Beat the Streak challenger reaches 39 games

Will the first Beat the Streak competitor to best 56 games be a fan of Joe DiMaggio's team?

Yankees fan Bob Murray hopes so. The Farmingdale, N.Y., resident entered Monday's actionwith a streak of 39 consecutive correct picks. He sits one away from 40 games, which would match the longest streak of 2012. If he reaches 57, Murray would take home the $5.6 million grand prize.

BTS has been active for 12 seasons, but this is Murray's first. The advertising manager for Business Insurance magazine has been having success utilizing savvy analysis of both hitting and pitching trends.

"[I] look at who has been hot over the last seven days, preferring players with recent multi-hit days," he said. "I look for opposing pitchers that have been roughed up recently, but limit their walks, as well as players who are up in the batting order and on road teams, to help squeeze in a ninth inning at-bat."

Murray has also been making use of the new-this-season "double down" option, which allows streakers to choose two players in a day for a chance to add two days to their streak in one -- but at the risk of going back to zero if just one of their players goes hitless.

Murray, who's met Thurman Munson, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, says his time playing BTS has given him new appreciation for the Yankee great whose 1941 feat inspired the game.

"I appreciate what Joe DiMaggio did even more now," Murray said. "I've just been lucky and only 2/3 of the way there. Joe D. got to 56 with pure talent." 

-- Dan Wohl / MLB.com