Former Cardinals great inducted into National Baseball Hall of Fame
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ)
Former Cardinals third baseman and eight-time Gold Glover Scott Rolen will be one of the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He received the honor in his sixth year of eligibility.
Rolen received a vote from about 76 percent of voters, which surpassed the required 75 percent mark to be inducted.
Rolen racked up 2,077 hits, 316 home runs and 1,287 RBI over his 17-year career.
He was originally drafted and signed by the Phillies in the second round of the 1993 MLB Draft and made his Major League debut in 1996 against the Cardinals. The following season, he won the 1997 Rookie of the Year award in the National League, finishing with 21 home runs, 92 RBI, batting .283 on the year.
On July 29, 2002, Rolen was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played for six seasons. He helped the Red Birds to four postseason appearances, including two World Series and the 2006 World Series Championship.
He had a standout season for the birds on the bat in 2004. The then-29-year-old set career highs in home runs, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and bWAR. Rolen finished fourth in the National League MVP voting, alongside his teammates Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds.
Many St. Louis fans may remember Rolen's game seven home run in the National League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, which broke a tie and sent the Cardinals to the club's first World Series in 17 years.
“On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to congratulate Scott Rolen on the well-deserved honor of being selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame,” stated Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a press release. “Scott was a cornerstone of our infield and lineup during his six seasons in St. Louis, and helped create many fond memories as part of the great Cardinals teams of the mid-2000s.”
Rolen did not end his career in St. Louis. He spent his final years in Toronto and Cincinnati.
His induction mark the 54th individual with a tie to the Cardinals organization to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held in Cooperstown, N.Y. on July 23, 2023.
