Charlie Manuel's confidence in Jimmy Rollins pays off for Phillies
Sometimes in baseball, you just have to give a guy a chance to hit. Slumps happen, and when managers get itchy pencils they can destroy a player’s confidence with even the most minor line-up adjustments.
Philadelphia Phillies’ manager, Charlie Manuel, knows better.
Phillies shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, struck out three times in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS), hitting from the sixth spot in the order. Manuel could have dropped Rollins down to
seventh or eighth in the line-up, especially after Carlos Ruiz hit a home run off Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the NLCS from the eighth spot, but he showed confidence in his shortstop, and it paid off in Game 2.
“I know how good Jimmy Rollins can be,” said Manuel. “I've got a lot of faith in him and I stand there and I pull for him, and I know how good he can hit and also I know how much he wants to be up there.”
Rollins went 2-for-3 in Game 2 with four RBIs and a walk. The walk was especially important, as far as walks go, because it came in the first inning with the bases loaded. Every team intends on being patient
in the early innings of a game. Not only does patience usually get rewarded with base runners, and hopefully an early lead, but if the opposing pitcher can get his pitch count up early, it means the relievers may have to eat up late innings. That usually spells
trouble for a team.
The Phillies got San Francisco’s starter, Jonathan Sanchez’s pitch count up to 35 in the first inning, and they scored a run, thanks to Rollins.
“That's what a good manager does,” Rollins said. “He keeps running his guys up there and wants you to know that he has your back, regardless. You're the guy that he chose.”
When a batter is slumping, a huge home run can do wonders for his confidence, but often it’s something little that breaks a hitter out of his slump. Maybe a sacrifice fly that scores the go-ahead run will
give a player a boost, or even reaching base on an error can set up a hitting streak. In the case of Rollins it was an infield single, a popup that fell between three Giants.
The next time Rollins was at the plate the bases were loaded, and the Philly shortstop smacked the ball off the wall in right field. The hit scored three runs and gave the Phillies a 6-1 lead.
Entering the game, Rollins was 1-for-15 in the playoffs this season. Game 2 officially ended his slump.
“But you don't celebrate until you win four games,” he said. “And once we get to that point, then you can look back and say, 'That was a big hit,' but for now, it just gave us a little breathing room,
a chance to go into San Francisco [with the series tied at 1].”
It’s been a tough year for Rollins. He strained his right calf in April, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He ended up battling leg injuries all season long, and was moved from his usual leadoff
spot to sixth in the order. Manuel insisted that thoughts of taking Rollins out of the line-up never crossed his mind.
“You know what, when you show me you can do something, when I see it and I trust in you. [I will] stay right with you, son,” Manuel said. “I'll go down with you.”
No one has gone down just yet, and if Rollins can regain his form from past seasons, he may very well end up being one of the guys that pulls this team up.
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