Jimmy Rollins
Encyclopedia
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins (born November 27, 1978 in Oakland
, California
), nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star
and former MVP
shortstop
, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies
of Major League Baseball
's National League
.
Though Rollins has developed into a five-tool player
during his career due to significant increases in his power hitting, he is perhaps best known for his baserunning skills. He stole at least 20 bases every season from 2001 to 2009, with a career high of 47 in 2008. In this respect, Rollins emulates his childhood baseball hero, Rickey Henderson
.
, and credits the experience for helping him develop a cerebral approach to the game; he has been described as having "a near-photographic memory
of games and at-bats and pitches
".
Rollins also attended the same high school (Encinal High School
) as pitcher Dontrelle Willis
, and appeared in several MC Hammer videos in the late 80s. Currently, he is a resident of Woolwich Township
, New Jersey
, and is married to Johari Smith, his former trainer. They were married on January 23, 2010 in the Cayman Islands
.
Rollins' brother, Antwon, played with minor league affiliates of the Texas Rangers
and the Montreal Expos
. His sister, Shay Rollins, was a starter on the University of San Francisco
's women's basketball team, and he is the cousin of former Major League Baseball player Tony Tarasco
.
, Rollins was assigned to the rookie-league Martinsville Phillies
. He led the team in walks, batting only .238, but stealing 20 bases. However, he still earned a promotion to low-A Piedmont for the 1997 season. He had a better year at only 18 years old, leading the team in games played, at-bats, runs, hits, triples, stolen bases, and walks all in the same year. He batted .270, stole 46 bases, and had 560 at-bats, more than 100 higher than second-place Dave Francia.
1998 brought Rollins to a higher level of competition at high-A Clearwater. While playing alongside future Phillies teammates Pat Burrell
, Johnny Estrada
, Adam Eaton
, and Brandon Duckworth
, Rollins batted .244 with 18 doubles and 23 stolen bases, though he was the youngest player on the team by two years. Eaton, Burrell, and Rollins were all promoted to AA Reading
together the next year, and Rollins led the team in games and at-bats, as well as hits. His 145 hits gave him an average of .273, and led to a late-season promotion to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
, where he played four games. Leading Scranton in games played, doubles, and triples the next season, Rollins helped lead the team to the playoffs, where they defeated the Buffalo Bisons
in the first round, but lost to Indianapolis
in the finals. For his performance, Rollins was rewarded with a September call-up to the Phillies, where he batted .321 in 14 games, stealing three bases and batting in five runs.
Rookie of the Year voting, and was rated the 5th best rookie in the Major Leagues, third-best in the NL, by Baseball America
.
, third in total chances (695), fourth in assists
, (504) and fifth in putout
s (226), while posting a .245 batting average. He led all NL shortstops in stolen bases and finished third in runs (82), fourth in hits (156) and walks (53) and fifth in doubles (33) and RBI (60). He was voted the starting shortstop for the NL All-Star team, and became the first shortstop in Major League history and first Philly to make the All-Star team in his first two Major League seasons. He was named Best Defensive Shortstop in the NL and third-best NL Baserunner by Baseball America. He also participated in the MLB vs Japan All-Star Series in November in Japan.
.
OF Carl Crawford
and Detroit Tigers SS Carlos Guillén
; his three ten-game hitting streaks throughout the summer and fall months; and his first career grand slam
, hit in the final game of the season against Florida
. He also hit .289 with 14 home runs, including 2 inside-the-park home runs and the first one of his career. 43 doubles, 12 triples, and 119 runs scored rounded off his fourth full season in the majors.
. Rollins hit .379 during the streak, bringing his average for the season to .290. He also hit 38 doubles, 11 triples and 12 home runs, along with stealing 41 bases, to complete his fourth career "quadruple-double." He was also named to the National League
All-Star Team
.
, 9 HR, 40 K) while hitting leadoff, but went on a tear after the All-Star break (he was not invited to the All-Star Game
) with a .319 AVG, .965 OPS, 18 HR, and 15 K's. He set the Phillies' franchise record for home runs in a season by a shortstop with 25, a record he would later break in 2007. Rollins and Chase Utley
(who hit 32 home runs) became the first pair of middle-infielders in National League history to hit at least 25 home runs each in the same season.
