Phil Sheridan: For Rollins, it's about winning

CLEARWATER, Fla. - It would be big news (and bad news for the Phillies) if Jimmy Rollins had reflected on his brilliant 2007 MVP season and decided he no longer could bear to play under the contract he signed in June 2005.

So maybe it should be news that Rollins reported happily to camp and rededicated himself to helping the Phillies to the next step.

"I'm playing for the ring," Rollins said. "The money is great, and with longevity you can make a lot of it, but it's the chance to win that means the most."

With contract-related tension involving Phillies Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard, and with Eagles Lito Sheppard and Brian Westbrook known to be unhappy with deals they signed, and with scorch marks from the Terrell Owens meltdown still visible on the NovaCare Complex walls, you could argue that a superstar content with a contract he has outplayed is bigger news.

"I knew what I was signing when I signed it," Rollins said. "At the time, we weren't even negotiating on a new deal. The Phillies came to me and asked if I would be interested in a long-term deal. We agreed we'd give it two days. I didn't want to be thinking about it while I was playing. If I didn't get a hit, was I costing myself money? If I got a couple hits, was I making myself more money?"

Rollins and his agent were looking for a deal comparable to the four-year, $32 million contract free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera signed with the Angels. The Phillies offered $40 million over five years. Rollins signed, and that was that.

"I know the value of money," Rollins said. "I used to cut hair to make money, so my parents didn't have to give me money for the things I wanted to do. It's still the same thing, except my toys are a little bigger now."

Cabrera is still an elite player. So is Edgar Renteria, who signed a more lucrative deal before Rollins did. But the Phillies wouldn't trade Rollins for either of them. Certainly, his 2007 season - .296 average, 30 home runs, superb defense and leadership for a playoff team - was more impressive than anything either of them has done.

For a guy like Owens, that would translate to burning resentment and disruptive behavior.

For a guy like Rollins, it translates into a calm acceptance of the situation.

"I knew there was a chance I would play better and the Phillies would be getting a little bit of a bargain," Rollins said. "But there was also a chance I wouldn't produce as much. I knew the market could change after I signed it. I knew all that when I signed."

It doesn't hurt that Rollins will earn $8 million this year whether he repeats as MVP or slumps all season. It also doesn't hurt that he will get another shot at free agency when he's 31 and still in his prime. Still, in this gimme-gimme atmosphere, it is refreshing to hear a player who gets it. Talking with Rollins the other day, it was impossible to imagine him pulling an Owens or even a Lito Sheppard.

"There's no need to stir up anything," Rollins said. (Please note he wasn't addressing any other specific player, merely talking about himself.) "It would affect the way your teammates look at you, knowing you made it all about yourself instead of the team. That's not good."

Westbrook signed his five-year, $24 million contract just five months after Rollins did. He is well-known to be unhappy with the deal, and there is speculation he may choose to boycott minicamps or even hold out from training camp.

You might say Westbrook is right to feel underpaid. After all, he's worth as much to the Eagles as Rollins is to the Phillies. But that's not how it works. Westbrook picked up a football, Rollins picked up a bat. Rollins chose well.

Sheppard's reported disgruntlement at his $2 million salary for 2008 likely contributed to the Eagles' decision to spend millions more on Asante Samuel. Like many NFL players, including Owens, Sheppard apparently wasn't told his $8.7 million signing bonus was supposed to help tide him over through the lean years.

There's a simple solution: Convert Sheppard into a wide receiver. He's better with the ball than anyone on the team other than Westbrook. At a position where avoiding contact is considered good, he'd be less likely to get hurt. And if he produces, there's a perfect excuse to redo his contract.

All this contract talk is a drag for fans who just want to watch games and root for their teams. It's worth discussing only because the business side can have a big impact on the field.

That's easy to see when it's negative, a la Owens. But it also can be positive. The Phillies' decision to meet Rollins' number in 2005 turned out to be an excellent one. Rollins deserves credit for making it so.

It's human nature to want more. It's just kind of cool when a superstar like Rollins cares just as much about getting more in the win column.