Philadelphia Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins clinches Gold Glove Award from National League-MLB Update
Philadelphia Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins wins the Gold Glove Award in the competition of the shortstops from the National League. Three other candidates for the honour were Jose Reyes, Ian Desmond and Zack Cozart but in the end Rollins was considered as the
most deserving player.
The announcement has made Rollins as one of the few players in baseball history that has earned this Award four times in their career.
Undoubtedly, one of the primary reasons why the Phillies were so strong defensively in the last few years is the presence of Rollins in the team.
Shortstop is an extremely crucial position in the field. Handling the matters there holds immense significance for the overall defensive performance of the team.
Rollins can be proud of the fact that he lifted the Phillies during the season despite the fact they spent a greater part of the season at the bottom half of their Division table.
Rollins believes Larry Bowa and John Vukovich are mainly responsible for where he stands today in terms of his defence. He has explained as to how these two men nurtured his skills and put him into a position where he can win the Gold Glove Award consistently.
“They got me in at 7 in the morning ... I had to be there at 7 in the morning. And that was just to take back-hands. They hit me a truckload of back-hands, every single day, drilling it in me, drilling it in me. Vuk kept it real simple -- he said take care
of business on the field, and everything will be taken care of off the field. For me, that started with defense. Whether you hit or not, you still have to go out there and play defense,” Rollins stated.
Apart from defence, Rollins did play his part offensively during the season. He struck home-runs during the crucial stages of the matches on a number of occasions.
Rollins will be jubilant after earning this Award. For the Phillies, they have struggled immensely throughout the season and this Award can reduce the disappointment that they faced in the season.
Rollins will be looking to keep helping the Phillies defensively in the years to come.
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