Beat the Streak Report: Monday, May 16
Sunday was great if you’re the type of Streaker who prefers to play it safe, wrapping your streak in the protective bubble wrap of a 0-for-0 pass whenever you can’t find a matchup that’s 100 percent to your liking.
With rain washing away games in Detroit and Cleveland, nearly a quarter of all selectors spun their wheels on the likes of Miggy, V-Mart, Ichiro and Jhonny Peralta.
Sure, most of those were probably honest I-wish-they-didn’t-get-rained-out-because-I-love-the-baseball-so-much passes. But we bet that there were a few please-let-the-heavens-open-because-I-don’t-want-to-pick-against-Roy-Halladay jobs in there also.
You know who you are.
There’s plenty of karma in this here BTS game, folks, and it will bring painful reckoning down at the most inconvenient of moments. The 0-for-1 pinch-hit streak-killer special, anyone? Three walks and a K (a.k.a. the big donkey)? Chilling, chilling stuff. Best to bring your lunch pail every single day.
P.S.: Since a few of you asked last Friday, I should probably introduce myself. I’m not Dave Feldman. I’m Ian Kay. Dave is now MLB.com’s designated David Ortiz interviewer (Hey look, Pez!), so I handle the Report writing/Feldman impersonations around here. Nice to meet ya’ll, and good luck in your continued Streaking endeavors.
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Monday’s picks:
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there …
Brian Roberts: .450 (9-for-20) since ’06 vs. Blue Jays starter Daisuke Matsuzaka
Yunel Escobar: .444 (8-for-18) since ’06 vs. Tigers starter Max Scherzer
Carl Crawford: .500 (6-for-12) since ’06 vs. Orioles starter Chris Tillman
Neil Walker: .500 (5-for-10) since ’06 vs. Nationals starter John Lannan
Asdrubal Cabrera: .375 (9-for-24) since ’06 vs. Royals starter Kyle Davies
Joey Votto: .364 (8-for-22) since ’06 vs. Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano
Feeling kinda spicy?
Yuniesky Betancourt: .450 (9-for-20) since ’06 vs. Dodgers starter Jon Garland
Omar Infante: .471 (8-for-17) since ’06 vs. Mets starter Mike Pelfrey
Wilson Betemit: .462 (6-for-13) since ’06 vs. Indians starter Josh Tomlin
You’ll thank me later …
Scott Rolen: .067 (1-for-15) since ’06 vs. Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano
Troy Tulowitzki: .181 (6-for-35) since ’06 vs. Giants starter Tim Lincecum
Curtis Granderson: .125 (2-for-16) since ’06 vs. Rays starter David Price
Jose Reyes: .160 (4-for-25) since ’06 vs. Marlins starter Josh Johnson
Carlos Beltran: .192 (5-for-26) since ’06 vs. Marlins starter Josh Johnson
Leaderboard time!
With our previous leaders dropping over the weekend, buddycrise is king of the castle at a cool 26 games. He took a pass with Miguel Cabrera yesterday. Uh oh. Dun dun DUN. Gooooooooong. Tune in tomorrow for more dramatic sound effects.
Top MLB streakers
Marlon Byrd: 15 games
Erick Aybar: 13 games
Victor Martinez: 13 games
Logan Morrison: 13 games
(Make a BTS pick)
Beat the Streak Report 
So Ian, you have this blog for the rest of the year?
Trying your hand at this game this year?
Ian, another question for you… Would you be so kind as to tell us how many people play this game? We are all very curious [insert some cool sound effect here]
Friday morning I blogged that 126 streakers entered that day in position to get to, or stay at, 20 games or better by this morning. I also mentioned that weekends are generally not very fruitful. Well what happened over the weekend? Let’s just say it wasn’t very good for many & that’s an understatement. Of those 126 streakers, only 25 sit at 20 or more games today. Not all of the remaining 121, that didn’t get there, got reset; though a majority did. Some sat idle due to the 4 rain-outs over the weekend.
Here’s another indication how bad the weekend was. In order to get on the last page of standings, you needed a streak of 9. And there were 25+ pages of 9-gamers in the standings. This morning, one needs an 8-gamer to get on the standings. There are now 24 pages of 8-gamers, nearly 25% of the standings, where yesterday there were none.
As for our “Bloggers Group”, we can see zero-streaks on the 1st page of our standings; how rare is that, 6 weeks into the season?
Can’t subtract without my coffee 🙂
^^ Of the 101 remaining streakers, not 121
Anyone know of any good DL players to use today?
I am feeling a little burned out recently and I might want to take a few days off.
Everyone I look at seems shaky, which has not been the case for the past 2 or 3 weeks.
Per rotoworld: Lind is out of today’s lineup. Pujols (HBP) getting x-ray today. Both games should show lineups b4 games lock. Jones (ATL) having knee issues but always a pinch possibility.
If you were quick enough, Cooper (TOR) sent to minors today; I loaded him up for next 9-days as insurance.
Thanks for the help!
Thankfully, I found someone I liked for today.
I just seemed to be having a mental block this morning for some reason that just would not go away.
Now you just have 6 hours to 2nd guess yourself 🙂 Me too
So HRBTS and MLB Survivor are returning?
Where did you see/hear that? Not a big fan of either, but a co-worker liked Survivor.
They are mentioned in the blog headline. I don’t think they were there before.
Anyone else looking ahead? This weekend (Fri-Sun) is first interleague weekend. Only 1 NL-NL game (MIL/COL); all others are AL-NL match-ups. Interleague picks always make me a bit nervous in BTS
I love how MLB.com Odyssey is still coming soon!
