Rollins: We’re Not Worried
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, July 21, 2008 11:39 AM | Comments: 89
Posts
In the midst of a quote-filled Monday, Jimmy Rollins gave us this nugget in response to Charlie Manuel’s words pressing the offense to play baseball:
“He’s pretty much right, but we’ll get out of it. We don’t get concerned until late. Coaches do that now. We go play.”
Allow me to send a memo to Jimmy Rollins: Grow up. Grow stones. Grow whatever.
And now we’re seeing the problem with this 2008 brand of Phillies. Where last year’s team seemed to bleed passion and heart, this year’s team looks like a bunch of preening talkers. It looks like a team ripe with issues. It looks like last year’s Mets. And that’s no good thing.
Rollins is supposed to be the team leader, but he brushes off “concern” and practically tells us he doesn’t completely care about the current state of his team. It’s the kind of stupefied swagger that elicits slings in Philadelphia. We shouldn’t stand for this sludge.
The eternal question of “Would they miss Aaron Rowand” is back on the dockets because of all this. Now we can see why. For one, he provided the team a contact-hitting righty capable of picking up the big boys when they fail. I’m almost convinced Rowand would’ve won this team another four games with his hitting.
Then there’s the clubhouse leader position. I thought that was overrated — after seeing Rollins’ quote, I’m not as convinced. This team desperately needs a kick in the groin. Rollins needs to wake up — I still can’t rule out an injury.
It’s a shame, really, because there’s a lot of talent here. Stack the Phils against most anyone, on paper, and you have a good team. But this right now is a bad team trapped inside a good team. And the bad team is making its way out.
Posts: 0 Griffin
When the Phillies win, we have no problems with what J-Roll says, when they lose, we hate it. It’s just about winning and losing and for the last two months, we’ve been doing alot more of the latter.
At least we have Hamels for the Muts series, oh wait….
Posted: 11:50 AM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
When the Phils are winning, you don’t get these quotes. I’ve been wary about Rollins’ performance and reactions ever since the injury, and I’ve expressed my doubts a few times before. This is the big mark, though.
Posted: 11:52 AM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg V.
What Rollins said is totally inappropriate considering his beyond awful base running yesterday. This whole “why worry?” bullshit is what we saw a lot of in the Bowa years when we were getting crap performances out of most of the team. The people who do worry (Hamels and Burrell) are the only ones performing right now where everyone else is Cool Hand Luke. Burrell and Hamels both care right now but are not exactly team leaders. Rowand was that team leader and we let him walk. One would think that Rollins would have taken that spot but his head and his body do not seem right at all right now.
Posted: 11:59 AM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Rollins isn’t the team leader anymore. He’s Willie Mays Hayes. We need someone to step up and be the team leader. Is it Utley? No…he just wants to play the game. He has enough pressure on him right now since he’s supposed to be the NL MVP and one of the best players in the NL. Is it Howard? No, he is too money driven to be a team leader. Just let him continue to do what he does, drive in runs. Is it Burrell? No, he’s most likely gone next year, and I think one of the reasons he’s been playing well the past year is because he doesn’t have to have that kind of pressure on him as a team leader. Is it Hamels? To an extent, but he only goes out there every 5th day. Is it Victorino? He wishes he could be, but he’s amongst trade talks and isn’t on the same caliber as the players metnioned abouve. Where are we going to find a team leader on this team? Rollins needs to step up and become the team leader again. We have noone else, and I think this team is lacking leadership.
Posted: 12:02 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
When they are winning… we love that Rollins and Victorino are these fun-loving guys who clown around all game, and don’t take it too seriously…
When they lose we hate it…
Not having Rowand defnitely hurts, but this team has been close a few times, and have made it once.. some of them more in the their careers… so they know what it takes to reach the postseason. Rollins is considered the team leader though, so its pretty F’ed up that he said that
Posted: 12:04 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Greg V. I disagree with you. Rollins and Rowand were co-team leaders last year. I also disagree that Burrell and Hamels are the only ones carrying the team. You can also add the bullpen and Howard(as of late.) Howard has been driving in runs like a mad man, and that’s what he’s supposed to do. I don’t care about his strike outs and poor batting average when he’s driving in runs.
