Former MLBer Jimmy Rollins will kick off his second year as a studio analyst for MLB on TBS beginning with tonight's Wild Card game between the Rockies and D-backs. Rollins will be joined in the studio by host Casey Stern and analysts Pedro Martinez and Gary Sheffield for coverage of the NL throughout the MLB Postseason. Rollins took time to chat with THE DAILY about his prep work, the jump in home runs this year and his involvement with esports.
Q: What are the differences for you in Year 2 as a studio analyst?
Rollins: It’s like your rookie year and then coming back the next year with a better idea. I now know what the show is all about, what the producers want and the feel and flow of everything. Last year I was jumping into a group that had already been together, so I was the new guy, which was fine. Now I have a better feel on things. It took me a few times being on stage with them to get in the flow. Personally, we’re all great. I know Sheff personally and I know Pedro from playing against him. I like both of them, and it helps ease me because I know them. Also just knowing how the flow of the show is and what we can and can’t do -- and really, there’s nothing we can’t do.
Q: What kind of preparations are you doing for the postseason?
Rollins: Watching games. As long as you’re thinking about baseball and paying attention to what’s going on, the knowledge is there. When a situation happens, you need to think before you speak, but I still have the knowledge of the game and as long as I’m paying attention, I’ll have something worthwhile to say.
Q: What is the overall dynamic between you and the other guys in the studio?
Rollins: It’s great. It’s a lot of fun. There are a lot of things that go on off camera -- fun being boys. It’s like being in the clubhouse, and that’s what I love about the atmosphere. We’re sitting in there pregame and postgame like we just came off the field. We share our thoughts and are not shy to disagree. If we don’t agree, just like you would in the clubhouse, you’ll have something to say. Say it and state your case and let the viewers decide which side they want to take. It isn’t a competition, but everybody has a different view. Pedro is going to have a completely different view than Sheff or me. As an infielder, I am going to have a completely different view on how the ball is cutoff or the play is made and Sheff is going to have a different one. And when it comes to pitching, I just shut up and listen.
Q: What are your thoughts on the jump in the number of home runs? Is it good or bad for baseball?
Rollins: It’s definitely not bad for baseball. You have a different strategies, but a home run is the ultimate thing. When players get paid, they don’t get paid because they hit a whole bunch of singles. If you can drive the ball out of the yard, the GM and the owners, their eyes open up. They think this is a guy we can have around for a while because he’s a run producer. So that mentality has changed. It’s no longer about playing small ball. It’s playing a game right and being a good hitter, but also learning how to hit for pop and drive the ball out of the yard. I know there’s this philosophy with the upswing and that can be argued a whole bunch of ways. ... But I don’t think an increase in home runs hurts the game at all. Runs are at an all-time high. Fans don’t want to see 1-0 ballgames.
Q: What drew you in to becoming an investor in NRG Esports?
Rollins: About a year or two prior to investing, I actually saw it on TV and I’m looking at it like, “What in the world is this? I don’t even know what the heck I’m watching." It was intriguing to see the people and the crowd really hyped about this sport that not many people -- unless you’re in the gaming world -- would understand. I never forgot the moment where I was like, “Why is this on TV? There has to be something that I’m missing. I may not get it but it's a new sport, maybe they’re just trying to fill the TV with content." Maybe that’s exactly what it was at that moment, but I do know there are gamers and they’re serious. They may not have had a platform a few years ago, but just as we work hard on our craft they’re doing the same exact thing even more so. To see it grow from, “What is this?” to actually, “Wow, this is something serious” -- from a business perspective, it just made perfect sense to be part of it. ... To be a part of something like this that can be the next big thing, I love that. From playing games in their basement to playing in multimillion dollar stadiums on big screens, these people have a chance to live their dreams.
