Two decades after his complicated tenure with the Phillies ended, Scott Rolen was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
After all, Rolen was marked for stardom almost from the moment he was selected in the second round of the 1993 draft. In 1997 he was voted the National League’s Rookie of the Year. And, for the most part, he lived up to the hype. He ranked first or second in WAR every full season he played for the Phils. His OPS was .877. He played Gold Glove-level defense and had the trophies to prove it. He ran the bases like a rampaging rhinoceros.
It all came to a head on the afternoon of June 17, 2001 at Veterans Stadium. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Rolen struck out. For the first time, boos cascaded from the blue seats. It was more than just making an out. It was right after manager Larry Bowa had been quoted saying that he was “killing” the team with his lack of production.
Most said they were here because they come every year. A couple mentioned that they still hope to see Dick Allen honored someday. And what about Rolen? Mostly shrugs. Rolen was asked, with the benefit of hindsight, to reflect on his relationship with Philadelphia during a pre-induction media availability on Saturday.
To be fair, though, he had his best years in St. Louis. Not statistically, maybe. The raw numbers are pretty similar. But he made the All-Star team once as a Phillie, four times as a Cardinal. Most importantly, he won in St. Louis: Four division titles, two pennants, one World Series championship in five years.
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