James Calvin Rollins (born November 27, 1978), nicknamed "J-Roll",
is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professiona ...
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
, who played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
(MLB) for the
Philadelphia Phillies (–),
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...
(), and
Chicago White Sox ().
After growing up in
Alameda, California, and attending
Encinal High School, Rollins was drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the
1996 MLB draft. After spending most of five seasons with Phillies
minor league teams, he made his big league debut on September 17, 2000.
At the major league level, Rollins quickly earned recognition as an excellent defensive shortstop. In , he became the Phillies'
leadoff hitter, a role he retained for almost ten years. Rollins made three
All-Star Game appearances in his career. While with the Phillies, he compiled a 38-game
hitting streak, which spanned the end of the
2005 season and the start of the
2006 season, the longest in team history. Rollins was named the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
(NL)
Most Valuable Player (MVP) in , as the Phillies won their division in the first of five consecutive seasons. He was also a key component of the
2008 World Series champion team that defeated the
Tampa Bay Rays.
In his career, Rollins led the NL four times in
triples
TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...
, and once each in runs,
stolen bases, and stolen base percentage.
As of 2021, he is the Phillies career leader in at bats (8,628), hits (2,306),
doubles (479), and
power-speed number (292.5), second in games played (2,090) and stolen bases (453), and third in runs scored (1,325), triples (111), and stolen base percentage (82.66).
Rollins won the
Gold Glove Award four times, as well as the
Silver Slugger Award, and the
Roberto Clemente Award (once each).
Family and background
Rollins grew up in
Alameda as a member of an athletic family.
His mother played competitive
fastpitch softball, and he credits the experience with helping him develop a cerebral approach to the game, as well as a passion for the middle infield. His father was a wrestler and weightlifter.
Rollins has been described as having "a near-
photographic memory of games and
at-bats and
pitches". Rollins' brother, Antwon, played with minor league affiliates of the
Texas Rangers. 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 MLB player
Tony Tarasco.
Despite the athletes in his family, his father encouraged Rollins to pursue music as well as baseball. Rollins played the
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...
while growing up, and participated in various
MC Hammer and
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Dur ...
music videos
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
during his adolescent years.
Rollins was an
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...
fan growing up and regularly attended games at
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum.
In 1996, Rollins graduated from Encinal High School in Alameda.
His parents refused to let him continue playing
football, instead directing him to focus on baseball.
He finished his high school baseball career as the holder of 10 school records, including highest
batting average (.484), and most
stolen bases (99). For his performance, ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'' named him a member of its All-USA High School Baseball Team, and ''
Baseball America'' named him the top infielder in
Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
, as well as a second-team All-American.
The
American Baseball Coaches Association and
Rawlings also named Rollins to their
All-America Second Team. He committed to play college baseball at
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in t ...
on a scholarship, but after "effusive" praise from Phillies'
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
scout Bob Poole, the team drafted him in the second round of the
1996 Major League Baseball draft.
Professional career
Minor leagues: 1996–2000
After being drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the
1996 draft,
Rollins was assigned to the rookie-league
Martinsville Phillies. He led the team in walks and stole 20 bases, but batted only .238/.351/.285.
However, Rollins still earned a promotion to the low-A
Piedmont Boll Weevils for the 1997 season. The youngest player on the team at age 18,
he led the team in games played, at-bats, runs (94; 5th in the league), hits (151; 4th), triples (8; tied for 4th), stolen bases (46; 5th), and walks.
Rollins batted .270/.330/.370 and had 560 at-bats, over 100 more than second-place Dave Francia.
For his performance, he was named a co-winner of the
Paul Owens Award
This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Philadelphia Phillies professional baseball team.
Award winners
Most Valuable Player (NL)
:Note: This award was known as the Kenesaw Mountain Landis Memorial Baseball Award 1944-2019.
: ...
, given to the Phillies' top minor league player. At the end of the season, Rollins played in the
Florida Instructional League.
Rollins was promoted to high-A
Clearwater in 1998. While playing alongside future Phillies teammates
Pat Burrell,
Johnny Estrada,
Adam Eaton, and
Brandon Duckworth, Rollins batted .244/.306/.354 with 18 doubles and 23 stolen bases; once again, he was the youngest player on the team. 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. In 2000, he led Scranton in games played, doubles, and triples, and helped lead the team to the playoffs.