Posted: 12:04 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg V.
Phil, you make a good point. Sure the pen is great, overall and it’s great to see Howard picking it up a bit. On the downside, his strike outs still happen at the worst times and we all know about Condrey yesterday (in his defense, he has done well this season).
Posted: 12:10 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Rob E
I feel like Hammels is a competitive guy but there is a HUGE difference between being competitive and being a leader. Hammels, Burrell and Utley are competitive guys but not leaders. J-Roll is not the leader everyone thought he was. Why I must say Howard has pretty much been carrying this team in recent games, as said before he is completely money driven. This team does not have a leader and probablt wont for a while.
Posted: 12:15 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I wish we had a catcher that could lead the team like V-Tek. Maybe Marson can do that? Rollins needs to step it up if he wants to lead this team. He won his MVP last year from leadership not numbers. Wright, Fielder, and Holliday were just as deserving as him, but Rollins leadership that carried the team through the injuries is what won him his MVP.
Posted: 12:18 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is official – Tim Malcolm has said the Phillies are a bad team – therefore making them not a good team. So, for all of those who said I was wrong in the beginning of the season, I’ll absolutely accept apologies whenever you get the chance. In return, I’ll make sure this is the last time I say it – I promise. All together now,
“We are just not a good team right now.”
Thank you. Go Phils.
Posted: 12:25 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
A bad team trapped inside a good team. Which balances them out to an OK team, really. Just clarifying.
Posted: 12:32 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
The Phillies are a great team that are becoming a bunch of primadonnas that can’t get things done. They aren’t playing to their potential. Whoever said they are like the Muts last year hit the nail on the head.
Posted: 12:33 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Quote from Charlie: “Accountability is fine, but if you don’t execute, something’s wrong.” Like most of us I question his predictable use of the bench and taking Burrell out as a matter of course but he’s managed pretty well here recently and some of the players are letting him down. Jimmy’s quotes are getting very unsettling now, not a good attitude and it puts down to a T what’s going wrong with this team.
I go back hearing JC Romero in ST after being re-signed and he talked about being accountable and ready to go out there and ‘play’, at the time I didn’t believe the sincerity but the proof is in the bullpens performance as a unit. If the senior guys have the right attitude you’ll win more of those battles than you loose.
Bad from Jimmy… Read bad
Posted: 12:47 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Dan
in 1993 we had a true clubhouse leader in darren daulton and we made it to the WS. in 2007 we had aaron rowand and won the division for the first time since ’93. This year we have arguably one of if not the best phillies team of all time and we’re going to let it go to waste. even watching last years games compared to this years, they just feel different. nobody even smiles anymore, they don’t even look like they’re having fun like last year and in 93
Posted: 01:06 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Great point Dan. This years Phils don’t lack veterans but veteran leadership is lacking and a lot of that is down to Rollins, we have compensated with some more for loosing Rowands offense but it’s inexcusable that the offense hasn’t rallied around eachother when they have it right in front of them in the bullpen.
This team needs to find some fire someone needs to step up and make it clear coasting is unacceptable.
Posted: 01:18 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Kyle
They are still second in the league in run differential, the most accurate stat in evaluating a team.
I may be wrong here, but last year it just seemed like they were never out of a game. Down 6-3 in the 9th? SO what.
This year? It’s like watching paint dry this past month. As Zolecki pointed out, they’ve been averaging 3.97 runs per game for a month now, which puts them in San Diego’s range. It’s terrible, it’s appalling, I just never thought the offense — of all things — would be the downfall of this club.
Not sure how you all feel, but I may very well go full bore for Holliday at this point.
Posted: 01:18 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 christopher
yes the team has struggled in the past month but it’s like everyone has forgotten about the two series they won before the all star break, both against good teams. they’re going into a series where they can right many of the wrongs they’ve made. IF they blow the mets series in disappointing fashion, then yeah, i’ll be worried too. but all this reaction over a throwaway quote from rollins is silly. the quote that really stands out to me is burrell finally voicing his problems with being taken out of games early. hopefully charlie takes notice and risks leaving his almost all star in the entire game now and then.
Posted: 01:48 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Um, they have 10 days to make themselves a good team again through the trade market. the games count more than ever now (didnt rollins say that interleague play doesnt count – what the fuck kind of comment is that? every game counts) and theres no more time for goofing off or fucking around out there like those two (rollins, victorino) do all the time. they are the problem with this lineup, not ryan howard. if i were the general manager, i would trade jimmy rollins for making that comment and shane victorino would already be out of here.
aaron rowand: please come back and show these players how to be serious again.
please.
over the past like, month – 6 weeks this team has devolved into complete garbage with a few exception games here and there. time to turn it around, and fast. get me brian fuentes, get me matt holliday. i dont care if you have to trade shane victorino or brett myers to do it. and go find an everyday catcher: heres a hint, he plays for the reading phillies.
Posted: 03:24 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Geoff, something tells me they’re still in pursuit of Holliday and Fuentes. I think they don’t want to give up Marson. I don’t blame them. The Rockies want Marson. Well, offer them Jaramillo and Donald instead of Marson. Do something to get Holliday in this line up. I’d prefer if he was in this line up tomorrow against the Muts.
Posted: 03:26 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Gavin
Jimmy should be ashamed. Its not time to be cool. Its time to be getting pissed.
To quote Pauly from Rocky, “He aint gettin beat. He’s getting mad!!” Thats the attitude we need to have. I guess Jimmy will talk big in NY and then if they lose play it off.
He was quoted in SI wen asked about if he liked hitting triples or bombs his quote was, ” Home runs. I get to jog around the bases….you know, more style points.”
Thats a shitty attitude.
Posted: 03:32 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I wish Rollins would have answered triples…
Posted: 03:55 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Gavin
I wish he would answer, a single… if it helps the team.
Posted: 04:34 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
i heard a rumor of holliday and fuentes for carrasco happ victorino marson. thats such a bullshit rumor. theyre not going to do that. marson and carrasco arent going anywhere and niether is happ. tim noted that with blanton they got someone similar to myers. thyerefore myers is expendable and is gone. victorino is expendable.
so you take those two guys and you add donald and another prospect not untouchble. if it doesnt work you present the same offer to the pirates for xavier nady and damaso marte. i was there over the weekend for a wedding they said that bay is staying and that nady wantsw to stay but theyll probably trade him. marte and grabow are gone. jack wilson will probably move too.
Posted: 04:59 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
blanton vs santana tomorrow. compelling reality television for sure.
Posted: 05:00 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
The Rox would never take our over paid garbage for their super star player. What are you smoking Geoff, can you share it?
Posted: 05:18 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 christopher
here are some other quotes after losing the marlins series:
“Here we go,” Victorino said of the Phillies’ three-game series at Shea Stadium beginning Tuesday. “Let’s strap it on and fight.”
and
Manager Charlie Manuel called it “terrible.”
“You get out of it by hitting,” Jimmy Rollins said. “[Manuel's] pretty much right; we haven’t done a good job.”
does that make people happier? christ, who the hell cares what they say in blurbs to beat writers anyway? some of you act like we know these guys personally based on what they say to the press. we have no idea what these guys are like, really like, one on one when interacting with teammates. it’s easy to feel like you know them after watching them so often, but people need to have a reality check.
Posted: 05:22 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 danny
I agree christopher. Who gives a crap! We’re all frustrated. What Jimmy says doesn’t make him hit differently. Jimmy is who he is and he at least says what he feels.
This team needs a hitter in that two hole who hits for average, end of story. If we don’t get a hitter, and it’s apparent Gillick realizes this, we probably won’t make the playoffs.
Posted: 05:37 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
i dont smoke.
i am so sick of people worshipping victorino. what the hell has this guy ever done? hes an average player at best. hes not getting it done at all this year. fuck him. he needs to show hes not a complete overrated overhyped fraud.
i liked jimmy rollins before he won the mvp award. all of a sudden he became a complete arrogant asshole who doesnt back it up on the field. total meltdown for that guy. remember him last year? he was the best leadoff hitter in baseball, totally awesome. aggressive on the bases. in the first inning theyd be able to get him to third with one out or less an awful lot last year. thats gone. hes nothing like that at all this year.
shane victorino isnt a two hole hitter. hes not good enough, period. hes a 6th or 7th hole hitter and the only reason people think hes good is because he has great range in centerfield.
Posted: 05:46 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I don’t worship Victorino, but I think he’s better than you give him credit for.
Posted: 05:57 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 danny
Victorino is an average hitter, at best. Average hitters shouldn’t bat second on this Phillies team.
Posted: 06:02 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 christopher
victorino is 3rd on the team in runs, 2nd in stolen bases, 4th in doubles and 2nd in triples. he was a huge part of the team playing as well as they did in may. he’s had 2 good seasons for the phillies and is one pace to have another one. he is great defensively, by far their best outfielder, which isn’t something you can write off just because he doesn’t hit over 300. he’s a good player and a valuable part of the team.
Posted: 06:05 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 JoseJoseJoseJose!
So…
Victorino = under-rated
Jose Reyes = over-rated
Ok, I think I’m starting to get it.
Carlos Ruiz = under-rated
Babe Ruth = over-rated
Or…
Random Phillie = under-rated
Everyone else = over-rated
Got it.
Posted: 06:51 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 christopher
nobody was talking about jose reyes. you are a stupid head.
Posted: 06:56 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 scot
We don’t get concerned until late?
Jimmy, we’re 100 games into the season. It’s time to start making a push.
Tim is exactly right the team has shown the same lack of heart that the Mets were criticized for the first 80 games of the season. we don’t fight back. instead we just don’t get concerned.
i was wondering where willie randolph went after he got fired. now jimmy sounds exactly like him. it’s very discouraging.
Posted: 07:32 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 ryan
i think you guys are blowing this way way way out of proportion. to me, this is not news. not at all. this isn’t flapping your gums or anything. he’s just expressing confidence in his teams ability to hit and saying that it is a forgone conclusion that they will find their offense and get it going pretty soon. that’s exactly what he should say.
Posted: 08:55 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Lewisauce
I apologize to Mike T.
This team is simply not playing to win. They swing for the fences. They don’t bother to think about the game they are in, they don’t bother to hit situationally. They don’t bother to leg out pop flys or hard grounders. They don’t bother to pay any attention to the game they are paid millions to play.
It comes down to two guys: Jimmy and Charlie. Jimmy has lost his heart. Legging out a pop fly? Paying attention to how many outs there are and hustling to get to the next bag? Those aren’t stylish, so he won’t do it.
The manager manages by rote. “Seventh inning. Time to pull the left fielder.”
This is garbage baseball. Garbage attitude. Garbage managing. Your best situational hitter has to play in the late innings when the game is tied or close. Your “team leader” has to act like he gives a fucking shit.
Empty the Pharm. Get Holliday. Go for everything this year. And if it all goes to hell, and in early July of next year, the team hasn’t gelled and sucks, then next year, you blow it all up — Howard, Holliday, Rollins, Vic, Werth, Lidge, anyone who is considered a veteran — all gone. You can get half the young pitching talent in the AL with those guys. Keep Chase and Cole, and ditch the rest, and start from ground zero. (But you only do this AFTER you go for broke this year and see where that gets you; only then do you pull a Billy Beane and ship everyone away.)
Something has to happen. I can’t keep watching this crap six days a week.
Posted: 09:22 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
well stated lewisauce
Posted: 09:26 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
blown out of proportion? the mvp and team lead basically said he doesnt give a fuck!!! that is what he said. we dont worry until its late? what? until your 7 behind with 17 to play?
they got by last year and they think they can fuck around until august? hahaha. fuck shane victorino, i dont care if they trade him at all. fucky jimmy rollins. im so tired of that attitude. theyre not going to win anything at all with that approach. time to get some serious professionals in there like matt holliday
Posted: 09:31 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Gnomicide
I still don’t think they are a bad team. They are a great team who has had a bad month.
