Beat The Streak leader sees run end at 42
Two days after taking over as the active leader of Beat the Streak, user "dtra1203" saw his or her run come to an end on Tuesday, after 42 successful picks.
The previous active leader, Graham Manning, got to 46 -- the third-longest streak this season -- before getting stymied on Sunday. At the same time, "dtra1203," whose real name remains unknown, climbed to the top of the list by selecting Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz.
That put "dtra1203" 15 successful picks away from the $5.6 million grand prize. He or she tried to get two games closer on Tuesday by taking advantage of Beat the Streak's "Double Down" feature to select both White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu and Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager.
Abreu came through by going 1-for-4 with a double against the Tigers. Seager appeared to be a good bet, taking a .310 average into play at Coors Field, but went 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts in a 7-3 Dodgers loss to the Rockies.
Play BTS, win $5.6 million
In Beat the Streak, participants establish virtual "hitting streaks" by picking one or two big leaguers per day, with their runs continuing as long as their selections collect at least one hit in their contests. To claim the lifetime's worth of fame and fortune, a Streaker must top Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio's magical hitting-streak total of 56, set in 1941, by one. In nearly 16 years of BTS play, nobody has "bested" Joe D.
It's now easier than ever for players to chase down DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. Users now have the option of employing the "Double Down" feature, as Manning did on Saturday, to advance their streaks two games at a time.
Additionally, BTS research filters such as batting-order position, right- or left-handed pitchers and cold opposing pitchers are at fans' disposal. BTS players can also take days off between selections if they don't find ideal matchups.
Of course, the game is now about more than just extending the streak. There's also MLB.com's new BTS challenge -- the ".406 contest," where 0-for nights are OK. This secondary competition is an ode to Ted Williams' incredible .406 batting average in 1941.
If a player's BTS picks "hit" .406 or better from now through the season's end (with a minimum of 250 plate appearances), he or she will be eligible to win four tickets to six regular-season games in 2017.
Also, whenever a season goes by without someone claiming the $5.6 million grand prize, a $10,000 consolation prize is awarded to those atop the calendar year's leaderboard. On top of that, the BTS game-makers hand out millions of other prizes for streaks as small as five.
It would be especially fitting if a BTS user broke the BTS drought this year. After all, it's the 75th anniversary of DiMaggio's remarkable streak, which was commemorated with daily recaps on MLB.com and @TheStreak on Twitter.
Andrew Simon is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewSimonMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét