Philadelphia Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg took exception with a perceived lack of effort from Jimmy Rollins over the past few days. As if things couldn’t get worse for this fledgling ball club, a rift between star player and new manager could force the Phillies to break camp with some drama and intrigue.
According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Sandberg might be growing frustrated with his starting shortstop. The manager had this to say earlier in the week…
Freddy’s a guy that will get playing time at various positions…He’s a guy that I like in the lineup. I felt good about what he brings to the table. The biggest thing I like is his energy and his positive influence, his positive influence on everyone around him.
Sandberg is talking about Freddy Galvis, who is Rollins’ backup at shortstop and was hitting .148 heading into Thursday’s game.
When posed a similar question whether Rollins brings a positive influence to the team, Sandberg responded…
No comment.
You can go ahead and fill in the dots there.
For his part, Rollins responded with a “no comment” while actually commenting.
Asked about Ryno’s “no comment” regarding his energy/positivity, Rollins said everyone can have an opinion, but it doesn’t make it right.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 13, 2014
Rollins is coming off a disastrous 2013 campaign that saw him hit just above .250 with six homers and 39 RBI’s. He hasn’t earned a trip to the All-Star Game since 2005 and is three years removed from being an above-average all-around player.
Rollins, who was subject to trade rumors in the offseason, is set to earn $11 million this upcoming year.
Photo: Kim Klement, USA Today