Beat the Streak 2011 -- Minor League Style

[Mass Haas]

Here is a link to last year's thread if you wish to read how the season panned out.

Many of you are familiar with MLB.com's online game "Beat the Streak", but does everyone realize there is also a minor league version?

Here's what we're proposing again this year -- we'll have a Brewerfan contest to see which fan here compiles the longest streak of the season!

MiLB.com's longest streak ever is 33 -- someone here can beat that! (The all-time real-life streak is 61!)

We will purchase the winner a top-o'-the-line Brewer affiliate cap of their choice, and we'll see if we can get a player or two to sign the cap for you (we'll send it out to the Brewers for September instructionals or something like that, we haven't asked, but we're sure the Crew's front office could work that out for us -- at least we're hopeful http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.)

The main prize, however, would be bragging rights for a full year and a chance to defend your crown in 2012, just as gregmartinezfan50 (Arielle) is this year after her 18-game streak of last year.

Of course, the caveat is, for every single pick, your selection must be a Brewer farmhand, obviously! If there is an extremely rare day (maybe around the All-Star break) when no Brewer affiliate plays, you can pick a former Brewer farmhand -- just kidding, you can pick any other minor league baseball player.

Keep in mind the MiLB rules as pointed out at the link here. You can pick in advance, and you can change your advance pick in case of injury or such, but be careful. Weekday games on the East Coast can start as early as 8:30 AM Central time, so picks can get locked in very early.

Unlike the big league Beat the Streak with a $5,600,000 top prize, you'll see the MiLB equivalent is worth a cool $850. Last year, the minor league version did not punish you if you forgot to submit a pick. The big league version, with its much higher stakes, does.

IMPORTANT: Lots of minor league doubleheaders, right? Avoid them! In order to get credit for the day, your player must take part in both games, and get hits in each, and you only get credit for one day on your streak! Avoid doubleheaders!

Who will be rooting for extra innings when a long streak is on the verge of ending? Plan ahead for those vacations, honeymoons, etc.

You need to set up an MLB.com free account to play (it's no big deal, the process walks you through it).

***

We're not a huge fan of pinned threads, but we're leaning on keeping this thread pinned all season as your reminder to make your daily pick. That would make five pinned threads here in the Minor League Forum, and we promise we'll cap it at that.

We're going to set an arbitrary cap for now of 12 games -- in other words, don't come here and gloat about your streak until it's reached 12 games. Then let us know and we'll root you on with possible selections (or try to fake you out with false info) -- nah, we're all rooting for each other.

FYI -- I was able to keep an eye on the standings last year and often pointed out when one of us was doing very well in the national standings.

What you can do, however, is share your painful "how my streak ended" story -- if it's a decent story, only, please! It could be how a guy was robbed by a home run to end your streak, for instance.

So this thread might get a tad lengthy by season's end, but will hopefully also be entertaining. We hope that secretly Brewer players, media, front office staff, families, etc., will take part.

If you're simply not a fan of this concept, just try to avoid it altogether. Hopefully it won't lead you to the Minor League Forum when there are no other updates within this forum too often. We think after this first week or so, the volume of posts in the thread should lower quickly.

Again, if you're going to have something exciting to share about your streak extending or ending, please make it worthwhile -- what do they say? There's nothing more boring than hearing about someone's fantasy team, or Beat the Streak moment when their streak is at six, for instance.

MiLB.com tracks all your picks and allows you to view your history from the whole season. So we'll be able to verify who had the longest streak at season's end, you'll just need to provide us with your MLB ID and password (and you can always change it before giving it to us, and then change it back).

Good luck, everyone! And go Caleb Gindl, my pick for Thursday 4/7 to kick things off.

[jjkoestler]

Glad beat the streak is back.

 

I thought I remember doubleheaders being a good thing because a player only needed a hit in one of the games to keep the streak going.

[Mass Haas]

Doubleheaders

In the event that a player you select plays in a double-header, your streak will only continue if the player gets at least one (1) hit in both games in which he plays that Game Day unless all the selected player's plate appearances (one or more) result in a base on balls, hit batsman, defensive interference or a sacrifice bunt. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that a player you select gets at least one (1) hit in both games of a double-header, your streak will continue, but your streak will only increase by one (1) hit for that Game Day, and not two (2) hits.

[Mass Haas]

We've asked the folks at MiLB.com to find out when their Beat the Streak standings and home page will be functional, but it appears you can still make your selections, and they are tracked.

[Mass Haas]

Not much going on thus far in 2011 here -- our leader in the clubhouse is "Buzzardo", currently with an active streak of eight, good for a tie for 5th best active in the nation as of Sunday AM.

[mls4]

Posting my success on here- probably breaking the rules- will either disqualify or jinx myself, but I also have an 8-game streak going concurrently with Buzzardo, and we both have Hunter Morris selected for today.

 

First time in 2 years I have made it onto the current streak leader board.

[mls4]

Sure enough, Morris goes 0-4, shouldn't have bothered anyone...

[Mass Haas]

martinezfan, last year's champ, is currently riding an active nine-game streak (Sean Halton Friday night). Best I can tell, that's the season high for those who are playing via this thread this season.

[Mass Haas]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but "martinezfan" has posted this year's longest Brewerfan streak thus far (14).

 

Two folks, "jjkoestler" and "mschlie", are currently riding 11-game streaks, currently tied for the 3rd longest streaks in the country. "martinezfan" is active at eight games.

 

The longest streak posted by anyone nationwide is 27 earlier this summer.

 

I'm back at zero (again), high of seven for the season.

[Mass Haas]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but "martinezfan" has posted this year's longest Brewerfan streak thus far (14).

 

Two folks, "jjkoestler" and "mschlie", are currently riding 11-game streaks, currently tied for the 3rd longest streaks in the country. "martinezfan" is active at eight games.

 

The longest streak posted by anyone nationwide is 27 earlier this summer.

 

I'm back at zero (again), high of seven for the season.

Looks like all three streakers mentioned here maxed out at 14 on the season thus far. Oh joy...three-way ties...

 

 

[jjkoestler]

The streak ended on 8/14 with a Gamel 0-4. DFA Gamel http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[schlies]

Hi guys. I am a long time lurker of the site. It was funny to see my streak get recognized on here. jjkoestler and I ended up having many of the same picks towards the end of the streak. Too bad one of us couldn't keep it going. It is a bummer to have a three way tie when a prize is involved, so I will bow out and let the other two decide who gets the hat. I'll share in the bragging rights however. I would also like to thank Mass, TLB, and SF for doing the link report. It makes it much easier to follow the system and is essential daily reading for me.