Some optimism about Rollins
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Some optimism about Rollins
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
There was a lot more optimism flowing from the Phillies' camp today, much of it stemming from a late-night meeting that Ruben Amaro Jr. had with Dan Lozano, the agent for shortstop Jimmy Rollins. While Amaro declined to discuss specifics, he sounded more upbeat about the situation than yesterday, when the Phillies reportedly started thinking seriously about their other options.
Charlie Manuel was the most optimistic. Asked to gauge the odds of Rollins returning, the manager replied, "I think there's a big chance Jimmy is going to be back with us. I think it's going to get done. Right now, that's our A Plan."
Manuel said he talked to Rollins a week ago when both were in Philadelphia for Phillies events.
"We talked about a lot of things," Manuel said.
While there might not be any tangible progress between the two sides, there is a lot better vibe about the situation coming from the club.
Jimmy has every right to feel prideful about what he has done in his career and what his impact has been upon our club. I absolutely understand that he feels he has great worth, and he should feel that way. It's just a matter of us getting to the right place where we think the worth is the same.
"Jimmy has every right to feel prideful about what he has done in his career and what his impact has been upon our club," Amaro said. "I absolutely understand that he feels he has great worth, and he should feel that way. It's just a matter of us getting to the right place where we think the worth is the same."
Comments (53)
Rollins is the best fielding SS in the league and he can hit. Hanley Ramirez is a headcase who can't carry Jimmy's jock defensively. Pitching and defense win titles. Too bad Utley and Lee didn't get the memo, they are the ones who let the team down. Utley with his boneheaded base running and Lee just plain sucked.— Paul SoTX- Rollins is the best fielding SS in the league and he can hit. Hanley Ramirez is a headcase who can't carry Jimmy's jock defensively. Pitching and defense win titles. Too bad Utley and Lee didn't get the memo, they are the ones who let the team down. Utley with his boneheaded base running and Lee just plain sucked.— Paul SoTX
- How will the Phillies improve? Wait a second didn't they win 102 games last year? Rollins wont sign a 3 year contract have to go to at leas 4. Phillies rumored to be after Gio. HOF Gillick gave him away for a pitcher who won 1 game for Phills. Gio won 31 games last 2 years. Baseball men knew of his talent and potential. Well maybe everyone except Gillick. The other half of Gillicks trade Floyd could also break out. I guess if you make enough trades some are going to go sour but why would you trade 2 potential stud pitchers?— Don w
- Sign Bearsfriend because he can cover a lot of ground day after day, he does not loaf, often leads off with a hit and is the most consistent guy on this team, (Sorry EZ,,,you were runnerup)— NewMick314
- daystrum, why in the world would Amaro (or anyone) want to "turn the page" from the best period in Phillies history?
What are you talking about?— schmenkman - eman, good points.
Also:
- Rollins does NOT pop up any more than the league average (13% of balls in the air are popups), and he pops up less than others (Victorino, Pence)
- Any team could use more offense, but the Phillies had the highest-scoring team in the league after Utley returned in May.— schmenkman - If Amaro wants to "turn the page", then no matter who he acquires or trades for, the Phils will continue to be handicapped and compromised by Manuels incurable incompetence. His ineptitude will always sink the Phils in crucial games, especially play offs. They should have grabbed Francona or bring Rhino. What a shame.— daystrum
- As long as Manuel remains field manager, the Phillies will chase their tail - he has to resign.— daystrum
- Success breeds overconfidence. We've dominated the NL East and, sure, why not, let Rollins walk and keep on winning. Right? He pops up too much. He hustles only 98% of the time. Sure, bring in Jed Lowrie -- and, we realize how good Jimmy is. Week after agonizing week. Jimmy is the best shortstop available right now at a crucial position, especially defensively. Oh, and we have great pitching that commands great defense.
