Reporting on the previous day’s Philadelphia Phillies game, Bob Brookover began his September 18, 2000 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer this way:
“Excitement, an ingredient that has so often been marked absent during this sorry Phillies season, made a return appearance yesterday at Veterans Stadium.
It came from the youthful exuberance and raw talent of shortstop Jimmy Rollins, one of the two prospects who made their major-league debut in the Phillies’ 6-5 victory over the Florida Marlins.
Rollins, 21, showed why he has potentially a bright future in the big leagues by going 2 for 4, with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored”[1]
Previewing things to come, the 5’7”, 175-pound Rollins’ first major-league hit was a triple. Overall, he hit .321 with a .723 OPS in 14 games. He scored five runs, drove in five runs, and stole three bases without being caught. That was his only triple, though.
Meanwhile, Brookover could easily have written “this sorry Phillies era” as the team was on the verge of its 14th losing season in 17 years. From 1984 through 2000, the Phillies averaged 73 wins and 85 losses; 65 games were not played because of the 1994-95 strike. Averaged over 162 games, this equates to an average 75-87 season – and that includes the 1993 National League Championship team that went 97-65![2]
The Phillies had done a good job the last few years building a solid young offensive and defensive core led by future Hall of Famer Scott Rolen and once-and-future All-Star/Gold Glovers Mike Lieberthal and Bobby Abreu. Except this lineup lacked cohesion and spark. Acknowledging the need for change, in July 2000 management traded away disgruntled All-Stars Curt Schilling and Andy Ashby, as well as Desi Relaford, for a total of seven young players.
Relaford had come to the Phillies from the Seattle Mariners in a trade for All-Star Terry Mulholland in July 1996, just one month after Rollins was drafted in the second round out of Encinal High School in Alameda, CA. However, Relaford – touted as the shortstop of the future – hit just .245 with 5 home runs, 41 RBI and a .631 OPS in 1998.
That was the same year Philadelphia Daily News columnist and professional curmudgeon Bill Conlin first began to rave about Rollins, then 19 years old, who“appears to be all ballplayer and athlete. You can tell he likes to play by his body language, by the fluid, intuitive way he hits, runs and plays his position.”[3]In the same article, Conlin quotes super-scout Hugh Alexander saying Rollins was the best minor league infielder he watched play in 1997.
Near the end of the 70-92 2000 season, the team parted ways with manager Terry Francona.[4] Bench coach Gary Varsho managed the final two games then was replaced by the fiery and intense Larry Bowa, then the best shortstop in Phillies history. Looking to shore up their bullpen, the Phillies signed free-agent relievers Ricky Bottalico (the Phillies’ lone All-Star in 1996), Rheal Cormier and All-Star Jose Mesa. They then hoped their starting rotation, led by Robert Person, Randy Wolf and newly-acquired Omar Daal would support their young offense.
And that the diminutive Rollins could handle playing shortstop every day in the big leagues.
***********
It cannot be overstated just how much better the 2001 Phillies were than most of the 17 preceding teams.
There are many reasons for the improvement. The popular Bowa lit a fire under his players. The pitchers listed above – and others like Dave Coggin and Nelson Figueroa – were better than expected. Abreu, Rolen, newly-acquired Travis Lee and 1998 first-round draft pick Pat Burrell all had terrific offensive seasons.
But the single biggest reason the Phillies led the National League East for most of the season, finishing with an 86-76 record, just two games out short of winning the division or the Wild Card, was their new shortstop.
From the start of the season, a three-game sweep of the Marlins, Jimmy Rollins was simply electric, breathing life and excitement into a moribund team. In his first full season, he led the National League in at-bats (656), triples (12) and stolen bases (46). He also hit .274 with a .743 OPS, scored 97 runs and drove in 54 runs with 14 home runs and 29 doubles, all while mostly hitting second behind Doug Glanville. These numbers were good enough to finish third in Rookie of the Year balloting behind future superstars Albert Pujols and Roy Oswalt. Finally, and perhaps most telling, on a team featuring Rolen, Abreu and Mesa – the lone Phillies All-Star that year was Jimmy Rollins. He walked and stole a base in his only plate appearance.
Simply put, Rollins was the missing piece.
Moreover, unlike 1993, 2001 was no fluke. After dropping to 80-81 in 2002, the Phillies rebounded to win between 85 and 88 games over the next four seasons, missing the 2005 Wild Card to the Houston Astros by a single game.[5] Over these six years, Rollins was an All-Star three times (2001, 2002, 2005)[6] and received MVP votes four times (2001, 2004-2006).
