Rollins Thinks He Can Fix Swing

June 9, 2009 · Paul Raymond · Jump to comments

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So Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins thinks he’s finally found whats wrong with his swing. My first thinking to this is really? Just a month ago you said you were going to hit .400, so do you really think you can fix it now? Unfortunately, I’ve begun to think the former MVP is just over thinking himself out of productive at-bats?

Over the last six games, Rollins has gone 4 for 27, this follows a stretch from May 15th to June 2nd that he hit .292. That stretch followed his brutal .199 season opening average. Today’s Philadelphia Inquirer suggests that Rollins found the flaw in his swing. The flaw that’s been causing him to hit an absurd amount of pop-ups. He found the flaw while watching videotape of himself over the weekend.

“When I saw it [on Saturday], I was like, ‘Oh no, what am I doing?’ ” he said. “It’s not like I’m late, not like I’m early. I’m just down. Now I’ve got something else to work on.”

The article goes on and on about Rollins finding the flaw, and how minuscule the problem is.

Rollins then held his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart: “It’s literally between here and right there, and that’s a pop-up,” he said.

He closed his fingers and continued: “That’s a line drive.”

Opening them again an inch apart: “And that’s a pop-up. And it’s just that little.”

Really? That’s how small the problem is? It’s taken you two and almost a half months to figure that little bit out? I don’t buy it. His manager Charlie Manuel does thou. “I think he’s probably right, because he’s underneath the ball,” Manuel said. “Popping up is late. Underneath, and late.”

Manuel’s quote is one of the things that makes me not buy this story. Rollins says his timing is right on while Manuel, the hitting guru, says pop-ups are the result of being late. So what’s the deal? There’s clearly some miscommunication here.

I truly believe Jimmy is thinking himself out of the game. Here is the reason why. His stretch from May 15th to June 2nd had him batting .299. It looked like he was really coming around and starting to get his act together. Then he struggles for six games and freaks out, looking for the reason of his slump. But why?

Rollins is a professional he should know better then anyone that streaks come and go. Even when you’re totally locked in you could have a 4 for 27 stretch, its baseball that’s just how things go. I think because of his early season struggles he’s pressing and not wanting to let himself, the team and the fans down. So because of a small slump he’s gone searching for a reason.

Some time off from the game may be what just the doctor ordered. A day or two just to completely clear his mind and let him go out and just play baseball. The Phillies did give him a game off Saturday and then dropped him to sixth in the lineup for Sunday. He responded by going 2 for 4.

Could that be enough to get him back in gear? Possibly. We’ll find out really fast if the problem is in his head or it really was just a small mechanical flaw.

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