Rollins received a
September call-up to the Phillies. He debuted on September 17 Wearing #29 against the
Florida Marlins and had two hits in four at-bats in the game, with his first MLB hit being a triple off of
Chuck Smith of the Marlins. He batted .321 in 14 games, stealing three bases and batting in five runs.
After the season, ''
Baseball America'' named him the Phillies' top organizational prospect. He was a finalist for the
United States national baseball team to participate in the
2000 Olympics.
Philadelphia Phillies
2001–2004
Rollins switched uniform numbers from 29 to what would be his permanent uniform number 11, despite wearing number 6 for the 2003 season only. Rollins spent the entire 2001 season with the major league Phillies and hit his first MLB home run on May 2 off of
Brian Bohanon of the
Colorado Rockies. He achieved several statistical milestones, including a "quadruple-double" (double digit doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases).
Moreover, he led the National League in triples and stolen bases, becoming the first rookie to do so since 1951, as well as leading the NL in at bats.
He was a member of the NL all-star team in the
2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 72nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10 ...
, the Phillies only representative. In July, he took over from
Doug Glanville as the Phillies'
leadoff hitter, a role he maintained for nearly a decade.
At the conclusion of the season, the
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum named him the co-winner of the
Cool Papa Bell Award, given to the stolen bases leader; MLB managers voted him to the
Topps Major League Rookie All-Star team; and ''Baseball America'' named him the fifth-best rookie in MLB.
Entering the 2002 season, despite his youth, Rollins sought to be a leader in the Phillies' clubhouse; an article in ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Penns ...
'' said, "Rollins, even at just 23 years old, may now have the clout needed to be a stern voice that makes a difference in the clubhouse and on the field."
Rollins' season was characterized by a strong first half, and a "sophomore jinx" at the plate that plagued him in the second half of the season.
For his performance in the early months of the season, he earned his second consecutive selection to the
MLB All-Star game, in doing so becoming the first Phillie and first MLB shortstop ever to reach the game in each of his first two seasons.
After the all-star game, however, he struggled at the plate, striking out frequently and chasing many high pitches that were out of the
strike zone.
Ultimately, Rollins finished the season among the NL leaders in defensive statistics – he compiled a .980 fielding percentage (second in NL), 695 total chances (third in NL), 504
assists (fourth in NL), and 226
putouts (fifth in NL). Meanwhile, offensively, he regressed from his 2001 campaign, batting .245/.306/.380 with 11 home runs, but still leading the NL with 10 triples; he stole 31 bases, 15 fewer than he did in 2001. After the season, he participated in the
Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series.
Prior to the 2003 season, he worked with
Tony Gwynn on skills at the plate, predominantly using the whole field and being more of a "
slap hitter".
However, he began the season slowly, sustaining a hamstring injury in spring training that hindered his progress, and ultimately struggling at the plate early in the season, causing manager
Larry Bowa to drop him in the lineup. Throughout the season, he sought to maintain the focus that he admitted to having lost the previous season, and he eventually rebounded to post a "respectable" stat line – a .263/.320/.387 with eight home runs and 62 RBIs, though he stole what at the time was a career-low 20 bases.
Among his season highlights were a game-winning RBI against
John Smoltz in June, and stealing his 100th career base in September, both of which occurred in games against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
.
On January 15, Rollins signed a $2.4 million contract with the Phillies to avoid
salary arbitration. According to one biography of Rollins,
Overall, he achieved another "quadruple-double" (home runs, stolen bases, doubles, and triples in double figures in a single season), his first career
grand slam and posted career highs in a plethora of offensive categories including batting average, slugging percentage, RBIs, and hits.
2005–2007
Under new manager
Charlie Manuel, whose offensive strategy predominantly revolved around hitting many
home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...
, Rollins struggled to post a strong batting average early in the
Phillies' 2005 season.
Nevertheless, he was again selected to the
NL All-Star team.
His offensive strategy changed in early August, when he began a
hitting streak that spanned the season's final 36 games; during the streak, he hit .379.
It was the longest hitting streak in Phillies' history, surpassing
Ed Delahanty, whose streak lasted 31 games. Throughout the streak, Rollins aspired to maintain a team-first mentality, and noted that he would trade the streak for a playoff berth: "If we lose and I keep the streak, what does that mean? The season is automatically over. The playoffs is everything. That's what we all want." Ultimately, the Phillies missed the playoffs by one game. Overall, Rollins compiled his fourth career quadruple-double, tying
Johnny Damon for most among active players, and batted .290/.338/.431 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases.
The 2006 Phillies season began with much hype surrounding Rollins, and whether he could extend his hitting streak to pass
Joe DiMaggio's record
56 games. He extended the streak two games into the season, but it ended on April 6 when he failed to get a hit in a game against the
St. Louis Cardinals. He struggled during the first half of the season, posting a batting average of just .259, but rebounded during the second half, ultimately posting strong cumulative numbers once again.
He became the third player in Phillies' history to score at least 100 runs in three consecutive seasons (
Chuck Klein and
Bobby Abreu), and led all NL shortstops in RBIs, runs scored, extra-base hits, and
total bases. He was just short, however, of another quadruple-double. Cumulatively, he hit .277/.334/.478 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs (at the time, the latter two were career-highs) and 36 stolen bases.
Once again, the Phillies barely missed the playoffs.
Before spring training, Rollins announced that the Phillies were the "Team to Beat" in the National League East:
It became a 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"). ''USA Today'' columnist Hal Bodley opined, "The Phillies have needed someone to light a fire, especially in April. Rollins' bold, if not arrogant, prediction might just do that." During the first half of the season, it appeared Rollins had spoken prematurely, as the Mets jumped out to an early divisional lead.
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".
In August, the Mets' lead began to dissipate, as the Phillies combined several solid series; Rollins was a key component of their success. Rollins was named the National League Player of the Week for August 27 to September 2, 2007.
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, and 20 home runs in one season when he hit his 20th triple of the year in a 6–1 win over the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...
that clinched the
National League East division championship for the Phillies, which confirmed Rollins' preseason assertion of the Phillies preeminence.
For the 2007 season, he batted .296/.344/.531 and led the league in games (162), at bats (716), runs (139), and triples (20), was second in hits (212), total bases (380), extra base hits (88), and
power-speed number (34.6), and had 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases (5th in the league).
The club advanced to the playoffs for the first time since their
1993 World Series loss; however, they were swept by the
Colorado Rockies in the
National League Division Series.
Rollins was named the National League's
Most Valuable Player. He also received the
NLBM Oscar Charleston Legacy Award (NL MVP), and won the first of three consecutive Gold Glove Awards, becoming the first Phillies shortstop to win a Gold Glove since
Larry Bowa in .
He was the first player in MLB history to record 200 hits, 20 triples, 30 home runs, and 30 stolen bases in a season. Rollins also set a single-season MLB record for plate appearances with 778.
2008–2011
Unlike in spring training 2007, Rollins "made no guarantees heading into the next season, but that didn't mean the Phillies weren't confident" entering
their 2008 season, despite the Mets' acquisition of
Johan Santana and a "2007 Rollins-esque" guarantee of winning the division from
Carlos Beltrán.
After beginning the season by hitting a home run on opening day, Rollins landed on the
disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
(DL) for the first time in his career in early April, suffering an ankle sprain.
He returned in May, and had a "productive" summer, ultimately posting a career-high 47 stolen bases, notwithstanding his batting average dropping to .277, and his home run and RBI totals dropping to 11 and 59 respectively.
In the postseason, Rollins was a focal point of the team, which ultimately won the
2008 World Series; in the
division series (NLDS), he hit a leadoff home run in game four, and in the
championship series (NLCS), he hit a leadoff home run in game five, and despite struggles early in the World Series, he eventually contributed with strong
situational hitting, helping the Phillies win the series in five games.
At the conclusion of the season, Rollins was honored with a
Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence as the top MLB shortstop during the year.
Rollins began 2009 by participating in the
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26.
Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference t ...
(WBC) as a member of
Team USA; he hit .417 and was named to the all-tournament team. After setting a career high in stolen bases in 2008, he did not steal one in the season's first 17 games, his longest drought to begin a season since 2004. On May 21, he reached the 1500-hit milestone in a game against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
.
