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Phillies: Should Jimmy Rollins become a permanent broadcaster?

By John Town

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 7: Jimmy Rollins before Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 7, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 7: Jimmy Rollins before Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 7, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jimmy Rollins made his NBC Sports Philadelphia debut Monday night against the Mets to broad approval. Should he call Phillies games full-time?

On Opening Day this year, NBC Sports Philadelphia announced that Jimmy Rollins would join the broadcast booth for several Phillies games throughout the season. The first of those games came Monday night against the Mets and Rollins did very well.

Rollins offered excellent commentary throughout the game, and his outgoing personality served him well in the role. He and John Kruk had a seamless connection producing some funny moments. Rollins even had his first TV blooper when a pitch in the seventh inning hit Pete Alonso.

Rollins provided a lot to like in his color commentary debut. Out of the 285 people who answered our Twitter poll, 66% gave him a grade of A and another 26% gave him a B. By and large, fans were happy with how Rollins performed in his TV debut.

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I am looking forward to Rollins’ return May 18 against the Rockies and the other games that he calls this season. I believe he could warrant consideration for a more prominent role as a broadcaster.

The current TV broadcast team leaves a lot to be desired. Kruk is the only one who I enjoy, but it’s less for his commentary about the game and more for the funny things he says. He’s somewhat of a shock jock, but it works for him.

However, the rest of the crew doesn’t do much for me. Tom McCarthy was thrown into the play-by-play role when Harry Kalas passed away, and while it’s unfair to compare the two, there was a steep dropoff. For some reason, the way he says “Phils!” after an exciting play gets under my skin.

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Ben Davis and Mike Schmidt fall into the “former player who has to complain about the current game” mold. Both rail against the new analytical movement of the game, which has its advantages and drawbacks. Schmidt has twice gotten into hot water in recent years with his tactless Me Too joke and comments about Odubel Herrera’s “language barrier.”

Given the option, I would rather listen to the team’s radio broadcast. Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen have great chemistry, even if the latter also has his own “back in my day” moments.

Kevin Frandsen did a great job last year in limited time which incentivized 94 WIP to give him a more substantial role this year. Even as a former player, his relative youth allows him to relate to the current game better.

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Rollins may be the person NBC Sports Philadelphia needs to elevate their broadcast, who ranked No. 19 among MLB teams by Awful Announcing. He obviously would have to agree to it, but it may be an idea worth considering if all goes well the rest of this year.

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