PHILADELPHIA -- There is no Phillies 2008 World Series championship without Jimmy Rollins and Ed Wade.
Rollins sparked the Phillies’ offense for 15 seasons as a switch-hitter with speed and power. He played Gold Glove Award-winning defense at shortstop. He backed up big words with big-time play in big-time moments. He was charismatic. He was fun.
He won.
Wade was the Phillies’ general manager from 1998-2005. He drafted and developed the talent that became the core for that '08 championship team. He could have succumbed to outside pressures along the way and traded prospects like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard. He did not.
Because of that, the Phillies won one World Series, two NL pennants and five NL East titles from 2007-11.
Both Rollins and Wade were inducted into the Phillies’ Wall of Fame on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.
“[Wade] was the architect,” Rollins said. “I’ve told him that a number of times. I’ve told him thank you a number of times. Because it’s true.”
Wade said he never imagined being placed on the team’s Wall of Fame. There was no doubt Rollins would make it. He had a Hall of Fame-caliber career. He is one of five shortstops in AL/NL history with at least 2,000 hits and 200 home runs, joining Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter and Robin Yount, as well as six-time All-Star Miguel Tejada. Rollins had 2,455 career hits, including a franchise-record 2,305 with the Phillies.
He won the NL MVP Award in 2007. He won four Gold Glove Awards and one Silver Slugger. Rollins made three NL All-Star teams and earned MVP votes in five seasons. He helped the Phillies win one World Series, two NL pennants and five consecutive NL East titles.
Rollins compares well to other Hall of Fame shortstops. His career bWAR is 24th all-time among shortstops, better than four current Hall of Famers, including Phil Rizzuto.
Rollins’ name appeared on 18 percent of ballots cast for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this year, up from 14.8 percent in 2024, 12.9 percent in 2023 and 9.4 percent in 2022. He needs 75 percent to make it.
He has six years remaining on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot.