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Jimmy Rollins

Rollins with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012

Shortstop

Born: 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

2,455

231

936

470

Teams

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)

Jimmy Rollins, also known as "J-Roll", is a former professional baseball player. He was a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago White Sox.

Jimmy grew up in Alameda, California. He was picked by the Phillies in the 1996 draft. After playing for their minor league teams for five years, he joined the big league team in 2000.

Jimmy quickly became known as a great defensive shortstop. He played in three All-Star Games. He also had a 38-game hitting streak, which is the longest in Phillies history. In 2007, he was named the National League's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He also helped the Phillies win the 2008 World Series.

Jimmy Rollins holds many records for the Phillies. He is the team's all-time leader in hits. He also won four Gold Glove Awards for his amazing defense. He won a Silver Slugger Award for his hitting, and the Roberto Clemente Award for his good sportsmanship and community work.

Jimmy Rollins' Early Life and Family

Jimmy Rollins grew up in Alameda. He came from a family of athletes. His mom played competitive fastpitch softball. This helped him think smartly about the game. His dad was a wrestler and weightlifter.

Jimmy is said to have an amazing memory for games. His brother, Antwon, also played minor league baseball. His sister, Shay, played college basketball. His cousin, Tony Tarasco, was also an MLB player. Even with all the athletes, Jimmy's dad wanted him to try music too. Jimmy played the trumpet and was in some music videos when he was younger. He was a big fan of the Oakland Athletics baseball team.

In 1996, Jimmy graduated from Encinal High School. His parents wanted him to focus on baseball, not football. He set 10 school records in baseball, like the highest batting average (.484). He also had the most stolen bases (99). USA Today named him one of the best high school players. He planned to play college baseball, but the Phillies drafted him. They picked him in the second round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft.

Becoming a Professional Baseball Player

Starting in the Minor Leagues: 1996–2000

After being drafted, Jimmy joined the Martinsville Phillies. He led the team in walks and stole 20 bases. The next year, he moved up to the Piedmont Boll Weevils. He was the youngest player on the team at 18. He led the team in many areas like games played and hits. He also stole 46 bases. For his great play, he won the Paul Owens Award. This award goes to the Phillies' best minor league player.

In 1998, Jimmy moved to Clearwater. He played with future Phillies teammates there. He hit .244 with 23 stolen bases. The next year, he went to 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.

Jimmy was called up to the Phillies in September 2000. He played his first MLB game on September 17. He got two hits, including a triple. He batted .321 in 14 games. After the season, Baseball America said he was the Phillies' top young player.

Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies

Early Success: 2001–2004

Jimmy changed his uniform number to 11, which he kept for most of his career. He spent all of 2001 with the Phillies. He hit his first MLB home run on May 2. In his first year, Jimmy led the National League in triples and stolen bases. He was the first rookie since 1951 to do this. He was also chosen for the 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In July, he became the Phillies' leadoff hitter, a role he kept for almost 10 years.

Jimmy Rollins at bat, 2004.

In 2002, Jimmy wanted to be a leader for the team. He had a strong first half of the season. He was picked for his second straight All-Star Game. This made him the first Phillies shortstop to go to the All-Star Game in his first two seasons. He was great at defense, with a .980 fielding percentage.

Before the 2003 season, Jimmy worked on his hitting. He wanted to hit the ball to all parts of the field. He started slowly due to an injury. But he worked hard and improved his hitting. He stole his 100th career base in September.

In 2004, Jimmy 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 set new personal bests in many hitting categories.

Becoming an MVP: 2005–2007

In 2005, Jimmy was chosen for the NL All-Star team again. In August, he started a hitting streak. He got a hit in the last 36 games of the season. This was the longest hitting streak in Phillies history. He said he would trade the streak for a playoff spot. The Phillies missed the playoffs by just one game.

The 2006 season started with excitement about Jimmy's hitting streak. It ended on April 6 after two games into the season. He struggled at first but finished strong. He became the third Phillie to score 100 runs in three years. He hit 25 home runs and stole 36 bases. The Phillies just missed the playoffs again.

Rollins before a game against Tampa Bay during 2007 spring training

Before the 2007 season, Jimmy made a bold statement. He said the Phillies were the "Team to Beat" in their division. Many people talked about this. In August, the Phillies started to play very well. Jimmy was a big part of this success. On September 25, he hit a home run. This made him a member of the 30–30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases). On the last day of the season, he hit his 20th triple. This helped the Phillies win their division.

