Phillies Nation

I think everyones over-reacting. He was late, and he say’s it’s done so it’s done. The last thing that’s going to help this team is people making a big deal out of this. He was in the wrong, but it’s a bit harsh that people single him out as the only team leader. Just because he’s louder than Burrell and Utley dosn’t mean he shoulders more responsibility, all players are equal.

You’re not wrong Tim. I just think it’s a bit un-fair that everyone expects Rollins to carry the team. I’m just angry at how poor they were over the entire series, everyone sucked except Moyer, Bruntlett and Taguchi. I never thought i’d say that…

Well that’s interesting you brought that up. Look at those guys.

Moyer: Oldest man in league, probably at this point immune to any malaise and just sticks to his game.

Bruntlett: Doesn’t get many shots to play well, but always gives his all.

Taguchi: Very soft-spoken but grateful to get a chance.

Ruiz didn’t play too bad in this series either (boy, what a weird feeling this all is). Point is, the guys who really put their effort in all the time are are the ones playing well. The guys who seem to want to get in there and win, are winning.

Ruiz actually played pretty well in this series..

Bruntlett was the add-on to the greatest trade that Gillick (who for some reason 75% of the people on here think is a bad GM.) made with Lidge.. talk about a solid pickup!

I was surprised to hear about the driving vs. team bus stuff… isn’t it called the “team bus” for a reason.. what if there is a car accident or something.. im just saying..

I agree with Fred. Tim…are you fanning the flames of a minor issue for the sake of feedback to your blog? ;-)

The team and management have more important issues to worry about than the unintended tardiness of one player. Because his name is Rollins and that it happened in a media-hyped series vs the Mets, it became a bigger issue than it should be… to use a favorite description…”making a mountain out of a mole hill”. As Rollins replied..
“..it’s already done. Me and Charlie spoke about it. It’s done.” As I see it, there’s an understanding between Manuel and Rollins and no longer an issue. Another words, move on. There are far greater concerns for this team and their current struggles. As for Rollins, I’m fully confident that he will give 100% effort on the field and the perceived
“selfishness” by a few disappears with the success of the team. BTW, If you were a Bosox fan, you might have issues with “let Manny be Manny”? ;-)

Bruce, Manny can be Manny because he and his teammates have two rings.

We got zilch.

Tim’s right. This team has been playing like shite the past six weeks. There seems to be a lack of urgency, a lack of team cohesion (i.e. guys get up to bat and do their own thing instead of, you know, playing to the situation), a lack of passion.

The only guy who can bring those things back is Jimmy Rollins. He is the “spark plug,” the “team leader,” the “vocal leader” — whatever you want to call him. He’s the catalyst. It’s not just the media and fans who look to him. The rest of the team does, too.

His attitude is garbage this year. It is the exact opposite of last year, and I’m sick of it. If we are to win, he has to lose the “star glide” and start playing hard, start taking the game seriously, start being the leader.

You’re either on the bus …

The easiest way to get their attention is to shock them. to trade someone that poeple thought would never get traded, like rollins

You know what I have no problem pulling for the Phillies. I’ve pulled for them in worse years. I knew they’d lose a lot of the time (esp during the Francona and Bowa years). The Phils were just an average team. Now they are a great team that has no heart and is playing some of the worst baseball I have ever seen. I don’t even feel like watching these guys right now. They waste perfectly good outings by Hamels and Moyer and they absolutely suck. Forget the 9th inning rally the other day. It was total luck that it worked out the way it did. This team is not playing like a winning team at all right now. And if you ask me, they don’t deserve a trip to the play offs.

This is bullshit. This is Rollins thinking he can pull some Manny type shit. He is supposed to be a leader and as Greg v put it he should be ashamed

j-roll tried to prop himself up as “team leader” and “captain” last year and it worked out well, but this year jimmy has his head firmly up his ass and needs to get it out if he intends on leading his team to the playoffs once again.

great job by bruntlett in his place. he contributed more in one game than jimmy does in a week

Love the comparison to Manny, although Bruce, the trademarked phrase is “Manny Being Manny.” Slight verb confusion, haha…anyway, the reason that SAWCKS fans let Manny be Manny is that the guy still goes out and mashes. Manny Being Manny might involve wandering around left field and occasionally into the Monster to take a piss or call for pizza; it might occasionally involve running around with a midget in the dugout (like he did in 04); it might occasionally involve yelling at the comped tickets guy; but people allow it because, above all, Manny Being Manny involves being one of the single most intelligent, focused and dangerously consistent hitters in the league — if not of all time (at the risk of hyperbole).

Rollins, if this were an isolated incident — let’s say he was batting .300 and getting dirty and energizing the team — wouldn’t have much of a problem. Oops, blip on the radar. But like T-Malc said in the post (a good one…nice job, buddy), this is the latest smudge on a man that has to, needs to, serve as the symbol of this team. And that symbol, as Malcolm put it, is selfish, uninterested and soft.