It became an instant sports media sensation, especially given that the New York Mets had won the division in 2006 with relative ease. The claim was widely reported, often without the second part of the quote ("only on paper").
Rollins and teammate Ryan Howard
appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman early in the 2007 season, and he refused to back down from his prediction even as the Phillies began the season with a slow start. His first half numbers included a .286 batting average, with 53 RBIs
and 16 home run
s.
On June 28, Rollins had a four-hit game against the Cincinnati Reds, including a game-tying triple. The triple was Rollins' 10th, which gave him his fifth career "quadruple-double". Two months later, Rollins was named the National League Player of the Week for August 27 to September 2, 2007. He recorded seven consecutive multi-hit games from August 26 to August 31 as part of an 18-for-32 stretch, and homered in back-to-back games on August 28 and 29 during the Phillies' four-game sweep of the Mets.
On September 25 against the Atlanta Braves, Rollins hit the home run that completed his 30–30 season
. On the last day of the 2007 season, Rollins became the seventh player to collect at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs
, in one season (and only the fourth player to also have 20 stolen bases in that same year) when he hit his 20th triple of the year in a 6–1 win over the Washington Nationals
that clinched the National League East
division championship for the Phillies. The club would advance to the playoffs for the first time since their 1993 World Series
loss; however, they had to play the Colorado Rockies
, who ended the Phillies season in a three-game sweep in the NLDS
.
Rollins completed his season by winning the National League Most Valuable Player
award, beating out Matt Holliday
of the Colorado Rockies
and Prince Fielder
of the Milwaukee Brewers
. The 17-point voting difference between Rollins and Holliday for NL MVP was the closest since Atlanta Braves third baseman Terry Pendleton
beat out Pittsburgh
's Barry Bonds
by 15 points in 1991. Rollins was the fourth switch-hitter (along with Pendleton, Ken Caminiti
, and Chipper Jones
) to win the MVP since pitcher Vida Blue
in 1971. On November 26, Rollins made another bold prediction on his return to Philadelphia, stating that he expected the team to win 100 games and that they would go deeper into the playoffs next season.
said that with the recent acquisition of Johan Santana
, that he believed that the Mets would win the division. "So this year, to Jimmy Rollins, we are the team to beat." This was a knock-off of Rollins' prediction last year, and when he arrived in camp for the start of Spring Training, the reigning MVP responded:
Rollins opened the year strongly, batting .308 through 12 games. However, on April 20, Rollins was placed on the 15-day disabled list
for the first time in his career after spraining his left ankle while trying to avoid being picked off during a game with the Mets
two weeks earlier. Rollins returned to the starting lineup May 9, 2008, against the San Francisco Giants
. In the game, Rollins went 3-for-5 with a 2-run home run and an RBI double in the 7–4 Phillies win. He went on to finish the month of May hitting .298 with 12 RBI and six steals. Though June was a weaker month for Rollins' hitting, he still hit three home runs, knocked in ten runs, and hit two triples. His offense became a spark in the Phillies' lineup in July as well, as he hit three triples before the All-Star break
alone.
The Phillies proved Rollins' 100-win prediction correct, winning 92 games in the regular season and 11 in the playoffs as they capped the 2008 year off with a National League East
Division title as well as a World Series Championship
. Rollins was honored with a Fielding Bible Award
for defensive excellence as the top MLB shortstop during the year.
in an effort to turn around his season. Towards the end of June Rollins was batting just .195 with a .237 on-base percentage when hitting leadoff, and through July 1 he had the lowest on base percentage (.250) in the major leagues. However, by late September, Rollins had raised his batting average to .250, hitting 21 home runs, 43 doubles, scoring 100 runs, and stealing 31 bases. In game 4 of the 2009 NLCS, Rollins hit the game-winning 2-run double against the Dodgers with one out left to win the game 5–4. However, Rollins' overall poor postseason performance continued, batting only .234 with an OBP of .306 and only 3 extra base hits in 64 at-bats. In the World Series, while his OBP went up to .345 his average dropped to .217.
On June 23, Rollins hit his first-ever walk-off home run
, doing so against Kerry Wood
of the Cleveland Indians
. The two-run blast gave Philadelphia a 7–6 victory. It was Rollins' second game back from the DL.
Most Valuable Player
, and has been named to the National League All-Star
team three times (2001, 2002, 2005). He also became the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to collect at least 200 hits, 15 triples, 25 homers, and 25 stolen bases in one season, and holds the record for most at bats in a season with 716.
Rollins owns the longest hitting streak
in Philadelphia Phillies
history at 38 games, achieved from August 2005 to April 2006. His streak is the longest in the majors since 1987, when Paul Molitor
hit safely in 39 consecutive games, and the longest in the National League since Pete Rose
's 44-game streak in 1978. It is currently the eighth-longest streak in Major League Baseball history. Rollins donated the batting helmet he wore during the streak to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown following a request from the Hall of Fame to document the accomplishment.
Rollins was also a member of the 2009 World Baseball Classic All-WBC team.
. It is held at Lucky Strike Lanes in Philadelphia.
candidate Barack Obama
and introduced Senator Joe Biden
and his wife at a rally in South Philadelphia.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
), nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and former MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
.
Though Rollins has developed into a five-tool player
Five-tool player
In baseball, a five-tool player is one who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities....
during his career due to significant increases in his power hitting, he is perhaps best known for his baserunning skills. He stole at least 20 bases every season from 2001 to 2009, with a career high of 47 in 2008. In this respect, Rollins emulates his childhood baseball hero, Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
.
Family and background
Rollins comes from an athletic family. He grew up watching his mother play competitive fastpitch softballFastpitch softball
Fast-pitch softball is a form of softball played commonly by women and men, though coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. The International Softball Federation is the international governing body of softball...
, and credits the experience for helping him develop a cerebral approach to the game; he has been described as having "a near-photographic memory
Eidetic memory
Eidetic , commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but...
of games and at-bats and pitches
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
".
Rollins also attended the same high school (Encinal High School
Encinal High School
Encinal High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.-Threatened closure:...
) as pitcher Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Willis
Dontrelle Wayne Willis , nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American professional baseball pitcher. Willis is notable for his success during his first few years in the league and for his unconventional pitching style, which includes a high leg kick and exaggerated twisting away from the batter...
, and appeared in several MC Hammer videos in the late 80s. Currently, he is a resident of Woolwich Township
Woolwich Township, New Jersey
Woolwich Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 3,032....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and is married to Johari Smith, his former trainer. They were married on January 23, 2010 in the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
.
Rollins' brother, Antwon, played with minor league affiliates of the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
and the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. His sister, Shay Rollins, was a starter on the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
's women's basketball team, and he is the cousin of former Major League Baseball player Tony Tarasco
Tony Tarasco
Anthony Giacinto Tarasco is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, and New York Mets from 1993 to 2002....
.
Minor leagues
After being drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the 1996 draft1996 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
, Rollins was assigned to the rookie-league Martinsville Phillies
Martinsville Phillies
The Martinsville Phillies were a short season minor league baseball team located in Martinsville, Virginia. Affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies, they existed from 1988 to 1998, playing in the Appalachian League...
. He led the team in walks, batting only .238, but stealing 20 bases. However, he still earned a promotion to low-A Piedmont for the 1997 season. He had a better year at only 18 years old, leading the team in games played, at-bats, runs, hits, triples, stolen bases, and walks all in the same year. He batted .270, stole 46 bases, and had 560 at-bats, more than 100 higher than second-place Dave Francia.
1998 brought Rollins to a higher level of competition at high-A Clearwater. While playing alongside future Phillies teammates Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
, Johnny Estrada
Johnny Estrada
Johnny Pulado Estrada III is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals.Estrada was selected in the 17th round of the 1997 Major...
, Adam Eaton
Adam Eaton
Adam Thomas Eaton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school:Eaton graduated from Snohomish High School in 1996 where he went 8–0 with a 0.67 earned run average as a senior, and earned second team High School All-America honors from Baseball America. Ranked the No...
, and Brandon Duckworth
Brandon Duckworth
Brandon J. Duckworth is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox organization. Graduated in 1994 from Kearns High in Kearns Utah....
, Rollins batted .244 with 18 doubles and 23 stolen bases, though he was the youngest player on the team by two years. Eaton, Burrell, and Rollins were all promoted to AA Reading
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
together the next year, and Rollins led the team in games and at-bats, as well as hits. His 145 hits gave him an average of .273, and led to a late-season promotion to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a professional minor league baseball club located based in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. They currently play in the International League's Northern Division and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club...
, where he played four games. Leading Scranton in games played, doubles, and triples the next season, Rollins helped lead the team to the playoffs, where they defeated the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
in the first round, but lost to Indianapolis
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
in the finals. For his performance, Rollins was rewarded with a September call-up to the Phillies, where he batted .321 in 14 games, stealing three bases and batting in five runs.
2001: Rookie year
Coming into his rookie season of 2001, there was a lot of hype surrounding Rollins and his speed. He did not disappoint, delivering a league-leading 46 stolen bases that season. Rollins was also the Phillies' only representative at the 2001 All-Star game. He finished third in National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Rookie of the Year voting, and was rated the 5th best rookie in the Major Leagues, third-best in the NL, by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
.
2002
In 2002, Rollins finished second among NL shortstops with a .980 fielding percentageFielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
, third in total chances (695), fourth in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
, (504) and fifth in putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s (226), while posting a .245 batting average. He led all NL shortstops in stolen bases and finished third in runs (82), fourth in hits (156) and walks (53) and fifth in doubles (33) and RBI (60). He was voted the starting shortstop for the NL All-Star team, and became the first shortstop in Major League history and first Philly to make the All-Star team in his first two Major League seasons. He was named Best Defensive Shortstop in the NL and third-best NL Baserunner by Baseball America. He also participated in the MLB vs Japan All-Star Series in November in Japan.
2003
Rollins raised his batting average nearly twenty points from the year before in 2003, while hitting 42 doubles and stealing 20 bases. He tied his career high in errors with 14, while making 204 putouts with 463 assists. In June, he had a nine-game hitting streak, his best of the season, and in September of that year, he stole his 100th career base against the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
.
2004
Accomplishments in Rollins' 2004 season included his third "quadruple-double" (four statistical categories—home runs, stolen bases, doubles, and triples—in double figures in a single season), making him one of three players to accomplish this feat during the season, along with Tampa Bay Devil RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
OF Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
and Detroit Tigers SS Carlos Guillén
Carlos Guillén
Carlos Alfonso Guillén is a Major League Baseball second baseman and switch-hitter....
; his three ten-game hitting streaks throughout the summer and fall months; and his first career grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
, hit in the final game of the season against Florida
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. He also hit .289 with 14 home runs, including 2 inside-the-park home runs and the first one of his career. 43 doubles, 12 triples, and 119 runs scored rounded off his fourth full season in the majors.
2005: Beat the streak
The biggest highlight of Rollins' 2005 season came in August and September. Rollins hit safely in 36 straight games up to and including the last game of the season. This broke a franchise record for longest hitting streak established in 1899 by Phillies legend Ed DelahantyEd Delahanty
Edward James Delahanty , nicknamed "Big Ed", was a Major League Baseball player from 1888 to 1903 for the Philadelphia Quakers, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Infants and Washington Senators, and was known as one of the early great power hitters in the game.He was elected to the Baseball Hall of...
. Rollins hit .379 during the streak, bringing his average for the season to .290. He also hit 38 doubles, 11 triples and 12 home runs, along with stealing 41 bases, to complete his fourth career "quadruple-double." He was also named to the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
All-Star Team
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
.
2006
Though he extended his hitting streak to 38 games in the first two games of 2006, Rollins struggled in the first half of the season (.259 AVG, .744 OPSOn-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
, 9 HR, 40 K) while hitting leadoff, but went on a tear after the All-Star break (he was not invited to the All-Star Game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
) with a .319 AVG, .965 OPS, 18 HR, and 15 K's. He set the Phillies' franchise record for home runs in a season by a shortstop with 25, a record he would later break in 2007. Rollins and Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
(who hit 32 home runs) became the first pair of middle-infielders in National League history to hit at least 25 home runs each in the same season.
