Whether or not you wanted to see Jimmy Rollins leave this offseason, it will be weird seeing a Phillies team without him. The heart and soul of the team's playoff run from 2007-11 is now in Los Angeles as the Phillies look to rebuild a team that has stooped below mediocrity over the past few seasons. Today, the long-tenured shortstop put on Dodger blue for the first time.
Rollins did want to stay in Philadelphia to finish off his career, but you could tell the team's lack of success was taking a toll on not just him, but others in the Phillies organization as well. Now a member of a team that is a contender, Rollins looks to step in to be a presence not only on the field, but off of it as well.
"There was only one place I wanted to go if I left Philadelphia and that was Los Angeles — a place that has history, a place that wants to win, and I wanted to be a part of something special and somehow have an impact on that," Rollins said. "It wasn't happening in Philly at the moment, so I'm not surprised. I'm just glad it happened." [MLB.com]
Throughout his time in Philadelphia, Rollins made the Phillies the "team to beat" and was a very large part of their championship run in 2008. He has an MVP award, four gold gloves among some other accolades. Therefore, the former face of the Phillies was asked what he hasn't done.
"I haven't won enough," Rollins said. "I haven't won enough rings."
J-Roll will join forces with the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Adrian Gonzalez and of course, Yasiel Puig. He has known to be semi-controversal in the past, but Rollins is confident that his energy can be used to help the Dodgers achieve success.
Shortly after getting shipped to Los Angeles, the 36-year-old got a call from Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who spent the entire conversation running through the clubhouse dynamics and talking about how Rollins can "be the glue that holds everything together."
Yasiel Puig will be one of his biggest projects.
"He's talented," Rollins said of the Dodgers' eccentric outfielder. "He puts on a show, which is fine. Hopefully we keep all that energy headed in the right direction." [MLB.com]
Rollins was always outspoken as a member of the Philies, so during his press conference, he was asked if there were any predictions he had for his new club after naming the Phillies the "team to beat" in 2007.
"Yeah, we're going to be fun. We're going to be a fun team to watch, I can guarantee you that much, and everybody's going to be pulling in the same direction, and you're going to get our best. You're going to get our best."
No bold predictions from Jimmy just yet, but once he gets out on the field with his new teammates, it may be difficult to hold something back. To check out his entire introductory press conference, click here.
