Jimmy Rollins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmy Rollins
Rollins with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012
Shortstop
Born: (1978-11-27) November 27, 1978 (age 46) Oakland, California, U.S.
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
debut
September 17, 2000, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last appearance
June 8, 2016, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.264
Hits	2,455
Home runs	231
Runs batted in	936
Stolen bases	470
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (2000–2014) Los Angeles Dodgers (2015) Chicago White Sox (2016)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (2001, 2002, 2005) World Series champion (2008) NL MVP (2007) 4× Gold Glove Award (2007–2009, 2012) Silver Slugger Award (2007) Roberto Clemente Award (2014) NL stolen base leader (2001)

James Calvin Rollins (born November 27, 1978), known as "J-Roll", is a former professional baseball player. He was a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). Rollins played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2000 to 2014. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015 and the Chicago White Sox in 2016.

Rollins grew up in Alameda, California. He was drafted by the Phillies in 1996. After playing in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut on September 17, 2000. He quickly became known as a great defensive shortstop. In 2001, he became the Phillies' leadoff hitter. He kept this role for almost ten years.

Rollins was chosen for the All-Star Game three times. He had a 38-game hitting streak for the Phillies. This was the longest in team history. In 2007, he was named the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP). That year, the Phillies won their division. He was also a key player when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series.

Rollins played for the United States national baseball team. He played in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He hit very well and was named to the All-World Baseball Classic Team. Rollins led the NL in triples four times. He also led in runs, stolen bases, and stolen base percentage once each. He holds many Phillies team records. Rollins won four Gold Glove Awards. He also won a Silver Slugger Award and the Roberto Clemente Award.

Early Life and High School Baseball

Rollins grew up in Alameda. He came from a family of athletes. His mother played competitive fastpitch softball. His father was a wrestler and weightlifter. Rollins' brother, Antwon, played minor league baseball. His sister, Shay, played college basketball. Rollins also played the trumpet when he was young. He appeared in some music videos. He was a fan of the Oakland Athletics baseball team.

In 1996, Rollins graduated from Encinal High School. His parents wanted him to focus on baseball. He set 10 school records in high school baseball. These included the highest batting average (.484) and most stolen bases (99). USA Today named him to their All-USA High School Baseball Team. Baseball America called him the top infielder in Northern California. He planned to play college baseball at Arizona State University. But the Phillies drafted him in the second round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft.

Professional Baseball Career

Starting in the Minor Leagues (1996–2000)

After being drafted, Rollins joined the rookie-league Martinsville Phillies. He led the team in walks and stole 20 bases. The next year, he moved up to the low-A Piedmont Boll Weevils. He was the youngest player on the team. He led the team in many areas, like games played, hits, and stolen bases. He won the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies' top minor league player.

In 1998, Rollins was promoted to high-A Clearwater. He played with future Phillies teammates like Pat Burrell. He batted .244 with 18 doubles and 23 stolen bases. The next year, he moved to AA Reading. He led that team in games and hits. He then played a few games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 2000, he helped Scranton reach the playoffs.

Rollins was called up to the Phillies in September 2000. He debuted on September 17. He had two hits in four tries, including a triple. He batted .321 in 14 games. After the season, Baseball America named him the Phillies' top young player.

Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies

Early Years (2001–2004)

Rollins wore uniform number 11 for most of his career. He spent all of the 2001 season with the Phillies. He hit his first MLB home run on May 2. In his first year, Rollins led the National League in triples and stolen bases. He was the first rookie to do this since 1951. He was also the only Phillies player chosen for the 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In July, he became the Phillies' leadoff hitter.

Jimmy Rollins at bat, 2004.

In 2002, Rollins was chosen for his second All-Star Game. This made him the first Phillies shortstop to reach the game in his first two seasons. He was great defensively, ranking high in fielding percentage and assists. Offensively, he hit .245 with 11 home runs. He led the NL with 10 triples.

Before the 2003 season, Rollins worked with baseball legend Tony Gwynn. He wanted to improve his hitting. He started the season slowly due to an injury. But he improved and finished with a .263 batting average. He stole his 100th career base in September.

In 2004, Rollins became the player the Phillies hoped for. He batted .289 and scored 119 runs. He led the league in triples. He hit well from both sides of the plate. He also hit his first career grand slam. He had career highs in batting average, RBIs, and hits.

MVP Season and World Series Win (2005–2008)

In 2005, Rollins was chosen for the NL All-Star team again. In August, he started a hitting streak that lasted 36 games. This was the longest hitting streak in Phillies history. He batted .290 with 12 home runs and 41 stolen bases. The Phillies just missed the playoffs that year.

The 2006 season began with excitement about Rollins' hitting streak. It ended on April 6 after two games. He struggled in the first half of the season. But he improved in the second half. He became the third Phillie to score at least 100 runs in three years. He hit .277 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs.

Rollins before a split-squad game against Tampa Bay during 2007 spring training

Before the 2007 season, Rollins famously said the Phillies were the "Team to Beat" in their division. This became a big story in sports. He had a great season. On September 25, he hit a home run that completed his 30–30 season. This means he had 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. On the last day of the season, he hit his 20th triple. This made him the seventh player ever to have 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in one season. The Phillies won their division, proving Rollins right.

For the 2007 season, he batted .296. He led the league in games played (162), at-bats (716), runs (139), and triples (20). He also had 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player. He also won his first Gold Glove Award. He was the first player in MLB history to have 200 hits, 20 triples, 30 home runs, and 30 stolen bases in one season.

