Thursday afternoon the Philadelphia Phillies announced they will be inducting former MVP shortstop Jimmy Rollins into the Phillies Wall of Fame on August 1, before the Phillies’ 6:45 p.m. matchup against the Detroit Tigers.
Jimmy Rollins was drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the 1996 MLB Draft. The 5’7” shortstop would make his debut on September 17, 2000 against the Florida Marlins, where he would quickly introduce himself to the big leagues going 2-4 with a triple and a stolen base.
In 2001, Rollins would be the Phillies opening day shortstop and establish himself as one of the best shortstops in the league as a rookie. Rollins would be an All-Star in his rookie season after slashing .274/.323/.419. He also led the league in triples (12) and was tied for first in stolen bases (46). Rollins would finish third place in Rookie of the Year voting that season.
In his 15 years as the Phils shortstop, Rollins would make three All-Star appearances (2001, 2002, 2005), win four golden gloves (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012), a silver slugger (2007), a National League MVP (2007), and become a World Series champion (2008). He would also win the Roberto Clemente Award in 2014 for his outstanding community engagement.
Despite his frame, Rollins was one of the best shortstops of the 2000s and retired as the best shortstop in Phillies history. Here’s where he sits in the franchise ranks: first in hits (2,306), first in doubles (479), second in total bases (3,655), second in stolen bases (453), third in runs scored (1,325), and third in triples (111). He also is only the fourth player in MLB history to hit 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 20 triples, and steal 20 bases in a single season (2007).
Rollins was truly one of a kind and on August 1 the Philadelphia Phillies will pay tribute to J-Roll with the team’s most distinguished honor. We will see if this recognition will get the Phillies legend any closer to Cooperstown.
Thank you for Reading!
Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)
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