Before he was an MVP shortstop, Jimmy Rollins played trumpet and danced in early-1990s music videos. This deep dive traces how a perfectly balanced athletic inheritance and a near-photographic memory for pitches turned an undersized California kid into the heartbeat of Philadelphia baseball.

After a power-chasing slump nearly derailed him, Rollins rebuilt his swing with veteran mentors and backed up one of the boldest guarantees in modern sports.

• Learned physical discipline from his wrestler father and infield strategy from his softball-playing mother.
• Publicly declared Philadelphia the team to beat before the 2007 season and delivered an MVP campaign.
• Joined the rare 20-doubles, 20-triples, 20-homers, 20-steals club and set a record with 778 plate appearances.
• Won four Gold Gloves and sparked Philadelphia ...