Jimmy Rollins has earned the reputation of a player who likes to talk.  His comments prior to the 2007 season claiming Philadelphia as the team to beat in the NL East made those who live in New York’s blood boil.  Thankfully he backed it up by leading the Phillies to their first division title since 1993 and winning his first MVP award.

Prior to this season, he proclaimed the Phillies would reach the 100-win plateau, which again irked those in New York, but got Phillies fans excited for higher aspirations this season, like a World Series title.

Unfortunately the Phillies haven’t been the most consistent this season.  Although they find themselves in first place, they’ve been streaky at the plate all season, and most recently the bullpen is unable to protect a lead.  Well this time Jimmy is again talking, but it’s not New Yorkers who are in a frenzy, it’s Philadelphians.

While appearing on Fox’s The Best Damn Sports Show Period, Jimmy chose to lash out at the Phillies Phaithful.

“There are times,” he [Rollins] said. “I might catch some flak for saying this, but, you know, they’re front-runners. When you’re doing good, they’re on your side. When you’re doing bad, they’re completely against you.”

Open mouth…  Insert foot…

It’s like it’s 1980 all over again.  Did Jimmy talk to Larry Bowa (not the Dodgers third base coach), prior to making these comments?  No Phillies fan will ever forget when in 1980 Bowa referred to the Phillies fans as “the worst fans in baseball.”  This could be one of the stupidest things Rollins could have done.  Especially while the Phillies are now tied for first place, after the bullpen handed another game to the Dodgers.

Sure Philadelphia is hard on their sports teams.  It’s called passion.  As for calling the fans front-runners, that’s just laughable.  It’s tough to be a front-runner when the team you put your heart and soul in has one championship in their 125 year history.  So futile at times that players like Juan Samuel earned a spot in their Hall of Fame.  Most fans who are “front-runners”, root for teams who have actually won something, and they don’t bother to boo when the team struggles, they just jump on another team’s bandwagon.

Maybe Jimmy might be better suited using his mouth to be a leader in the clubhouse and call out players who aren’t pulling their weight.  Better yet, since he’s not pulling his weight, maybe he’s better suited keeping his mouth shut and try improving on his play on the field so fans have no reason to boo.  A .275 average with 8 home runs and 42 RBI’s in mid-August isn’t exactly an MVP-caliber year.  Jimmy needs to learn that leaders don’t run their mouth, their actions speak for themselves.

When your team is in the middle of a losing streak, the offense is asleep at the wheel, and the bullpen cannot protect a lead, ripping the fans is not the solution.  Rollins will most certainly get some attention from these “front-runner” fans when the Phillies return home next week, especially if they find themselves in second place.