Jimmy Rollins Can Break the Hitting Streak Record?

by Justin Fuqua (3/28/06)

I went onto ESPN.com today and none other than Jimmy Rollins was on the front, not a very common occurrence this spring, but a deserving one. Underneath the Barry Bonds circus act lies Rollins’ ongoing pursuit of consecutive games with a hit, currently on hold at 36 from the end of last season. If Rollins does get to 56 it would not beat the “single-season” record of DiMaggio. God forbid we take anything away from Joltin’ Joe and somewhere an angel would lose its wings.

I will admit there is some bias as I’m writing this, as I am a diehard Phillies fan. My father was raised in New Jersey and on Richie Ashburn and I followed with my allegiance. It’s fun to be part of so much failure and heartache. While I rest assured the Phillies will once again tease me with playoff spark that will surely fade somehow, Rollins breaking 56 or even Wee Willie Keeler’s NL record 45 (single-season as well) would be a shining achievement and provide a mediocre joke: While most baseball players only need one season to break single-season records, for a Phillie, it takes two.

But as was stated before, this record would be an anomaly that would always require a sentence or two of clarification that Joe’s record is still alive and well, almost making life a little harder if Rollins does indeed hit safely in 20 more games.

Check out our Philadelphia Phillies Handicapping page for betting information geared towards/against the Phillies.