Jimmy Rollins is the National League Most Valuable Player.
The man who proclaimed the Phillies the team to beat in the National League East in January beat Colorado Rockies leftfielder Matt Holliday, who led the league in hitting and RBIs, for the league's top honor. Rollins received 16 first-place votes for 353 points, while Holliday received 11 first-place votes for 336 points to finish second. Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder received five first-place votes for 284 points to finish third.
Check out the official tally at the BBWAA's Web site.
Listen to audio from Rollins' telconference here.
I had it pegged all along.
OK, so I didn't. I thought Holliday would get the edge once I heard most of the votes came after the one-game playoff between the Rockies and Padres on Oct. 1. As it turns out, Rollins still outvoted Holliday.
Ryan Howard finished fifth in voting and Chase Utley finished eighth. Aaron Rowand finished 23rd, receiving one eighth-place vote.
*
The Phillies today acquired outfielder Chris Snelling from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for cash.
Snelling, 25, hit a combined .246 with one home run and seven RBIs in 30 games with the Washington Nationals and Oakland A's this season. He missed the majority of the year with a bruised left knee. A lefthanded hitter, Snelling has hit .311 in his minor-league career.
“Chris has always had a great bat, but he has battled some injuries in the past,” assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. “We feel he will be healthy this coming year and adds a lefthanded hitter and some depth to our outfield.”
Comments (22)
C'mon Todd, shoulda had some faith! We knew Jimmy was takin this thing home! Holliday, you are fraud!
Posted by JIMMY | November 20, 2007 2:07 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:07
someone tell me what knuckle heads gave rollins 4th and 5th place votes. oh nevermind, the denver and new york writers of course.....
congrats jimmy, absolutelt well deserved.
next year holliday and the rockies don't come anywhere close to what they did this year.
Posted by timm | November 20, 2007 2:18 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:18
Yes! Way to go Jimmy!
Now, is it me, or is something up here when the Phils take the MVP twice in a row?? Next up... that Chase Utley!!!
Posted by bobby | November 20, 2007 2:20 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:20
Congratulations to Jimmy Rollins - very well done! Utley will win it next year.
Posted by Anonymous | November 20, 2007 2:21 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:21
I also thought Holliday would win...way to go Jimmy, well deserved and not even close.
Think the Bank will be rockin at the presentation ceremony?
Posted by jimmymack | November 20, 2007 2:24 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:24
I'll bet Amaro, Gillick, and Shady Monty are happy they already have him under contract!
Congrats J-Roll!!!
Posted by Bill | November 20, 2007 2:34 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:34
Congratulations, J-Roll! It couldn't have happened to a more deserving person!!!!
Posted by Chelleygirl | November 20, 2007 2:35 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:35
cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Posted by Cory | November 20, 2007 2:37 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:37
Like I said before Jimmy is my favorite player and whether I think Holliday should have won the award or not, Jimmy still had a great season and deserves all the recognition he gets.
Jimmy has been one of the best players in the NL for years and has been under the radar in a lot of ways.
Posted by B Dub | November 20, 2007 2:41 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:41
Congratulations Mr. Rollins! Well deserved. So first Howard and now Rollins. Funny, neither of them are even the best player on the Phillies. Is Utley next? I just hope management adds some more pieces around these three and not let their talent go to waste.
Posted by Chris | November 20, 2007 2:52 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 14:52
Way to go Jimmy. You gotta love the year he had and the constant good player he's been. Don't feel bad Todd -- I thought Holliday might edge him out too. It was close to be sure, but even looking at it as unbiased as possible I still feel J-Roll deserves it.
Posted by s | November 20, 2007 3:05 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 15:05
Congratulations to my favorite Phillie. He plays the game hard - the way it supposed to be played. Hopefully we'll stop hearing people call in to WIP complaining that he doesn't take enough walks - or doesn't bunt enough.
Congrats Jimmy!
