Indiana University Athletics
Rolen Headed to the Hall
1/24/2023 7:00:00 PM | Baseball
There are 13 categories listed on the National Baseball Hall of Fame website: 10 of those are positions, while the other three include executives, managers and umpires. Of those 13 categories, the third base position has the third lowest number enshrined in Cooperstown.
On Tuesday (Jan. 24), Indiana baseball director of player development Scott Rolen – and 17-year Major League Baseball veteran - became just the 18th player at the hot corner to earn a spot among the best in baseball history. Those 18 are just a few more than umpires (10) and designated hitters (3).
Rolen spent time with the Philadelphia Phillies (seven years), St. Louis Cardinals (six years), Toronto Blue Jays (two years) and Cincinnati Reds (four years) over his 17-year career. The Jasper, Indiana, native was a second-round pick of the Phillies in 1993 and made his MLB debut in 1996 for the organization.
His career featured 2,077 hits, 316 home runs, 1,287 RBIs, 1,211 runs scored, along with the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year, seven All-Star game selections and eight Gold Gloves. Rolen received just 10.2 percent of the vote in his first year on the ballot (2018) and in his sixth year garnered 76.3 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers Association of America. In the history of the BBWAA voting process, no player had ever gotten less than 15% support on his first ballot and gone on to be elected by the writers.
His WAR (wins above replacement) at third base ranks No. 10 all-time at the position and among MLB hitters all-time, Rolen's 876 extra base hits – 517 doubles, 43 triples, 316 home runs – ranks No. 75 in the history of the game. A 2006 World Series champion with the Cardinals, Rolen never appeared at any other position, and never played a game at designated hitter, with his only appearances coming as a third baseman or pinch hitter.
Rolen is in his fifth season as the director of player development at Indiana and serves the baseball student-athletes with advice on lifestyle choices and making informed decisions when pursuing professional baseball careers. He also assists with on-campus recruiting and collaborates with the coaching staff on various on-field approaches.
On Tuesday (Jan. 24), Indiana baseball director of player development Scott Rolen – and 17-year Major League Baseball veteran - became just the 18th player at the hot corner to earn a spot among the best in baseball history. Those 18 are just a few more than umpires (10) and designated hitters (3).
Rolen spent time with the Philadelphia Phillies (seven years), St. Louis Cardinals (six years), Toronto Blue Jays (two years) and Cincinnati Reds (four years) over his 17-year career. The Jasper, Indiana, native was a second-round pick of the Phillies in 1993 and made his MLB debut in 1996 for the organization.
His career featured 2,077 hits, 316 home runs, 1,287 RBIs, 1,211 runs scored, along with the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year, seven All-Star game selections and eight Gold Gloves. Rolen received just 10.2 percent of the vote in his first year on the ballot (2018) and in his sixth year garnered 76.3 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers Association of America. In the history of the BBWAA voting process, no player had ever gotten less than 15% support on his first ballot and gone on to be elected by the writers.
His WAR (wins above replacement) at third base ranks No. 10 all-time at the position and among MLB hitters all-time, Rolen's 876 extra base hits – 517 doubles, 43 triples, 316 home runs – ranks No. 75 in the history of the game. A 2006 World Series champion with the Cardinals, Rolen never appeared at any other position, and never played a game at designated hitter, with his only appearances coming as a third baseman or pinch hitter.
Rolen is in his fifth season as the director of player development at Indiana and serves the baseball student-athletes with advice on lifestyle choices and making informed decisions when pursuing professional baseball careers. He also assists with on-campus recruiting and collaborates with the coaching staff on various on-field approaches.
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