Phillies hire Jimmy Rollins as special advisor

According to an official announcement this afternoon from the Philadelphia Phillies, the team has hired former long-time shortstop Jimmy Rollins as a special advisor.

Executive vice-president David Buck made the formal announcement, and offered some words regarding the team’s all-time hits leader.

“It goes without saying that Jimmy was a huge part of the team’s success during the five-year run of division titles and he is one of the greatest players to wear our uniform. His acumen for both business and baseball makes this a natural fit. We are excited to have him back.“

While Rollins has not officially retired yet as MLB Trade Rumors’ Jeff Todd pointed out, this announcement should formally wrap-up Rollins’ stellar run as a big-league player.

During Rollins’ time in Philadelphia, he was often seen as the heart and soul of the team, as well as the leader in the clubhouse and on the field. It seems only natural that ‘JRoll’ would warrant a position such as this one, which could lead to bigger opportunities down the road.

Matt Veasey here at Phillies Nation expounded on the former shortstop’s future role as announced by the ball club:

Per @Phillies on @JimmyRollins11 joining the #Phillies organization:
“…variety of duties on both the baseball and business sides…including – but not limited to – spring training coaching, meeting with sponsors and suite holders, fan engagement and community outreach.” pic.twitter.com/UxXmPWtNhA

— ⚾️Matt Veasey?? (@MatthewVeasey) January 29, 2019

Over his 17-year career, Rollins slashed .264/.324/.418 with 2,455 hits. He also produced 231 home runs, 936 RBI, 1421 runs, 813 walks, 511 doubles, 115 triples, and 470 stolen bases.

In addition to his status as the franchise hit king, Rollins is also the club’s all-time leader in doubles and at-bats, while ranking second in stolen bases. Rollins appeared in 2,090 games for the Phillies, second only to Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt. Rollins closed out his playing career by spending parts of two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.

Rollins was a three-time National League All-Star, a four-time NL Gold Glove winner at shortstop, and the 2007 National League Most Valuable Player.

The topic of his worthiness for enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame will be a fascinating one in the coming years. He will first be eligible for that ballot in 2022. He will certainly find a place on the Phillies Wall of Fame in the coming years.

Rollins will be feted this coming season along with his fellow 2008 World Series champion teammates Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Each will be honored in separate ceremonies for their career achievements in Philadelphia, with Rollins special night coming on Saturday, May 4 when the Phillies host the Washington Nationals.

Rollins now returns to the scene of his greatest professional successes. He will try to help the Phillies return to the level of success enjoyed by the organization during the bulk of his playing career in red pinstripes.

 

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