Oct. 1, 2001

One of the few ways a reporter can draw a positive word from Larry Bowa after a Phillies loss is to ask about Jimmy Rollins. But even that can start a losing argument.

The problem is that for all of Rollins' importance in the Phillies' playoff hopes, he has no chance of winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

"You have to be realistic," Bowa said. "The numbers that [Albert] Pujols has put up are eye-shattering. What Jimmy has done is eye-shattering, too. But most of the time, the player who puts up the best power numbers will win."

Pujols' numbers have rendered the award debate silent since May, unless that debate extends to whether Pujols can rival Ichiro by attempting to win MVP as well. Rollins likely won't be a respectable rookie runner-up, either. Roy Oswalt has second place all but sealed for his mastery to shore up Houston's pitching staff.

So what does this 22-year-old speedster have to do for respect? Lead the National League in stolen bases, lead the Phillies into the postseason and bat leadoff well enough to set up the struggling hitters in the middle of the order.

While Scott Rolen earned the credit for slugging Philly back into the NL East race two weeks ago against Atlanta, Rollins has enjoyed nearly as strong a second half. His .274 average for September made him the team's only everyday player besides Rolen to bat better than .255 for the month. Not that .274 makes a fantastic average, but it stands out in a division loaded with teams struggling on offense.

When the Phillies blew a 5-1 lead Friday at Florida, Rollins proved to be one of the few bright spots. His two walks led to a pair of runs. He made a spectacular grab and throw to nearly nab Dave Berg at first on the infield single that started the Marlins' game-tying, ninth-inning rally. The previous week, he scored five times in the club's three wins over the Braves coming out of the postponements.

"He's got an awareness of big games for a young kid," Bowa said. "He thrives on big games, it seems."

His work batting second in the order was good enough to make him the Phillies' lone All-Star in Seattle. Now that he's batting atop the order, his numbers are earning even more recognition.

"He's going to be solid," center fielder Doug Glanville said. "He's going to be a good player for a long time. He already provides a lot. He gets a little overlooked. Pujols is the main thing."

That means plenty coming from Glanville, whose leadoff spot turned out to be Rollins' best steal when Bowa shuffled the lineup at the end of July. At that point, Rollins' on-base percentage stood barely above .300, bad enough for a No. 8 hitter. His on-base percentage from the top spot through Saturday was .354.

The difference isn't in his batting average. Since going 5-for-9 in a May 23 doubleheader against Pittsburgh, his average hasn't dipped below .266 nor risen above .282.

Instead, he's developing a batting eye. He has walked as many times in the past two months as he did over the first four.

"I think he's going to walk a lot more next year," Bowa said. "He has done a great job. The one area he needs to address, and he has told it to me, is that as a switch-hitter he strikes out too much (105 times entering Sunday). That's just experience."

The other areas he has covered. He's the only National League player to have double digits in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases. He'll become the first player to lead the Senior Circuit in steals and triples since Lou Brock in 1968. His stolen-base work became well-known in the first half when he ran off 35 consecutive steals without being caught from May 9 until Aug. 25. His 95 runs scored rank behind only San Francisco's Rich Aurilia among NL shortstops.

"He's definitely getting better with experience," said second baseman Marlon Anderson, who jumped from batting eighth into Rollins' old No. 2 spot. He's batting .326 there.

Glanville, meanwhile, has taken his newfound 14-homer power down in the order to the sixth and seventh spots. Batting sixth, he had a pair of two-out RBI singles Saturday in a Phillies win.

What Rollins doesn't have are Pujols' lofty home run and RBI numbers, nor can he match Oswalt's record.

In a lineup where Bowa's tinkering might become a full-blown overhaul next season, especially if Scott Rolen is traded, Rollins could soon become a beacon of stability.

"I think now he would be a great No. 2 hitter," Bowa said. "But he's doing a great job at leadoff."

Here's how the major awards would be doled out if the season ended today: