Jimmy Rollins Feels ‘Free’ to be Out of Philadelphia

File this one under the category of ‘tell us how you really feel, Jimmy.’

In an extensive, and certainly interesting, interview, Jimmy Rollins spoke about how he feels to no longer be on the team that drafted him, that he won a World Series with, and that he made himself into a Hall of Fame caliber player with.

And much to the surprise of many considering that he seemed disinterested in moving to a contender until after he became the franchise’s hit-king, Rollins tells Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports that he feels ‘free’.

"Q: What do you feel like now that you no longer are in Philly?A: Free. I feel like I’m free to be myself without someone on my shoulder. Obviously, everyone has parameters and limits. You have to play within the boundaries. But when you’re a leader, rules are a little different for you. When you’re a superstar, rules are a little different. You’re held to a higher standard, which I love. But it brings added pressure. Which I love. But if someone buds, let ’em bud. Instead of trying to keep ’em within this framework. Just let ’em be who they are at that moment."

Rollins, who grew up in Oakland, says that it’s very difficult to be a superstar in Philadelphia. Unlike the place that he now plays in, Rollins says that east coast cities–specifically Boston, New York and Philadelphia–don’t let stars get away with doing ‘star things’.

Rollins also said that he believes it isn’t impossible to play in Philadelphia, he certainly had his fair share of success, but that it is difficult. Frankly, no one in Philadelphia could disagree with that. But that’s a risk-reward scenario, because if you win in the way that Rollins did in Philadelphia, you also get an outpouring of support that you wouldn’t get in another part of the country.

Rollins also had a few complaints about the Phillies organization, or as he deemed it, ‘The Phillies way’.

On the pressure put on him by Philadelphia

"But with that comes unrealistic expectations of how you’re supposed to conduct yourself in the eyes of many. Inside the clubhouse, we were loose cannons. It reminds me a lot of this – a lot of loose cannons, a lot of joking around. But outside, it was the Phillies Way. It had to be done according to how we want to represent our franchise, which is understandable. So maybe something about yourself you kind of pulled back because it might rub someone the wrong way."

On perception that he took plays off 

"Hustling? Hit the ball to second base, 70 percent is what I gave. When I hit it to the left side, I can’t really see, so I usually run a little run harder, because I don’t know what’s going on. But when it’s in front of me, that’s how it was.That gets back to the higher standards. No one goes hard all the time. But with a reputation, once you get that, if you’re not going 100 percent, then you’re never hustling. That’s OK. It kept me on the field. But if I had an opportunity to score a run, I scored that run. If I had an opportunity for a hit, or to take an extra base, those are the things I did. That’s where hustle counts. When a ball is hit in the gap and you’re making sure you’re scoring the run and it kicks away from a guy and you get that extra bag, where it actually had an impact on the game."

The full interview with Rosenthal is a must-read. I rarely say that about national interviews, but when Jimmy Rollins speaks, he usually doesn’t get cheated. At least not in our minds, because he apparently believes that he was held back in that respect in Philadelphia.

Rollins did admit at the end of the interview that he loved playing in Philadelphia, which kind of takes some of the steam out of the hot-takes likely on the way about Rollins.

My takeaway from this interview was little to nothing. Rollins didn’t love the east-coast pressure that he constantly faced, which really isn’t news. He said as much in 2008, a move which he did catch some boos for.

"“There are times,” Rollins told the other guys on set, “I might catch some flak for saying this, but, you know, they’re front-runners. When you’re doing good, they’re on your side. When you’re doing bad, they’re completely against you.”"

In the end, however, Rollins was flawed, but he was Philly’s flawed star. Or in his own mind, Philly’s flawed superstar. He wasn’t a match made in heaven for Philadelphia, but he won an MVP here and was the catalyst to the most successful era in team history. And despite how many things like this that leak out of his mouth, he will always have a soft spot for Philadelphia, as they will for him.

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