One of the core players from the Philadelphia Phillies’ golden era and the general manager who planted the seeds for the 2008 World Series champions will be inducted into the club’s Wall of Fame this summer. Jimmy Rollins and Ed Wade will be inducted into the Phillies’ Wall of Fame before Philadelphia’s Aug. 1 game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Phillies say the induction ceremony will be part of their alumni weekend at Citizens Bank Park.
Rollins is the Phillies’ all-time hits leader and was a key member of one of the club’s most successful periods in its 142-year history.
Drafted in 1996, Rollins collected a franchise-record 2,306 hits in 15 of his 17 major-league seasons. His 479 doubles as a Phillie remain a club record, and his 214 home runs as a Phillie are the most by a shortstop in franchise history. With Philadelphia, Rollins hit a club record 41 leadoff homers, which is fourth all-time in MLB history.
He’s second in Phillies history with 2,090 games played and 453 stolen bases and third in runs (1,325) and triples (111).
Before the 2007 season, Jimmy Rollins declared the Phillies, not the New York Mets, the team to beat in the NL East. He backed up his words by winning the National League MVP, leading the Phils to their first of five consecutive division titles. In 2007, J-Roll hit .296 with an .875 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) with a 6.1 WAR and an NL-leading 20 triples and 139 runs scored. He also won the first of three straight Gold Glove awards. He added a fourth Gold Glove in 2012. He also won an NL Silver Slugger Award in 2007.
“Jimmy was the spark plug for five consecutive National League East titles, back-to-back National League pennants and a World Series championship from 2007 to 2011,” Phillies managing partner John Middleton said in a statement. “He is one of the most legendary players to wear pinstripes, and we are thrilled to celebrate No. 11 on Aug. 1.”
During the Phillies’ 2008 World Series-winning season, Rollins had a 5.5 WAR. From 2006-2011, considered the organization’s “golden era,” Rollins had a 22.7 WAR with a .271 average and .779 OPS, 111 homers, 202 doubles and 577 runs scored.
Wade was the Phillies’ vice president and general manager from 1998 until 2005. After the 2005 season, the Phils fired Wade and replaced him with Hall of Fame executive Pat Gillick. Two seasons later, the club won its second World Series in franchise history.
While Gillick got the Phils across the finish line, he did so with many of the players Wade acquired, drafted, or signed.
Wade drafted Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and Pat Burrell. He signed Carlos Ruiz in 1998, and selected Shane Victorino in the Rule 5 draft in 2005. He also was the GM who hired Charlie Manuel, the manager of the golden era.
Wade will be the sixth executive to be inducted into the Phillies’ Wall of Fame.
“Ed’s contributions to the Phillies were game-changing, as he developed most of our core players from the teams that won five straight NL East championship titles from 2007 to 2011, including the 2008 World Series champions,” Middleton said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating Ed’s tremendous career as we recognize him on this historic day.”
SOURCE: cbsnews.com