2007: "The team to beat" and MVP
In January, Rollins stated:
"The Mets had a chance to win the World Series last year. Last year is over. I think we are the team to beat in the NL East, finally. But, that's only on paper."
It became an instant sports media sensation, especially given that the New York Mets had won the division in 2006 with relative ease. The claim was widely reported, often without the second part of the quote ("only on paper").
Rollins and teammate Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman early in the 2007 season, and he refused to back down from his prediction even as the Phillies began the season with a slow start. His first half numbers included a .286 batting average, with 53 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and 16 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s.
On June 28, Rollins had a four-hit game against the Cincinnati Reds, including a game-tying triple. The triple was Rollins' 10th, which gave him his fifth career "quadruple-double". Two months later, Rollins was named the National League Player of the Week for August 27 to September 2, 2007. He recorded seven consecutive multi-hit games from August 26 to August 31 as part of an 18-for-32 stretch, and homered in back-to-back games on August 28 and 29 during the Phillies' four-game sweep of the Mets.
On September 25 against the Atlanta Braves, Rollins hit the home run that completed his 30–30 season
30-30 club
The 30–30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season....
. On the last day of the 2007 season, Rollins became the seventh player to collect at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs
20–20–20 club
The 20–20–20 club is a term coined by sportswriters that describes a fairly exclusive group of Major League Baseball players: those who have reached the 20 double, 20 triple, and 20 home run plateaus in the same season...
, in one season (and only the fourth player to also have 20 stolen bases in that same year) when he hit his 20th triple of the year in a 6–1 win over the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
that clinched the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
division championship for the Phillies. The club would advance to the playoffs for the first time since their 1993 World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
loss; however, they had to play the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, who ended the Phillies season in a three-game sweep in the NLDS
2007 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies:-Game 1, October 3:Chase Field in Phoenix, ArizonaEighteen-game winners Carlos Zambrano and Brandon Webb matched each other pitch for pitch in the opening game of the series. Stephen Drew's fourth-inning home run stood as the game's only run until Ryan...
.
Rollins completed his season by winning the National League Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award, beating out Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
of the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
and Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. The 17-point voting difference between Rollins and Holliday for NL MVP was the closest since Atlanta Braves third baseman Terry Pendleton
Terry Pendleton
Terry Lee Pendleton is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball, and a former hitting coach and current first base coach of the Atlanta Braves. He played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, but he also spent time with the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, and Kansas...
beat out Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
's Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
by 15 points in 1991. Rollins was the fourth switch-hitter (along with Pendleton, Ken Caminiti
Ken Caminiti
Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University...
, and Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
) to win the MVP since pitcher Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
in 1971. On November 26, Rollins made another bold prediction on his return to Philadelphia, stating that he expected the team to win 100 games and that they would go deeper into the playoffs next season.
2008: Defending the division title
Early on, Mets outfielder Carlos BeltranCarlos Beltrán
Carlos Iván Beltrán is a Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:In his youth, Beltrán excelled in many sports, with volleyball and baseball being his favorites. At his father's urging, he gave up volleyball to concentrate on baseball when he was seventeen...
said that with the recent acquisition of Johan Santana
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
, that he believed that the Mets would win the division. "So this year, to Jimmy Rollins, we are the team to beat." This was a knock-off of Rollins' prediction last year, and when he arrived in camp for the start of Spring Training, the reigning MVP responded:
"There isn’t a team in the National League that’s better than us. The pressure’s back on them if you ask me. They were on paper the best team in the division last year and they were supposed to win, and they didn’t. One, there are four other teams in our division who are going to make sure that doesn't happen, and two, has anyone ever heard of plagiarism? That was pretty good, especially coming from him. He's a quiet guy, so it was probably shocking when he said it. Not shocking in a bad way, like 'Wow, I can't believe he said that.' More like, 'Wow, he finally said something because he's a leader on that team and you definitely need to be a vocal leader."
