Remember last month's hustle controversy with Jimmy Rollins? Well, it's reared its ugly head again.
During Thursday's Mets-Phillies game, Rollins hit an infield pop-up near the pitcher's mound in the sixth inning. Rollins dejectedly began to trot down to first base…only to see Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese drop the ball. Rollins easily made it to first, and with no one covering second base, he could have easily made it there too…if he had been running hard the whole time.
After Rollins stole second and was erased from the basepaths on a fielder's choice, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel went at it with Rollins in the dugout. In the top of the seventh inning, Michael Martinez was playing shortstop….and not Rollins. After Manuel's post-game press conference, the response from Rollins was brief, and told the entire story.
"He already told you what happened. There you go," Rollins said as he left the clubhouse.
I think this is going to be the last season that we see Jimmy Rollins in Philadelphia. His contract, while not absurd, is still paying him $22 million over the 2013 and 2014 season. Combine that contract with his lacksadaiscal play at times, and you have a recipe for a player who is going to get run out of town by the fanbase.
