Whether you are a fan of baseball or not, you probably know some things about Scott Rolen. He is a very talented all-around player and is on pace to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Ted Rolen was his father
Scott Rolen played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, including a playoff appearance for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. His career was marked by more than 300 home runs and 118 stolen bases. He also won eight Gold Glove awards. After retiring, Rolen was hired as Director of Player Development at Indiana University.
Rolen is one of the best defensive third basemen of all time. He often ranked among the top league leaders in offensive statistics. In fact, he was often the leading candidate for the MVP award, finishing fourth in the National League in 2004.
Rolen’s greatest impact on the game came off the field. He was known for being an excellent defensive player, and he was one of the most feared baserunners in the sport. But he also had a great bat, and he hit 25-30 home runs per season.
In the 2004 season, Rolen led the National League in RBIs and had a career high.314 batting average. It was his best year, and he earned a nickname, “MV3.”
The Cardinals lost four games to none against the Boston Red Sox in the NLDS, and Rolen went 0-for-12 in the World Series. He had two hits, including a double in the bottom of the fourth.
He was a great all-around player
Scott Rolen was a highlight reel-worthy third baseman. While he had his share of struggles and injuries, he was a very well-rounded player.
He has a good eye for a pitch and strong arm strength. His batting average is a respectable.314 and his on-base percentage is an outstanding 12.2%.
Rolen had several years of great seasons. In fact, his 2004 season was the best of his career. At the time, he was nicknamed “MV3” because of his stellar performance.
He was a savvy hitter, a strong fielder, and a great defensive player. This was especially true in the postseason. As a member of the Cardinals, Rolen won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1997. The following year, he won the Silver Slugger Award.
He was a member of two World Series teams. He drove in at least 90 runs in seven different seasons.
He was a savvy defender, too, earning eight Gold Gloves. However, he doesn’t have numbers like Chipper Jones, David Wright, or Carlos Garciaparra.
He wore an E5 hat while addressing the media
The baseball hall of fame announced Tuesday that Scott Rolen has been elected. Rolen will join Fred McGriff as the only members of the Class of 2023.
Rolen was chosen by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in a vote of 297 eligible writers. He received 76.3 percent of the votes. A player is considered eligible for the Hall of Fame if he has played in the major leagues for at least ten seasons. Players must have 75 percent of the total vote to be elected.
During his 17 years in the big leagues, Rolen won eight Gold Glove Awards. His fielding percentage was also impressive. In 2004, Rolen finished fourth in the MVP voting.
Rolen was selected to the All-Star Game four consecutive times. He also was part of two World Series teams. As a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, he won a World Series ring in 2006.
On his sixth attempt to be elected to the Hall of Fame, Rolen was unanimously elected on a vote of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Rolen is the first player elected on this basis since Mike Mussina in 2007.
Rolen is now the 18th third baseman to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Next year’s class includes Jose Bautista, Matt Holliday, Adrian Beltre and Chase Utley.
He is on pace to gain election to the Hall of Fame
Scott Rolen is on the path to being elected to the Hall of Fame. He’s been steadily rising the Hall of Fame ballots over the past few years, and he’s currently just 4% away from reaching the seventy-five percent vote threshold.
If he gets the 75% vote needed, then he would become the 18th third baseman to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Along with fellow inductee Fred McGriff, he’ll be a part of a weekend of inductions this July.
Having played for the Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jays, Rolen’s career is quite lengthy. In the 17 years he spent in the big leagues, he played in 2,038 games.
While he has a long resume, Rolen wasn’t an MVP or an all-time great player. His peak seasons were in the late ’90s and early ’00s. Those seasons saw him produce 54.4 of his 69.9 fWAR, and he also recorded 25 home runs.
During his eight-year run, Rolen’s wRC+ of 106 is solid, but it’s not the kind of numbers that are usually considered Hall of Fame caliber.
