Rollins on NL East: 'It still runs through Philly'

You can always count on Jimmy Rollins to provide headline material.

Rollins, who hosted a charity event Monday night to raise awareness for child abuse, made some bold statements in regards to the NL East.

"It still runs through Philly," Rollins said. "[Washington] had one year to win it. It was just like when the Mets took it from Atlanta, it was still up for grabs. I'm sure Atlanta felt it was still theirs, but fortunately we were able to come in and take it the next five years."

Following the 2012 season when the Washington Nationals clinched the NL East to snap the Phillies' five-year run, Rollins stated that if the Phillies had been healthy, Washington would have finished second (see story).

On Monday night, he reiterated that statement.

"We were undermanned," Rollins said. "It was written -- you'd write the lineup every single day and we're undermanned against a lot of teams.

"As soon we got healthy, you start to see us turn back around and catch our rhythm."

When Chase Utley and Ryan Howard returned for a full second-half, the Phillies went 44-31. As CSNPhilly.com's Corey Seidman wrote earlier this month, if you project that winning percentage over a full season, the Phillies finish 95-67 (see story).

Rollins acknowledged that Washington had a great team and a great season, but believes the NL East belongs to the Phillies -- if healthy.

"Everyone's a little angry," Rollins said, "which is good to get a chip on your shoulder and just go back out there and prove that this is still our division, but not only that, but that we're still World Champions."

The Jimmy Rollins Family Foundation and the Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania organization hosted “A Night in Paris” Monday night at the National Constitution Center.