Reigning National League MVP Jimmy Rollins was benched Thursday for the second time this season by Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel. Rollins, instead of getting to Shea Stadium in Queens to finish off a three game set against the Mets with the rest of the Phillies in the team bus, opted to drive himself and arrived at the stadium after the designated 10 A.M. arrival time set by Manuel. The team bus also arrived to the stadium late, but still got there before their star shortstop.

Rollins claimed that he was late because of traffic, which in all likelihood is most likely what happened.

“I left ten minutes after the bus as usual but I just got stuck,” Rollins said. “I can’t change lights and stuff.”

Rollins was bench earlier this season mid-game for not running out a pop up, a move he agreed with. He does not agree with Manuel’s decision to bench him this time.

“We’re not going to agree on this one,” Rollins said. “We agreed last time but we’re not going to agree on this one. He’s the manager and he has to set a precedent with certain players and you’re held up to higher rules. That’s fine.”

Rollins was apparently late to a game one other time this season, but called Manuel to let him know and got off with a warning.

Whether Rollins agrees with the decision or not, and whether he accepts the punishment (which he has) as a grown up or not, it does not appear to be having much of an affect on him.

When Rollins was bench earlier this season for not running out the pop-up, we all hoped that it would light a fire under the struggling shortstop and motivate him to start playing harder, but all it did was make him run out pop-ups. Rollins still jogs out grounds outs and has been criticized numerous times this season for not running as hard on base hits as he should. Several times Rollins has strolled in second on a hit that, with his speed, could have easily been a triple.

In a recent interview on the Comcast Sportsnet program Daily News Live, host Michael Barkan asked Phillies’ second baseman Chase Utley which of his teammates is routinely late. After thinking for a few seconds Utley responded “Jimmy Rollins.” According to many people who are around the club on a daily basis, Rollins usually arrives to the ball park right before he is required to. He does not appear to be a get there early, stay late kind of guy.

It appears to me, and many of the Phillies’ fans, that Rollins is mailing this season in. He doesn’t feel the need to hustle every single play. He apparently doesn’t think he needs extra time to work on his game, which has struggled this season. He still speeds around the bases, just not as fast. He still dazzles in the field, but has made a number of errors. He is the supposed leader of this team, but does not lead by example and apparently finds himself to be too good to ride with the team to the ballpark.

I have been villified over the past couple days for attacking the character of Mets’ star shortstop Jose Reyes for his immature and classless celebration antics. I am a firm believer in being fair and objective and I cannot question Reyes’ character and then ignore the failings of my own team’s star.

Rollins, as the reigning MVP, has publicly taken up the mantle of the leader of this team, but has failed to act like the leader. I have no idea what Rollins is like behind closed doors, whether he is vocal amongst his teammates, encouraging them when they’re struggling, yelling at them when they’re slacking off. But I can’t imagine it would do much good since Rollins himself appears to be aloof and slacking off.

Team leaders need to lead by being vocal, but more importantly by example. I am as hard on Ryan Howard as anyone out there, but I was really impressed the other day when I saw him bust his hump down the line on a ground out that he had no chance of beating out without an errant throw on the play. Pat Burrell, who has had his fair share of struggles over his time with the Phillies, appears to be too laid back to be a vocal leader in the clubhouse, but absolutely leads by example. During his struggles from a couple years ago, Phillies fans were largely behind Pat because they saw how hard he worked at getting better. He was constantly working on his swing, seeking advice from anyone who could give it (which turns out was a big part of the problem), busting his butt every single day no matter how well he was doing. Fans love to see that a player is pissed at his manager for taking him out of the game like Burrell was after Sunday’s loss to the Marlins. He was respectful and understanding of his shortcomings, but admitted that it angers him every time Manuel takes him out of the game in favor of a defensive replacement late in close games. Fans want a player with that fire, that drive, that hustle, and that desire.

Jimmy Rollins is not the MVP this year. Jimmy Rollins is not the leader of this team. jimmy Rollins needs to prove me wrong.