Scott Rolen to be inducted into Hall of Fame as Cardinal

Scott Rolen will officially enter the Hall of Fame as a St. Louis Cardinal, not a Phillie, at his induction this summer.

When the former third baseman receives his plaque in Cooperstown on July 23, it will display the Cardinals logo on his cap, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced on Friday.

Rolen played in parts of six of his 17 seasons in St. Louis (2002-2007) after spending his nearly seven in Philadelphia (1996-2002), winning a World Series championship with the Cardinals in 2006. He then finished his career with two seasons with the Blue Jays and parts of four with the Reds.

“I believe this decision accurately represents a pivotal portion of my career based on our teams’ successes in St. Louis,” Rolen said in a statement released by the Hall of Fame. “I am grateful to Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto and Cincinnati for the opportunities given to me as a player, but more importantly, for how they embraced me and my family. I am truly honored that my plaque will hang among the legends in Cooperstown.”

Rolen began his big-league career with the Phillies, earning the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year Award and emerging as one of the top defenders at his position. However, the eight-time Gold Glover spent his time on middling teams and criticized the direction of the organization by the end of his tenure in Philadelphia, leading to a midseason trade to the Cardinals in 2002.

A seven-time All-Star, Rolen continued his individual success in St. Louis while also finding his way into the postseason. That culminated with a World Series title in 2006 with Rolen as a key contributor.

After being traded away from the Cardinals, Rolen remained a solid player, but battled shoulder injuries before retiring after the 2012 season.

Rolen, who received 76.3% of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s vote on his sixth ballot to achieve election, will be inducted along with Contemporary Baseball Players Era Committee selection Fred McGriff, whose plaque will not display a team logo on his cap.

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