Ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies-Washington Nationals Saturday evening matchup, the Phillies hosted franchise icon Jimmy Rollins for his official retirement ceremony.
Rollins, a second-round pick in 1996, was a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner and the 2007 National League MVP. In 2014, Rollins passed Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt as the Phillies all-time hits king. He, of course, was also the leadoff hitter for the Phillies during their golden era of 2007-2011, when the Phillies won five consecutive National League East titles, two National League pennants and the 2008 World Series title.
In total, Rollins spent parts of 15 seasons in Philadelphia, before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in December of 2014. Rollins spent 2015 with the Dodgers, before rounding out his career with a 41-game stint with the Chicago White Sox in 2016.
Rollins officially retired Saturday evening, with a slew of former teammates, including Bobby Abreu and Shane Victorino, on hand. His two most notable Phillies managers, Larry Bowa and Charlie Manuel, also were at the event, along with the aforementioned Schmidt. And while his two most noteworthy teammates, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, weren’t able to attend the event, video messages from the two former All-Stars led into a memorable speech from Rollins.
You can watch the full ceremony below: