Jimmy Rollins

Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies is absorbing a very harsh lesson in the vagaries of fame. Rollins had one of the most productive seasons ever by a leadoff hitter in 2007. He was recognized as the MVP in the National League and the articulate, engaging shortstop was the toast of Philadelphia. But that was last year. In 2008, Rollins has struggled at the plate for most of the year and his latest tailspin has dragged his batting average into the 250's. And it gets worse. On a national TV sports talk show, Rollins called Philadelphia sports fans "front-runners". The said fans took umbrage and when Philly fans take umbrage, you had better gather up the women and children and head for higher ground. No less an eminence than Tim McCarver commented that Philly fans may be a lot of things, but they are not front-runners.

From this fan's perspective, this seems like a great deal of fuss about very little. Rollins is a consummate team player who is frustrated with his subpar performance. He clearly did not mean his remarks in a malicious way and if he could have rehearsed them, no doubt he would have chosen his words differently. But has it gotten to the point where we parse an athlete's every sentence as if he were running for national office?

There is a more important issue for Philly fans: Was Rollins' career season in 2007 a case of overachievement, or was it the result of steady progress to a higher level? Jimmy Rollins, now in his 8th full season, has been a solid player but he is a career 275 hitter. Who anticipated 212 hits, 30 home runs, 94 rbi's, 139 runs and more? Will the real Jimmy Rollins please stand up?