The celebrations on Tuesday night were reserved for the three newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and former Philadelphia Phillies closer Billy Wagner, who all gained well-deserved entry to Cooperstown. However, the other Phillies on the 2025 ballot didn't fare quite as well as Wagner, who got in on his 10th and final ballot.
Second baseman Chase Utley, shortstop Jimmy Rollins and outfielder Bobby Abreu all fell well short. While none of the three former Phillies teammates were expected to reach the 75 percent vote needed to be elected this year, Rollins' results stuck in the craw of Phillies fans and one Phillies legend in particular.
In his fourth year of eligibility, Rollins appeared on just 18 percent of ballots. It was a modest increase over his 14.8 percent result from 2024, but it didn't move the needle enough to create a clear path to an eventual election to the Hall of Fame.
Phillies legend Larry Bowa roasts Hall of Fame voters over Jimmy Rollins' 2025 results
Larry Bowa, former Phillies All-Star shortstop and manager, took to social media site X shortly after the results were announced to air his grievances with the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame voters.
"Congrats to CC, Billy and Ichiro," Bowa wrote. "I am still baffled by the percentage of votes JRoll received. I have been in baseball for over 50 years and Jimmy ranks right up there with all of the ss in the hall of fame. I hope the voters take a better look at his resume."
Congrats to CC,Billy and Ichiro.I am still baffled by the percentage of votes JRoll received. I have been in baseball for over 50 years and Jimmy ranks right up there with all of the ss in the hall of fame. I hope the voters take a better look at his resume.
— Larry Bowa (@LarryBowa10) January 22, 2025
This isn't the first time that Bowa, currently employed by the Phillies as a senior advisor to the general manager, has spoken up for Rollins. He also took the voters to task after last year's results, with a similar message that, "Jimmy is a HOF shortstop."
Rollins was Utley's partner in crime up the middle during the Phillies' run in the 2000s, and his Baseball Reference page is littered with accolades. Despite having a score of 121 on the Bill James Hall of Fame Monitor (HOFm), which attempts to assess how likely a player is to make the Hall of Fame by awarding points based on statistical criteria, BBWAA voters haven't been convinced during Rollins' first four years on the ballot. For reference, 130 is considered a virtual lock.
Rollins debuted with the Phillies in 2000 and had a 17-year career in the majors, playing 15 seasons in Philadelphia before finishing with a season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and then an abbreviated campaign with the Chicago White Sox. He played 2,275 games, hitting .264 with a .743 OPS, 2,455 hits, 231 home runs, 936 RBI, 1,142 runs scored and 470 stolen bases.
Rollins was a key player in the Phillies' stretch of five consecutive NL East titles from 2007 to 2011 and the 2008 World Series championship. During his peak from 2004 through 2008, Rollins hit .286 with an .811 OPS, 92 homers, 363 RBI, 576 runs scored and 195 stolen bases. A three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover, he won the NL MVP in 2007, hitting .296 with an. 875 OPS, 30 homers, 94 RBI and 41 steals while leading the NL with 139 runs scored and 20 triples.
With Rollins returning for his fifth year on the ballot in 2026, we'll have to wait and see if the Hall of Fame voters start to push his percentage up closer to that magical 75 percent threshold. He'll be halfway through his 10-year eligibility at that point, so he will need to start making a move soon.