The first player I liked on the Phillies was Jimmy Rollins. The year was 2000 and he got his first hit in the majors. He was fast, he played my favorite position and he had a certain attitude or swagger about him I just couldn't help but respect. Needless to mention(but I'll do it anyway)when he did something, he did it big. I was nine years old at the time, which was around when I got into sports in the first place. Jimmy Rollins sped around the bases and got a triple. I had no idea what J Roll would become after that date, but I knew there was something special about him.
On June 14th 2014, at the age of 35, he officially unseated the hits leader incumbent, Mike Schmidt. It happened at the right time, as this season has been pretty rough for the Phillies, as a whole. As of the same date, they're only 28-37 and last place in their division.
But enough of the bad stuff...we witnessed history today. The Cubs didn't make it easy for him. It took until the 5th inning. At 0 for 2, Jimmy stepped up to bat, remaining patient for 4 pitches. The count was 3-1, Jackson, the Cubs pitcher, threw the ball and Rollins sent it quickly to right field, placing himself in the record books forever. Afterwards, Schmidt marched to first base with the same bat Jimmy used to achieve the moment we will hold dear in our memories. The dugout was emptied, the fans were on their feet and everyone was there to congratulate him. It was one special moment. Even as the game continued, you could see the players, of the other team, giving their congrats. To top it all off, after Marlon Byrd got on base as well, Domonic Brown pulverized the ball for a home run into right field as well. Sending him back to the dugout where the celebrations continued.
Its now in the 8th inning, the Phillies are up 7 to 3 and they're still replaying one of the greatest player moments that I can remember watching the Phillies. Here's hoping for this to be the start of something great for the rest of the season and more memories to get out of our chairs for. Thank you Jimmy!
Here's a look at some of his greatest moments.
No comments:
Post a Comment