Beat the Streak Report: Thursday, April 14
After a day on which two of your top three picks didn’t play and the other (Raul Ibanez) went hitless, we’d normally look to the future.
But today — for the first time ever — we’re throwing the BTS Report time machine in reverse.
Dim the lights and cue the music, it’s time for Streak of the Week!
In this new whenever-we-feel-like-it-but-probably-not-more-than-once-per-week feature, we’ll regale you with lore and minutia from streaks and streakers past.
Today’s hero: Benito Santiago
The streak: 34 games, Aug. 25, 1987-Oct. 2, 1987
Stats: .346 (47-for-136), 5 HR, 19 RBIs
Fun facts*: Longest hitting streak by a catcher. … Longest hitting streak by a rookie. … Recorded three hits during streak while batting from his knees. … Also set record by converting 134 consecutive Top Gun-style high fives with Garry Templeton. … Extended streak to 11 games Sept. 5 while wearing his pants on backward. … Ate fish tacos prior to streak-ending Sept. 2 game. Has not eaten fish tacos since.
*Mostly not even close to true.
Welp, hopefully that was an educational trip down memory lane for everyone. Until next week (maybe) …
Thursday’s picks
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there …
• Chipper Jones: .464 AVG (13-for-28) since ’06 vs. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco
• Joe Mauer: .444 AVG (8-for-18) since ’06 vs. Rays starter James Shields
• B.J. Upton: .500 AVG (7-for-14) since ’06 vs. Twins starter Carl Pavano
• Matt Holliday: .400 AVG (8-for-20) since ’06 vs. Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda
• Luke Scott: .538 AVG (7-for-13) since ’06 vs. Yankees starter Phil Hughes
• Jason Kubel: .538 AVG (8-for-17) since ’06 vs. Rays starter James Shields
Yes, Kubel has gone from spicy to hello there in less than 24 hours. Arbitrary!
Feeling kinda spicy?
• Ronny Cedeno: .500 AVG (9-for-19) since ’06 vs. Brewers starter Randy Wolf
• Matt Diaz: .438 AVG (7-for-16) since ’06 vs. Brewers starter Randy Wolf
You’ll thank me later …
• Prince Fielder: .071 AVG (3-for-42) since ’06 vs. Pirates starter Paul Maholm
• Denard Span: .063 AVG (1-for-16) since ’06 vs. Rays starter James Shields
• Albert Pujols: .111 AVG (1-for-9) since ’06 vs. Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda
Leaderboard time!
Weren’t like 60 of you perfect two days ago? Fifteen Streakers remain at a somewhat impressive 14-for-14 on the season.
Top MLB streakers
Andre Ethier: 10 games
Jose Reyes: 10 games
Willie Bloomquist: 9 games
Orlando Hudson: 9 games
(Make a BTS pick)
Beat the Streak Report 
Early lock today peeps. Mets/Rocks doubledip starts at 12EST.
A minor quibble, but that would be 12 EDT!
My bad, sorry.
Going with Braun today. He hits Maholm well and he hits really well against Pitt, especially in Pitt. GL everyone!
Braun is my pick too.
I went with Orlando Hudson of the Padres.
Tulo well picked today, double header. A perfect streaker picked J.Reyes in that game also. Will the BTS gods be merciful?
@Lav, the answer is no. Both Tulo and Reyes will play both games but they won’t get hits in both.
Well, they’ve both already gotten a hit early in the first game!
I think the BTS gods are way to merciful. The biggies (Reyes, Wright, Cargon, Tulo) may get hits in both games and if the pickers were bloggers, we’d see a rash of comments like “how come my streak didn’t increase by 2?” At least Todd Helton, lately, appears to be one of the BTS gods’ enforcers 😉
LaV’s List
Thursday’s Top Picks of the current Top2500,
131 Batters picked overall
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Robinson Cano, 378, 15.12
Joe Mauer, 211, 8.44
Ryan Braun, 170, 6.8 (MY PICK)
Ichiro Suzuki, 149, 5.96
Shane Victrino, 113, 4.52
No Selction, 100, 4,
Ryan Howard, 78, 3.12
Alex Rodriguez, 76, 3.04
Jimmy Rollins, 72, 2.88
B.J. Upton, 69, 2.76
Miguel Cabrera, 63, 2.52
Chipper Jones, 59, 2.36
Mark Teixeira, 55, 2.2
Troy Tulo, 55, 2.2 DOUBLE HEADER
Of 15 “Perfect streaks” there is 1 playing the early game which is a double header.
Yesterday’s Top2500 Reset rate was 29.98% with NO SELECTION reseting the most.
There was also 22.24% PPD due to rain or players not playing, These streakers do not reset, but did not increase either.
Highest “No Selection” 😛 pg# 7 with streak of 11 back to zero.
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Rank, Pick
Gurpsing, 9, pg 18, 337, Chris Getz,
Nyy4life42, 8, pg 28, 651, Robbie Cano,
Bloggers Reset Yesterday
Blanco21, 7,RESET BY Miggy
GL to all
M
Getz was picked by 7 ppl in top2500.
Wow, the Cano % was almost exactly the same overall versus the top 2500.
@pearson, that’s true but they have to get a hit in both games.
I am aware of that. I was just saying they were both off to a good start.
@vinny1979 If you pick a player whose team is playing in a double header and they get a hit in one game and don’t play in the other, does your streak extend or pause?
I took Jeter today to get to 3. He’s facing Jake Arrieta, the same pitcher who ended my 17 game streak last year when Nick Swisher went O fer so I want some minor revenge.
@yanksgiants, If you pick a player in a DH and he gets a hit in the first game and doesn’t play at all in the second game your streak will extend. If they get a hit in the first game, don’t start the second but come in and pinch hit and make an out than your streak is over.
Agreed with Vinny regarding double headers. Bottom line is simple. Your player needs a hit in whatever game they play in, if they have at least 1 official AB in the game (flyout Sacs are official ABs for streaks).
Well Reyes Just got a hit in the second game so the person that picked him that was perfect is moving on to 15. Won’t be surprised though to see him post asking why he didn’t go up 2. Anyway, good for him, risky pick but it worked out. Tulo still hit-less in the second game though.
2nd highest picked Mauer looks to be pinch-hitter potential today. Lineups just posted. Will it change b4 gametime?
That is pure luck that Reyes got two hits. I understand he’s hot but your taking a big risk picking anybody in a double header. Mauer might be injured Lav.
Re: Reyes. That picker either 1) had Reyes pre-picked and didn’t realize DH today or 2) doesn’t know the rules. I wouldn’t give him/her credit either way — BTS luck.
Re: Mauer. May be so. Yesterday I assumed it was ’cause of a day game after nite game situation. But today? Probably injured or ill.
I meant to say that Reyes got hit in both games not two hits. My fault.
Read on rotoworld that Mauer is injured. He is hurting right now and Gardenhire doesn’t know exactly what.
Tulo just hit his 7th homer. Man do I need to tap into some luck sooner and not too much later.
Tulo just homered again so he not only has four homers in four days but he now has hits in both games. Crazy but sometimes people just get lucky.
I wouldn’t worry about the ones who got lucky today with Tulo and Reyes. Their luck is going to end sooner rather than later.
If history repeats this year, so will all of ours. And the bad luck will be the last luck we experience come September. 😦
Tulo-55, Wright-39, Reyes-27 and fowler-1 pickers are good so far. CarGon-27 only other substantial without a hit in 2nd game.
A few years back, when Chipper made an early season run at .400, nearly 1/2 the first page went with Chipper.
He ended up rewarding them with hits in both games.
1st-inning single for Orlando Hudson!
On to 5!
Well Polanco got a cheap infield single but I’ll take it. Up to 6.
Jeter singles in the 6th, up to 3.
early single by prado brings my streak up to 5.
Early single for Braun too…..JK guess I am just terrible at this game this year. Stuck on zero most likely. He will get one more at bat next inning. Hoping for a last at bat hit.
Yet another extra inning game. That makes it at least one per day for every day this season, but one.
Though the extra inning game is MIN, I don’t think Mauer will come in. They only have 1 other batter on the bench. Would maybe need to see 12+ innings or a possible bases-loaded less than 2 outs before we see him. But who knows?
BREAKING NEWS. Per MLB.tv, Mauer is on the DL. Checkout rotoworld or SportsCenter later for more details possibly.
Pit fills me with some false hope. With Braun due 3rd in the 10th, Pit loads up the bases in the 9th but can only bring 1 run in. On to tomorrow.
Is Kevin Millar playing BTS? He said he picked Ryan Ludwick, who’s 0-4 with 3 strikeouts. LOL
I think he’s just joking because of course he would not be eligible to play.
Not a good day for players named Ryan.
When did Kevin Millar say he was playing BTS?
Also, do you know why MLB employees are not allowed to play?
I have considered wanting to pursue a job in MLB one day, but have never gotten serious about it, because I do not want to lose being able to play BTS.
Millar made the remark on MLB Tonight. I guess it’s just standard practice to bar employees from contest participation.
It makes perfect sense. Theoretically, a “friend” can go in an change a selection after-the-fact so that your streak continues when it actually failed or change the pick to someone that didn’t play so you don’t reset. The general idea is to prevent any possibility of insider info and impropriety, simply bar anyone associated with the company from winning. Guess I won’t be applying to McDonalds when they have their Monopoly game again — employees probably prevented from winning the grand prizes too.
Yeah, but that really wouldn’t work, when everyone’s picks are displayed at the beginning of the day.
If Prince Fielder does 0 for 5 for me today, even if I worked for MLB, there would be nothing I could do to save my streak, because everyone would know I had Prince Fielder today.
“wouldn’t work”? If that was true, there wouldn’t be crime 😉
lol, well that plan wouldn’t work then.