Jimmy Rollins was one of the top players in Phillies franchise history. Here are his top five moments in a Phillies’ uniform.
With Jimmy Rollins showing his broadcasting skills this week in the booth with Tom McCarthy and John Kruk, could there be a new career in the making for Rollins? Before contemplating that possible scenario, we take a look back at the top moments of Rollins’ career in a Phillies uniform, which spanned from 2000 to 2014.
No. 5: 38-game hitting streak
Already a two-time All-Star by the beginning of the 2005 season, Rollins did well enough in the first half to earn his third All-Star berth. It wasn’t until the second half of the season that Rollins began an improbable run.
On August 23, Rollins had a modest 1-for-5 game in a 10-2 win over the Giants in San Francisco. Hitting .261 at the time, Rollins began a hitting streak which lasted through the rest of the season, totaling 36 games. During the streak, Rollins had eight two-hit games and eight three-hit games. The streak coincided with a Phillies run for a postseason appearance, which came up a bit short.
Rollins raised his average to .290 for the season, but he wasn’t finished as MLB rules state that the hitting streak would be recognized at the start of the 2006 season. Waiting months to see if the streak would continue, the Phillies were home on Opening Day against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Phillies were getting pummeled in the game on a cold, wet day and Rollins was without a hit heading into the eighth inning. He kept the streak alive with a double and proceeded to get two doubles in a 4-3 loss the next day. The hit streak ended at 38 after going 0-for-4 on April 6.
All told, Rollins’ streak was the longest in franchise history and eighth longest of all-time behind Joe DiMaggio, Willie Keeler, Pete Rose, Bill Dahlen, George Sisler, Ty Cobb, and Paul Molitor.