Before the 2007 season began, meanwhile, Rollins declared the Phillies “the team to beat” in the National League East, backing up his assertion by winning the National League Most Valuable Player award. That season, he became just the third player to record at least 20 doubles (38), triples (20), home runs (30) and stolen bases (41) in the same season; Curtis Granderson of the Detroit Tigers also performed the impressive feat in 2007.[7] Rollins led the league in games played (all 162), plate appearances (778), at-bats (716), runs scored (139) and triples, while driving in 94 runs with a .296 average (212 hits) and .875 OPS, all career highs – and all while hitting leadoff. He also won his first of three consecutive Gold Gloves and his only Silver Slugger that year. In fact, the only thing Rollins did not do in 2007 was make the All-Star team!
It is unlikely Rollins minded the snub, though, as his Phillies did, in fact, win the National League East in 2007 for the first time since 1993. Once again, this was not a fluke, as the team returned to the playoffs the next four years, winning the National League Championship in 2009 and the World Series in 2008. The run ended with the Phillies going 81-81 in 2012, when Rollins scored 102 runs and slammed 23 home runs while earning his fourth and final Gold Glove. Over Rollins’ first 12 seasons in the major leagues, when he was the sole constant, the Phillies averaged 89 wins and 73 losses, reaching the playoffs five times, and missing by one or two wins twice.
Rollins was the clear team leader most of these seasons. Thus, with the Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays tied at 3 going into the bottom of the 7th inning in game 5 of the 2008 World Series, Rollins is purported to have challenged Burrell – 0-13 with 5 walks and 1 RBI in the series – by saying, “You know what this series is missing? You.” Burrell then led off the inning with a booming double to deep center field. He was replaced by Eric Bruntlett, who was driven home by Pedro Feliz with what proved to be the series-winning run.
In Game 4 of the 2009 League Championship series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies trailed 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th in Game 4. With two outs, Rollins crushed a two-run double to centerfield off closer Jonathan Broxton to win the game. The Phillies won the series the next day.
Over his first 12 full seasons, Rollins averaged 620 at-bats (and 682 plate appearances) in 148 games; 33 stolen bases in 40 attempts; 98 runs scored and 66 RBI on 167 hits and 52 walks; and 35 doubles, 9 triples and 16 home runs. Overall, he hit .270 with a .760 OPS. He scored 100 or more runs six times between 2004 and 2012, and he stole 40 or more bases four times between 2001 and 2008. It is harder to score 100 runs than it is to drive in 100 runs because, while you can drive in up to four runs with one swing, you can only score one run at a time. Thus, while an average of 31 players drove in 100 or more runs between 2001 and 2012, an average of 26 players scored 100 or more runs.[8] This makes Rollins averaging nearly 100 runs score a year over 12 years that much more impressive.
Arguably, he was the best all-around shortstop in the National League – and second only to Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees – during this 12-year period. He inherited this role from the player Baseball Reference deems “most similar” to Rollins, long-time Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, the 1995 National League MVP. Larkin was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2012. In fact, six of the nine players “most similar” to Rollins are in the Hall of Fame.[9]
Following the 2014 season, the Phillies traded Rollins to the Dodgers for Tom Windle and Zach Eflin. After playing a combined 185 games in 2015 and 2016 (Chicago White Sox), Rollins retired. He had played in 2,275 games, coming to the plate 10,240 times, values which rank #123 and #72 among all players, respectively; his 9,294 at-bats rank #58. He accumulated 2,455 hits (#110); scored 1,421 runs (#88); and stroked 511 doubles (#56), 115 triples (#110) and 231 home runs (#293). His total of 857 extra base hits ranks #84. He also drove in 936 runs (#368), primarily out of the leadoff spot. Finally, he stole 470 bases (#46) and was only caught stealing 105 times, for an 81.7% success rate (#44). He led the league in at-bats and triples four times each; plate appearances three times; and games played, stolen bases and stolen base percentage one time each.
Oh, and there was never even a hint of performance-enhancing-drug use by Rollins.
Only three players in baseball history scored at least 1,400 runs; stroked at least 2,400 hits, 500 doubles, 100 triples and 230 home runs; and swiped at least 400 bases: Johnny Damon, Paul Molitor and Jimmy Rollins. Molitor was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in 2004, while Damon only received 1.9% of the vote in 2018 before dropping off the ballot. In retrospect, this might have been hasty.