I hope we sign him, for 4 or 3 years, and we revel in the announcement. Do we need offense on top of that? Probably, yes. Have we solved our biggest immediate need returning our SS? Yes.— eman - RAJ has made some bad deals in giving too many yrs contracts! Jimmy has paid his dues and then some, he deserves a GOOD contract he is definitely worth it both on the field and in the clubhouse. He don't need to be going anywhere!— larryv
- Ah yes, the optimists are out in full force. You are the same guys cheering for him when he gets a red light hit, too, right? Look,I have reservations about JRoll's health too, BUT - putting Galvis into his spot now would be a huge mistake. Jimmy Rollins not only is the best shortstop the Phils have ever had - he is the best available. Ruben, the REAL Phils' fans want JRoll - please make it happen.— dwp66
- Thank you dwp66...finally someone who knows what they are talking about. JRoll bleeds Phillies Red!!! He has been with this team thru good and bad. He was not the reason the Phils lost in the play-offs last year. In fact, he was the only one hitting. We need JRoll in the locker room and as a stable part of the best defensive team in baseball! — halterd72
- 102 wins. Jimmy will hopefully be a Phillie for his entire. He is still a top flight Shortstop and his defense is still great. He has already started to take better care of himself physically and should be a reliable part of the infield because Utley has turned into a "Hothouse Flower" also.— charladan
- You guys talk about signing Ramirez over Polanco and keeping Rollins. Think for a minute...are you really sure Ramirez is out of his funk? I bet every one of you would cringe to see Polanco hit over .300 like when we traded him away to the Tigers. Ramirez had a good year LAST YEAR...but I'm not totally sold on him, for what we have to pay to get him. I'm not for giving Rollins the years that he wants in his contract...but if right now, the only option Ruben can come up with is let Rollins walk and trade Polanco to get Ramirez while bringing up Galvis I'm dead set against it. Then if we use some " rent-a-player " for a year at short instead, how can we say that's going to be better than Rollins...will THAT change the hitting for this team? I don't think so. Ruben is doing the right thing...wait and let Jimmy come to his senses. Rollins already knows that the Phils need him...and soon he will also know that there is NO team out there that will give a 33 years old shortstop the years and money he wants...no one out there thinking that Jimmy's presence/offense alone can turn a team around at this stage in his career. He'll come to know he needs the Phillies as much as we need him.— tony b
- For all the geniuses saying to get rid of J-Roll...I've yet to see any of you give a reasonable replacement that makes us any better. Polanco at short? Seriously?
And nobody knows how this kid Galvis is. And I do remember this team winning 102 games last year with pitching and defense. Mayberry in left and a full season of Pence in right is already an upgrade. Not to mention we didn't have Utley for a month.
Is there seriously a defensive equal available at short who will match Rollins' offense? And his offense hasn't even been that good lately.
The team will again make the playoffs. After that it's a crapshoot.
102 wins and we need to make lots of changes???— smfree31 - No, no more Jimmy Rollins, please. He breaks down WAAAAAAY too much now! What's he going to be like in 4 or 5 years???— ANGRY AL 2
- No, no more Jimmy Rollins, please. He breaks down WAAAAAAY too much now! What's he going to be like in 4 or 5 years???— ANGRY AL 2
- was supposed to have read: "another TROT down the first-base line."— advantasux
- Please sign him. He deserves to finish his career in Philly— BigMike100
- wow, this is EXACTLY what I and so many on this board were afraid to read. I've peeked thru semi-closed eyes every time I refreshed the Phils' page the past few days, hoping to never have to read how bringing J-Stroll back is going to happen. And then to read what @SewellMatt quoted from RAJ, that bringing Jimmy back is the last move he'll make to shore up the offense is just hard to understand.
Exactly what does RAJ think he did this offseason? And for those on this board that continue to hedge their acceptance of J-Pop's return with the usual, "as long as he hits 7th or 8th", you folks are in denial. Charlie is powerless to stand up to this guy. He will bat lead-off, he will swng at the first pitch 60% of the time, he will hit 250 lazy pops to shallow center and left and he won't do a darn thing to be the catalyst this team needs. And still, Charlie will bat his 1st and be waiting for him with a smile and a laugh every tiem J-Stroll returns to the dugout after another trop down the first base line.
