Internal Dissent

[Guest AG/DC]

Green throws J-Roll under bus

By RANDY MILLER

phillyBurbs.com

PHILADELPHIA � Jimmy Rollins might want to head the other way if he sees Dallas Green coming his way.

Big D isn�t happy with J-Roll�s recent behavior, and, as usual, the Phillies� outspoken senior advisor to the general manager still isn�t bashful about speaking his mind.

�Jimmy and I have a pretty good relationship,� Green said Sunday in the middle innings of the Phillies� 12-10 win over the Atlanta Braves. �I�ll tell him when I think he�s done right, and I�ll tell him when I think he�s done wrong.

�He�s done wrong. He�s done wrong for the team, he�s done wrong for himself and he�s done wrong for Charlie.�

Green, who will turn 73 next week and is in his 52nd season of pro baseball, strongly supports manager Charlie Manuel�s decision to pull Rollins from the game for not hustling on June 5, and he also agrees with Manuel�s benching of the 2007 National League MVP last Thursday for showing up at the ballpark late.

�I think we�re all disappointed in Jimmy�s reaction to what�s going on,� said Green, the manager of the Phillies� only championship team in 1980. �His body language is just brutal right now. The body language doesn�t say that �I�m busting my [rear] right now.� �

Hearing Rollins� post-game comments last Thursday bothered Green. Rollins said he was stuck in traffic and didn�t think he let the team down because replacement Eric Bruntlett had three hits in a loss to the Mets at Shea Stadium. Green doesn�t think Rollins realizes he�s been a problem, and adds most of his teammates surely aren�t happy with him. �Jimmy doesn�t sense, I don�t think, that the guys are starting to get upset with him,� Green said. Rollins hasn�t had a great season on the field, either, although he did contribute two hits, including his first homer in 33 games in Sunday�s victory. Afterward, Rollins basically blew off the media for the third day in a row. A day after offering a �what a game; that�s my quote� statement, Rollins was asked for a second of his time after Sunday�s game and said, �Your second�s up� while leaving the clubhouse. According to one major league scout, a change in Rollins was noticed back in March.

�He didn�t run out a ball in spring training,� the scout said.

When the Phillies were vying for the pennant in 1980, Green had an off-the-field issue with Garry Maddox and didn�t start the eighttime Gold Glove center fielder six games in a row in the final week of the regular season.

�You gotta go with the rules you set,� Green said. �If the rule is disobeyed, you gotta follow through with it, and Charlie did.�

Years later, Green says he wouldn�t be so harsh on Rollins, although sitting him one game wouldn�t be his punishment for tardiness.

�I wouldn�t have played [Rollins] the next day,� Green said, �but it�s a different time. Charlie did the right thing. Charlie said that he talked to him, and they got it straightened out. I assume that�s what happened.�

Randy Miller can be reached at

randarino@aol.com.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Hopefully the team will collapse in utter disarray.

And I'm not opposed to taking advantage of another team's collapse. Especially not Jimmy Rollins' team.

[metirish]

Some strong talking there from Dallas Green . I wonder if Charlie Manuel likes to have his star player raked over like this in the media , not that I disapprove .

[Valadius]

I can just hear the media now: "But, but, but, intangibles... Jeter-ness... JOE NAMATH!"

[seawolf17]

Didn't Dallas Green have it out with another Phillie in the last year or so?

[Fman99]

I wonder if Dallas will start calling Jimmy Rollins "Jeromy."

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

seawolf17 wrote: Didn't Dallas Green have it out with another Phillie in the last year or so?

He called Scott Rolen a pussy, in so many words

[Guest AG/DC]

He's the one who marked Pete Rose's absence by running out to first and placing a rose on first base.

Get over yourself, ya big butch.