GaryMrMets
07-06-2004, 01:29 AM
http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/july/s070204f.htm
Rollins becoming productive at top
Friday, July 2, 2004
By CHUCK GORMLEY
Courier-Post Staff
PHILADELPHIA
A crowd of reporters was gathered around the locker stall of Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins Thursday afternoon when manager Larry Bowa poked his head into the scrum.
"Whadja have? A boy or a girl?" Bowa wisecracked.
"A boy," shouted back Rollins, "and I named him Larry!"
For the record, Bowa was simply making fun of the fact Rollins, who is single, was the subject of some deserved attention from the media Thursday.
Now in his fourth full season with the Phillies, the 25-year-old shortstop is becoming something Bowa openly questioned he'd ever become: a productive major-league leadoff hitter.
Entering Thursday night's game against Montreal, Rollins was hitting .291 with 13 walks, 22 runs scored and a .355 on-base percentage since replacing Marlon Byrd as the leadoff man on May 28.
It wasn't long ago that Bowa wondered if Rollins could ever develop the discipline that goes along with being a leadoff man.
In his first three seasons with the Phils, Rollins averaged 108 strikeouts, which led Bowa to suggest he spend some of his offseason working with quintessential leadoff man Tony Gwynn. Rollins agreed and came to training camp expecting to take over the spot. Bowa had other ideas and placed Byrd at the top of the order, dropping Rollins to eighth.
When Byrd stumbled through the first 45 games of the season, the Phils sent him to the minors and Bowa again went back to Rollins, mostly out of desperation.
Rollins has proven to be the solution, at least in the short term. The reason, Bowa and Rollins agree, has been his ability to cut down on his strikeouts. Entering Thursday, Rollins had been rung up just 32 times in 300 at-bats, putting him on pace for 72 strikeouts this season, well below the career high of 113 he set last season.
Rollins said more than 60 percent of those strikeouts were the result of swinging at bad pitches.
"I figured if he throws it, I'm gonna hit it," Rollins said. "That's belief in your ability, but it's not reality. The truth is you're not going to be able to foul off every pitch he throws up there. You might think nobody's gonna get you out, no matter how hard he throws. But the reality is he's out there to get you out. That's why he's in the major leagues."
Rollins said he sought the advice of teammates Bobby Abreu and Ricky Ledee after striking out with the bases loaded against the Mets in early June.
"I looked silly," he said. "So I took it upon myself to make sure I start swinging at good pitches. I've always admired Bobby's swing. He has Tony (Gwynn's) swing, but he utilizes 100 percent more of his power."
Rollins said that once he made a conscious effort to lay off bad two-strike pitches he began seeing better pitches to hit.
As a result, his batting average climbed from .263 last season to .273 this season.
"I've been facing guys 20 times a year," Rollins said. "It's senseless to keep letting them get me out the same way."
Bowa thinks he might finally be seeing a complete package from Rollins, who entered Thursday night's game with just four errors in his first 72 games.
"He makes plays that make you shake your head and just say, `Wow,' " said Bowa, a two-time Gold Glove winner. "And I don't think he tries to sensationalize routine plays."
Despite his all-around skill level, it is unlikely Rollins will make his way back to the All-Star Game after being selected in his first two seasons. Not with Edgar Renteria of the Cardinals and Adam Everett of the Astros in a virtual tie among vote-getters and Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson hitting .339.
Rollins becoming productive at top
Friday, July 2, 2004
By CHUCK GORMLEY
Courier-Post Staff
PHILADELPHIA
A crowd of reporters was gathered around the locker stall of Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins Thursday afternoon when manager Larry Bowa poked his head into the scrum.
"Whadja have? A boy or a girl?" Bowa wisecracked.
"A boy," shouted back Rollins, "and I named him Larry!"
For the record, Bowa was simply making fun of the fact Rollins, who is single, was the subject of some deserved attention from the media Thursday.
Now in his fourth full season with the Phillies, the 25-year-old shortstop is becoming something Bowa openly questioned he'd ever become: a productive major-league leadoff hitter.
Entering Thursday night's game against Montreal, Rollins was hitting .291 with 13 walks, 22 runs scored and a .355 on-base percentage since replacing Marlon Byrd as the leadoff man on May 28.
It wasn't long ago that Bowa wondered if Rollins could ever develop the discipline that goes along with being a leadoff man.
In his first three seasons with the Phils, Rollins averaged 108 strikeouts, which led Bowa to suggest he spend some of his offseason working with quintessential leadoff man Tony Gwynn. Rollins agreed and came to training camp expecting to take over the spot. Bowa had other ideas and placed Byrd at the top of the order, dropping Rollins to eighth.
When Byrd stumbled through the first 45 games of the season, the Phils sent him to the minors and Bowa again went back to Rollins, mostly out of desperation.
Rollins has proven to be the solution, at least in the short term. The reason, Bowa and Rollins agree, has been his ability to cut down on his strikeouts. Entering Thursday, Rollins had been rung up just 32 times in 300 at-bats, putting him on pace for 72 strikeouts this season, well below the career high of 113 he set last season.
Rollins said more than 60 percent of those strikeouts were the result of swinging at bad pitches.
"I figured if he throws it, I'm gonna hit it," Rollins said. "That's belief in your ability, but it's not reality. The truth is you're not going to be able to foul off every pitch he throws up there. You might think nobody's gonna get you out, no matter how hard he throws. But the reality is he's out there to get you out. That's why he's in the major leagues."
Rollins said he sought the advice of teammates Bobby Abreu and Ricky Ledee after striking out with the bases loaded against the Mets in early June.
"I looked silly," he said. "So I took it upon myself to make sure I start swinging at good pitches. I've always admired Bobby's swing. He has Tony (Gwynn's) swing, but he utilizes 100 percent more of his power."
Rollins said that once he made a conscious effort to lay off bad two-strike pitches he began seeing better pitches to hit.
As a result, his batting average climbed from .263 last season to .273 this season.
"I've been facing guys 20 times a year," Rollins said. "It's senseless to keep letting them get me out the same way."
Bowa thinks he might finally be seeing a complete package from Rollins, who entered Thursday night's game with just four errors in his first 72 games.
"He makes plays that make you shake your head and just say, `Wow,' " said Bowa, a two-time Gold Glove winner. "And I don't think he tries to sensationalize routine plays."
Despite his all-around skill level, it is unlikely Rollins will make his way back to the All-Star Game after being selected in his first two seasons. Not with Edgar Renteria of the Cardinals and Adam Everett of the Astros in a virtual tie among vote-getters and Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson hitting .339.