As of the end of June, however, he was hitting just .205 (he went 28 consecutive at-bats without a hit from the end of June until July 2),
and was benched for four games by
Charlie Manuel in an effort to encourage him to regain the shorter, lower half-driven swing that he used in his 2007 MVP campaign.
He did improve in the second half of the season, batting .288 from July 3 to the end of the year. Overall, he compiled an NL-leading 672 at-bats, finished fourth in doubles (43) and stolen bases (31), and tenth in runs (100); in addition, he had a .250 batting average, 21 home runs (five of which were leadoff, the most in his career), and 77 RBIs, also winning the National League
Gold Glove award for shortstops. In the postseason, he helped the Phillies reach the
2009 World Series by hitting a walk-off double in game four of the
NLCS
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
.
The Phillies failed to repeat as champions, however, losing to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...
in six games.
Rollins's 2010 season was marked by injuries; he missed a total of 74 games, playing in only 88, the lowest total of his major league career.
While warming up in the outfield prior to the Phillies' game on April 12, he strained his right calf, and eventually was placed on the disabled list. He spent April 13–May 16, and May 22–June 21 on the DL with that injury;
Wilson Valdez served as his backup.
When he returned, he hit his first career
walk-off home run on June 23, powering the Phillies to a 7–6 victory over the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...
. On July 3, he hit his 150th career home run in a game against the
Pittsburgh Pirates, and on October 1, he hit his third career
grand slam in a game against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
.
Overall, he hit .243 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs.
He maintained his strong defense despite poor offense, but after his third consecutive mediocre offensive season, some questioned whether his MVP campaign in 2007 was a fluke.
2011 was a
contract year for Rollins, and his performance concurrently rebounded, insofar as he improved his batting average, and home run and RBI totals.
He made his 11th consecutive opening day start, and, for the first time in several seasons, he was healthy at the beginning of the season, starting the season's first 49 games. Nevertheless, it took him 54 plate appearances to record his first RBI, the longest drought of his career. On July 20, for the second time in his career, he had a multi-home run game in which one home run came batting right-handed and the other left-handed, the first Phillies player to do it multiple times.
His season was not entirely devoid of injuries; on August 22, a right groin strain landed him on the DL, causing him to miss 18 games. He returned in time for the playoffs, and set several Phillies records in the
2011 NLDS
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*''El ...
, including hits (9), doubles (4), and multi-hit games (4).
Despite the records, the Phillies lost the series to the
St. Louis Cardinals. Overall, he posted a .268 batting average with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs.
At the season's conclusion, Rollins was selected as the shortstop on the ''MLB Insiders Club Magazine'' All-Postseason Team. On December 17, 2011, Rollins signed a three-year, $33 million deal with a vesting option for a fourth year, worth another $11 million. The option vested when he reached 1,100 plate appearances in 2013–14.
2012–2014
In 2012, Rollins epitomized the Phillies' general "averageness" by posting a .250 batting average with 23 home runs and 68 RBIs. He hit poorly in the beginning of the season, and did not hit a home run until his 136th at bat of the season, the second-longest it had ever taken him to hit a home run at the beginning of a season.
He missed three games from May 21–23 for the birth of his first daughter. On July 31, he hit his fourth career
inside-the-park home run
In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer".
Discussion
To score ...
, which led active players.
His hitting improved over the latter half of the season,
and in September, he hit eight home runs.
He missed the final three games of the season with a calf strain. During the season, he joined
Craig Biggio,
Barry Larkin, and
Paul Molitor as the only players in MLB history to record 2000 hits, 350 stolen bases, and 150 home runs as a member of one team. It was his fourth career season during which he hit at least 20 home runs and stole 30 bases, which trailed only
Bobby and
Barry Bonds.
Prior to the 2013 season, Rollins played for Team USA in the
2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC), and was the only player from Team USA to make the event's all-star team; it was his second WBC, and second placement on the all-star team.
