Unacceptable: Jimmy Rollins Was Late

When it was first reported that Jimmy Rollins was a scratch just before today's big game with the Mets, fans started the guessing game. Was he hurt? Was he going to be traded? What was the deal?

As it turns out, he reportedly broke one of Charlie Manuel's two golden rules. Earlier in the season, he broke the hustle rule and today he showed up an hour before game time.

You can't be late, Jimmy. It's especially disheartening when today was such a pivotal game.

Update: TZ has a Q&A with Jimmy:

Q: Did you understand?
A: Well, we’re not going to agree on this one. I agreed with him last time, but we’re not going to agree on this one. I think he understood that, and I understood it. But he’s the manager. He has to set a precedent for certain players and you’re expected and held up to those rules, and that’s fine.
Q: If you don't agree, can you get past it?
A: Am I going to let it bother me? No, it’s already done. Me and Charlie spoke about it. It’s done.

Comments

[Damn It Jimmy]

Feels like we are turning into the Mets (second place, shitty bullpen, drama with a star player).

[John]

I'm steadily losing respect for Jimmy Rollins.

[bob]

what a fucking dick head. I call off work today to watch this big game and this little prick cant show up on time. flat out lost respect for jimmy today. fuckin prick

[Joe in Haddonfield]

Start a pool: What date do we learn that Utley has been hurt most of the season?

I vote 11/1/08.

Deal Rollins to the Red Sox for Lowrie and Masterson.

Theo needs a SS and has a surplus of young arms.
A move like this worked with Nomar in 2004.

Rollins' value at at an all time high for a career .277 hitter.

Just saying.

[Steve]

We're back to where we were two years ago: Charlies gotta go

[Mark]

And what is this crap about him following the team buses over to the fields. It's a team bus, why isn't he on it. Because he wins the MVP award he no longer has to do team related things. I remember not so long ago when these guys looked like they loved to play. Now they act like it's only a job. I tell you what, I'll come play baseball for a couple million a year and you can sit at my shitty desk all day long. It's one thing to lose if you don't have the talent. But if you're not even giving the effort, than that's disrespectuful to the millions of fans who have been selling out your stadium all year long. Oh and Jimmy, in the real world when some people are late to work, they get fired. Keep that in mind the next time you're jumping in your Benz to follow the team bus "10 minutes" late for the biggest game of the year.

[John]

Something needs to happen to shake up this team. #1 Brett Myers is done, no confidence at all. He might be able to regain form as a starter, but not in a Phillies uniform, cut your losses #2 Call up Happ #3 Deal Jimmy

[tb]

Bob-- you can't be serious, right? You're talking about how much respect you lost for Rollins for being late, but in the same post you mentioned that you called out of work just to watch a baseball game-- i mean, you get the irony, I hope.

[theKrisheim]

wow, we sound like mets fans right about now

how about some positives, but i agree this is total BS with rollins, but regardless...

- 6 winnable games coming up next
- moyer continues to amaze
- cole continues to deliver
- mets have to play cardinals and fish
- myers and blanton will get better (stretch)

[bob]

John,
If I decide to take a day off and not get paid because I want to watch a game its not any concern of yours. Jimmys situation in different than mine in a lot of ways.
1. I scheduled off where as Jimmy just showed up late.
2. I sell cars where as Jimmy is the MVP of a contending prof. baseball team with a multi million dollar contract.
etc.....etc......etc
GET IT??????????????????????????????????

[tb]

I guess I get it, now that you put it in all caps. You hold Jimmy Rollins to higher standards than you hold yourself. That's cool if you're comfortable with that, but let's be honest here. It seems like you lose some of the right to bitch about Jimmy's work ethic when you're skipping work to watch baseball on TV.

[tb]

Unrelated note-- Chase has completely played himself out of MVP contention. He and Rollins are killing the team.

Sure, Ruiz, Jenkins, Taguchi, Myers, et al. suck. But we kind of expect them to suck. Utley hasn't played well since May, and Rollins hasn't played well all season.

[Greg]

Bob -

While Rollins' lateness is unacceptable, he doesn't care about you taking off. Chill out.

Nice knee jerk reaction in the posts here. It's July, calm down everyone. This wasn't pretty, but there's still two months of baseball left. Things happen.

[bob]

John,
Guess you still dont get it. You say "skip" work when I told you I "scheduled off". Big difference there fellow phillies fan. Next time youre going to take a day off work dont let your boss know in advance, just dont show up and im sure you will understand the difference then.

[Zack]

This team has no fire...maybe dropping out of first place will get them going. I said this at the beginning of the season, the team just expects to make the playoffs again this year. Well the wildcard is coming out of the Central, so they need to win the East if they are going to be doing that.

[Bryan]

I think a big trade (ala Abreau) is what the clubhouse needs. c'mon Gillick.

[wolf]

More important, he is late to actually performing for the 2008 season

[Bryan]

How can you show up late to a game this big??

I'm sorry Jimmy not like you care or anything but I'm booing your ass first at bat tomorrow night.

Hero to zero in one day. Unacceptable

[Mike]

I thought us Mets fans were bad, but you have a MVP who carried you to the playoffs last year and you already want to trade him? This is unbelievable. Then again this is coming from fans that like to suck Laughing Gas out of balloons.

[ron]

This just bums me out.
I've loved J-Roll for his hustle and attitude, and now he's not hustling and his attitude has soured...
Damn it hurts me to say it, but he's killing us.

[Phils Phan]

I'm not writing the season off yet. I'm not a Mets fan circa June.

However, I can't help but wonder about the Rowand effect. Chase and Pat are leaders by example. Jamie is a leader by respect. I thought Jimmy was a vocal leader; but pulling a stunt like this kills credibility.

Who in the clubhouse is going to step up? I don't see it from Shane or Werth/Bruntlett/Jenkins. They have no credibility--they're players, but not really leaders. Feliz? Doubtful. Howard? Even more doubtful. I'd love to see Coste rip off a "you guys are young and so easily letting opportunities slip away, you can either play it as a job or as a passion, it'll be over sooner than you think," etc. speech, but he seems to be another soft speaker. I could see Myers being animated, but issuing four straight walks and generally not being able to find the strike zone if he had a GPS unit is somewhat deleterious to guys getting behind him.

There's a certain irony in this problem. Apparently the guys disliked Bowa because of his fire and brimstone approach. So, they brought in Chollie. Chollie did a great job last year, but he had a de facto fire and brimstone guy in Rowand--someone who led by play and speech (despite Jimmy getting the camera time). They don't have that this year, and this team appears to be content with losing (Mighty Ducks--"but once you get used to it...").

Couple that with the fact that the ownership group does not want to open the purse strings, and you're left with a terrible situation. If there's no leader within, and none forthcoming from the outside, this is bound to continue. Of course, these guys are not as bad as they have been playing; they're grossly underachieving right now. Are they losing/did they lose confidence in Chollie? Are Pat's comments probative of something deeper?

Nevertheless, there are too many questions and too few answers. I do know, however, that if the season starts to tank, management better get on the phone to Allentown and Reading. Happ, Carrasco and Marson likely are the future--especially if ownership is not interested in looking to outside help (and I mean a bona fide look, not a "pat on the back" trade with Oakland). These guys need to develop their skills sooner than later, and there's no better place to do it than against the best the majors' offer. Of course, I don't want to see a Floyd effect on any of them, but at the same time, they cannot possibly be worse than Myers and Eaton. And Ruiz. And an unhealthy Coste.

[Marc]

MVP move there, Jimmy. But hey, at least he has a ring from last year right? What's that, he doesn't? Oh right, I was under the impression that first round sweeps are the equivalent of championships in Philly. Keep shooting high, Phils, and keep doing your "fan" thing and throw Jimmy under the bus.

[enrico]

What did we do to deserve this invasion of stinking New Yorkers???

[Phils Phan]

By the way--

Mets fans: Do you guys spend your afternoons cruising the internet, looking for anything written that is against your view of your team, getting your panties in a bunch, and posting to defend your team's honor?

Cut the bullsh*t with "oh, Philly fans, players, etc. are classless." Billy Wagner's mouth and Reyes' altercation at 30,000 feet are pathetic in their own right. In addition, while Myers was wrong to hit any woman, don't sit back and act like your team is filled with chivalrous men. Myers was caught in public; anyone who knows jack schitt about athletes in general knows that home life isn't always pretty. I would bet my house that there are at least two Mets players who have done the same (just as I would bet Myers is not alone).

Mets fans treat Phillies fans at Shea just as Phillies fans treat Mets fans at CBP. You have this victim mentality--like the little grade school kid who keeps poking another kid, and when the other kid finally pops you, you cry about how mean and bad he is. You pull the same crap with Giants-Eagles comparisons and it never ceases to amaze me.

Get over it, and get over yourselves. Read through past posts on MetsBlog concerning your bipolar treatment of your team (i.e., after Tuesday's loss, look at the "this team has not changed, will not go to the playoffs" comments). Go back to the early June posts and reread some of the moves your fans considered Mets brass should make. Look at the venom spewed towards Wright and Reyes.

We don't hide the fact that this team is flawed. When it was rattling off wins like no tomorrow, we questioned the overachieving bullpen and when it would crack. We continuously questioned Howard's discipline. We questioned the inevitable problem of an offense that can rattle off 15 one night, and 2 the next three.

In addition, the argument that the Phillies "choked" away the lead lacks most support, too. You're telling me a rotation consisting of 1 bona fide ace, two day/nighters, and two incompetents is going to run the tables? Add in the rotating door from the minors? Come on. Again, this team is flawed. We recognized it. Don't impute this feeling of invincibility to us; save it for yourselves (read MetsBlog today, and consider how many think that the Mets have punched their ticket for a meeting with the AL).

Feel free to flame away. I expect no less.

[pilgrim]

It's July, and the Phillies are a game out of first place and have a +72 run differential. Calm the fuck down.

[upshaws leash]

it's late July... the division wasn't won or lost today. another good series in what looks to be a more competitive year, wire-to-wire, than last season. But I have to say, with the hubris of Phillies fans up to yesterday, you shouldn't be surprised that Met fans are turning out in droves to stick it to ya.

[Tartan69]

Poster bob is correct...there's a HUGE difference between calling off work in advance and just showing up late.

Rollins has to clear the air with fans, admit he made a mistake, and move on. We'll respect him for that and won't hold it against him. He continues this bullsh*t "I disagree with Charlie" bit, and we aren't going to cut him any slack and forget about it...no matter whether he is right or wrong.

Be a leader Jimmy...that's your role.

[Kevin McGuire]

We do realize that we play the Braves this weekend right? Come Monday the Phillies will be tied or have sole possession of the division again. Was Jimmy wrong? No doubt about it. Grow up Jimmy, seriously. The rest of the team has issues, sure, but the Phillies will win this division.

[El Ricko]

Ohmigawd, Bob skipped work?!?!

[MikeY]

Look everyone, Yeah they just lost 2 of 3 to the Mets again, but they have a somehat easier schedule for the next month...here's what the Phils are looking at for the next 9 series:

- vs. Atlanta Braves...they've taken 8/9 from the Bravos this year.
- @ Washington Nationals...c'mon, they're the Nats
- @ St. Louis Cardinals...RyHo will it at least 4 HRs during a series at Busch, he always does
- vs. Florida Marlins...The Fish always play us tough, especially this year...hopefully Moyer will pitch one of these games.
- vs. Pittsburgh Pirates - Not much to say here, we should beat them
- @ LA Dodgers...don't know what to say here, havent payed too much attention to the Dodgers ths year...I know they're under .500 and have a lot of injury problems
- @ SD Padres - A putrid offense and a very inconsistant pitching staff
- vs. Washington Nationals...see above comment.
- vs LA Dodgers...see above comment.

The Mets month looks like this:
St Louis, Florida, Houston, San Diego, Florida, Washington, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Houston...I dont think its as easy as the Phils schedule, but certanly not hard either.

Bottom Line, they have a lighter schedule than they've had in the past month with playing all the AL teams, D'Backs, Marlins and Cardinals over that time...they need someone or preferably multiple players to step up their performances...(I'm talkiing to Utley, Myers and the bullpen...even though they've been solid, they need to continue to be)...so, they can win some games ad re-gain the division lead from those stinkin' Mets

...theres my rant...I needed to say something after the performance today...it was disgusting.

[ron]

Jimmy Rollins is having the worst season to follow up an MVP season in history. That isn't Charlie's fault.