The Kansas City Royals celebrated with a champagne toast after Tuesday’s 16-12 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field.
This time, there wasn’t a World Series title to commemorate. Instead, the bubbly was uncorked in honor of utilityman Tyler Tolbert.
Tolbert tied a Major League Baseball record with 12 hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances. It was a historic run that put him into rarefied air.
Tolbert accomplished a feat done just three times in the modern era. His name is now associated with Johnny Kling (1902) and Walt Dropo (1952) in the record books. The trio are the lone players to have 12 hits in as many plate appearances, ever.
“Anytime you get consecutive hits, it’s a good day,” Tolbert said. “But this game is hard, you know? Like you can do everything right and still get out.
“I know this game can humble you and that’s why I just don’t get too high or too low. And I just take it one pitch and one day at a time.”
Tolbert did exactly that on Tuesday night. After recording five hits against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, he continued to spray the baseball over the field in New York.
In his first at-bat, he belted a two-run homer over the left-field wall. It was his second home run of the season and helped the Royals cut into an early deficit.
Tolbert wasn’t done. He recorded four additional singles. Three of them were infield hits, as his speed rewarded him on the basepaths.
Tolbert admitted a few of those hits were lucky. Still, he was thankful that he could contribute to a Royals victory.
“I’m truly lost for words, honestly,” he said. “I mean, I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and my coaches. And I just kept saying God is good all the time. I don’t know, it hasn’t really hit me.”
Tolbert will never forget this hot stretch. His historic run will also be immortalized in Cooperstown, New York at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Royals gathered a collection of items — including his bat from Tuesday’s game — and decided to send the memorabilia to the Hall of Fame.
“When I get older, I can tell my kids and take them to Cooperstown,” Tolbert said. “I’ve never been and I have something there. You know, this piece of history will be there forever.
“But it’s just not me. Like I said, my teammates, we’re all a part of it. It’s just something that we can all celebrate and share together.”
Tolbert has worked his way to the big leagues through skill and effort. He was a 13th-round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft and matriculated through Kansas City’s minor-league system.
Last season, he made his Royals debut and appeared in 64 games. The Royals value his speed and he was used primarily as a pinch-runner.
This season, however, the club has sustained multiple injuries. And that opened the door to additional playing time for Tolbert.
His preparation kept him in the lineup and earned him more trust with the Royals’ coaching staff. They are thrilled to watch him develop and be successful on the basepaths.
When it all comes together, Tolbert is showing that he can produce at a high level.
“I think he obviously didn’t get a ton of opportunities to start the year,” teammate Lane Thomas said. “And just seeing how hard he works and knowing his role and being prepared when you are getting a little more playing time is huge.
“So you never know when it’s going to come, but it’s cool to watch him prepare and be ready for the moment when he gets it.”
Tolbert is now hitting .396 with a .976 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in 32 games. He is the third Royals player with 12 hits over a three-game span, joining Johnny Damon (2000) and Kevin Seitzer (1987).
Tolbert also became the third player in big-league history with consecutive five-hit games, alongside Roberto Clemente (1970) and Hi Myers (1917).
“It couldn’t happen to a better human being,” Royals third baseman Nick Loftin said. “(Tolbert) works so hard.
“I’ve seen him work for six years now. And all six years, I’ve seen him work really hard, grind and just to see this happen for him, it’s just truly special.
“He’s a light in this clubhouse and he’s always positive, no matter what. And just seeing his performance shine out on the field has been truly remarkable.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kansascity.com ’
