Jimmy Rollins: The Best of the Phillies Shortstops
From a certain set of Phillies fans, Jimmy Rollins gets no love. It’s hard to see why. Rollins is only the all time Phillies leader in hits (2,306) and doubles (479). In stolen bases, he’s second only to the legendary Slidin’ Billy Hamilton, whose numbers may be inflated due to how stolen bases were credited in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He’s second only to Mike Schmidt in extra base hits and total bases. In triples, he is third behind Hall of Famers Ed Delahanty and Sherry Magee. Certainly, in a team that has suffered through the likes of Steve Jeltz and Ivan DeJesus, Rollins has been a highlight of the shortstop position. Having grown up in the 1970s, I loved Larry Bowa. He was a team leader. In his twelve years with the Phillies, Bowa batted .264 with 1,798 hits and 421 RBIs. But, in his fifteen years with the Phillies, Rollins edges out Bowa, his mentor, with a .267 average, and 887 RBIs. Additionally, Rollins’ career fielding