Jimmy Being Jimmy.

3-0 is a nice way to start the season. According to a few beat writers, it's the first time they've gone 3-0 to start the season at home since 1899. Lee's 11 K's, Oswalt's 10-0 record at CBP, Howard's 6 RBI... there's a lot to be happy about. So much, in fact, that I'm saving my "Pros" list for tomorrow. For now, I'll focus on the one glaring concern I'm seeing through three games: Jimmy Rollins.

Wait, what? He's batting .500 and even drawing walks! He made an incredible defensive play up the middle this afternoon and he's looking like a real threat in the 3 hole. What could I possibly have to complain about? Hustle.

Two instances in three games is why I'm feeling a little sour. The first, 8th inning of Saturday's game. With Polanco on first base, Jimmy hits a scorcher right back at Astros pitcher Jeff Fulchino. The ball bounces off his chest, and to the ground. Fulchino picks up the ball and fires down to first base in plenty of time to get Jimmy, but the runner advances to second. Instead of running through the bag as a professional would do, Jimmy peals off and heads back to the dugout about 12 feet before the bag. Now, I've obviously never played professional ball. But I remember day one of t-ball being told to run through the bag. I need to see Jimmy running his tail off when that ball careens off the pitchers chest and to the ground. He needs to bust it up the line to make sure that there's a play at first base. If Fulchino sees Jimmy moving at full speed up the line, maybe he rushes the throw and Polanco can advance to 3rd. But to see him jogging up the line and pealing off 12 ft before the bag is disheartening...

Instance #2: Today's game, 3rd inning. Ryan Howard crushes a double off the very top of the wall. The ball bounces a little farther away from Hunter Pence than he expected and Ryan cruises into 2nd base without a play. Polanco scores from second base at a jogging pace. Jimmy on the other hand, only advances from first to third. Not because that's as far as the play would allow, but because he began his homerun trot as soon as the ball was hit. If the fastest player on the team, one who hopes to steal 50 bases this season, can't score from first base on a ball that bounces away from the right fielder, who can? On the following play, Raul Ibanez grounds a ball into the hole at first base which turns into a bang bang play at the bag. Still, Jimmy doesn't score.I don't have any explanation for this one...

My point is, Jimmy has a history of questionable effort. He's even been benched for it. If you can't give max effort for at least the first three games of the season, how can you handle 162? It's a contract year for Jimmy and everything he does will dictate his next pay day. It's a small sample, but I expect more out of a team leader.