In what should be his next to last start of the spring, Joe Blanton got what I like to call “Christas Treed”. As in lit up like one. I’m not so much concerned about the pitching though. Would I have liked to see the pitching staff a little sharper? Sure, who wouldn’t. I feel confident chalking atleast a small portion of the lack of success up to just the time of year. Every year we see the staff experience a “dead arm” period at the end of spring. What causes “dead arm”? I’m going to say its partially mental. These guys are all veterans looking to just get the season going. With that thought out of the way, let’s take a look at the countdown.
Make or Break year for Rollins?
Today, we’re going to take a look at one of the biggest catalysts that makes this team go. Yes, that’s right today is Jimmy Rollins’ turn in the spotlight. J-Roll is in the final year of a deal that all together totaled 46.5 million dollars over the last 6 years. While the contract has proven to be very team friendly, he has, for the most part, been in decline the last three seasons. However, Rollins has won a NL MVP award, and has been a key part in winning the Phillies a World Series championship, two NL Pennants, and four consecutive division titles.
2011 is critical for both sides. For Rollins, he needs to prove not only that he can stay healthy, but he can regain the offensive form that made him so dangerous for years earlier in his career. For the Phillies, if they do not re-sign Rollins, who do they turn to not only for shortstop, but for the lead off spot. While Rollins is not the prototypical lead off hitter, the Phillies go as Rollins does. In a previous Countdown entry, we saw that the Phillies are a very impressive 92-24 in the last two seasons (2009-2010) when Rollins scores atleast one run. If Rollins can manage to mirror his career average of .272/.328/.435, not only should the Phillies be in good position to make a push for the playoffs, but in good position to make an offer to keep their shortstop in red pinstripes for a couple more seasons at a reasonable price.
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