After perceived lack of hustle, Rollins meets with Manuel
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After perceived lack of hustle, Rollins meets with Manuel
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
MILWAUKEE — The loudest sound in the visitors clubhouse at Miller Park hours before Thursday's game was the echo of bat meeting ball from an adjacent room. There, Jimmy Rollins worked. He hit a ball off a tee for some 20 minutes while teammates watched TV and lounged.
Upon arriving at the ballpark, Rollins was summoned to Charlie Manuel's office for a meeting. At times, Rollins said, there was laughter.
"We have two rules: Hustle and be on time," Manuel said. "We'll see. That's all I have to say."
Manuel was not enraged enough to yank Rollins from Wednesday's game after not running out a grounder to shortstop. They did not chat following the 9-2 loss to Miami. After the pregame talk Thursday, Rollins appeared at the top of Manuel's lineup.
"I'll handle it," Manuel said. "And if I don't handle it, that's my fault."
Three team sources, each of whom requested anonymity in respect for Manuel, believed it was a larger problem that no player in the Phillies clubhouse chided Rollins for his mistake.
"That was terrible," one of the sources said.
Another noted Rollins has done similar things in the past that were easier to overlook with the team's success. Headed for a long winter, there is more criticism.
"Winning kills all," that source said.
Rollins agreed with that sentiment.
"Those things only come about when you lose, and that's the truth," Rollins said. "Nobody said nothing the day before when you win, or when you go from first to third on a ground ball up the middle, or when you score [from first] on a ball hit down the line. So you take it with a grain of salt."
Rollins, calm and relaxed Thursday, indicated there was a problem before he stepped to the plate in the sixth inning Wednesday.
"I was just upset before I even got up there," Rollins said. "I was already out of it. Mentally just upset."
Why?
"It's nothing to be talked about," he said. "It's not an excuse."
Asked if he regretted it, Rollins said, "Sure."
Manuel said there is no use in singling out one player for a lack of hustle. He has benched Rollins for similar situations in previous years. The manager estimated "75 to 80 percent" of players don't run at times.
"Every time I watch a game I see it," Manuel said. "But at the same time, that gets old after a while. You don't have to accept it."
He believed his intended message was understood.
"Everybody is going to hustle. That's my job. That's for the integrity of baseball. That's for respect for the manager, the players and the organization. Everything. No matter who you are."
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
Jroll will never get it. He's in decline and is doing nothing to enhance his value by altering his game like hitting on top of the ball dropping more bunts to pull the infielders in so he can shoot more balls by them.
He's not 27-28 where his physical ability could make up for his lackadaisical play. He doesn't get to the balls he used to in the field and his bat, well we all see what he does. He thinks he should just always be loved for the past, we think he should always be doing everything in his power to make himself the best player he can be to earn our love, he thinks he's good enough as is, we think he could do more. His attitude about his ability and play is the reason they are where they are in the standings. It's a loser attitude. Jimmy you may have 10 times the physical ability of Larry Bowa but I'll take Bowa every time because he will play every angle and get every edge and beat your good enough every time. There are not enough of those OS guys and unfortunately too many of these jimmy's in MLB.— rhcjr2- In 1961 I was 13...down the shore...loss after the loss...some on the west coast so you didn't know...Ruebin Sr et al 20..21...22...23...in a row. But watching J-pop hurts much, much more— gogoruch
- Cholly is a stupid manager! For no reason he switches the pitcher to blow the game wide open for the second game in a row!— dross
- "Manual" needs to talk managing. He dissed Cliff Lee and Phillies fans by putting in the useless Lindblom tonight. Worse, he left the idiot in the game after walking two batters and throwing less than a handful of strikes. For balance, Lindblom grooved one, yielding 4 runs. Hustle?— thedoc1
- Rollins should have been benched. If Manuel wanted to win the game tonight he should have had Papelbon get the out in the 8th . Manuel cost us another game this year. Everyone knows his bullpen stinks, yet he doesn't make the move with Papelbon.— Pap
- Expect a major sulk job from Rollins now - probably extending through the rest of the year.
At least Rollins is being called out by a few of the Phillies clique.
Funny how some people on these posts complained that others were just Rollins haters when they questioned Rollins lack of hustle all year.Is it possible Jimmy Rollins, the superstar, has been a slacker ?
Manuel today finally got around to confonting his Excellency - Sarge tonight on the broadcast said he should hustle all the time ! Stop the presses. Jimmy Rollins hustle all the time. What will they think of next !
Maybe next year we won't have this discussion again. That will only happen if he leaves at the end of the year. But who would want him ?
— candidly - don't let the door hit him in the arse...— OldCoach
- I thought the Phillies doomed themselves for a big drop off when Amaro rewarded Rollins with the big contract. It sent a horrible message. I wouldn't have had a problem if they brought him back for 2 years $12 million-- as far as I can tell nobody was offering him that--and demoted him in the line up, but to reward his underachievement and poor attitude...Why would any teammate say anything? He's been a dog for years and he isn't going to change.— jtj06
- Time to trade J.R. - before next season. Let him learn to hustle somewhere else. The problem will only increase as he gets a little older and a even more entrenched. There is a time and season for everything, and J.R.'s season with the Phils should be brought to a close.— Jacob
- Time to trade J.R. - before next season. Let him learn to hustle somewhere else. The problem will only increase as he gets a little older and a even more entrenched. There is a time and season for everything, and J.R.'s season with the Phils should be brought to a close.— Jacob
- " Perceived lack of hustle "...what does that mean ...when will a writer just flat out say that JimME very often does not hustle and very often looks like he doesn't care at the plate ...wHEN he takes a halfhearted swing at the first pitch and pops up...he is not a professional ..and shame on the vets on the team for not calling him out on it ...and Charlie ?...I am sure he and JimME had a good yuk about it— jscaf
- There is nothing "PERCEIVED" about Jstroll's lack of hustle. It is real. What are the sports writers watching when they are at the game? The ball girls? he hasn't hustled most of the year.— alihajishank
- Uh..."perceived lack of hustle"?!? WTF game were you watching? Nothing "perceived" about it.
I wish baseball was like the NFL with no guaranteed contracts...see how long guys get away with not hustling making $11M a year. I hope they can find a sucker bigger than Rube to take J-Stroll in the off season.— Only in Philly... - I would like to see a race between J-Slow after hitting a ground ball against Pete Rose after drawing a walk.— ALJ
- I always guessed Rollins not busting down first was a concession to his recent hamstring problems. Phills need his defense at premier SS spot. Then again it maybe just lack of hustle. It's a slap in the face to Manuel, teammates and fans who fill up park. Rollins has had a good to very good career with a very few great years. Why would he diminish this with his jogging down to first?. Why has it taken Manuel so long to question this?— don whitman