Posted by Spencer | November 20, 2007 3:19 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 15:19
Spencer, what a great point about WIP callers (and one host in particular).
I may actually break my rule and listen to WIP from 4-7 tonight to hear Eskin backpeddling saying how he always liked JRoll, thought he was the best, blah, blah, blah. After he has just ripped him for years.
What's the over /under on how many times he says: "I never said that...genius".
Posted by jimmymack | November 20, 2007 3:45 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 15:45
This is great news, congrats Jimmy! Being from Philly but living in Indiana makes things tough, so I go see them in Wrigley, Cincy and when they've played the sox.
I can remember several years ago I asked Jimmy for his autograph before playing the White Sox and I said "Hey, J.R."... he looked at me with this horrible stare and said "What did you call me? I ain't JR, I'm J-roll" Heaven forbid he say "Screw Jeremy Roenick, I'm the real JR!"
Anyway, I was in Cincy this past year and got Howard and Rollins to sign a game ball. I'm now wondering how much that particular ball with both sigs on it might be worth... back-to-back MVP's... awesome!
Posted by Boilerkev | November 20, 2007 3:58 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 15:58
jimmymack - eskin won't say anything. he will defer all rollins calls back to the fact the mcnabb is great and andy reid is awesome. or some other way to get the callers away from the phils and back to his "other employer"
Posted by Anonymous | November 20, 2007 4:24 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 16:24
it's time to bust this gem out again just because of the first sentence. i really hope rollins sends him an invite to the giving of the mvp trophy press conference.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08262007/sports/mets/its_not_official__but_nl_east_.htm
Posted by timm | November 20, 2007 4:56 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 16:56
It feels like it did from 1976 to 1983 when I was a kid and was so proud to be a Phillies fan! Between Ryan Howard in 2006 and J Roll this year winning the MVP and winning the NL East, it is a great time to be a Phillies fan. More championships and a world series win is on the way! Thank you Phillies for bringing the pride back to Philadelphia. It is so great to see this town love its favorite team again!
http://philliesphorum.mlblogs.com
Posted by Bill | November 20, 2007 5:57 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 17:57
It feels like it did from 1976 to 1983 when I was a kid and was so proud to be a Phillies fan! Between Ryan Howard in 2006 and J Roll this year winning the MVP and winning the NL East, it is a great time to be a Phillies fan. More championships and a world series win is on the way! Thank you Phillies for bringing the pride back to Philadelphia. It is so great to see this town love its favorite team again!
http://philliesphorum.mlblogs.com
Posted by Bill | November 20, 2007 5:57 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 17:57
Nice timm!!!! What an idiot that writer is! I'm so happy J-roll won the MVP, he so deserved it. He carried this team all year. Period! When Howard went down and then Utley, J-roll was there to carry the team through their injuries. Thats why he had to be MVP, and the fact that he is awesome!!!!
Posted by clinton nj | November 20, 2007 11:39 PM
Posted on November 20, 2007 23:39
Congrats Philly. I got to visit your city for the first time this year right after the tarp caper. I love Philly! Your bars are great, and your bartenders are greater! Rollins is great, deserved it, for sure. We wanted Holliday, but oh well. I wouldnt' trade the Rox for the Phils, but that isn't any disrespect.
East Coast bias? Maybe? Probably? Who cares?! What a great baseball season. I can't wait until next year already. Go NL!!!
Posted by Kyle ZInth | November 21, 2007 12:34 AM
Posted on November 21, 2007 00:34
Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, and now MVP. And Division Champ. Not bad for a guy who didn't make the All-Star team even as a reserve. Congrats JRoll - extremely well-deserved.
Posted by Louis DeVizia | November 21, 2007 9:48 AM
Posted on November 21, 2007 09:48
Read and watch and celebrate and enjoy:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071120&content_id=2305437&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Posted by Louis DeVizia | November 21, 2007 9:53 AM
Posted on November 21, 2007 09:53