http://m.philly.com/phillycom/pm_23135/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=5sQbEZy0
John Smallwood: Rollins deserves chance to make hits history with Phillies 07/13/2011 9:42 AM
IT WAS another amazing moment in New York Yankees lore.
On Saturday, Derek Jeter stepped to the plate at the new Yankee Stadium, only one hit from reaching 3,000.
With one majestic swing, Jeter sent a ball over the wall to become the first Yankee ever to get 3,000 hits and the second player ever to reach the milestone on a home run.
Only 27 other major leaguers have reached 3,000 hits.
It almost did not happen.
After 15 years as the Yankees shortstop, Jeter became a free agent after the 2010 season. Following an extremely testy and public spat about his worth, the Yankees signed Jeter to a 3-year contract with an option for a fourth.
But the Yankees saw the value in the bigger picture.
Jeter, now 37, was still going to play baseball. The Yankees knew they couldn't let one of the most beloved players in franchise history reach a career milestone like 3,000 hits in another uniform.
Milestone moments matter to the Yankees, who know they add to the franchise's lore. Babe Ruth and Roger Maris set single-season home run records as Yankees. Lou Gehrig set the original ironman streak as a Yankee. Joe DiMaggio set the all-time hitting streak as a Yankee.
Jeter's 3,000th hit was always going to happen with him wearing Yankee pinstripes.
With that, we make the long stretch to the Phillies and their longtime shortstop, Jimmy Rollins.
After starting for the Phillies for more than a decade, Rollins, 32, will become a free agent at the end of the season. He is playing under the $8.5 million option year in the 5-year, $40 million extension he signed in 2006.
There is no question that Rollins' skills are declining, but he is still a quality major league shortstop and should remain so for several seasons.
Rollins has 1,809 career hits, and the odds say that within the next three seasons or so, he will get the 426 hits he needs to break Mike Schmidt's franchise record of 2,234.
The Phillies should allow Rollins to make a run at Schmidt's hits record.
I'm not saying they should break the bank, especially given more than $100 million already committed to nine players for next year, but they should be pliable in the negotiations.
While this is not a milestone like 3,000 hits or 300 wins, the Phillies would be sending a clear message that they value what Rollins has accomplished.
Historically, the Phillies have seemed to have taken a "no big deal" approach to individual milestones.
The Phillies released Steve Carlton during the 1986 season, when he was only 18 strikeouts short of 4,000. He got it with the San Francisco Giants.
Pete Rose was in a Phillies uniform when he became a serious threat to pass Ty Cobb as the all-time hits leader. But the Phillies didn't keep Rose after the 1983 season. He signed a 1-year deal with the Montreal Expos and, on April 13, 1984, he became the second player to get 4,000 hits.
In 1985, Rose returned to the Cincinnati Reds and passed Cobb as the all-time hit king on Sept. 11.
Considering how much Rose was loved in Philadelphia, can you imagine how much Veterans Stadium would have rocked had Rose surpassed Cobb as a Phillie?
Obviously, Rollins' getting his 2,235 hits would not be a historic baseball milestone, but it would be special locally. It would be a reward for his longevity, and his productivity.
Schmidt is the standard-bearer for the Phillies. He became a Hall of Fame player and the greatest third baseman of all time while playing exclusively for the Phillies. He is the Hall of Fame player most associated with the Phillies.
A player making a run at one of Schmidt's records should mean something to the Phillies.
Rollins has spent just about his entire adult life as a member of the Phillies organization. He has been a National League Most Valuable Player and also helped the Phillies win a World Series. Schmidt and current first baseman Ryan Howard are the only other "lifetime" Phillies who accomplished both.
Since the advent of free agency, it is rare for an athlete to spend his entire career with one team.
Most of the Phillies' career records have stood for decades. Schmidt's records, which include hits, home runs and RBI, are the only ones held by a player who spent his entire career as a Phillie.
Rollins will not pass Schmidt unless he continues to play at a respectable level over the next 3 years.
The Phillies should factor that in when they decide whether to bring Rollins back. *
John Smallwood: Rollins deserves chance to make hits history with Phillies 07/13/2011 9:42 AM
IT WAS another amazing moment in New York Yankees lore.
On Saturday, Derek Jeter stepped to the plate at the new Yankee Stadium, only one hit from reaching 3,000.
With one majestic swing, Jeter sent a ball over the wall to become the first Yankee ever to get 3,000 hits and the second player ever to reach the milestone on a home run.
