Congrats to Alameda's Jimmy Rollins for getting paid on his extension
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2084012
PHILADELPHIA -- Jimmy Rollins believes he's one of the top shortstops in baseball. Now, he has a salary to prove it.
Jimmy Rollins
Shortstop
Philadelphia Phillies
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R SB AVG
62 5 19 40 13 .263
Rollins agreed to a $40 million, five-year contract extension with the team on Monday. The 26-year-old shortstop has spent his entire career with Philadelphia and was eligible for free agency after the 2006 season.
His contract includes a $5 million signing bonus. Philadelphia holds a club option for 2011 at $8.5 million with a $2 million buyout. If the Phillies exercise the option, the total value of the contract would increase to $46.5 million.
"We've never envisioned our ballclub going forward without Jimmy," Phillies general manager Ed Wade said. "He brings a lot of energy and is a catalyst for this team."
This season, Rollins has hit .263 with five home runs, 19 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 62 games.
Rollins wanted a contract extension during spring training. When talks fell through, Rollins said he wouldn't seek a new contract until after the season. That changed on Monday.
"After spring training, I had put it out of my mind," Rollins said. "To get it done at this point, it shows that they wanted me more than I thought they did."
Rollins knows that with the new contract comes new responsibilities.
"Now, it's my turn to join the big crew with Bobby [Abreu], Jim [Thome], and Pat [Burrell]," Rollins said. "With a long-term contract, I feel that gives me a chance to be a leader on this club with those guys."
The Phillies completed one of their best homestands in their history, going 12-1 against San Francisco, Arizona, Texas and Milwaukee.
"It's fun here," Rollins said. "I've always enjoyed playing here. The fans are tough sometimes, but they always show up."
Rollins will have a chance to celebrate the payday with his family. The Oakland, Calif., native will return home this weekend when the Phillies take on the A's.
"The only thing that would be better when I went back to Oakland is if we had won the World Series. This is the next best thing," Rollins said. "It's going to be great to go home after something like this."
He was an NL All-Star in 2001-02, leading the league in triples both seasons. In 2001, he tied for the league lead in stolen bases with 46 and from 2001-04, his fielding percentage of .981 was best among NL shortstops.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2084012
PHILADELPHIA -- Jimmy Rollins believes he's one of the top shortstops in baseball. Now, he has a salary to prove it.
Jimmy Rollins
Shortstop
Philadelphia Phillies
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R SB AVG
62 5 19 40 13 .263
Rollins agreed to a $40 million, five-year contract extension with the team on Monday. The 26-year-old shortstop has spent his entire career with Philadelphia and was eligible for free agency after the 2006 season.
His contract includes a $5 million signing bonus. Philadelphia holds a club option for 2011 at $8.5 million with a $2 million buyout. If the Phillies exercise the option, the total value of the contract would increase to $46.5 million.
"We've never envisioned our ballclub going forward without Jimmy," Phillies general manager Ed Wade said. "He brings a lot of energy and is a catalyst for this team."
This season, Rollins has hit .263 with five home runs, 19 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 62 games.
Rollins wanted a contract extension during spring training. When talks fell through, Rollins said he wouldn't seek a new contract until after the season. That changed on Monday.
"After spring training, I had put it out of my mind," Rollins said. "To get it done at this point, it shows that they wanted me more than I thought they did."
Rollins knows that with the new contract comes new responsibilities.
"Now, it's my turn to join the big crew with Bobby [Abreu], Jim [Thome], and Pat [Burrell]," Rollins said. "With a long-term contract, I feel that gives me a chance to be a leader on this club with those guys."
The Phillies completed one of their best homestands in their history, going 12-1 against San Francisco, Arizona, Texas and Milwaukee.
"It's fun here," Rollins said. "I've always enjoyed playing here. The fans are tough sometimes, but they always show up."
Rollins will have a chance to celebrate the payday with his family. The Oakland, Calif., native will return home this weekend when the Phillies take on the A's.
"The only thing that would be better when I went back to Oakland is if we had won the World Series. This is the next best thing," Rollins said. "It's going to be great to go home after something like this."
He was an NL All-Star in 2001-02, leading the league in triples both seasons. In 2001, he tied for the league lead in stolen bases with 46 and from 2001-04, his fielding percentage of .981 was best among NL shortstops.
