J-Roll Sticking With His Bold Prediction

NEW YORK -- Jimmy Rollins knew the questions were coming, and he didn't care. A day after announcing on the Jay Leno Show that the Phillies would win the World Series in five games, he did not budge from his opinion through waves of questions at Tuesday's pre-series workout day.

"If I say something, that's how I really feel," he said. "I just don't shoot from the hip and hope things go the right way. My objective is not to get a response."

Rollins reached the big leagues of trash-talking when he announced before the 2007 season that the Phillies, not the Mets, were the team to beat in the NL East, and he's at it again.

"If we pitch well, if we execute, if we play our game, we can beat anybody," he said Tuesday. "Everyone they've put in front of us so far, that's our plan. We didn't come this far not to win."

Rollins' boldness and his confidence are all part of what makes him such a popular player in the Phillies clubhouse. He may not be the same player he was in 2007, when he won the National League MVP, but a few declining numbers haven't detracted at all from his perceived value on the field or among his teammates.

"He's the guy who leads off, so he sets the tone for us," said No. 2 hitter Shane Victorino. "He's the guy in the clubhouse that has the most tenure here. You see him as a leader in that fashion. We go as he goes. To be able to lead a team that has so many superstars is a big thing."

Rollins hit .250 this year, his lowest average since he was 23 in 2002. He had a career-worst .296 on-base percentage. That's the bad news.

The good news is that he hit 21 homers, the second-most of his career, and he had 77 RBI, which is around his career average. He rallied from a terrible first half to have a passable season.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Rollins said. "Batting average-wise, it was .250, but the other numbers, as far as production, were solid."

Hitting coach Milt Thompson said he doesn't see a significant difference between this year's Rollins and the Rollins of old. The overall numbers are down, but he said Rollins has made up for that by coming through in big spots, evident by his 77 RBI. Rollins hit .270 with runners in scoring position, and .275 with two outs and runners in scoring position.

That's probably why the Phillies were so comfortable with Rollins at the plate and two outs in ninth against Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton in Game 4 of the NLCS. Rollins, of course, had a two-run double that won the game. He's hitting only .244 this postseason, and he's got only three RBIs, but he has made them count.

"He's a guy who loves the spotlight and loves to come up with big hits," Thompson said. "He likes to be up there at the end of the game with the game on the line."