As the Philadelphia Phillies continue their nose dive to the bottom of the National League East standings, they finally have a story that could cause some positive debate. Is shortstop Jimmy Rollins a Baseball Hall of Famer or just another very good player in his era?
Ask Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt what he thinks of Rollins and you would hear that Rollins is very deserving of the honor.
"My assessment would be that if Barry Larkin is in the Hall of Fame, you've got to think about Jimmy Rollins," said Schmidt, a part-time member of the Phillies' broadcast team. "The importance for him is to finish out strong the next 3-4 years and continue to be a force.
"I can't see Jimmy Rollins as a bench player or a DH. I can't see him sort of tailing off or hanging around. I see him being an offensive force and a great defensive player for the rest of his career. If you add that to where he is now, he's going to get some consideration for the Hall of Fame.”
Rollins is on the verge of being a Hall of Famer to many, with three All-Star appearances, the 2007 MVP Award and four Gold Glove Awards. Schmidt went on to praise Rollins for his career but did knock him for perhaps trying to put too many balls out of the park. Schmidt hinted that Rollins’ knack for wanting to change the game with one swing could have hurt his batting average and on-base percentage.
Rollins won’t have to worry about the Hall of Fame any time soon as he has plenty of baseball left in him. The only question that remains with Rollins in 2014 is if he will make it past the trade deadline as a member of the Phillies. The Phillies could be on the verge of a fire sale as they start to rebuild the franchise back into contention.
[ESPN]
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