Major League Baseball

Rollins picks Phils in 5 games, Yankees scoff

Published Oct. 28, 2009 1:56 a.m. ET

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Jimmy Rollins has done pretty well making predictions. His latest is sure to rile up New York Yankees fans. "Of course we're going to win," he said on "The Jay Leno Show" on Monday night, two days before Game 1 of the World Series. "If we're nice we'll let it go six (games), but I'm thinking five. Close it out at home." The Yankees were not moved by Rollins' boast, dismissing the Philadelphia shortstop's comment Tuesday. "He's been Nostradamus, that's what I heard," Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said. "He's been (making) a lot of good predictions, so we've got to take that away from him." Earlier this season, Rollins forecast the Yankees and Phillies would meet in the Fall Classic this year. "He predicted we'd play them in the World Series about seven years ago, too," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "You make enough predictions, I guess you'd be right most of the time, right?" Most of the time. Try all of the time, so far. Rollins got into the soothsaying business before the 2007 season when he exclaimed the Phillies, not the Mets, were the team to beat in the NL East. He backed it up with an MVP season as Philadelphia surged into first as New York collapsed. And last year, Rollins said the Phillies would win 100 games. They got 92 of them in the regular season and 11 more in the playoffs en route to the World Series title. Rollins' teammates are used to his swagger, and are not bothered by the bulletin board fodder. "That's just Jimmy," Phillies slugger Ryan Howard said. "He loves that spotlight. He loves putting that type of - I guess I don't want to say pressure - but just putting that kind of attention on himself and on our team. Obviously, with those comments, you know here in Yankee Stadium, you know they're going to be all over him. And you know what? He wants that. He relishes that moment." Then why didn't he go further a call for a sweep? "I think it would be very tough to take four. You figure one game they're going to find a way to win," Rollins said during Tuesday's media session. "That's the way it is." Teammate Chase Utley has his own plans for Rollins if he's right again. "I think if this one sticks I think I'll take him to Vegas with me," Utley said.

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