Jimmy Rollins benched by Charlie Manuel during game
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Jimmy Rollins benched by Charlie Manuel during game
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
This time, Jimmy Rollins was benched by Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.
Manuel had a closed-door meeting with Rollins after the shortstop failed to run out a pop up in Miami earlier this month, but the manager opted not to bench his starting shortstop.
After Rollins hit a sixth-inning pop up in front of home plate Thursday afternoon against the New York Mets, he started to veer off toward the dugout halfway up the first-base line. The ball was dropped by Mets pitcher Jonathan Niese and only then did Rollins start running and he had to stop at first base.
The shortstop then stole second base, but immediately made another baserunning blunder. With pitcher Kyle Kendrick at third base and one out, the infield was in with the Mets trying to avoid going behind by two runs.
Kevin Frandsen hit a grounder to second baseman Daniel Murphy and Rollins broke toward third with Kendrick still standing on the bag. Rollins was eventually tagged out and got an earful from Manuel when he returned to the dugout.
When the Phillies went out for the top of the seventh inning, Michael Martinez moved from right field to shortstop and Laynce Nix took Rollins' spot in the batting order.
More after the game.
Unfortunately, it's about 10 years too late for this to mean anything to Jimmy and it won't change any of his work habits. Sounds to me like somebody with some stones, like Utley, needs to ream him a new one in the clubhouse in front of the entire team. Even Kratz could get in his face reminding him how lucky he is to do this for a living. What an example from your star face of the team. You go Charles......sit him for awhile.— Mark1npt- Trade Rollins......he is lazy!!! Ask Charlie to up into the office as a senior adviser and bring in Ryan Sandburg. Every manager has a shelf life with his players.....CM's is over!!!— PhillyTerm
- Time for Jim Me Pop Up to go. He's not a team player and only cares about himself. There is no room for a clown like that on a Phillies team that wants to win next year.— Short Circuit 3
- The problem with waivers is who is going to take him now even if Ruben eats his ridiculous contract?
In fact, don't think that other managers and general managers have noticed the attitude just like Philly fans did, which explains the lack of interest n free agency.— wo_fat - Its over. Pop-N-Trot can start packing his bags. He's traded in the offseason.— Bruno Sammartino
- Doesn't Hamels have 14 wins? Sounds like Double digits to me.— re6035
- It's sad. One day you have Jimmy doing good things for the Uganda kids and the next day he's lollygagging it to first base... again.
— dasher - utley and rollins are different type of players utley love to play rollins plays because he gets paid for it— stayoutofphilly
- What did the club expect when they gave this lazy A_ _ guaranteed money. It drives me nuts when I hear on the radio "Jimmy is really into the game tonight". Are you kidding me. A leader, I think not. Trade him if you can. Charlie said it best a month ago, money changes people.— HC3
- What Charlie should have done was let him go out to short at the start of the 7th inning and then pull him. This way, the fans could have given him an earful as he walked across the diamond. He got off easy by being able to stay in the dugout.— UDTate
- As has been pointed out, Jimmy is a 10/5 guy, so effectively he has a no trade clause. With his age and attitude, the Phils would have o eat most of the money and get nothing in return, and that's only if Jim-Me approves the trade.
Face it...thanks to clueless Rube, we're stuck with Jim-Me for the duration. The only other real option is an outright release, but the Phils would still have to pay him, so that's unlikely, unless that would free up money against the luxury tax cap.— Only in Philly... - Time to move him along. Only hustles when he want to, thinks he is a lead off hitter and pouts if he isn't, has plate discipline when he feels like it. Time to go. Thanks for everything.— tony bell
- Players that don't hustle on every play should be benched. They make too much $$$$$$ not to. They should all take their example from Chase Utley. Even with the bad knees he hustles every play.— fanup
- Bad knees and all, I have never seen Chase Utley jog to first base. Ever.— PhightinPhil
- That loser has been empowered over the years by Manuel and RAJ. Then RAJ signs him in the off season knowing what he is going to get. This is not all on loser JRoll. Manuel and RAJ take some of the blame here.— scootch
