You can’t tell it from all the sunny television footage of guys playing long toss, but spring training starts early. To do interviews, you’d better be there around eight in the morning, with workouts starting at 10.

That’s why I now find myself at Phillies camp in Clearwater, Fla. pounding McDonald's coffee and trying to stay upright.

Everyone else is engaging in a similar slugfest with the Sandman when Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins bounds out of the clubhouse. I don’t know what time zone Jimmy’s from, but apparently it’s already midday there.

"What’s going on, y’all?" he yells over his shoulder at us, flashing a huge grin. He gestures to the Kit Kat he’s unwrapping. "Kit-Kat ... gets your mind right." Sounds like a commercial, but maybe Jimmy’s onto something. Tomorrow morning, I’m trying a Kit Kat instead of java.

But this is no cocoa bean-induced high that Rollins is on. It’s simply Cloud Nine. See, last year Rollins came to camp as a minor leaguer just hoping for a spot on the Phils. Now, after finishing third in last year’s NL Rookie of the Year voting (he batted .274 with an NL-high 12 triples and 46 stolen bases), Rollins has a job. So he's also having fun. And at a camp smothered by Scott Rolen’s contract debacle, the 5'8" Rollins is just trying to lighten things up.

Rollins hits his goofy stride while doing an interview for a Venezuelan TV station. Before the cameras are even rolling, someone questions Rollins’ bilingualism. "Man, I got international flavor," he says, serving up what can only be described as an Oakland salsa dance (with the always popular slap-your-dance-partner’s-ass arm motion thrown in for good measure). Later, Jimmy answers "Si" to one of the reporter's questions before duplicating the dance again on camera.

Now workouts are done, but Rollins shows no sign of slowing down. (Although it is only the second day … Jose Mesa still has energy at this point.) By the time I finally catch up with Rollins, there are only a handful of Phillies that haven’t disappeared into the 75-degree afternoon.

I ask Rollins if he’s prepared for the global stardom sure to follow his South American TV spot. "You know me," the 23-year-old laughs before borrowing a line from Tupac. "Mister International, playa with a passport."

You watch ... The Rollins is going to sweep the Caracas clubs by the end of the week.

E-mail Andy Latack at andrew.latack@espnmag.com.