He was back to the Phillies in time for opening day, and made his 13th consecutive start on opening day. Overall, he tied for fifth in the NL in games (160), and led the team with 600 at-bats, 151 hits, 36 doubles, and 59 walks. He achieved several career milestones during the season, including his 800th RBI (April 22), his 433 double (breaking
Ed Delahanty's record on May 15), and his 45th career leadoff home run (fourth most in MLB history; hit on July 20).
Despite the achievements, overall, the season was a decline from previous years; his
isolated power (ISO) was among the worst in the major leagues, he attempted to steal the fewest bases in his career, and his defense "tanked" according to fielding
metrics. He "struggled mightily" and ultimately posted a .252 batting average with six home runs and 39 RBIs.
Rollins attracted media attention in the offseason prior to 2014 when he supposedly expressed disinclination or lack of motivation after commenting "who cares" in regards to spring training;
Buster Olney penned a column suggesting that there was a sentiment within the Phillies' organization that he should be traded (the rumors were dispelled by Rollins and Phillies general manager
Rubén Amaro, Jr. as ridiculous). He opened the season by hitting a
grand slam against the
Texas Rangers, which was also his 200th career home run. After two games, Rollins left the team on
paternity leave to be with his wife as the couple had their second child. On June 14, Rollins singled to right field for his 2,235th hit to surpass
Mike Schmidt as the Phillies' all-time leader in hits. The game paused as Schmidt and the remainder of the Phillies congratulated Rollins at first base. Following the season, Rollins and recently retired
Chicago White Sox captain
Paul Konerko became the first ever co-winners of the
Roberto Clemente Award.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On December 19, 2014, Rollins was traded to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...
in exchange for minor league pitchers Tom Windle and
Zach Eflin. Rollins waived his no-trade clause and stated that he was expecting to take on a leadership position with his new team.
Rollins played his first game with the Dodgers during opening day against the
San Diego Padres on April 6, 2015, hitting a 3-run homer off of
Shawn Kelley, giving the Dodgers a 6–3 victory over the Padres. He struggled offensively with the Dodgers, hitting a career low .224 (the lowest batting average among all qualified major league batters)/.285/.358 with 13 homers and 41 RBI. He also stole 12 bases. In September, he lost his starting job to rookie
Corey Seager. For the final game of the season, manager
Don Mattingly designated Rollins to be the 2015 player manager.
Chicago White Sox
On February 22, 2016, Rollins signed a minor league contract with the
Chicago White Sox that included an invitation to major league spring training. He competed with
Tyler Saladino for a starting role at shortstop. At the end of spring training, the team announced that Rollins would serve as their
Opening Day shortstop. Due to Rollins' familiar number 11 already being retired in honor of
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, ...
, Rollins wore number 7 for the White Sox, which the following year would be worn by the man who replaced Rollins at shortstop,
Tim Anderson.
Rollins batted .221/.295/.329 with 2 home runs and 5 stolen bases in 41 games for the White Sox.
On June 10, he was
designated for assignment so the White Sox could promote
Tim Anderson from the minor leagues.
San Francisco Giants
On December 19, 2016, Rollins signed a minor league contract with the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
that included an invitation to spring training. He was released on March 31, 2017.
Rollins through 2018 was 20th all-time among MLB players in career
power-speed number (309.8), 31st in
stolen base percentage (81.74), 42nd in
assists (6,139), and 46th in stolen bases (470).
In his career, he led the National League four times in
triples
TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...
, and once each in runs, stolen bases, and stolen base percentage.
As of 2018, he was the Phillies career leader in at bats (8,628), hits (2,306), doubles (479), and power-speed number (292.5), second in games played (2,090) and stolen bases (453), and third in runs (1,325), triples (111), and stolen base percentage (82.66).
Rollins was included on the ballot for the
National Baseball Hall of Fame class of when it was announced on November 22, 2021.
Post-playing career
In 2019, Rollins returned to the Phillies in two separate capacities: in January, as a special advisor for the team; and in March, as an on-air
commentator for their television broadcasts. On May 4, 2019, a retirement ceremony honoring Rollins was held at Citizens Bank Park; the Phillies have not retired Rollins' uniform number 11, although it has not been reissued since he wore it.
After advising the team since 2019, the Phillies announced on March 31, 2022, that Rollins had been named a special advisor to the president of baseball operations.