For those interested if you click on where it says resources on the right side of the BTS blog you can see that HR BTS is now open. I’m going to try it to see how far I can get.
Appears so. Since the current streak is zero, today is the first day it opened? Think I’ll add a pick for grins
if you just type, “Beat the Streak Home Runs 2011” into google, you can find the link.
I went with Dan Uggla in my limited analysis.
I was lucky to even see that the contest was open since I normally work on my normal BTS pick right before picks lock or if I did it early, I normally get a power nap in beforehand.
Sorry, I clicked the wrong “reply” button.
I don’t see it. 😦
It’s gone, but I can still get to it. They may be playing with it to get it ready? Try this link
http://www.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/btshr/y2011/index.jsp?content=pick_player
If you just type, “Beat the Streak Home Runs 2011″ into google, you can find the link.
I went with Dan Uggla in my limited analysis.
I was lucky to even see that the contest was open since I normally work on my normal BTS pick right before picks lock or if I did it early, I normally get a power nap in beforehand.
K, just cause u asked I’m going Prado. Reset was 42% and 32%PPD.
Ian, you playing or are you just holding on to your MLB employee record of 29?
PS I love that Pappi interview.
That was my pick most of today, but went elsewhere. GL with that 1st AB magic.
Polanco, Ichiro, Prado & Hafner were my finalists. Polanco is not in the line-up. I’m stuck on debating btwn Ichiro & Hafner
lol Ian, do you still think Carlos Gonzalez is a crappy player?
I’m going for an off the wall pick today but he is hitting .480 in his last 25 ABs and got 3 hits yesterday so why not right. Mark Ellis is my pick. Hitting .197 but hits well against Pineiro.
lol, what the hell was his batting average before that hot streak!
I used Ellis a couple times last year, but it is so tough to pick him since he always hit 9th.
He’s hitting 7th so he has moved up. LOL.
Thank you Chipper Jones for not playing. 😦 ;-(
LaV’s List
Monday’s Top Picks of the current Top2500,
160 Batters picked overall
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Carl Crawford 350 14
Ichiro Suzuki 201 8.04(2ND)(3RD)
Adrian Gonzalez 187 7.48
Ben Zobrist 114 4.56
Placido Polanco 102 4.08
Howard Kendrick 95 3.8
Martin Prado 89 3.56(1RST)
Joey Votto 87 3.48
Jose Bautista 73 2.92
Brian Roberts 72 2.88
Gaby Sanchez 60 2.4
No Selection 58 2.32
——————————————–
Highest “No Selection” 😛 pg# 3 with streak of 18 back to zero.
Yesterday’s Top2500 Reset rate was 42.24% with MATT HOLLIDAY reseting the most.
There was also 32.13% PPD due to players not playing OR PPD to rain. These streakers do not reset, but did not increase either.
——————————————–
Got Pinched OR 1 AB Wonders
TOP2500 saved or reset by PHA (going to include any pinch hitters and/or double switch, 1 AB or More)
M Cairo CIN, RESET 1, 10 GAMER
B Wallace HOU, RESET 4, 16, 11, 9, 9 GAMERS
J Heyward ATL, 2, DEF SWICTH, (NO EFFECT) 2@ 9 GAMERS
K Kouzmanoff OAK, 1, DEF SWICTH, (NO EFFECT) 12 GAMER
R Sweeney OAK, 1, RINCH RUNNER, (NO EFFECT) 13 GAMER
——————————————–
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Rank, Pick
LaVolpe, 8, pg 87, 1855, ICHIRO (PICKED 201X)
——————————————-
Bloggers Reset Yesterday
gurpsing, 18, RESET BY Hanley Ramirez
forcook, 17, RESET BY Matt Holliday
BLACKHAWKS, 13, RESET BY Derek Jeter
Dave55, 10,RESET BY Matt Holliday
gamara21, 9, RESET BY Albert Pujols
GL to all
M
LOL. would you look at that Keith, Prado with another first ab hit for me day after a reset.
Almost wish I picked him now ;). Let’s see if my other 2 finalists get hits: Hafner & Ichiro
If there was a contest of 1st AB hits after a reset, I think you’d be atop that leader board!
Ya no shit. Anyways good luck to everyone else.
@gpearson: That’s the Cubs for you. 1st inning: out, followed by 3 walks, Soriano & A-Ram strike out. Throwing gifts like that away to the 1st place Reds is just another symptom of whatever the Cubbies have. I know it’s early, but I am already becoming a worried Cub fan
CLE pickers alert!!! Kyle Davies hurt and removed in 1st inning. Coin flip whether your picks hit or not now
Guess no one had to really worry about cle other than Choo pickers.
And he still has at least 2 more guaranteed ABs unless pulled.
Who woulda thunk? 15 hits & 17 runs in just 5 innings; yet Choo still 0-fer
All those Polanco pickers are miffed now. PH whiff in top of 8th. Unless PHI bats around in top of 9th, 102 streakers reset. Not much of an excuse… line-ups posted well in advance & Polanco wasn’t in the starting line-up. Personally, I’m hoping the BTS gods will be happy with that sacrifice and not take Ichiro too.
Well Ichi came thru for you. The gods were happy with Polanco. I’m looking at Prado again for tomorrow.
Vlad is my pick, depending on weather
A’s rallied to tie in the 9th with 1 out to go.
Ellis might hit again if the game can go to the 11th.