Scott Rolen, who has collected eight Gold Gloves, seven All-Star appearances, Rookie of the Year and a World Series title. during his 17-year careerHe has a simple answer when asked about his humble personality and team.
“Well, I’m from Jasper, Indiana,” Rollin said. “It’s a hard-working community that values going to work, getting your work done, doing things right, and treating people well. On top of that, I’m the son of Ed and Linda Rollin, brother of Todd and Christine, and that didn’t fly in our house.”
This kid from Jasper, Indiana, is the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rolen was elected with 76.3% of the vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America in his sixth year of polling. He was named on 297 ballots, five more than the 292 required to reach the 75% threshold in the election.
Rolen was 342Abbreviation II member and 270y Selected player in the Hall of Fame. He played the last 3 seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, which gave him the opportunity to play closer to home.
“You don’t think about it,” Rollin said. “You’re thinking about trying to do your best and playing for your team, playing the game as best you can. It’s a long way to go. I never thought the Hall of Fame was going to be the answer.”
Rolen received 10.2% of the vote his first year, the lowest percentage for a Hall of Famer standing in his first year on the ballot. Remember, he was sitting in the car with his son, Finn, before he was at fourth-grade basketball practice and listening to the scores on the radio.
He told his son he only wanted to be above 5% to stay on the ballot.
Six years later, he received a phone call from a Hall of Fame official at his home surrounded by his wife, son, and daughter.
“Everyone cried,” Rollin said. “We’re an emotional family. When we’re happy or whatever, that’s what happens. My son, it took him a little bit by surprise and he got really emotional. Then the first thing he did was he asked me if I wanted to play with him. It’s 30 degrees here and it’s going to be 12 inches of snow.” Tomorrow, my son and I were in the driveway playing catch about 10 to 15 minutes after I got the phone call.”
The celebration continued with Rollin’s parents and his brother’s family. Rolen promised everyone steaks, so even if he didn’t get the news he wanted to hear, “we were going to have a good night no matter what.”
Rolen was 18 years oldy The third baseman to be elected to the Hall of Fame, the lowest of all incumbents. He will be joined by Fred McGriff at the upcoming summer induction gala in Cooperstown, New York. McGriff was elected by the Contemporary Era of Baseball committee in December.
“There was actually no point in my life where I thought I was going to be a Hall of Fame baseball player,” Rollin said.
The Reds acquired Rollin at the end of his career, but this was partly requested by former Reds general manager Walt Jochetti, who replaced Rollin twice.
At the time, the Reds were 11 games short of . 500 and 9 games back in the division when they were traded for Rolen at the 2009 trade deadline. It was a surprise move at the time, but Jocchetti thought Rolen was significantly fit to arrive. To the middle of the squad and can benefit from the team through his leadership.
“When Walt brought me there, he challenged me a little bit,” said Rolen, who spent 6 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, 5½ with the St. Louis Cardinals, 1½ with the Toronto Blue Jays before ending up with the Reds. “He challenged me in a way he wanted me to talk. I go about my business, I try to do my best, I play hard, whatever. He challenged me and he said, ‘I want to change the culture. Please speak up. That’s why you’re here. I want you to be here.'” “
It’s hard to underestimate Rollin’s influence. He was a big reason the Reds went from a 78-win team in 2009 to a 91-win team in 2010, leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance since 1995. He produced an All-Star season in 2010 with a batting average of . 285. average, 20 homers, 83 RBI and a Gold Glove defense.
Rollin was limited by injuries in 2011 and didn’t get up to his usual standards in 2012, the final year of his career, but his influence at the club helped turn the Reds into a team that made the postseason three times from 2010-13.
“I loved playing with him,” Joy Photo said in a video he posted on Instagram. “I learned a lot. If any player is lucky enough to have a role model and a teammate like him, they are as lucky as he gets. I shaped my career, my efforts, and my work in his mold. He deserves a Hall of Famer today, and I have nothing but respect for him and his accomplishments.” .
Rollin credited Miguel Cairo and Bronson Arroyo for being two veteran influences alongside him during his time in Cincinnati.
“We had such great young talent and such energy with Johnny Gomez,” Rollin said. “We had youthful energy, youthful talent, and I think there was a little bit with Cairo and Arroyo and whatever, hey, that’s the way we’re going to do it and work it out. It worked out really well, obviously.”