What Would Jimmy Do?

I’m lost for words. And I’ve been lost for words for the past two weeks. And, it’s the reason why I haven’t written for a while that is so depressing. The saddest thing about my writer’s block is that I could easily write a short piece about the upcoming NBA Draft and the 76er’s complete offseason to-do-list, yet at the same time can barely but a pen to paper (or my fingers to a keyboard) about the absolute collapse of the Philadelphia Phillies over the past 6 weeks. In recent years, I’ve loved every second of the New York Mets’ infamous collapses and took as many opportunities as possible to mess with Mets fans about them. Now it’s only June and I feel a giant knot in my stomach as if the team has already missed the playoffs, and I am starting to wonder if this is how Mets fans have felt in the past.

At a time like this, one might feel immense depression, seek the need to curl up into a little ball in the corner of his or her room, and stare at an animal cracker for hours on end. But, the sensible thing to do in a situation such as this is to not sulk and feel sorry for ourselves, but to try to think of reasons for a group of guys’ awful excuse for a baseball team. This doesn’t mean play the blame game either. From Jayson Werth, to Charlie Manuel, to Chase Utley, to the creepy old cat lady down the street, everyone deserves his or her own share of the blame.

If you don’t follow and watch the team religiously, trying to make sense out of all this is absolutely ludicrous. And honestly, I have recently found viewing a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game as painful as a root canal or wearing the clothes my grandma got me for my birthday out in public. But when I do tune into a game, one thought constantly runs through my mind: “WWJD?”. No, I do not think, “what would Jesus do?” (I’m Jewish) even if Jesus was a Jew, but “what would Jimmy do?” Yes, the seemed-to-be forgotten Jimmy Rollins, did once start at shortstop for the Phils way back in April of 2010, ladies and gentleman. J-Roll is currently on his second trip to the DL and his pulled hamstring has limited him to only 41 at bats thus far this year. Why does the absence of a leadoff hitter affect the entire lineup you may ask? Because this leadoff hitter does so much more for this team than just get on base.

Rollins’ ability to get on base and hit for a high average cannot be questioned. But once he gets on base is where and when; the magic really happens. Jimmy’s speed and base running smarts allow him to collaborate with Davy Lopes and snag bag after bag and provides the power hitters behind him with many RBI opportunities as well. Number eleven’s trickery on the base paths can at times be compared to none other than John Tucker’s ability to play girls. The little shortstop (Rollins can’t be taller much taller than the Boston Celtics’ Nate Robinson) also aids the Phillies lineups with some pop as well. When on his game, Jimmy easily can have a 20-20 season (20 HR’s and 20 SB’s) and bat over .300. Having such a great mix of power and speed is so deadly to opponents and so crucial to his own team, and it has clearly been missed.

Rollins has always led by example, and maybe that’s what this team is missing: a leader. Someone to turn to when the going gets tough, someone to look towards for inspiration in a time of need and slump: a leader. The Phillies have appeared in back-to-back World Series. It pains me to say so, but maybe they won’t be able to make it a three-peat without Rollins in full swing. But at least I’m able to say and write something.