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PHILADELPHIA -- Two days after earning a new title, National League Most Valuable Player, Jimmy Rollins returned to an old one.
Cousin Jimmy.
At a Thanksgiving feast near the Alameda, Calif., home of Rollins' parents, his rambunctious cousins didn't care that their older family member had just been crowned with the league's most prestigious individual award -- not when it was playtime.
"When I'm at home, it's just me," Rollins said during his first local appearance since being named the NL MVP. "Your little cousins still come up and hit you on the back, then run and hide like they're invisible. But you can see them the whole time. That's how I want it to be. They just want to have fun."
Rollins has had plenty of fun this year, beginning with his January boast, when he called the Phillies the "team to beat." He then played a huge part in leading the Phillies to the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
His performance earned him the Silver Slugger, Gold Glove and, of course, the MVP.
Rollins will spend the next few months basking in the glow. On Saturday he was the guest of honor at a barbecue hosted by his parents. More than 100 guests came, including Rollins' childhood hero, Rickey Henderson.
Rollins was surprised to see him.
"I was talking to somebody, and I saw a SL-500 [Mercedes] Benz drive by and couldn't see inside," he said. "Then I realized it was him. He was cool, taking pictures with everybody, said hello, met the family. I became [secondary] after that. He's the original. It was like, 'Jimmy, you're good, but that's Rickey Henderson.' It was a lot of fun. It was great to be hanging out with my favorite player and a former MVP."
Though Rollins had met Henderson a few times over the years, he said that was the first time he really sat and talked with him for an extended period.
On Monday, Rollins began his MVP recognition tour at City Hall, where he was lauded by Mayor John F. Street for his activities on and off the field, for being "concerned about young people and the future of the game."
Rollins received a "Liberty Bell," given to visiting dignitaries, and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady gave him a pair of congressional cufflinks. Rollins then stopped by Philadelphia's Olney West High School, where he was thanked for donating 32 computers to what the students have called the "J-Roll MVP Computer Lab." Students also sang "Happy Birthday" to Rollins, who turns 29 on Tuesday.
Rollins, who also appeared on Monday Night Live on Comcast SportsNet, is scheduled to attend the 76ers game on Wednesday, model the Phillies' new home jerseys on Thursday and take in the Eagles game on Sunday.
He also narrated the team's annual Video Yearbook.
Before being named MVP, Rollins spent time in Hawaii, played in a Las Vegas poker tournament and ran into Michael Jordan on a golf course. He plans to stay in New Jersey for most of the offseason but will make plenty of appearances this winter, including those on the January banquet circuit.
Travel and endorsements aside, one thing is certain: Rollins will remain grounded. His family will see to it. He told an amusing anecdote of his father's reaction to the phone call he made after being named MVP.
"I called my mom and it went straight to voice-mail," Rollins said. "So I called my dad and he said, 'What's up, Jim-Bob?' I said I won, and he was like, 'Good job, all right, 'bye.' I was on the phone for, like, seven seconds. I expected him to ask questions, but he had to go. I call him on the biggest day of my career, and he had to go."
Of course, there's more to the story. James Rollins, a shipping and receiving clerk at Clorox Co., said that he was so overcome with emotion that he didn't know what to say -- so he hung up. He also wanted to celebrate with his wife, Gigi, who works in the same building.
"I found out at 11:05," Gigi Rollins said. "My husband came to my office. I hadn't heard yet, so I thought my baby must not have won. I was waiting by the phone, and then [James] came in the office and said, 'Did you hear? Jimmy's MVP.' I jumped up and screamed, 'My baby's MVP!' "
Gigi Rollins, the fast-pitch softball player who taught her son how to play baseball as a kid, finally conceded one thing.
"She finally admits that I'm the best baseball player in the family," Rollins said with a laugh.
"That is not true," Gigi said. "OK, I guess it is. I said, 'I finally have to give you your props. I guess you're pretty good.' He deserves this. This is something he's worked for his whole life. We were just hoping that he'd become a Major League baseball player. This is just a bonus."
Cousin Jimmy.
At a Thanksgiving feast near the Alameda, Calif., home of Rollins' parents, his rambunctious cousins didn't care that their older family member had just been crowned with the league's most prestigious individual award -- not when it was playtime.
"When I'm at home, it's just me," Rollins said during his first local appearance since being named the NL MVP. "Your little cousins still come up and hit you on the back, then run and hide like they're invisible. But you can see them the whole time. That's how I want it to be. They just want to have fun."
Rollins has had plenty of fun this year, beginning with his January boast, when he called the Phillies the "team to beat." He then played a huge part in leading the Phillies to the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
His performance earned him the Silver Slugger, Gold Glove and, of course, the MVP.
Rollins will spend the next few months basking in the glow. On Saturday he was the guest of honor at a barbecue hosted by his parents. More than 100 guests came, including Rollins' childhood hero, Rickey Henderson.
Rollins was surprised to see him.
"I was talking to somebody, and I saw a SL-500 [Mercedes] Benz drive by and couldn't see inside," he said. "Then I realized it was him. He was cool, taking pictures with everybody, said hello, met the family. I became [secondary] after that. He's the original. It was like, 'Jimmy, you're good, but that's Rickey Henderson.' It was a lot of fun. It was great to be hanging out with my favorite player and a former MVP."
Though Rollins had met Henderson a few times over the years, he said that was the first time he really sat and talked with him for an extended period.
On Monday, Rollins began his MVP recognition tour at City Hall, where he was lauded by Mayor John F. Street for his activities on and off the field, for being "concerned about young people and the future of the game."
Rollins received a "Liberty Bell," given to visiting dignitaries, and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady gave him a pair of congressional cufflinks. Rollins then stopped by Philadelphia's Olney West High School, where he was thanked for donating 32 computers to what the students have called the "J-Roll MVP Computer Lab." Students also sang "Happy Birthday" to Rollins, who turns 29 on Tuesday.
Rollins, who also appeared on Monday Night Live on Comcast SportsNet, is scheduled to attend the 76ers game on Wednesday, model the Phillies' new home jerseys on Thursday and take in the Eagles game on Sunday.
He also narrated the team's annual Video Yearbook.
Before being named MVP, Rollins spent time in Hawaii, played in a Las Vegas poker tournament and ran into Michael Jordan on a golf course. He plans to stay in New Jersey for most of the offseason but will make plenty of appearances this winter, including those on the January banquet circuit.
Travel and endorsements aside, one thing is certain: Rollins will remain grounded. His family will see to it. He told an amusing anecdote of his father's reaction to the phone call he made after being named MVP.
"I called my mom and it went straight to voice-mail," Rollins said. "So I called my dad and he said, 'What's up, Jim-Bob?' I said I won, and he was like, 'Good job, all right, 'bye.' I was on the phone for, like, seven seconds. I expected him to ask questions, but he had to go. I call him on the biggest day of my career, and he had to go."
Of course, there's more to the story. James Rollins, a shipping and receiving clerk at Clorox Co., said that he was so overcome with emotion that he didn't know what to say -- so he hung up. He also wanted to celebrate with his wife, Gigi, who works in the same building.
"I found out at 11:05," Gigi Rollins said. "My husband came to my office. I hadn't heard yet, so I thought my baby must not have won. I was waiting by the phone, and then [James] came in the office and said, 'Did you hear? Jimmy's MVP.' I jumped up and screamed, 'My baby's MVP!' "
Gigi Rollins, the fast-pitch softball player who taught her son how to play baseball as a kid, finally conceded one thing.
"She finally admits that I'm the best baseball player in the family," Rollins said with a laugh.
"That is not true," Gigi said. "OK, I guess it is. I said, 'I finally have to give you your props. I guess you're pretty good.' He deserves this. This is something he's worked for his whole life. We were just hoping that he'd become a Major League baseball player. This is just a bonus."
