In his sixth year of eligibility, former Cincinnati Reds third baseman and eight-time Gold Glover Scott Rolen finally made it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He'll be inducted into the hall during a July 23 ceremony alongside Fred McGriff, who played 19 seasons during the 1980s, 19902 and early 2000s and was added by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee in December.
Rolen punched his Cooperstown ticket on Jan. 24, 2023 with 297 votes, or 76.3% of the vote, from eligible members of the Baseball Writersβ Association of America (BBWAA). For induction, players must receive at least 75% of that yearβs vote . In 2022, Rolen received 63.2%.
Rolen ended his Major League Baseball career in Cincinnati after the 2012 season but also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays. He spent a total of 17 seasons in the majors after being drafted by Philadelphia in 1997 and has been lauded as one of the best third basemen to play the game. Read CityBeat's story about Rolen's stats and milestones.
Rolen's former teams plus fans, coaches and players in Cincinnati and beyond had plenty of memories to share once he was announced as Cooperstown's sole elected inductee. Scroll down to relive the memories.
Everyone Is Remembering Baseball Hall of Famer Scott Rolen's Big Moments With the Cincinnati Reds
By Allison Babka on Tue, Jan 24, 2023 at 10:16 pm
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The back half of Rolen's run with the Reds was rough, but he provided strong leadership for a team in 2010 that needed it.
— Michael (@FloridaBengals) January 25, 2023
Rolen into Cooperstown.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) January 24, 2023
Congratulations to former Red Scott Rolen on his election to the ππππ’π¨π§ππ₯ πππ¬ππππ₯π₯ πππ₯π₯ π¨π π ππ¦πβ pic.twitter.com/QwE2rFwUNV
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ROLEN INTO COOPERSTOWN π
— ESPN (@espn) January 24, 2023
The eight-time Gold Glove third baseman was the only player to clear the 75 percent threshold for election. pic.twitter.com/Ssgy2ctTmN
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Hereβs a picture of the final swing in a Hall of Fame career. Congrats, Scott Rolen, I wish itβd have ended differently but Iβve always been a fan #Reds pic.twitter.com/mx5AIWQFUN
— Steven Ortlieb (@StevenOrtlieb) January 25, 2023
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Congrats to Scott Rolen on his HOF induction! Fantastic ballplayer and such a key piece to one of the best Reds teams in franchise history
— Shea Neal (@KGGFSheaNeal) January 25, 2023
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To: Scott Rolen
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) January 25, 2023
From: @JoeyVotto pic.twitter.com/PFoWVT8uHe
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βYou watch a great player with a fantastic track record perform in front of your own eyes, you think, βWhoa, this guy is really darn good.β Then you get to play w him & watch how he works his demeanor & all of a sudden, it changes your perspective,β Joey Votto on Scott Rolen #HOF
— Jim Coyle (@jimcoyleISB) January 24, 2023
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Congrats to Scott Rolen! Now, just putting this out thereβ¦
— Diehard Reds (@Diehard_Reds) January 24, 2023
Rolen:
.281/.364/.490/.855 OPS, 122 OPS+, 316 HRβs, 70.1 bWAR (8,518 PAβs).
Votto:
.297/.412/.513/.926 OPS, 145 OPS+, 342 HRβs, 64.3 bWAR (8,504 PAβs).
Tell me more about Joey Votto not being a HOFer. #Reds
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#STLCards star third baseman Nolan Arenado speaking recently about newly elected Hall of Famer Scott Rolen: "One thing I admire about Scott Rolen was he was so big and you donβt realize how big the man is until you get next to him. To be that good, that agile, ... (more, 1/2)
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) January 24, 2023
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Congratulations to Scott Rolen on his induction into the class of 2023 @MLB HOF. It was an honor to manage him with the Phillies. One of the best of his generation to play the game. Well deserved!
— Larry Bowa (@LarryBowa10) January 24, 2023
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fell asleep waiting for the MLB HOF votes. Excited to see Scott Rolen got in! pic.twitter.com/svqTXSWios
— macewank (@macewank) January 25, 2023
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Congrats to Scott Rolen! What a legend. I was in cincy for the reds game the day that he was dealt. The whole city was buzzing. Such a cool memory
— blizzy (@kevbotttt) January 24, 2023
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Scott Rolen killed the @Reds for years, so it was great to have him join our team for a while. He was past his prime then but still darn good, and he provided good play and excellent leadership for the 2010 and 2012 NL Central champs. Happy for him, well-deserved. A Jasper guy!
— John Martin (@EVLIVjohnmartin) January 24, 2023
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True story: Scott Rolen was such a ferocious baserunner that @SSchumaker55 wore β½οΈ shin guards when playing second base after Rolen joined the @Reds. π @Cardinals @MLB @IUHoosiers pic.twitter.com/OPcLCXFHWL
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 24, 2023
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"He's really one of the greatest third basemen that's ever played the game..."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 24, 2023
BK & @HOFprez discuss Scott Rolen's election to the @baseballhall. pic.twitter.com/XCGiaMAdTi
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Scott Rolen, whose pristine glovework at third base set the modern standard for defensive brilliance and whose bat was a font of consistency across 17 seasons, has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. He'll join Fred McGriff in the Class of 2023.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 24, 2023
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So happy to hear Scott Rolen got elected to the MLB Hall of Fame. I caught his 300th Home Run. When I gave it back, I got this. Class Act. @Reds pic.twitter.com/ag44db7pZf
— LeAnn Neel Romine (@LeAnnNR21) January 24, 2023
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FINALLY!!! It's an absolute joke he wasn't in sooner. Aside from being one of the greatest third baseman of all-time, the man brought winning baseball to Cincinnati. We had no hope or leadership in the #Reds clubhouse for years prior to Rolen joining in 2009. Beyond excited rn. https://t.co/EUc5Pq8dPV
— Robbie (@_HuffStuff06) January 24, 2023
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Dubois County, Indiana, is the home of many greats β the Bonifer family and #Reds Hall of Famer Scott Rolen. pic.twitter.com/bYljTyzDb8
— DuaneBonifer (@DuaneBonifer) January 25, 2023
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Former UGA Basketball signee Scott Rolen to the MLB HOF. Congrats, Scott! https://t.co/KunCITQ8EO
— Georgia Basketball (@UGABasketball) January 25, 2023
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