COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The biggest second of Scott Rolen’s 17-year profession didn’t come throughout his 2006 World Series run with the St. Louis Cardinals and even throughout his excellent first full season in 1997 with the Philadelphia Phillies, which earned him unanimous National League Rookie of the Year honors.

For Rolen, considered one of two gamers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, that honor was reserved for an sudden second together with his mother and father after he was known as up for his first main league sport in 1996.

“Seeing Mom and Dad walk to their seats from my position at third base was a feeling never topped again in my 17 years,” Rolen stated throughout his 16-minute acceptance speech.

It took six tries, however Rolen’s mother and father, Ed and Linda, lastly obtained to see their son earn his bronze Hall of Fame plaque. He was joined by Fred McGriff, elected unanimously by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee in December after falling off the writers’ poll in 2020.

Rolen was the one participant to obtain greater than the 75% of the votes wanted to qualify for induction. He obtained 297 votes (76.3%) from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in January. A yr earlier, he obtained 63.2% of the vote.

“I’m grateful for this grand gesture,” Rolen stated. “At no point in my lifetime did it ever occur to me that I would be standing on this stage.”

Rolen, a multi-sport highschool star from Indiana, obtained a Division I supply to play basketball earlier than the Phillies chosen him straight out of Jasper High School within the second spherical of the 1993 novice draft.

The third baseman spent six of his 17 seasons with the Cardinals, the place he earned 4 of his seven All-Star choices and three of his eight Gold Gloves.

Rolen batted .281 with 316 homers and 1,287 RBIs in 2,038 video games. He batted a team-best .421 throughout the 2006 World Series, which St. Louis gained in 5 video games over Detroit.

Rolen credited his mother and father for the values they instilled in him.

“I was not raised to be a Major League Baseball player,” he stated. “I was raised to be honest, to work hard, to be accountable for my words and actions, and to treat people with kindness and respect.”

Joining Rolen on the stage was McGriff, who made positive to shake the fingers of almost all the 50 Hall of Famers who welcomed him.

“I’m humbled and honored to be standing in front of you and now to be part of this fraternity,” McGriff stated throughout his 20-minute speech. “When your career is validated by former players and executives that saw you play, that’s as good as it gets.”

The lanky first baseman was drafted by the New York Yankees within the ninth spherical of the 1981 novice draft out of Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa, Florida.

McGriff, who was affectionately nicknamed “Crime Dog” by ESPN’s Chris Berman, batted .284 with 493 homers and 1,550 RBIs in 2,460 video games over 19 seasons. He performed for six groups, was a five-time All-Star and helped the Atlanta Braves win the 1995 World Series.

The gamers on the writers’ poll who fell in need of induction this yr included Todd Helton (72.2%), Billy Wagner (68.1%), Andruw Jones (58.1%), Gary Sheffield (55%), Carlos Beltrán (46.5%), Jeff Kent (46.5%), Alex Rodriguez (35.7%), Manny Ramirez (33.2%), Omar Vizquel (19.5%), Andy Pettitte (17%), Bobby Abreu (15.4%), Jimmy Rollins (12.9%), Mark Buehrle (10.8%), Francisco Rodriguez (10.8%) and Torii Hunter (6.9%).

Three others have been honored throughout Hall of Fame weekend. Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine obtained the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, longtime Detroit Tigers beat author John Lowe gained the BBWAA’s Career Excellence Award, and Cubs radio broadcaster Pat Hughes was the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.

Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com