Jimmy Rollins right after a throw to first base, 2009.

In 2008, Rollins set a career high with 47 stolen bases. He helped the Phillies win the 2008 World Series. He hit important home runs in the playoffs. He also won a Fielding Bible Award for his defense.

Later Phillies Years (2009–2014)

Rollins played for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He hit very well and was named to the all-tournament team. On May 21, he reached 1500 career hits. He struggled with hitting early in the season. But he improved in the second half. He led the NL with 672 at-bats. He also won another Gold Glove award. He helped the Phillies reach the 2009 World Series again. But they lost to the New York Yankees.

The 2010 season was tough for Rollins due to injuries. He missed 74 games. He hit his first career walk-off home run on June 23. He also hit his 150th career home run. Overall, he hit .243 with eight home runs.

Rollins on the basepaths

In 2011, Rollins' performance improved. He started the season healthy. On July 20, he hit home runs from both the right and left sides of the plate. He missed some games in August due to a groin injury. He returned for the playoffs. He set several Phillies records in the NLDS. He had 9 hits and 4 doubles. But the Phillies lost the series. He finished the season with a .268 batting average, 16 home runs, and 63 RBIs. In December 2011, Rollins signed a new contract with the Phillies.

In 2012, Rollins hit .250 with 23 home runs and 68 RBIs. He hit his fourth career inside-the-park home run. He joined a special group of players with 2000 hits, 350 stolen bases, and 150 home runs for one team. He also had his fourth season with at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases.

Before the 2013 season, Rollins played for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic again. He was the only player from Team USA to make the all-star team. He made his 13th straight opening day start for the Phillies. He reached several career milestones. These included his 800th RBI and breaking the Phillies' record for doubles. He also hit his 45th career leadoff home run.

In 2014, Rollins hit a grand slam in his first game of the season. This was also his 200th career home run. On June 14, Rollins got his 2,235th hit. This made him the Phillies' all-time leader in hits, passing Mike Schmidt. After the season, Rollins and Paul Konerko shared the Roberto Clemente Award.

Playing for Other Teams

Los Angeles Dodgers (2015)

Rollins (left), with Howie Kendrick, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015

On December 19, 2014, Rollins was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was excited to take on a leadership role with his new team. He played his first game with the Dodgers on April 6, 2015. He hit a 3-run home run in that game. He struggled with hitting for the Dodgers, batting .224. In September, he lost his starting job to rookie Corey Seager.

Chicago White Sox (2016)

Rollins playing for the Chicago White Sox in 2016

On February 22, 2016, Rollins signed with the Chicago White Sox. He competed for the starting shortstop role and won it. He wore number 7 for the White Sox. Rollins batted .221 with 2 home runs in 41 games. On June 10, he was released by the White Sox. This allowed them to bring up young player Tim Anderson.

San Francisco Giants (2017)

On December 19, 2016, Rollins signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. He was released by the team on March 31, 2017.

After Playing Baseball

In 2019, Rollins returned to the Phillies. He became a special advisor for the team. He also started working as a TV commentator for their games. On May 4, 2019, the Phillies held a retirement ceremony for Rollins. His uniform number 11 has not been used by another player since he wore it.

In 2022, the Phillies announced that Rollins was named a special advisor to the president of baseball operations.

Player Skills and Records

Career Statistics and Achievements

When Rollins retired, he was one of only 19 players to have played 2,000 games at shortstop. He was also the only shortstop to have 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases. He ranks high in MLB history for his power and speed. He led the National League in triples four times. He also led in runs, stolen bases, and stolen base percentage once each.

As of 2023, he is the Phillies' all-time leader in at-bats (8,628), hits (2,306), and doubles (479). He is second in games played (2,090) and stolen bases (453). He is third in runs scored (1,325) and triples (111).

Offensive Skills

Rollins admired Rickey Henderson, a great leadoff hitter. Early in his career, Rollins tried to hit home runs often. This sometimes led to him striking out more. He worked with Tony Gwynn to improve his hitting. He learned to hit the ball to all parts of the field. Rollins is the Phillies' all-time leader in hits. He has the second-most stolen bases in Phillies history.

Defensive Skills

Rollins was a "supreme defensive shortstop." He won four Gold Glove Awards. Only Omar Vizquel has a better fielding percentage among shortstops who played at least 10 seasons. Rollins said his experience helped him. He learned to read hitters' swings. This helped him position himself well to catch balls. Experts praised his "soft hands, excellent agility and plus range." They also noted his strong throwing arm.

Baseball Hall of Fame

Rollins was first eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. He received votes on 9.4% of the ballots. In 2023, this percentage rose to 12.9%. He has not yet been elected to the Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Rollins lives in the Tampa, Florida, area. He is married to Johari Smith. They got married on January 23, 2010. They have two daughters, Camryn Drew (born 2012) and Logan Aliya (born 2014). When he played for the Phillies, Rollins lived in Woolwich Township, New Jersey. His cousin, Osiris Johnson, is also a baseball player.

Rollins and his wife are active in charity work. They created The Johari & Jimmy Rollins Center for Animal Rehabilitation. This center helps animals with medical needs. They also hold a charity bowling tournament to help the Arthritis Foundation. Rollins has also been involved in politics. He supported Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. In 2020, he supported Bernie Sanders for president.

Rollins is also an investor in the esports team NRG Esports.

See also

In Spanish: Jimmy Rollins para niños