Jimmy Rollins and the 10 Greatest Shortstops in Philadelphia Phillies History
November 4, 2011 by Greg Pinto
Filed under Fan News
With the free agency period officially underway, baseball fans everywhere are celebrating the beginning of another exciting off-season with a Christmas-like jubilation, and as free agents became eligible to sign with other teams at the stroke of midnight in the wee hours of Thursday morning, with most fans tucked into their beds and fast asleep, not a creature was stirring—except for Jimmy Rollins, who is about to get paid.
The longtime Philadelphia Phillies‘ shortstop if officially a free agent, and though the club would love to have him back, as Cliff Lee proved last season—anything is possible. With few talented shortstops available, Rollins is sure to make a splash in the free agent pool, and though most believe he will eventually return to the club that drafted him nearly two decades ago, no one is certain.
So many fans have only known Rollins as the Phillies’ shortstop, and to be quite honest, watching anyone aside from him playing the position moving forward is going to be different. Whether it was the youngster with dreads that made his debut wearing number 29 or the veteran with the shaved head that has made a name for himself wearing number 11, it wouldn’t be normal to see the man who helped guide this franchise to success wear another team’s colors in 2012.
Rollins is more than just a familiar face at shortstop, however. He’s also one of the organization’s all-time great.
Now that his future with the Phillies is uncertain, what better time to reflect on the career of the Phillies’ longtime shortstop than now? Though many shortstops have come through the organization, it is hard to believe that any have had a larger impact on the franchise than Rollins. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 best shortstops in Phillies history.
Maybe, by the end of this list, we will have a better understanding of what Rollins means to the Phillies, and the history of shortstops that have come before him. Is he the greatest of all time?
Time to find out.