It’s disgusting. Slumps happen, and anyone who’s played the game knows how hard it is to bust out. But playing hard, that’s a different story. And, just like the Phillies may come to find if they don’t pick things up, help’s gonna show up too late.

i agree. nothing else has worked. something shocking has to be done to wake these PRIMADONNAS up

no. if anything this means you cannot trade victorino. he is the heart of this team and has been all year. you can’t complain about the team being lifeless and primadonnas (don’t get me started, rollins got caught in traffic and was late… how does that make him a primadonna? it’s just bad timing, and worse timing given the circumstances around the game… and it doesn’t help he’s been awful at the plate) and then turn around and trade the energy guy on the roster.
i don’t care if rollins shows up 2 minutes before the first pitch as long he isn’t poop at the plate like he has been.

Do you think…maybe…he wants out?

From what I understand Halladay is not happy in Toronto (go figure) and wants out.

Shoot, they could pretty much take their pick from our farm system as far as I’m concerned. He’s a better gamble than Burnett.

Doubt he’d want to come to Philly, though. But he should take a look at what Sabbathia’s doing and see how he could feast on NL Rosters.

Why would he not want to come to Philly? A good young core, Lidge locked up and easier lineups to face?

you gotta get this asshole out of town before he torpedoes the season. they can recover from this slump if they move him now. otherwise itll be toolate

Kind of like Wright was an “all-star” this year.

Lewisauce~ Look, I don’t condone a player, any player violating team rules. Rollins understood the reason for being benched. He also know that he is being held to a certain standard that leadership implies. However, he probably felt the punishment did not fit the circumstance of why he was late in reporting. I might add that the team bus was reportedly late for the same reason…heavy traffic. Rollins arrived shortly AFTER the bus completed it’s trip.

My point is that I read here so many harsh reactions and rants (“selfish”, “primadonna”, etc.) that can not be justifiably linked to an issue of unintended tardiness. An issue, IMO, that was blown out of proportion by a minority of fans and probably certain media in selling tabloids and fodder for trash jockies of the airwaves in the coming days.

All I ask is that we give Rollins, last year’s MVP and one most responsible for guiding the team to the division title, a benefit of doubt at the very least. Obviously, if the Phillies are to repeat as division champs, they will need him in the lineup. His subpar year (so far) is probably linked to his stay on the DL and missed 24 games in total and has said that he was still “uncomfortable”. I’m not sure if that meant physically or the rhythm of his swings with the bat. Even if his 2007 MVP season was a one time “career year” event, he can still help the team defensively and on the basepaths to go with his hitting.

BTW, I find a bit puzzling when you stated “… Manny can be Manny because he and his teammates have two rings.” Are you implying that the management has DOUBLE STANDARDS, one for the team and one for a star player who contributed in winning a world series championship? Would you say that a description like “primadonna” would fit Ramirez and his reputation for lackadaisical conduct (not to mention some bizarre shenanigans)?

If this slump continues,i think Charlies days are number here,i mean it does seem like he’s losing more and more control of the team and he make some of the dumbest decisons like pulling Burrell out late in close games and putting a SS (Brunlett) in the OF and Taguchi who’s no better than Pat Fielding…I still think we should of fired him before the 07 season and brought in Pinella or Girardi…Gillick and Pinella were together in Seattle when they won 116 games.

jimmy iverson = j-son = “jayson”

Nah, i got it….

we cal him Jimmy “JI” Rollins… interim nickname to substitute J-Roll.

The issue is Jimmy thinks he’s right, he all but said it. Doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t he’s not being a team player let alone a veteran leader. Irreguardless of his status as a leader he has to set an example as one of the veterans on the team, he’s no kid anymore.

He is not playing hard and comments are worrying, when he got pulled from the game for not running out the pop-up his comments did not seem like he cared all that much what he’d done, I hate to say it but he needs an injection of Jeter. He’s the only player getting repremanded and it’s not about him being the leader now, it’s about showing up and respecting the game which he seems to have a sincere lack of now.

If there’s any change that can be seen in his game it’s that he’s not working hard out there, Who cares about the mistakes trying to do that bit extra or popping up on a ball he was zeroed in on, he’s not working out there and he’s coasting. It’s becoming more about his lack of discipline both on and off the field and his offensive production is clearly down to not executing the fundementals. I wasn’t expecting a repeat MVP season but I had no doubts on him going out and giving his all.

Jimmy has broken the only two rules Charlie has in a matter or two months and he’s come out and says he doesn’t agree with yesterday decision as if he has a leg to stand on.

Mets fans must be licking their lips right now realising they don’t have to be great to win this division, they just have to be better than us which isn’t much of an ask. Our pitching is not going to get any better than it is right now which is on the whole very strong and consistent. It will not hold up unless the offense starts carrying the load and every bad outing will be magnified.

theyrre both primadonnas. rollins has devolved into a complete turd this year. manny ramirez is already a complete turd but he produces year in and year out. look at jimmys numbers, they completely suck offensively. he has 6 HR 35 rbi and hes hitting .270. thats terrible for a leadoff hitter. leadoff hitters hit .300 or else they stop being leadoff hitters or else theyre on a bad team. jimmy shouldnt even be on this team with those numbers, and the only reason they havent traded him is because hes still the mvp. if he wasnt jimmy rollins wed have booed him out of town already.

howard has had bouts with it before but hes past that right now. now, jimmy has gotten the lindros syndrome and has become eric lindros post-mvp.