JORDAN WALKER

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BASEBALL PLAYER

CENTRAL'S INSPIRING LAITY

Son of Central Makes History in Major League Baseball

Jordan Walker, son of Derrick and Katrina (Kim) Walker and grandson of Normarene and (the late) Hope Merritt

MORE ABOUT JORDAN

COURTESY OF CARDINALS EXTRA

Rookie Jordan Walker's splendid start ties Ted Williams' debut streak: Cardinals Extra

Derrick Goold – Sunday, April 9, 2023

MILWAUKEE — The man who has the Cardinals’ franchise record for the longest hitting streak by a rookie marvels at Jordan Walker and his historic hitting streak not because of the length but because of the age.

“I think about a young guy coming into the big leagues and you’re trying to feel yourself out and see where you fit and the whole grand scheme of things, and the adjustments he makes from day to day is extremely impressive,” said bench coach Joe McEwing, who in 1999 had a 25-game hitting streak for the Cardinals as a rookie. He was 26.

“His at-bats have been unbelievable. I couldn’t fathom that at 20 years old.”

At 20 years, 322 days, Walker extended the hitting streak Sunday to start his big-league career to nine games. That matches the longest such streak by a player age 20 or younger to start his career in the past 110 years — Hall of Famer Ted Williams did so in 1939.

In 1912, Philadelphia Athletics’ right fielder Eddie Murphy set the MLB record with a 12-game hitting streak to start his career before his 21st birthday.

With an RBI single in the fourth inning, Walker delivered the Cardinals’ lone run in their 6-1 loss Sunday to Milwaukee. In six of the nine games he’s extended the hitting streak by his second at-bat of the game, and on Sunday he showed another dimension of his game by working a walk after falling behind 0-2.

“That’s the thing,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s not just getting one knock a game. He’s not giving away any at-bats. It’s a really productive at-bat. He’s calm. He’s under control. He’s a tough out.”

The majors’ youngest player and first born in 2002 to debut, Walker leads all rookies with a dozen hits and he’s batting a rookie-best .353. He’s aware of the hitting streak but not keeping count.

“Personally, I don’t want to think too much about it,” Walker said. “It’s literally just doing my job at the plate. I go up with an approach and depending on the situation there will be a different approach every time. I don’t think about the hit. Just trying to get the job done.”

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/rookie-jordan-walkers-splendid-start-ties-ted-williams-debut-streak-cardinals-extra/article_cff1b761-2aec-544f-ab53-ddadd9df3060.html