MLB.com's prime fantasy offering has been running for 14 years strong with one simple premise: surpass Joe Dimaggio's 56 game hit streak from 1941. It started off as just picking one person a day to get a hit in an effort to reach the vaunted 57 game plateau. The prize was $100,000, then $1,000,000, and plenty of people took their proverbial swings. All of those people swung and missed. They are not alone though as Joltin' Joe's buried treasure has stayed unclaimed for over a decade. Players have come close and have had their streaks broken in some unceremonious fashions. The closest anybody ever came was a 49 game hitting streak which ended at the hands of Placido Polanco. Polanco hit .341 that year at least. Streaks in the 40+ range over the years have fell to much lesser players such as James Loney, Denard Span, Chris Coghlan, and Jean Segura.
My personal best was a 24 game streak that was ended by the then-Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Johnny Damon. Much like Streak for the Cash I haven't had much better luck since. But in the past few years the stakes have been raised even more and tweaks have been introduced to make the assault on the Yankee Clipper's mark that much easier. Dunkin' Donuts is now the sponsor behind the $5,600,000 prize. Instead of just being able to pick one player a day, gamers can "Double Down" (which I always do on the 11th) and pick two players in a single day. Just know if one goes hitless your day is dead. They have also instituted a one time use mulligan that can save a streak from breaking as long as the current streak is between 10-15 games. I haven't been able to use mine so far in 2014 as I have yet to hit double digits. I know, what a shock. Alas, join me in the fun at the official site for Major League Baseball. If you have an MLB.com account already signing up shouldn't take you more than a minute. If you don't, it may raise your burden to a whole three minutes of time. HOW DARE I ASK FOR SUCH A COMMITMENT FROM YOU!?!? If you live your life entirely through your phone don't fret, Beat the Streak has apps in both the Apple Store and Google Play store for FREE. There is of course a Bleeding Your Colors group where I currently sit alone...waiting. Waiting for the day that someone else can see how bad I am at this shit. But for a chance at a cool 5.6 million dollars, there isn't no harm in trying.
Trevor Utley has been playing Beat the Streak (and the now defunct Home Run Beat the Streak) since its inception. And no Leonardo Dicaprio didn't enter his subconscious. At least he doesn't think so.
Image Credit: MLB.com