“I wasn’t a real vocal guy along the way – I tried to just get out and do my thing,” Rolen said. “He asked me to be a little more vocal, and that didn’t mean I’m jumping up yelling at anybody ever. I got to share a little bit of my career on or off the field with some guys in the clubhouse, and I enjoyed that role.”
Rolen arrived after a half-season in Toronto, and the Reds went 34-26 to finish 78-84 in Dusty Baker’s second season as manager. In 2010, Jocketty’s plan came together and the Reds won the Central Division at 91-71. Votto won MVP, Bruce played every day, Bronson Arroyo, Cueto and Francisco Cordero led the pitching staff. and Rolen, 35, had his best season since 2006. He hit 20 homers, batted in 83 runs, hit .271, slugged .401, produced a WAR of 4.1, was stellar as always at third base and made the All-Star team.
“Dusty limited my day game after night game exposure, and so I was able to maintain some stuff on the field where I didn’t feel overmatched all the time,” Rolen said.
Not wanting to be overmatched drove Rolen throughout his career. He was Philadelphia’s second-round pick out of Jasper High School in Indiana in 1993, debuted in the majors at 21, was rookie of the year, played in seven all-star games and was top 20 in MVP voting three times, including 14th with the Reds in 2010. Yet, he never felt like a star.
“It’s an honest criticism of myself,” Rolen said. “It was very hard for me.”
That’s why it’s hard for Rolen to believe that he will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday along with Fred McGriff.
“I tried to play with as much max effort as I could and try to make sure that I was going to outhustle and outplay and try to prepare as best I could,” Rolen said.
The Hall of Fame voters took a while to come around, too, to a player with a .281 batting average, 316 home runs (135th all-time), 1,287 RBIs (122nd) and a 70.1 WAR (102nd). In his first year of eligibility in 2018, Rolen received only 10.2% of the necessary 75% of votes it takes to be elected. The number rose every year until he reached 76.3% this year. Rolen’s first-year vote is the lowest of any inductee to be voted in by the baseball writers.
“I appreciate the votes and somebody thought that I was worthy of it,” Rolen said. “For me to sit here and say, that me and Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, I mean, that’s not real. These guys are true legends, and I get a chance to share that gallery with them. I’m greatly honored.”
Third base is the least represented position in the Cooperstown. Rolen is No. 18 and only the seventh elected since the expansion era began in 1961. He joins Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Paul Molitor, Wade Boggs and Chipper Jones. The veterans committee added Ron Santo.
Third base has historically been a tough sell to voters because the position has long been regarded as less important defensively. But Rolen stacks up as one of the best ever. Modern analytics rate him No. 16 among all positions in defensive runs saved since 2003, and he won eight Gold Glove awards. That’s the fourth most behind Robinson (16), Schmidt (10) and current St. Louis star Nolan Arenado (10).
Rolen didn’t hit at the level of Schmidt, Jones, Brett or Eddie Mathews. But from his rookie of the year season in 1997 through 2004, he averaged 28 homers, 102 RBIs with a .287/.379/.524 slash line and 133 OPS+. Turning 30 slowed his production, as it does with most players, and he finished with a 122 OPS+. Not a traditional Hall of Fame level, but his defense obviously counted for a lot with the voters.
“Hitting was never a real natural situation for me,” Rolen said. “I really had to work on it daily. I really had to grind through every at-bat, and fielding became a little more natural to me along the way.”
Rolen’s pro career began when he turned down a basketball scholarship to Georgia. Instead of being a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, he made a quick climb with the Phillies. As the unanimous rookie of the year, he batted .287 with 21 homers and 92 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and an .846 OPS.
“I was so raw and so young there and it was such a great landing spot for me development wise,” Rolen said. “Being in Philadelphia, the media and the masses, you get to learn real quick that if you’re not being upfront and honest and you’re not telling the truth of what’s going on, it’s going to be a rough road for you. Immediately you get a sharp lesson in let’s just be genuine out here.”
When Rolen reached his final season before free agency in 2002, he wasn’t sure he wanted to re-sign because the Phillies’ commitment to winning was questioned. And a much-needed new stadium felt iffy. He played on only one winning team in Philadelphia and no division winners. The Cardinals were building and got him at the trade deadline.
Rolen was a catalyst the final two months and the Cardinals won the division and a first-round playoffs series. They won 105 games in 2004 and lost to Boston in the World Series. They won 100 games in 2005 and lost to Houston in the NLCS. They won only 83 games in 2006 but beat Detroit in the World Series. Rolen’s best season came in 2004 when he finished fourth in MVP voting with career highs in homers (34), RBIs (124), batting average (.314) and OPS (1.007).
“My career, kind of through the team and through the success, became a little more notable with two World Series and on the national stage and the team success,” Rolen said of his time with the Cardinals. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that that’s the part of my career that really speaks the loudest.”
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