Hard to believe RAJ could be doing this after his pronouncements of a new approach at the plate and thru the line-up. You bring back the manager and his hitting coach and then you bring back the guy who never sets the table and you expect a new approach? Nothing will change! Nothing at all!— advantasux - He would hate Milwaukee...fair weather fans and a dreery, ugly city. Not his style.— kelprod2
- If the Phillies can't sign Jimmy Rollins then they should get Hanley Ramirez from the Marlins. He's only 28 years old, a good hitter, base runner, and fielder. These are Hanley's stats: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7488/career;_ylt=AjsMkkmz5yDG848igUKcibOFCLcF— aserra
- need Aramis's offense much more than Rollins defense --or an expensive closer for that matter -- Ruben remains clueless— warbiscuit
- Oh my gosh is the nuts. Give Jimmy Rollins a three year contract proposal that states..."this is our final offer". No different that with Ryan Madsen (his agent obviously thought there were greener pastures out in MLB land like his previous Philly client, the one, the only Jayson "Im not" Werth $126 million). The free agent markets are different now that PED's are gone. Players begin their normal downward spiral at 34-36, depending the individual's physical genetics. Prior to the big PED era, how many all star calibar short stops were playing well into their late 30's? Derek Jeter is an aberration at the moment. ARoid is no longer the $30 million dollar man at 37. Rollins needs to understand based on his past two years of injury and lack of 2007 numbers, he is NOT worth anything more than 3 years. If some other team wants to overpay him in years and dollars, RAJ should show him the door. Milwaukee, w/o Prince Fielder will not be a playoff team. Rollins has been spoiled (as we fans have) regarding the teams past 5 years of success. But as all good things/players, sometimes, the end isn't so comfortable. Its a team game, not just one player's game/team.— drhoffman
- Team needs a big change in chemistry and needs to get younger. Pick up a vet for one year and see if Galvis can play into the role.— Sidewinder7
- Come Home Jimmy..No place like home....— mlwmlw
- The Phillies will have to give Rollins whatever the Brewers offer if they want to keep him. They are already tied to long contracts for guys in their 30s in Utley and Howard. They can let Rollins go now and reload on the fly the way the Braves did in the 90s.— Scorekeeper
- I am going to miss the pop-ups and jogging to first.— fred2fred1
- The Phillies appear to be bidding against themselves.— PhightinPhil
- I want Jimmy Rollins back. He's a proven commodity in the field, can still hit in big situations -- as he showed against the Cards -- and is a good clubhouse presence. Perceptions that he is merely a generator of "slow rollers and pop-ups," although not inaccurate, are incomplete and fail to take account of his value to the club.— Dave Clemens
- rollins career postseason numbers are horrible. yes, he did well this past postseason - care to guess why? — zwarte piet
- Nooooooooooooo!!!! I do NOT want to see him leading off ever again for the Phillies. Thanks for 2008.— shawnmac
Comment removed.- guarantee if rollins signs with us nothing will change. rollins will be telling charlie to put him in the leadoff spot and will tell charlie to give him the green light to swing at anything he wants. and then we will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005. — zwarte piet
- Nooooooooooooo!!!! I do NOT want to see him leading off ever again for the Phillies. Thanks for 2008.— shawnmac
- CoryJohn- Until your team actually WINS a WS (can't see how NOT having Fielder is an upgrade), best to shush.— mrjarn
- Rollins will leave Philly because it has the worst fans in the world. Milwaukee will go to the World Series because the Brewers will be better without Prince Fielder. Less is more. Milwaukee Brewers champions of the world!! Philly chumps!!— CoryJohn
- Comment removed.
