Week 12: Jimmy Rollins and Steve Jeltz

The past week was almost a positive one for the Phillies.  Things started off well enough when they won the first two games against the Rockies.  But then they lost the series finale in a familiar fashion: A decent outing by the starter, but the offense struggles to score, and the opponent adds some late runs against the bullpen to put the game away.

After Jim Thome's walkoff homer secured a win against the Rays on Saturday, they failed to capitalize on the momentum, and suffered a very disappointing sweep on Sunday's doubleheader.  Setup man Antonio Bastardo blew the game in the opener, and Cliff Lee gave another subpar performance in the second game.

So despite the potential for a big week, the Phillies had to settle for a 3-3 record.  Considering their position in the standings, they're going to have to do much better than that if they want to contend.

On the positive side, one of their stalwarts does appear to be heating up after a season-long slump.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Jimmy Rollins

When Rollins re-signed with the Phillies in the offseason, most people praised the deal.  The Phillies were able to retain one of their franchise's all-time greats for a reasonable price.

While Rollins wasn't the same offensive player he had once been, he was still an excellent defender at shortstop, and still more than capable of doing some damage with the bat.

Heading into the 2012 season, the team hoped that with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard injured, Rollins would be able to help compensate for their absence.  He started off hitting third in the lineup, but after beginning the season in a deep slump, he was moved to his more familiar leadoff spot.

He didn't fare much better at leadoff, and the usual complaints that people have voiced about his offense over the years - mostly his lack of plate discipline - resurfaced.  Rollins was pointed to as a major reason why the Phillies were doing even worse than expected in the absence of Howard and Utley.

Recently, Rollins has shown signs of improvement.  In the past week, he hit .391 and hit home runs in three straight games.

There's no question that when Rollins is hot, the Phillies offense looks a lot better.  If his recent hot hitting is indicative of how the remainder of the season will go, then the Phillies might have a very dangerous offense soon.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Steve Jeltz

The Phillies once believed that Steve Jeltz would hit well enough to be a regular starter at shortstop.  They were wrong.

To his credit, Jeltz was a strong defender.  And in the 1980s, shortstop was generally thought of as a position where teams emphasized defense.  If they received any offense out of the position, it was considered to be a bonus.

But even according to those lower standards, Jeltz was a poor hitter.  He didn't hit for average, and he didn't have much (any?) power.  He was a switch hitter, but that just meant that he hit poorly from both sides of the plate.

He bottomed out with a .182 average in 1988, prompting the team to replace him as the starter with Dickie Thon.

Oddly enough, the move to a backup position somehow inspired a modest offensive surge from Jeltz.  Despite having one career home run entering the 1989 season, in one memorable contest against the Pirates, Jeltz somehow homered from both sides of the plate.

The power surge was not enough to convince the Phillies to keep him for another season.  Somewhat miraculously, they actually got a decent prospect from the Kansas City Royals in exchange.

Jeltz did have one positive going for him: He rocked one of the best jheri curls ever seen in the game of baseball.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

The Rays weren't satisifed winning just one game on Sunday.  They topped off their emotional victory in the early game by taking it right back to the Phillies in the late game.

And so this week's song comes from 1980.  It is Do That to Me One More Time by Captain and Tannille:

Phillies Related Tweet of the Week

From Phils-ville (@Phillsvilleblog):

Juan Pierre has a home run before Cliff Lee has a win. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 Phillies!

Final Analysis

The Phillies have come to expect more offense from Rollins than what they've received this season.  They are not in a position where they can have a good fielder who can't contribute much with the bat.

If they are to make any sort of move, they have to hope that the past week was representative of what they can expect for the rest of the season.  Otherwise, the team will likely continue to have some trouble scoring runs.