Player profile
Offense
Growing up, Rollins admired
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson (born December 25, 1958) is an American retired professional baseball left fielder who played his 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four separate tenures with hi ...
, one of the best
leadoff hitters in MLB history, and especially early in his career, he sought to emulate Henderson at the plate.
This contributed to his propensity to swing early in the count, and chase high pitches, seeking to hit home runs rather than get on base, the stereotypical role of a leadoff hitter. Consequently, he struggled to make contact with the ball, striking out too much, and rarely walking.
To help alleviate those predominantly negative tendencies, he worked with
Tony Gwynn prior to the 2003 season on using the whole field, and hitting more ground balls than pop-ups.
Overall, he "always had a hard time accepting that he is vertically challenged at 5-foot-8", which contributed to his inclination to strive to hit for power rather than contact, and to seek to pull the ball rather than use the whole field. Rollins is the Phillies all-time leader in hits, and has the second-most stolen bases in Phillies history.
Defense
A "supreme defensive shortstop", Rollins won four
Gold Glove Awards, and only
Omar Vizquel has a better
fielding percentage among shortstops who played at least 10 seasons.
Rollins attributes some of his defensive prowess to experience, noting that he played in MLB for a long enough time to know most hitters' tendencies and to learn how to read swings, both of which helped him appropriately position himself to get to as many balls as possible.
In their 2011 season preview, ''
Lindy's Sports'' commented that Rollins was an upper-echelon shortstop "with soft hands, excellent agility and plus range left and right" and praised his strong throwing arm, especially from the
hole
A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in many fields of en ...
.
Personal life
Rollins resides in the
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...
, area and is married to Johari Smith. They were married on January 23, 2010, in the
Cayman Islands. On May 21, 2012, Johari gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Camryn Drew Rollins. Their second daughter, Logan Aliya, was born in early April 2014. When he played for the Phillies, Rollins resided in
Woolwich Township, New Jersey.
Osiris Johnson, a cousin of Rollins, is also a baseball player, and was drafted in the second round, 37th overall in the
2018 draft by the Miami Marlins.
An active
philanthropist, Rollins and his wife Johari have participated in several charitable endeavors including the creation of The Johari & Jimmy Rollins Center for Animal Rehabilitation, which is located in Woolwich Township, New Jersey, and provides several medical rehabilitation services for animals and an annual BaseBOWL charity bowling tournament to benefit the
Arthritis Foundation. Rollins is also active politically and campaigned for
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
in the
2008 presidential election. In 2020, he supported
Bernie Sanders for president.
Rollins is an investor for
esports team
NRG Esports.
See also
*
20–20–20 club
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 20–20–20 club is the group of batters who have collected 20 doubles, 20 triples and 20 home runs in a single season. Frank Schulte was the first to achieve this, doing so in 1911. The last players to rea ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
In baseball, a triple is recorded when the ball is hit so that the batter is able to advance all the way to third base, scoring any runners who were already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play. In Major League Baseball (ML ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career assists leaders
In baseball, an assist (denoted by A) is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the ''defensive'' team controls the ball. An assist is credited to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball (after it has ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career at-bat leaders
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance no matter what happens during his turn at bat. A batter is not c ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a shortstop leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
Listed are all Major League Baseball (MLB) players with 1,000 or more career runs scored. Players in bold face are active as of the 2022 Major League Baseball season.
Key
List
*Stats updated through the 2022 season.
Through the end of th ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball triples records
References
External links
Jimmy Rollinsat Baseball Almanac
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rollins, Jimmy
1978 births
Living people
African-American baseball players
Baseball players from Oakland, California
California Democrats
Chicago White Sox players
Clearwater Phillies players
Clearwater Threshers players
Gold Glove Award winners
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball shortstops
Martinsville Phillies players
National League All-Stars
National League Most Valuable Player Award winners
National League stolen base champions
People from Woolwich Township, New Jersey
Philadelphia Phillies announcers
Philadelphia Phillies players
Piedmont Boll Weevils players
Reading Phillies players
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players
Silver Slugger Award winners
Baseball players from Philadelphia
World Baseball Classic players of the United States
2009 World Baseball Classic players
2013 World Baseball Classic players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople
Águilas del Zulia players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela