Question: MLB's Beat the Streak

[MaxxDaddy]

So MLB.com has this promotion that's been running for the last 5 years where each day, you pick a particular player you think will get a hit. The idea is that if you can beat Joe D's 56-game streak, you win $100,000. The longest streak ever put up was 43 games, done last year.

So the question is, how much easier (if at all) do you think it is to beat Joe D's streak this way?

[HLMencken]

Easier. You can just use the top 2-5 hitters in baseball and always pick the one playing the worst pitcher. Thus it should be easier since your hitters avoid staff aces (or pitchers they just have a problem with).

[107ofclubs]

Well if we assumed the batters probability of getting a hit in a given day to be his career batting average, it should be somewhere close to 0 to have it happen for 57 times in a row.

Even if we use a real high average, say .400,

(.4)^57=2*10^-23 or basically impossible

[ChromePony]

dont you get more than one at bat per game?


Say 5 at bats .350 average, prob of getting a hit is 1-(.650)^5 =~ 88%

.88^57 = .000684 = not good...but better

its also probably more like .320 and 4.5 at bats but whatever.

[HLMencken]

[ QUOTE ]
Well if we assumed the batters probability of getting a hit in a given day to be his career batting average, it should be somewhere close to 0 to have it happen for 57 times in a row.

Even if we use a real high average, say .400,

(.4)^57=2*10^-23 or basically impossible

[/ QUOTE ]

Gee, maybe that's why it's only (56 that is) happened once in 120 years of baseball?

[wisehandpoker]

Twice actually. Jolting Joe did it in the thirties while playing in the PCL (I think this one was 63 games). To my knowledge no one else has ever gone 50

[dizong]

[ QUOTE ]
Twice actually. Jolting Joe did it in the thirties while playing in the PCL (I think this one was 63 games). To my knowledge no one else has ever gone 50

[/ QUOTE ]

Robin ventura had a 58-game hitting streak in college. Unless you were referring only to professional baseball.

[Jack of Arcades]

okay, people need to stop posting sports stuff in OOT.