For the 2007 season, Jimmy led the league in games played and runs. He also led in triples. He had 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases. He became only the fourth player in history to have "quadruple-doubles." This means double digits in doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases. The Phillies went to the playoffs but lost.

Jimmy was named the National League's Most Valuable Player for 2007. 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.

World Series Champion and Beyond: 2008–2011

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

In 2008, Jimmy started the season with a home run. He got injured in April, which was his first time on the disabled list (DL). He came back in May and stole a career-high 47 bases. In the playoffs, Jimmy was a key player. He hit leadoff home runs in the division and championship series. He helped the Phillies win the 2008 World Series. After the season, he won a Fielding Bible Award for his great defense.

In 2009, Jimmy played for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He hit very well and was named to the all-tournament team. On May 21, he reached 1,500 career hits. He struggled with his hitting in June and was benched for a few games. He improved in the second half of the season. He led the NL in at-bats and finished fourth in doubles. 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.

Jimmy's 2010 season was affected by injuries. He missed 74 games. He strained his right calf in April. When he returned, he hit his first career walk-off home run. On July 3, he hit his 150th career home run. He also hit his third career grand slam on October 1. He kept his strong defense despite his injuries.

Rollins on the basepaths

In 2011, Jimmy's performance improved. He started the season healthy. It took him a while to get his first RBI. On July 20, he hit home runs from both sides of the plate in one game. This was the second time he did this. He had a groin injury in August and missed 18 games. He returned for the playoffs. He set several Phillies records in the NLDS. However, the Phillies lost the series. After the season, he signed a new three-year contract with the Phillies.

Later Years with the Phillies: 2012–2014

In 2012, Jimmy hit 23 home runs and had 68 RBIs. He started the season slowly with his hitting. He missed a few games for the birth of his first daughter. On July 31, he hit his fourth career inside-the-park home run. He was one of only a few players in MLB history to have 2,000 hits, 350 stolen bases, and 150 home runs with one team.

Before the 2013 season, Jimmy played for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) 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. However, his overall performance declined.

In 2014, Jimmy started the season with a grand slam. This was also his 200th career home run. He then left the team for a short time for the birth of his second child. On June 14, Jimmy got his 2,235th hit. This made him the Phillies' all-time leader in hits, passing Mike Schmidt. After the season, Jimmy and Paul Konerko won the Roberto Clemente Award. They were the first co-winners of this 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, Jimmy was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He said he was ready to be a leader on his new team.

Jimmy played his first game with the Dodgers on April 6, 2015. He hit a 3-run home run. He struggled with his hitting during the season. In September, he lost his starting shortstop job to a rookie. For the last game of the season, his manager let him be the player-manager.

Chicago White Sox: 2016

Rollins playing for the Chicago White Sox in 2016

On February 22, 2016, Jimmy signed with the Chicago White Sox. He competed for the starting shortstop role and won it. He wore number 7 because his usual number 11 was retired for another player.

Jimmy batted .221 with 2 home runs and 5 stolen bases in 41 games. On June 10, he was released by the White Sox. This allowed them to bring up a younger player.

San Francisco Giants

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

After His Playing Career

In 2019, Jimmy 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 ceremony to honor Jimmy. His uniform number 11 has not been used by another player since he wore it.

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

Jimmy Rollins' Baseball Skills

Career Stats and Achievements

When Jimmy retired, he was one of only 19 players to play 2,000 games at shortstop. He was also the only shortstop to have 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases. He led the National League four times in triples. He also led once in runs, stolen bases, and stolen base percentage.

As of 2023, he is the Phillies' all-time leader in at bats, hits, and doubles. He is second in games played and stolen bases for the Phillies. He is third in runs scored and triples.

Hitting Skills

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

Defensive Skills

Jimmy was a "supreme defensive shortstop." He won four Gold Glove Awards. Only Omar Vizquel has a better fielding percentage among shortstops who played for at least 10 seasons. Jimmy says his experience helped him. He learned how to read hitters' swings. This helped him position himself to catch more balls. He was known for his soft hands, quickness, and strong throwing arm.

Hall of Fame Consideration

Jimmy Rollins was first eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. He received votes from 9.4% of the ballots. In 2023, this percentage went up to 12.9%. Players need 75% of the votes to be elected.

Jimmy Rollins' Personal Life

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

Jimmy and his wife Johari 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. Jimmy is also interested in politics. He supported Barack Obama in the 2008 election. In 2020, he supported Bernie Sanders.

Jimmy is also an investor in an esports team called NRG Esports.