Jimmy Rollins is the N.L. MVP
He Should Win the National League Most Valuable Player Award
Oct 2, 2007
The season has ended. The scorecards are in. The standings are now written in stone.
And the Philadelphia Phillies have prevailed over the New York Mets in the National League East Division. The Mets collapse, as disastrous as it may have been, was just as attributable to the brilliant play of the Philadelphia Phillies down the stretch as it was to New York’s almost tragic futility.
True, the Mets won only five of their last seventeen contests, but three of those defeats came at the hands of the Phillies when the two teams met at Shea Stadium from September 14 through September 16. Moreover, the Phillies beat the Mets eight out of the final nine times that the rivals met this year.
So for all that you may read about the Mets 2007 Amazin’ Disgrace, just remember, the Phillies were the better team.
And there is one player, above all of the team’s offensive stars, who deserves the credit for making the difference. His name is Jimmy Rollins, and he -- not Prince Fielder or Ryan Howard or Matt Holliday – should win the National League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2007 season.
A Bold Prediction to Start the Season
In January, Rollins was ridiculed for proclaiming that the Philadelphia Phillies were the “team to beat” in the NL East. The media skewered him for even suggesting that Philadelphia should be favored over the Mets, who won the Division by twelve games in 2006 and came just one game away from winning the National League pennant.
But Rollins stuck to his prediction, even when the Phillies started off just 4-12, and then slumped through the entire first half of the season. Season-ending injuries to starting pitchers Freddy Garcia and Jon Lieber, along with huge chunks of time lost by Cole Hamels, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers decimated their pitching staff throughout most of the season.
On top of that, Ryan Howard struggled early and missed 25 games to injury. Even Chase Utley, who had a magnificent year, missed the entire month of August with a broken hand.
Jimmy Rollins was the One Steadying Force
But Rollins, always steady, always upbeat, always confident, managed to take the field in 162 straight games. That’s no small feat for a five-foot seven-inch guy who plays the second-most physically and mentally demanding position on the field (next to catcher).
Rollins didn’t just play in every game. He contributed in almost every contest, and his final statistics are not just good, and not even just great; they are historic.
Jimmy Rollins MVP Statistics
This year, Rollins became just the fourth player in baseball history to have at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in the same season. In fact, he well exceeded the mark in most of the categories, collecting 38 doubles, 30 home runs, and 41 stolen bases to go along with his 20 triples.
Rollins also ended up with 211 hits, a .296 batting average, 94 RBI (not bad for a lead-off hitter), and he led the NL in runs scored with 139. If it weren’t for the Mets' Jose Reyes, Rollins would probably be the favorite to win the Gold Glove, too.
That is an amazing season – especially for a guy who piped off early and had to back up his words even in the darkest hours of the 2007 season.
Of course, Matt Holliday also had a great year, and was a key part of Colorado's surprise success in 2007. He is considered a favorite in some circles, which is fair. Each player made a huge impact on his team, and each put up spectacular numbers. But Rollins's record-setting numbers, his great speed, and the fact that he was the one constant in a lineup so often decimated by injuries, gives him the slight edge.
Ryan Howard and Chase Utley both had remarkable years, but wouldn't have been nearly as effective without having Rollins on base almost all the time. Jake Peavy surely deserves the Cy Young award, but his loss in the Padres play-in game against the Rockies ended any realistic hopes of an MVP award.
Rollins was the Phillies' spark plug, as well as the team's vocal leader, and he had the best all-around numbers of any player in the National League. He led Philadelphia to the playoffs for the first time in fourteen years. Most of all, he backed up his big prediction. For all of these reasons, Jimmy Rollins should win the National League Most Valuable Player award.
