Phillies: Jimmy Rollins shows off ring as Rays win pennant

Phillies franchise hits leader Jimmy Rollins remembers the last time the Rays reached the World Series.

For the first time since their 2008 World Series defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Tampa Bay Rays are headed back to the Fall Classic — edging the Houston Astros in Saturday evening’s winner-take-all American League Championship Series Game 7.

Jimmy Rollins made sure the national audience remembered what the Phillies accomplished 12 years ago against the Rays and rising stars such as David Price and Evan Longoria. While working in the TBS studio as an analyst before the 4-2 Rays win — that won them their second-ever American League pennant — the Phillies franchise hits leader was not shy to show off his 2008 World Series championship ring. His jacket caught just as much attention, if not more.

“You don’t pull this out for any occasion … I’m ready for the party,” Rollins said on the TBS Pre-Game Show, referring to his jacket. Then, host Ernie Johnson pointed out Rollins’ ring in which he said: “This is what [the Astros and Rays] are playing for. That bling means you are the champ.”

Coincidentally, the Rays also had to win an ALCS Game 7 game to reach the World Series against the Phillies in 2008, defeating the Boston Red Sox. Rollins would go on to slash just .227/.261/.318 against the Rays, although he did produce four runs scored and a pair of doubles spanning 24 plate appearances.

Among his playing career accomplishments, Rollins’ .983 fielding percentage notably ranks third-best in MLB history among shortstops who have played a minimum of 1,000 games — trailing only Omar Vizquel (.985) and Troy Tulowitzki (.985). Rollins also ranks sixth all-time in games played at the shortstop position (2,227).

Since 2016, Rollins has served as an in-studio analyst for Major League Baseball’s postseason coverage on TBS. After rejoining the Phillies in a special advisor role in 2019, Rollins also was a Phillies broadcaster for select games that year on NBC Sports Philadelphia.