After splitting Games 1 and 2 in Arlington over the weekend, the World Series will shift to Arizona for a pivotal Game 3 between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers on Monday night.
With Arizona’s Christian Walker stuck in an untimely slump, one local sports anchor is doing his best to change that. KPNX 12News’ Cameron Cox calling on fans to shower the Diamondbacks first baseman with a standing ovation.
“When Dbacks first baseman Christian Walker steps into the batter’s box for the first time, I need you to go crazy. Stand up, scream as loud as you can,” Cox said. “Slumps are tough. Slumps are even tougher and they hurt even more in the postseason. Walker has been the backbone of this club now going on five years since they traded away Paul Goldschmidt. They replaced Captain America with a new Captain America. He’s always put the team first. He’ll do whatever it takes to help them win. Show him you see it with a massive standing ovation. Get him out of his slump.”
YOOO ARIZONA… I need a favor.
Seen a few people say this — so I decided to issue the challenge on TV.
When Christian Walker bats…. need everybody in Chase Field to give him a standing ovation. All he does is try to help this team win… now it's your turn to help him! pic.twitter.com/1XtqDXPKmX
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) October 30, 2023
If Cox’s call to action sounds familiar, Philadelphia Phillies fans — never known for their sympathy — deployed a similar tactic in an attempt to turn around Trea Turner’s first season with the team. Those efforts proved successful and helped catapult the two-time All-Star into a strong postseason, in which he hit for .347 (1.033 OPS) and three home runs before the Phillies were eliminated by Walker’s Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series.
As for Walker, the 2022 Gold Glove Award winner is hitting .167 (.630 OPS), with one home run and seven RBI through Arizona’s first 14 postseason games. Through the first two games of the World Series, he’s hitting 1-for-9 with a walk and a stolen base.
It’s a credit to the Diamondbacks that they’ve made it this far without getting much from their cleanup hitter. Now we’ll see if Cox’s plea catches on, and if so, whether it finds the same success that Philadelphia’s show of support for Turner did earlier this year.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.