Jimmy Rollins

MIAMI - When morale was at its lowest, approximately 46 hours before Delmon Young smashed yet another home run, Charlie Manuel attempted to justify his faith in this Phillies lineup. It was Monday, the atrocious Miami Marlins had just confounded his offense, and Manuel clutched at words. "The history of Delmon Young," the manager said, "is he's a better hitter than what he's showing right now. " The Phillies departed Florida on Wednesday night with a series victory, and Young was a principal player.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Ryan Howard got married in 2012. As for the rest of the year, there wasn't much worth remembering. After undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles' on Oct. 12, 2011, Howard didn't get into a major league game until the year was half over, on July 6, when the Phillies were in last place and 13 games out of first. He played in 71 games in 2012; in his six previous major league seasons as an everyday player, Howard never played in fewer than 143 games.

MIAMI - Cole Hamels grabbed his things and began to walk out of the clubhouse at a brisk pace. Then he turned around, went back to his locker to retrieve something, but again left the room without taking part in the standard practice of talking to the media after a start. It was difficult to blame Hamels. There really wasn't a whole lot he could say after showcasing what his pitching coach called "electric" stuff, yet not having a whole lot to show for it in the latest Phillies loss with him on the mound.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - He went from the buzzing crowds in Miami to some 100 people watching a minor-league game under grey skies, and Jimmy Rollins still could not understand why players scoff at the World Baseball Classic. Rollins will be 38 years old in 2017 when the next incarnation of the tournament happens. He is inviting himself. "If I'm still good enough at the time, and I can be brought back in any capacity . . . I'm leaving spring training. I'll tell you that right now," Rollins said.

Jimmy Rollins needs to clear some space for another award. The Phillies shortstop learned Tuesday that he would receive the fourth Rawlings Gold Glove award of his career and his first since the 2009 season. Rollins, who turns 34 Nov. 27, also won the award in 2007 and 2008. His four Gold Gloves rank him third in Phillies history behind third baseman Mike Schmidt (10) and center fielder Garry Maddox (8). Rollins used the occasion to pay tribute to his former manager Larry Bowa and the late John Vukovich.

After batting fifth in back-to-back games, Jimmy Rollins returned to his customary role as leadoff hitter yesterday in the Phillies' 5-3, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. If the Phillies shortstop was pleased about it, he didn't say so. In fact, he said nothing because he brushed off reporters for the second time this week. Anyway, the day couldn't have started much better for Rollins, who ripped Chad Billingsley's first pitch for a double, went to third on Shane Victorino's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Ryan Howard's sacrifice fly. In that at-bat, Rollins was the leadoff hitter that manager Charlie Manuel has come to expect.

Jimmy Rollins proved yesterday he was the man to beat on the team to beat. The Phillies' shortstop was voted Most Valuable Player in the National League, deservedly beating out Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies in one of the closest ballots in the sport's history. Rollins' narrow victory was fitting for a player whose team won its division on the final day of the season. An athlete who is only 5-foot-8, Rollins stood up to pressure all year long. Before spring training began, he predicted that the Phillies were "the team to beat" in the National League East.

The Phillies continued their week of madcap comeback wins, possibly fueling the belief that hope remains in a season that hasn't provided an abundance of memorable moments. On a day that the Phillies signed lefty Cole Hamels to a six-year, $144 million extension, they also continued their late-game heroics with Wednesday's 7-6 win 10 innings over the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. It was the Phillies' first three-game series sweep of the season. The three wins over the Brewers were by identical scores, and each came in its own dramatic way. Trailing, 6-5, in the 10th, the Phillies tied the game on Carlos Ruiz's sacrifice fly and finished matters with Jimmy Rollins' second walk-off hit in the last four games, all wins.

HARD TO believe, but Jimmy Rollins arrived at the ballpark yesterday uncertain whether it would be his last home game at Citizens Bank Park. Despite a blowout win in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, three straight losses would end the Phillies' season in St. Louis, and the Cardinals got things started with a 5-4 victory last night in Game 2. Fortunes change quickly in a best-of-five series for a player in a contract year. Whenever this season ends, Rollins' focus will turn toward the size of the fortune he will require on the free-agent market.

Folk singer Joni Mitchell once famously summed up the difference between a painter and a performing artist. "Nobody ever said to Van Gogh, 'Paint a Starry Night again, man,'" she observed. What, then, are we to make of the challenge that has been set before Jimmy Rollins as another spring training rolls around? The Phillies' shortstop illustrated a baseball masterpiece in 2007. Statistics can be a trained pet that will perform whatever tricks are asked on command, but his numbers were still astonishing in many ways.

MIAMI - When morale was at its lowest, approximately 46 hours before Delmon Young smashed yet another home run, Charlie Manuel attempted to justify his faith in this Phillies lineup. It was Monday, the atrocious Miami Marlins had just confounded his offense, and Manuel clutched at words. "The history of Delmon Young," the manager said, "is he's a better hitter than what he's showing right now. " The Phillies departed Florida on Wednesday night with a series victory, and Young was a principal player.

Before Chase Utley took a swing during batting practice in Miami and pain shot through his rib cage, Charlie Manuel advised Freddy Galvis to rehearse patience. "He's going to be an everyday guy in the big leagues," Manuel said. "It's just a matter of time. " The Phillies manager said that one day before Utley was hurt. He did not want Galvis ascending to the lineup in this fashion. Utley was placed on the 15-day disabled list with what the team called "a very mild oblique injury.

MIAMI - Among the items littered on the desk in the visiting manager's office at Marlins Park: three packages of Tylenol and a can of Sierra Mist. The cold beverage was open, a refreshing treat for a pleasant night at the ballpark. The pain medication, however, was unopened. Apparently it wasn't a necessity for Charlie Manuel following a rarity of a game for his team in 2013: a stress-free victory. The manager and a legion of heartburn-heavy Phillies' fans got a rare treat last night, when Ryan Howard returned to the lineup and led his team to a 7-3 win over Miami.

MIAMI - When Charlie Manuel entered the dugout at Marlins Park a few hours before a 7-3 Phillies win Tuesday, the 69-year-old manager was unnoticed. He yelled in a high-pitched voice to call attention. "Ta-da!" After 7:11 p.m., when the first pitch was thrown, it was as if Manuel snapped his fingers and everything went right for the Phillies. They scored seven runs, their most in a game in 19 days. Their 15 hits tied a season high. They pitched with efficiency, led by Tyler Cloyd.

MIAMI - Cole Hamels grabbed his things and began to walk out of the clubhouse at a brisk pace. Then he turned around, went back to his locker to retrieve something, but again left the room without taking part in the standard practice of talking to the media after a start. It was difficult to blame Hamels. There really wasn't a whole lot he could say after showcasing what his pitching coach called "electric" stuff, yet not having a whole lot to show for it in the latest Phillies loss with him on the mound.

ROY HALLADAY yesterday had surgery to repair his $20 million shoulder, which, with the rest of him, was 36 years and 1 day old. The surgery likely will end his season and surely will alter his career. Mike Adams, the Phillies' featured addition to their pitching staff, has pitched through aches all season and is shelved for the time being with a back injury. Veteran middle man Chad Durbin, usually lousy early in seasons, has been lousy early this season. Huge reliever Phillippe Aumont, a 24-year-old who had pitched in 31 major league games since he was called up in late August, has pitched like a giant 24-year-old with about a half-season of experience.

MAY IS A month in which any amount of optimism can be excused, and if you spend enough time scanning the airwaves and sports pages in this town you will find a number of sources attempting to talk themselves into believing in this Phillies team. Some of that might be the result of a coping mechanism - the thought of 4 months of meaningless baseball is a weighty thought to process - but even the most ardent of cynics cannot deny the multitude of variables that could blossom into positives between now and October.

PHOENIX - Of the 32,785 people who filed into Chase Field on Mother's Day, there was one whose voice carried the loudest, with the convertible ballpark's roof closed. He was seated somewhere along the first-base line and he continually heckled Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard yesterday afternoon. "Swing . . . miss!" "Big spot, game on the line, no pressure!" "Eat fresh!" If nothing else, the man was creative in co-opting Howard's favorite sandwich brand's catchphrase into his material.

PHOENIX - Ryan Howard stepped to the plate in the 10th inning Sunday with the burden of 18 consecutive hitless at-bats. "Stop thinking," Howard told himself. "Don't try to think. " A man seated behind the Phillies dugout had heckled Howard all game. Now, he yelled again and everyone at Chase Field could hear. "Big spot!" the fan screamed. "Game on the line! No pressure!" A thrilling 4-2 Phillies victory emerged from Howard's bat. He snapped a fastball thrown by Matt Reynolds, an Arizona lefthander who had not allowed a run all season, for a two-run single.

PHOENIX — Every Phillies hitter had to pass Charlie Manuel before stepping into the on-deck circle Saturday. The manager positioned himself at the top of the dugout steps for the entirety of a 3-1 victory over Arizona. He talked strategy with Michael Young. He patted Ryan Howard on the back. He shook his head, slammed his fists together, and watched more offensive futility. "I was thinking there during the game," Manuel said. "We have 125 games left. We're going to hit. " On this night, three runs patched together by walks, singles, stolen bases, wild pitches, and sacrifices were enough despite 11 stranded runners.