Only 27 other major leaguers have reached 3,000 hits.
It almost did not happen.
After 15 years as the Yankees shortstop, Jeter became a free agent after the 2010 season. Following an extremely testy and public spat about his worth, the Yankees signed Jeter to a 3-year contract with an option for a fourth.
But the Yankees saw the value in the bigger picture.
Jeter, now 37, was still going to play baseball. The Yankees knew they couldn't let one of the most beloved players in franchise history reach a career milestone like 3,000 hits in another uniform.
Milestone moments matter to the Yankees, who know they add to the franchise's lore. Babe Ruth and Roger Maris set single-season home run records as Yankees. Lou Gehrig set the original ironman streak as a Yankee. Joe DiMaggio set the all-time hitting streak as a Yankee.
Jeter's 3,000th hit was always going to happen with him wearing Yankee pinstripes.
With that, we make the long stretch to the Phillies and their longtime shortstop, Jimmy Rollins.
After starting for the Phillies for more than a decade, Rollins, 32, will become a free agent at the end of the season. He is playing under the $8.5 million option year in the 5-year, $40 million extension he signed in 2006.
There is no question that Rollins' skills are declining, but he is still a quality major league shortstop and should remain so for several seasons.
Rollins has 1,809 career hits, and the odds say that within the next three seasons or so, he will get the 426 hits he needs to break Mike Schmidt's franchise record of 2,234.
The Phillies should allow Rollins to make a run at Schmidt's hits record.
I'm not saying they should break the bank, especially given more than $100 million already committed to nine players for next year, but they should be pliable in the negotiations.
While this is not a milestone like 3,000 hits or 300 wins, the Phillies would be sending a clear message that they value what Rollins has accomplished.
Historically, the Phillies have seemed to have taken a "no big deal" approach to individual milestones.
The Phillies released Steve Carlton during the 1986 season, when he was only 18 strikeouts short of 4,000. He got it with the San Francisco Giants.
Pete Rose was in a Phillies uniform when he became a serious threat to pass Ty Cobb as the all-time hits leader. But the Phillies didn't keep Rose after the 1983 season. He signed a 1-year deal with the Montreal Expos and, on April 13, 1984, he became the second player to get 4,000 hits.
In 1985, Rose returned to the Cincinnati Reds and passed Cobb as the all-time hit king on Sept. 11.
Considering how much Rose was loved in Philadelphia, can you imagine how much Veterans Stadium would have rocked had Rose surpassed Cobb as a Phillie?
Obviously, Rollins' getting his 2,235 hits would not be a historic baseball milestone, but it would be special locally. It would be a reward for his longevity, and his productivity.
Schmidt is the standard-bearer for the Phillies. He became a Hall of Fame player and the greatest third baseman of all time while playing exclusively for the Phillies. He is the Hall of Fame player most associated with the Phillies.
A player making a run at one of Schmidt's records should mean something to the Phillies.
Rollins has spent just about his entire adult life as a member of the Phillies organization. He has been a National League Most Valuable Player and also helped the Phillies win a World Series. Schmidt and current first baseman Ryan Howard are the only other "lifetime" Phillies who accomplished both.
Since the advent of free agency, it is rare for an athlete to spend his entire career with one team.
Most of the Phillies' career records have stood for decades. Schmidt's records, which include hits, home runs and RBI, are the only ones held by a player who spent his entire career as a Phillie.
Rollins will not pass Schmidt unless he continues to play at a respectable level over the next 3 years.
The Phillies should factor that in when they decide whether to bring Rollins back. *
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...-becomes-philadelphia-phillies-all-hit-leader
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Jimmy Rollins sets Phillies' hit record
ESPN.com news services
Jimmy Rollins added yet another milestone to his 15-year career as he became the Philadelphia Phillies' all-time hit leader with No. 2,235 coming against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Rollins laced a 3-1 single to right field off Edwin Jackson in the fifth inning to pass Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt atop the hit list for the 132-year-old franchise.
Schmidt, a Phillies TV analyst for Sunday games, retrieved Rollins' bat after the milestone single and greeted Rollins with a high-five and hug at first base. The entire Phillies team then came out from the dugout to offer congratulatory hugs and handshakes.
<!-- begin inline 1 -->[h=4]Record Breaker[/h]
Jimmy Rollins broke Mike Schmidt's record for the most hits in Phillies history with a single in the 5th inning Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Rollins has been on the Phillies since 2000.
