have already hit (Scutaro, Votto, Mauer, Jeter, Cano, C. Gonzalez, Tulowitzki, Braun, and Rios).
*Only 1.7% are still at risk (Teixeira, 0-2 and HBP through five innings).
Well I’m back at 0 again. I can’t get anything going but I hope to start tomorrow. Sucks my highest is 2 so far. So bad right now. For those still left at perfect enjoy it because it won’t last at all. Every year the person who won got their streak started later in the year.
@Vinny. Regarding Scutaro. Yep, BOS gets 4 hits & Scutaro has 2 of them. I still avoid 8 & 9 hitters like the plague. Odds are than they will only see the starter 2 ABs. If they see the starter 3 ABs it generally means the starter is hot & may not get a hit anyway. Since I pick my players to get hits off starters, I’d like them to see that pitcher 3 ABs minimum increasing odds of getting a hit simply by trial & error. The 8 & 9 batters will generally see relievers on their 3rd & 4th AB and granted not all relievers are great, many are ‘specialists’ designed to get you out late in the game. Just my thoughts of course.
@vinny-I know how you feel. My best is 2 which I tied today with Tulo getting a hit so I’m hoping to keep it up tomorrow. GL starting a new streak as well!
@basebgirlie. Thank you very much. Thank god it’s the first week of the season. Still a long way to go and I will be fine. Ichie tomorrow. Had Renteria as a sleeper today and he got 3 hits. That’s what happens.
I went with Brandon Phillips who went 2 for 5 today.
That brings me to 10 for 34 overall or just a .294 batting average.
@vinny-The way I figure it, picking successfully gets a little easier as the year goes on because you have more stats to go on that are relevant (i.e. current season stats). The beginning of the year is hard because you don’t know who is hot and sometimes it takes people a little while to get going. I’ll be pulling for you the rest of the year, as I will for all bloggers members!
And then there were 353…
@gpearson17 if you haven’t already, you should join our Bloggers group. Just search the bloggers. Congrats on the 8 keep it goin.
M
gPearson: A bit more then 353. Need to wait ’bout an hour or so after last game goes final to be sure the standings are completely updated. Looks like 405 perfect streakers remain