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Tom McCarthy is ‘beyond excited’ to work with Jimmy Rollins in Phillies broadcast booth

Jimmy Rollins has the most hits in Phillies history. (Matt A. Brown/Icon Sportswire)

When the Philadelphia Phillies arrive at Citi Field Monday for the opening game of a three-game set with the New York Mets, they’ll have a special guest waiting to call their game.

Jimmy Rollins – the organization’s all-time hits leader and current special advisor – will join Tom McCarthy, John Kruk and Gregg Murphy in the broadcast booth for NBC Sports Philadelphia‘s coverage of the Phillies-Mets matchup Monday.

“Jimmy is not only one of my favorite people, but one of the best players I have ever had the chance to cover,” McCarthy told PhilliesNation.com Sunday evening. “Having him in the booth with Ben [Davis], John and myself is so natural and the next step in his legacy with the Phillies. I am beyond exited to have him as a colleague. He is going to be great at this, just as he was when he was a player.”

Rollins, now 40, made guest appearances on FS1 during the 2016 regular season, after a brief stint with the Chicago White Sox. Since 2016, he’s appeared on TBS‘ coverage of the American League playoffs with Pedro Martinez, Gary Sheffield and Casey Stern. Broadcasting games is obviously a different animal than being a studio analyst, but Rollins’ entertaining personality should make him a natural.

NBC Sports Philadelphia announced during the Phillies Opening Day victory over the Atlanta Braves that Rollins, the 2007 National League MVP, would be part of “select” Phillies broadcasts in 2019.

“There is an excitement in Philly about this team, as well as expectations, and I know what that is like,” Rollins said. “I look forward to sharing my knowledge and insight about this team with fans on NBC Sports Philadelphia

.”

The last time that Philadelphia was as excited about baseball as they are in 2019 was 2011, when a historically dominant Phillies starting rotation – anchored by the trio of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels – led the Phillies to a franchise-record 102 regular season wins. Rollins was the starting shortstop for that team, as he was for the entirety of the Phillies 2007-2011 run of National League dominance, which is considered by most to be the greatest run in franchise history.