For 6,751 days, Jimmy Rollins has been a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization. In 2,031 games started over that span of time, Rollins has fielded 18080.1 innings while committing only 143 errors. That's approximately 126 innings, or 14 games, per error.
A three-time All-Star (2001, 2002 & 2005), and the 2007 National League MVP, Rollins' most impressive feat of all came in 2008 when he helped lead the Phillies' to their second World Series championship in franchise history. Also, not to mention this past Summer when Rollins surpassed Mike Schmidt to become the Phillies' all-time hits leader. He finished the 2014 season at 2,306 hits.
As the famous proverb says, all good things must come to an end. A trade which took well over a week to finalize finally became official today, as Jimmy Rollins will be sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for left-hander Tom Windle (22) and right-handed pitching prospect Zach Eflin (20). Eflin was acquired by the Dodgers last night in the Matt Kemp-to-San Diego blockbuster.
Both the Phillies and Dodgers released news that the deal was official. Los Angeles will also receive $1 million in cash considerations from the Phillies, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
When it's all said and done, Rollins' career as a Phillie will be remembered by some for his bold predictions. Most, however, will remember him for his consistency out on the field and his great leadership within the clubhouse. There's no doubt that he will be missed next season, but rest assured, Rollins will surely return to Citizens Bank Park some day, as 40-plus thousand fans will celebrate his induction onto the Phillies' Wall of Fame alongside other greats that wore red pinstripes.
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. said as much:
Ruben Amaro Jr. on trading Jimmy Rollins: pic.twitter.com/Pp5MphavsS
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) December 19, 2014
Chase Utley also reflected on the Rollins trade:
"The Dodgers are very lucky to acquire a player like Jimmy. I've said it time and time again that Jimmy makes everyone around him better. The team will miss his leadership on the field and his infectious smile, but most of all, I will miss our pre-game handshake."
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is a contributor to Philliedelphia.com.
