On Tuesday, Executive Vice President David Buck announced that the Philadelphia Phillies have signed Jimmy Rollin to be a special advisor to the club.
Jimmy Rollins will have a variety of duties with the Philadelphia Phillies, including meeting with sponsors and suite holders, fan engagement and community outreach, and spring training coaching.
Thank you for all the love upon hearing of my joining the @Phillies as a special advisor! I look forward to what this new chapter of my Phillies career and helping out where I can! Look forward to once again the being w greatest sports fans on the planet!
— JIMMY ROLLINS (@JimmyRollins11) January 30, 2019
“It goes without saying that Jimmy was a huge part of the team’s success during the five-year run of division titles and he is one of the greatest players to wear our uniform,” said Buck in a statement. “His acumen for both business and baseball makes this a natural fit. We are excited to have him back.”
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Rollins is known as one of the greatest Phillies players of all time. The shortstop played in Philadelphia for 15 seasons. He was selected to three National League All-Star teams, won one silver slugger award, three gold glove awards, the 2007 National League Most Valuable Player, and was a huge part in the Phillies winning the 2008 World Series.
Over his 17 year career, Rollins had a batting average of .264, 511 doubles, 115 triples, 231 home runs, and 470 runs batted in.
He holds Philles franchise records in at-bats (8,628), hits (2,306), and doubles (479).
He is second in games (2,090), extra-base hits (806), total bases (3,655) & stolen bases (453), and is third in triples (111) & runs scored (1,325) and sixth in RBI (887).
Rollins also played with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015, and then with the Chicago White Sox in 2016. But he wanted to continue playing the game, so he signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants, but was ultimately released before Opening Day of the 2017 season.
On May 4, 2019 the Phillies will retire Jimmy Rollins’ number in a retirement ceremony before a their game against the Washington Nationals.
I know that this signing is not Bryce Harper, and Rollins will not be contributing to the on-field success of the club, but he will make a difference behind the scenes and with the fans.