A Crucial Year for J-Roll

By Amy McCormick

We all know and love Jimmy Rollins for three reasons (other than his athleticism): his leadership, his personality, and his swagger.  Though once thought of as arrogant and not received very well in this city, Jimmy has an infectious, endearing personality that Phillies fans can’t get enough of.  No one else could pull off making predictions the way that J-Roll does.  No one else can light up a city with his smile the way J-Roll does.  And no one sprays bottles of champagne quite the way J-Roll does.

Jimmy is coming up on a contract year, and it raises the question: will he remain a Phillie? There are some factors that will influence the Phillies’ decision making process, such as budget, that I won’t get into.  I’d rather focus on why we’d want to keep Rollins and why Rollins would want to stay.

As a batter, Jimmy’s numbers have dwindled from the .290s to about .250 over the past several years.  Granted, in 2010, he played only 88 games due to injury.  His WAR was only 1.7 (consider that it was 6.1 in his MVP year, 2007).  Now, don’t get me wrong, and save the hate mail.  I love Jimmy Rollins and think that he’s a great shortstop; I’m merely stating facts.  Truth be told, Wilson Valdez is the same age, had the same WAR in 2010, and a better batting average.  I’m hoping that Jimmy’s numbers from last year were due more in part to his injury than to his age.  The man is 32 years old.  Outside of MLB, 32 is actually quite young (says the 32 year old writer).  In terms of baseball, though, he’s just not getting any younger.   

I wish my man Cole Hamels could give me some inside information in terms of what Jimmy wants to do in 2012.  He doesn’t like talking about it, though.  Some “man code” or whatever.  My opinion is that J-Roll will want to complete his career in Philadelphia.  It’s all he knows as a Major League player … and who wouldn’t want to be a part of the greatest team on earth?  I think he has found a niche in the clubhouse (and the city) as a true leader, and at this point, it’s hard to picture the team without him. 

What do I want to see from Jimmy this year? Personally, I think he’s our best bet for a leadoff hitter.  What I’d like to see from him, though, is some patience at the plate.  I started a drinking game last season – take a shot every time Jimmy pops out on the first pitch – and frankly, my husband started to get a little sick of me being belligerently drunk by the end of a game.  Rollins needs to wait for his pitch, find a gap, and get on base.  Period.  I want to see him stealing second unless notified otherwise.  I want him healthy, above all else, but I also want him to be aggressive in every sense.  I want to see him fielding balls like the beast we all know he can be, getting base hits and getting himself into scoring position. 

I have confidence that Rollins can have a standout season, and I think he’ll be able to get the Phils to pay him well in a new contract.  I’d like to see him stay in Philly, but I think there’s a lot depending upon his performance this season.  I’d love to see his prediction of 100+ wins this season proven to be true.  One thing is for sure, though.  I want Jimmy healthy, focused, and playing 162 games to lead the Phillies to his bold prediction.  Bring it, J-Roll.  Swagger and all.