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<!-- end inline 1 -->Once the Phillies left the field, Schmidt took Rollins' hand and held it in the air to the cheers. The pair was then given a standing ovation as fireworks erupted from the large video board in left field.
The 35-year-old Rollins received a loud ovation when he came to the plate his first two times up Saturday, but he grounded out to first on the second pitch he saw in the first inning and lined out sharply to first in the second.
The switch-hitter led off the fifth batting from the left side and drove Jackson's 3-1 offering sharply into right field for his record-setting hit.
Rollins was drafted in the second round of the 1996 draft and made his debut with the Phillies on Sept. 17, 2000. He got his first hit that day, a triple off Chuck Smith, at Veterans Stadium.
In 15 years with the Phillies, the 5-foot-8 shortstop has won four Gold Gloves, made three All-Star teams and was the 2007 NL MVP. He was a member of the club's 2008 World Series championship team.
Rollins already tops Philadelphia's doubles list with 466, and he is in the top 10 of nearly every offensive category in club history.
He is second in extra-base hits (782), total bases (3,540), games (2,015), at-bats (8,331), and third in steals (436), runs (1,281) and triples (109).
Rollins is one of 19 players in major league history with at least 400 doubles, 100 triples and 200 home runs. He is fourth all-time with 46 leadoff homers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Jimmy Rollins sets Phillies' hit record
ESPN.com news services
Jimmy Rollins added yet another milestone to his 15-year career as he became the Philadelphia Phillies' all-time hit leader with No. 2,235 coming against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Rollins laced a 3-1 single to right field off Edwin Jackson in the fifth inning to pass Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt atop the hit list for the 132-year-old franchise.
Schmidt, a Phillies TV analyst for Sunday games, retrieved Rollins' bat after the milestone single and greeted Rollins with a high-five and hug at first base. The entire Phillies team then came out from the dugout to offer congratulatory hugs and handshakes.
<!-- begin inline 1 -->[h=4]Record Breaker[/h]
| Player | Hits |
|---|---|
| Jimmy Rollins | 2,235* |
| Mike Schmidt | 2,234 |
| Richie Ashburn | 2,217 |
| Ed Delahanty | 2,213 |
| Del Ennis | 1,812 |
| *Through 5th inning Saturday -- ESPN Stats & Information |
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<!-- end inline 1 -->Once the Phillies left the field, Schmidt took Rollins' hand and held it in the air to the cheers. The pair was then given a standing ovation as fireworks erupted from the large video board in left field.
The 35-year-old Rollins received a loud ovation when he came to the plate his first two times up Saturday, but he grounded out to first on the second pitch he saw in the first inning and lined out sharply to first in the second.
The switch-hitter led off the fifth batting from the left side and drove Jackson's 3-1 offering sharply into right field for his record-setting hit.
Rollins was drafted in the second round of the 1996 draft and made his debut with the Phillies on Sept. 17, 2000. He got his first hit that day, a triple off Chuck Smith, at Veterans Stadium.
In 15 years with the Phillies, the 5-foot-8 shortstop has won four Gold Gloves, made three All-Star teams and was the 2007 NL MVP. He was a member of the club's 2008 World Series championship team.
Rollins already tops Philadelphia's doubles list with 466, and he is in the top 10 of nearly every offensive category in club history.
He is second in extra-base hits (782), total bases (3,540), games (2,015), at-bats (8,331), and third in steals (436), runs (1,281) and triples (109).
Rollins is one of 19 players in major league history with at least 400 doubles, 100 triples and 200 home runs. He is fourth all-time with 46 leadoff homers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
watch what happens now. he is the most selfish phillie player of all time. that record is all he cared about. definitely not the team. this thread started with him hitting homeruns. that is the whole problem. he is not a homerun hitter. but he thinks he is. his best year ever was when he was leadoff all year and put in the effort. but of course he is too good for that and refused to hit leadoff. the phillies have not had a true leadoff hitter since he joined the team. that is because it was supposed to be him and again he refused. he also a negative influence on other players as he is anti-fan. example is when him and howard were on a late night talk show and he was ripping the fans and what looked like he caught howard off guard on national television by trying to get him to agree with him about philly fans. they should have traded him when they had the chance.
what else did you expect. he said many years ago that he would like to end his career in oakland. shows how much he cared for the team and the organization. like i said the most selfish along with most hits. in a more hitter friendly park i might add. which is why he has the homeruns. he is narcissistic.