No apologizes will be forgiven as there is a lot of season left. Honestly I wouldn’t have seen that much disdain come from a quote like this. To me, he was saying they leave it on the field and don’t spend too much time worrying about the consequences. I believe this too. They will work out of the funk because they know they can.
Posted: 10:14 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 christopher
that quote can be taken so many different ways, people are overreacting to a hilarious extent. i seriously wonder why some of the people around here even watch baseball, since all it seems to do is make them miserable even when their team is in first place.
Posted: 10:44 PM on July 21, 2008
Posts: 0 Amanda
i agree with christopher, im not going to sit here and argue that jimmy rollins has been himself because he hasnt, but your taking a quote that isn’t even the whole thing the whole quote was ..
You get out of it by hitting,” Jimmy Rollins said. “But [Manuel's] right. We haven’t done a good job. That’s obvious. It’s not like he’s saying anything new. It’s been going on for a little while.”
Concerned?
“You don’t get concerned until you don’t have a chance, then it’s too late,” Rollins said. “There really is no room for concern. Coaches do that. That’s their job. We got out and play. As long as we have a ball or a bat in our hand, we got a chance to rewrite the story.”
yea i agree he should be concerned, but it was taking way out of context, you guys are making it sound like he said i dont care, im not concerned about anything, and if u read it i think hes just saying that hes not concerned because they know they can do better. It is true we havent been playing well and it is frusturating, but they have been in first place for 2 months now and everyone is still complaing that we suck, i dont understand, just enjoy the game and stop being so miserable about every little thing and comment.
Posted: 12:48 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
anyone else ridiculously nervous about this Mets series. Honestly, i’ll be happy if we get 1 out of 3. I’m not expecting to win tonight against Santana, and I’m not expecting to win Myers start. I never thought I’d say this, but our best chance to win is probably Thursday when Moyer pitches.
Posted: 08:15 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
I’m with you MA – this doesn’t look good at all.
Posted: 08:32 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Lewisauce
Myers is gonna get torched. I hope he channels Cy Young, but we all know the odds of that.
Posted: 08:39 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
I’m not saying the Mets are that much better than us – it’s just the pitching match-ups are brutal. The offense is going to have to show up big time – and the pen is going to have to be solid if we want to take 2 of 3.
Posted: 08:51 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Actually, I think Joe Average will get the win tonight. Thats his automatic nickname because of his career stats. That still makes him the number 2 though, unfortunately. Brett Myers’ start tomorrow will be interesting. This offense has degenerated so much im MORE concerned about getting a top notch bat now. theres no pithcing out there thats available thats better than what theyve got really. bedards not available anymore, burnett is not really available anymore either. get matt holliday without giving up lou marson and JA happ and ill take that. ill even sacrifice carrasco for one year of hoolliday next year.
Posted: 08:53 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
Absolutely, Geoff. At this point, if you can get Holliday it gives you room to ship Golson. GIDP is so horrible that I really want Marson to stick around. Anything’s better than GIDP. I don’t want to part with Happ either — and I’m absolutely willing to ship Carrasco. I thought he was overrated at first, but now I’m not so sure. But whatever, if we can get Holliday… see ya.
Posted: 09:00 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Mike T.
But about tonight, I’m not so sure. It’s not even Santana that scares me, it’s the fact that he’s a lefty. That’s what bothers me.
Joe Average is a great nickname by the way.
Posted: 09:04 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
Im so angry at this team. I no longer like jimmy rollins at all after those comments. i dont want him around next year.
im sure he will be though. but this team needs a legitimate leader and fast
Posted: 09:24 AM on July 22, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
right on mike. GIDP is the pits and im sick of people putting out stats about how hes a good defensive catcher. any mlb catcher should be a good game caller!!!!! its the bare minimum expented of them. but i dont want the bare minimum and thats what ruiz is. just good enough to be in mlb but not anything more.
Posted: 09:29 AM on July 22, 2008