Meanwhile, the table below compares the career offensive numbers, per 500 at bats, of Rollins to the average of the 23 shortstops currently in the Hall of Fame:
| Category | Jimmy Rollins | Hall of Fame Average SS |
| Plate Appearances/Game | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Runs Scored | 76 | 76 |
| Hits | 132 | 142 |
| Doubles | 27 | 25 |
| Triples | 6 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 12 | 8 |
| Runs Batted In | 50 | 65 |
| Stolen Bases | 25 | 16 |
| Times Caught Stealing | 6 | 4* |
| Walks | 44 | 52 |
| Strikeouts | 68 | 42 |
| Average | .264 | .285 |
| OPS | .743 | .765 |
*Incomplete data for six players
Rollins’ average season compares quite favorably to a typical Hall-of-Fame shortstop season, topping the latter in plate appearances per game, doubles, home runs and stolen bases, while equaling in runs scored, triples and (possibly) caught stealing. He falls short in hits, RBI, walks, strikeouts, batting average and OPS.[10]
In fact, the single biggest argument against Rollins’ Hall-of-Fame candidacy is his lifetime OPS of .743, which is about 5% below the league average during his career, although this ties Pee Wee Reese and tops seven other Hall-of-Fame shortstops. It is even worse – .673 – in 50 postseason games, though he did score 27 runs in those games.
Putting all of these numbers into perspective, Rollins’ offensive WAR (oWAR; offensive wins above replacement) ranks him him 29th among shortstops, albeit ahead of eight shortstops currently in the Hall. His defensive WAR (dWAR) of 15.9 ranks him #56, ahead of nine shortstops currently in the Hall. Interestingly, Rollins is one of only 14 shortstops with oWAR≥40.0 AND dWAR≥15.0, 11 of whom are currently in the Hall of Fame. Looked at this way, Rollins’ career is on par with the 23 shortstops currently in the Hall of Fame.
Finally, we look a bit more closely at Rollins’ defense at shortstop.
Only six players in baseball history played more innings at shortstop (19,513.2) than Rollins – and all but Omar Vizquel are in the Hall of Fame.[11] Rollins earned his four Gold Gloves with a career fielding percentage of .983, ranking him #4 overall…and only Rollins and Vizquel played as many as 19,000 innings at shortstop with that high a fielding percentage. He ranks #12 in double plays turned at shortstop (1,249), #20 in assists at shortstop (6,139, good for #42 overall), #46 in putouts at shortstop (2,982), and #53 in total runs saved at shortstop (38).
In other words, while other shortstops may have been flashier defensively over shorter periods of time, Rollins and Vizquel provided solid defense far longer than any of them.
In short, Rollins was a surprisingly-good offensive player (given early worries about his relative stature), especially in durability and speed categories. He also excelled defensively at a very tough position longer than most shortstops, played nearly every inning of every game and was the undisputed team leader during the best 11-year-run in his team’s history. He finished third for Rookie of the Year, won an MVP award (garnering votes four other times) and played in two World Series, winning one. From 2001 to 2012, he either was an All-Star, MVP-vote receiver or Gold Glover nine times.
In short, James Calvin Rollins – better known as J-Roll – absolutely deserves to be in the baseball Hall of Fame because of a unique combination of speed, defense, leadership, charisma and power.
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[1] “Youthful Rollins gives the Phils a positive charge,” pg. F8. The other prospect was centerfielder Reggie Taylor, drafted by the Phillies in the first round in 1995, who went 0-5. In 506 career at-bats, Taylor had an OPS of .654.
[2] They were also 81-81 in 1984 and 86-76 in 1986.
[3] “Rollins an example of minor inroads,” May 12, 1998, Page 57
[4] In 2004, meanwhile, Francona managed the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series win since 1918.
[5] It was even closer than that. On September 7, the Phillies took a 6-5 lead against the Astros into the top of the 9th. With two outs and nobody on base, third baseman David Bell committed an error. An infield single later, Craig Biggio homered off Billy Wagner to give the Astros an 8-6 lead. Brad Lidge – who would help lead the Phillies to a World Series victory three years later – retired the Phillies in order in the bottom of the ninth. Had the Phillies won this game, it is highly likely they win the Wild Card, not the Astros. Details found on page D7 of the September 8, 2005 Philadelphia Inquirer.
[6] In total, Rollins went 3-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in four plate appearances.
[7] And then Granderson and Rollins appeared on post-game shows together during the 2023 baseball playoffs, which saw the Philles just miss returning to the World Series.
[8] As performance-enhancing drugs were slowly eliminated from baseball, both counts dropped dramatically. From 2010 to 2012, the last year Rollins scored 100+ runs (102), an average of only 15 players scored that many runs, with an average of only 20 players driving in 100+ runs.
[9] Larkin, Alan Trammell, Roberto Alomar, Ryne Sandberg, Ted Simmons, Joe Morgan. Not currently in the Hall are Lou Whitaker, Edgar Renteria and Jay Bell.
[10] These values do not materially change when only the seven Hall-of-Fame shortstops who played after 1960 – Ernie Banks, Jeter, Larkin, Cal Ripken Jr., Ozzie Smith, Trammell and Robin Yount – are examined. Home runs increase to 14 and strikeouts increase to 58, while walks drop to 49.
[11] Jeter, Luis Aparicio, Smith, Ripken and Luke Appling
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