Rays winning streak or Jordan Walker’s hitting streak?
The best team of baseball has one of the hottest hitters this young season, but there’s also a hot young hitter on his own 12-game streak, so I thought it would be fun to debate the most impressive accomplishment: Tampa Bay Rays 12- winning streakor the 12-game hitting streak of St. Louis Cardinals rookie Jordan Walker?
The 2023 MLB the season has featured a few constants, and while shortened games are surely here to stay, we’ll soon have a game in which the Rays lose or Walker goes no-hitter. Sounds like a question the announcer would ask Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon on PTI, so I’m going to defend it as such. (Apologies if they have already. I haven’t watched this program much in the last decade, and the last time I saw was when Wilbon became a complete fanboy The departure of Patrick Kane of his beloved Blackhawks.)
OK, let’s get started, and allow me to apologize now if this sucks, but I have a feeling this could be funny.
Here’s how it can play out on PTI
MW: Tony, that’s not even a question. It’s Tampa. I hate the Cardinals, so I was never going to pick Jordan Walker in the first place. However, we are 12 games into the season and the Rays have a +65 point differential.
That’s better than four playoff teams from a year ago, including the Phillies, who went to the World Series. I know it has nothing to do with what we’re arguing about, but it sounds impressive when I shout it. TAMPA IS BETTER THAN LAST YEAR’S WORLD SERIES MENTION!
know : First of all, I commend you for acknowledging your bias, even though the last time you went to Wrigley you were greeted with chants of “Akron hates you”. Second, you failed to mention that we’ve seen teams start like this with our own eyes. We’re decrepit now, but we were still considered old when Milwaukee and Atlanta started 13-0 in 1987 and ’82respectively.
None of us were alive – well maybe you were – the last time a rookie recorded a hit in the first 12 games of a season – his big league career. *Put on glasses to read statistics* The last player to do so was Eddie Murphy of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1912.
Mike, that tells me that’s an extremely hard thing to do, and certainly harder than beating the teams Tampa has played.
MW: Okay, let me read you two lines of stats, and tell me which one is better: .340/.377/.720 with 17 hits, four homers and 12 RBIs, or .319/.360/. 489 including 15 hits, two home runs and eight RBIs. The second is Walker. The first is Take a walk Franco. So not only does Tampa have the best record – St. Louis has 5-7 and Walker is one of the few hitters for this team – they also have the hottest bat.
know : We don’t compare teams, but if you want to compare the competition, we can. Tampa swept Detroit (2-9), Washington (4-9), Oakland (3-9) and Boston (5-7). It’s an overall record of 14-34. They’re crushing minor league teams and pitching what Walker was crushing a year ago.
The Cardinals right fielder has faced Atlanta, Milwaukee, Toronto and Colorado. They are 30-20 combined, and three of those clubs are expected to be playoff teams. I don’t know if I can sound more annoyed, so I’ll kick you and wait for the next topic to complain.
MW: Hmm, I’m out of points. Can we get the bell? Stat boy, uh, Reali? Are you here? And you, narrator? No, just an internet editor in charge of my duties. Oh my god, it’s only a matter of time before he makes me say something stupid—
“Hi, I’m Michael Wilbon, and I love the Cubs and Northwestern, and all things Chicago, including Patrick Kane. My favorite player of all time. I’m not going to mention his off-ice issues or what point this franchise is problematic. I just want to talk about the Stanley Cups and the parades.
Annnddddd, I think I took it as far as I wanted.