Rollins opened the year strongly, batting .308 through 12 games. However, on April 20, Rollins was placed on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
for the first time in his career after spraining his left ankle while trying to avoid being picked off during a game with the Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
two weeks earlier. Rollins returned to the starting lineup May 9, 2008, against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. In the game, Rollins went 3-for-5 with a 2-run home run and an RBI double in the 7–4 Phillies win. He went on to finish the month of May hitting .298 with 12 RBI and six steals. Though June was a weaker month for Rollins' hitting, he still hit three home runs, knocked in ten runs, and hit two triples. His offense became a spark in the Phillies' lineup in July as well, as he hit three triples before the All-Star break
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
alone.
The Phillies proved Rollins' 100-win prediction correct, winning 92 games in the regular season and 11 in the playoffs as they capped the 2008 year off with a National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
Division title as well as a World Series Championship
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
. Rollins was honored with a Fielding Bible Award
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process...
for defensive excellence as the top MLB shortstop during the year.
2009
In 2009, Rollins started the season unlike his previous season, and at one point was hitting so poorly that he was benched four games in June by manager Charlie ManuelCharlie Manuel
Charles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current Major League Baseball manager of the Philadelphia Phillies...
in an effort to turn around his season. Towards the end of June Rollins was batting just .195 with a .237 on-base percentage when hitting leadoff, and through July 1 he had the lowest on base percentage (.250) in the major leagues. However, by late September, Rollins had raised his batting average to .250, hitting 21 home runs, 43 doubles, scoring 100 runs, and stealing 31 bases. In game 4 of the 2009 NLCS, Rollins hit the game-winning 2-run double against the Dodgers with one out left to win the game 5–4. However, Rollins' overall poor postseason performance continued, batting only .234 with an OBP of .306 and only 3 extra base hits in 64 at-bats. In the World Series, while his OBP went up to .345 his average dropped to .217.
2010
Rollins strained his right calf just before the start of the game on April 12, 2010, and was scratched from the lineup. The Phillies still won the game 6–1. Rollins had an MRI on April 13, showing a strained calf. On April 14, Rollins was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the second time in his career.On June 23, Rollins hit his first-ever walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
, doing so against Kerry Wood
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood is a National Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wood recorded over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003....
of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. The two-run blast gave Philadelphia a 7–6 victory. It was Rollins' second game back from the DL.
Statistics and achievements
Rollins was named the 2007 National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, and has been named to the National League All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team three times (2001, 2002, 2005). He also became the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to collect at least 200 hits, 15 triples, 25 homers, and 25 stolen bases in one season, and holds the record for most at bats in a season with 716.
Rollins owns the longest hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
in Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
history at 38 games, achieved from August 2005 to April 2006. His streak is the longest in the majors since 1987, when Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
hit safely in 39 consecutive games, and the longest in the National League since Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's 44-game streak in 1978. It is currently the eighth-longest streak in Major League Baseball history. Rollins donated the batting helmet he wore during the streak to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown following a request from the Hall of Fame to document the accomplishment.
Rollins was also a member of the 2009 World Baseball Classic All-WBC team.
Honors and awards
In 2008, he was inducted into the Arizona Fall League (AFL) Hall of Fame. He is the fifth AFL alumnus to receive the American League or National League's Most Valuable Player Award.BaseBOWL Charity Tournament
Rollins hosts an annual charity bowling tournament that features teammates, celebrities and musicians. The money raised is used to help benefit the Arthritis FoundationArthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation is the largest national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to the prevention, control and cure of arthritis, the leading cause of disability in the United States....
. It is held at Lucky Strike Lanes in Philadelphia.
2008 presidential campaign
In 2008, Rollins campaigned for United States presidentialUnited States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and introduced Senator Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
and his wife at a rally in South Philadelphia.
"It's hard to explain, but some people just captivate you and that's what he does. Obama seems like the right guy… Even though he supports the White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, I forgive him… It didn't strike me as strange to campaign for the guy who'll raise my taxes. If raising my taxes a little helps America become a better place then I'm all for it. You have to build from the bottom."
Music career
Rollins owns his own music label called Bay Sluggas, Inc.; the label's first signed group is "The League." Rollins said that two singles were expected to be released before the CD is out in January 2008, though these singles have failed to surface. Jimmy has also recorded his own original hip-hop track, entitled "Wish List," which was included on Major League Baseball's charity CD, "Oh Say, Can You Sing?"See also
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples records
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases