Aaron Rowand
“For who? My teammates. For what? To win. It’s what it’s about.”
Does that make you want to run into a brick wall? That’s what Aaron Rowand said after he ran into a metal wall.
Phillies fans primarily remember center fielder Aaron Rowand for making a great catch and breaking his nose when he collided with the centerfield wall in 2006.
Rowand doesn’t seem to mind that that’s all he’s remembered for.
"“When I’m done playing baseball if that’s the one thing I get remembered for whether it’s just here in Philadelphia or around the country or whatever, I’ll gladly take that. Anybody that recollects that or thinks about that thinks about the fact that I played the game hard, that I played the game right. I don’t think as a player you could ask for anything more to be remembered for."
If you’ve never seen one of the greatest catches in Phillies history, click the link above. The Phillies ended up changing the padding in centerfield to block the large metal beam that was sticking out.
That catch was made in May 2007 against the Mets in a game the Phillies would win 2-0. That catch kept the game scoreless with the bases loaded and was ultimately a big reason the Phillies won the division over New York.
Yes, the catch was amazing, but Rowand did so much more than just that catch.
After winning the World Series with Chicago in 2005, Rowand was traded to Philadelphia as part of the Jim Thome trade, which opened first base for Ryan Howard.
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In two seasons with the Phillies Rowand hit .290 with 39 home runs. In 2007 he hit a career high 45 doubles, earned a Gold Glove, and made his only All-Star team.
Rowand was a veteran who had won it all coming to a team looking to get over their 85 win buffer. He showed guys how to play the game “the right way.” He set a tone for this team.
While the Phillies let Rowand walk in free agency after the 2007 season and discovered Shane Victorino, it would have been great for Rowand to continue his career in Philadelphia. Imagine having his bat in the lineup during the championship run.
Like Thome and Burrell, Rowand set the stage for the young guys to take over and lead the team to a championship. Yes, the catch was great, but Rowand did much more for the Phillies than make a single catch.