- Bearsfriend, with Cheryl Burke as a partner, Charlie Manuel probably could win Dancing With The Stars. Don't forget, he does a nifty Quick Step when he walks out to the mound to change pitchers, a convincing Fox Trot when he goes after an umpire, and an inspiring Cha Cha when he walks around the dugout trying to figure out who he wants to use as a pinch hitter. He may need to be convinced that the Paso Doble is a dance and not what they call a double play in the Mexican League, but everything else being equal, Chuck could probably hold his own in a dance contest.— onthebucks
- Ohh..and I love the twitter quote on this page for Murph's account where Amaro says if they sign Rollins that this will be their last move for the offense. What?? Again, if the end result is that you haven't changed one bit, how is keeping Rollins a move for the offense?— Sewellmatt
- Great. So....the Phillies take Rollins back, add no significant offense. How has this team improved?? Why will this postseason be any different than the last 2..maybe 3??? Yeah, Jimmy had a big impact on this franchise and Aramis Ramirez isn't a great defender, but what good does it do to stay stagnant? At least getting Ramirez might improve the offense for a year or 2. With Rollins nothing has changed except watching him decline more and more. What happened to changing the hitting philosophy? Isn't Rollins the guy who says he "won't change one damn thing" about his approach? This is an absolute failed offseason if nothing changes. I still cant get over the big proclamations about hitting from Ruben and to end up with the same starting squad is amazing.— Sewellmatt
- Give Jimmy a 3 year deal with a 4th season either as a team option or reachable by incentives. Jimmy can play one more season with the Phillies as the every day SS. Next season when Placido is gone Jimmy can move to 3B, since he has the arm, and Galvis starts his career with the Phillies (assuming he can over .200).— crkreg
- If Rollins is such a good catch, why are virtually no teams interested in his services? Because there is not one team that feels he is worth anything near what Rollins himself thinks he is worth. I had some confidence that Ruben might be ready to do the sensible thing, which is not to give in to Rollins and offer a two year deal with an option, at best. Instead, he appears to be backing down and will undoubtedly pay too much for another 3-4 years of Rollins, who will only hustle less (if that is possible), continue to hit slow rollers and pop-ups, and increase his time on the DL. No other team has the history with Rollins as the Phillies do, so they can loo at the situation objectively and say "no" to the ridiculous demands of ego Jimmy.— MrPhillie
- Yeah, back end of that contract will be reminiscent of Ibanez, Polanco. He's in his 30's and has problems with conditioning and his wheels (not to mention lead-off demeanor and hustle). He has lost some range and do you notice how many bang bang plays there are at first with his diminished throwing arm? "Best shortstop in Phillies history," as someone said, is damning with faint praise. Jroll's no HOFer. Who's second, Bowa?? This team needs to get younger NOW. I appreciate what he has meant to the Fightin's, but if Galvis isn't ready, rent a guy for a year, but do NOT give the Styler a long term deal. — steelydad
- Discovering the Phils won the auction on Japanese shortstop, Hiroyuki Nakajima, is cause for optimism. So is getting a call from the Marlins who are begging the Phils to take Hanley Ramirez off their hands for prospects and agreeing to pay half his salary. So is acquiring Aramis Ramirez and learning that Placido Polanco is healthy again and highly motivated to hit .300 and win a Gold Glove at shortstop in 2012. Publicly announcing that the Phils may only have to resign Jimmy Rollins for 4 years rather than 5 is not a cause for optimism. It is a reason to have the smiling portraits of Ruben Amaro Jr and Charlie Manuel hung in an art gallery next to that of Alfred E. Neuman.— onthebucks
- Placido Polanco will win a Gold Glove at shortstop when Charlie Manuel wins on "Dancing With The Stars". — bearsfriend
- Placido Polanco will win a Gold Glove at shortstop when Charlie Manuel wins on "Dancing With The Stars". — bearsfriend
- Jimmy Rollins is the best shortstop in Phillies history. I hope he comes back. I hope there is some give on BOTH sides!!!— Andrewsgvl
- Based on recent activity, it sounds like the little slugger will be back on board to help centerpiece "mumbles's murderous row". I shiver with goosebumps at the proposition. not.— Sam Crow
- So the team spends millions for a guy who will break down in the first month. Get some bats for the cost of Jimmy Rube.— Koons
- The "young kid" is nowhere near ready to be a major-league SS. Impatient Philly fans always think the next guy off the bench is going to be a Hall-of-Famer.— JimG
- all we need from galvis is for him to field well, and he can do that. rollins wants to be a free-swinger and swing for the fences and he insists on doing that in the leadoff spot or he will catch an attitude. to make matters worse, he is a leader on the team and he persists with selfish behavior. this is bobby abreu all over again. we are better off without rollins. how can amaro be serious about changing this team's approach to hitting if he re-signs rollins? — zwarte piet
- PLEASE,,,,,,,, time to move on. Bring the young kid up and close up the middle. Replace the "BAT" with rameriz(sp)— Kcsplash
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