By Dave Bernstein
CSNBayArea.com
During this trip back home, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins is getting a full taste of The City. He gets a chance to have a BBQ with his family. He even had the opportunity to visit the Twitter headquarters in downtown San Francisco. This trip back to the Bay is his first since a playoff showdown against the Giants ended in defeat.
Rollins exudes the East Bay. The Encinal High School product was a huge As fan growing up. He idolized Rickey Henderson and even appeared in MC Hammer music videos.
So you would think that losing to the cross-town Giants in last years NCLS would leave a lasting sting. No, not at all, Rollins said on Friday. It was good for the Bay Area. Ive been on that side and I noticed that it has been such a long time since they won a championship.
Of course it wasnt as easy to swallow for everyone in the Rollins family. Maybe for my mom and dad. You know, because they have to go to work. They work with Giants fans and they finally got a chance to, I guess, rip them.
Growing up during the 80s, it was all As for Rollins. It was easy to follow the iconic Henderson and his base-stealing ways. When the As won the World Series in 1989, Rollins was 10 years old and he watched Rickey run and the Bash Brothers bash and thats all he watched.
During his sophomore year of high school, Rollins finally checked out what the other side of the Bay had to offer. He saw a game at Candlestick Park and enjoyed a new brand of ball.
MLB
I was like Wow, these guys are really good too! he recalled. In the American League, it was all about hitting home runs. We had the Bash Brothers at the time. The Giants had sluggers like Matt Williams and Barry Bonds. I was like -- you know what -- that Giants arent that bad.
Barry Bonds was the impetus for the added attention paid to the Giants. He says he watched San Francisco games a few years after Bonds arrived in town. Rollins enjoyed his game. In 2002, he says he was pulling strongly for the Giants, mostly so Bonds could get a World Series ring.
Over the years, Rollins always enjoys coming back to the Bay Area. He always has crowds in the stands. He can always hear his mom cheering for him. But not everyone is rooting for the Phillies.
Count his niece as squarely on the fence. She is an Uncle Jimmy fan. But, when she would get in the car, she would starting chanting Lets go Giants, Rollins said laughing. And I was like What are you saying. Then you look at her and she is like Oh, Lets go Phillies.
A little confusion is okay. But Rollins is not confused on his stance on any lingering feelings about losing to the Giants last year.
It doesnt make it worse because I am from the area, the longest-tenured Phillie said. No one likes to lose. It doesnt matter who we lost to.
If history repeats itself in this years playoffs, Rollins might start having different feelings towards the Giants.
Dave Bernstein is the senior coordinating producer for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. You can follow him on Twitter @bernzo78
For more on the Giants visit www.csnbayarea.com