Hall of Fame third baseman Scott Rolen will be one of three people inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame as part of the 2023 induction class, the team announced in a release on Tuesday.
Rolen, John Quinn and Ruly Carpenter will all be honored this season. Quinn and Carpenter will be honored posthumously as part of Alumni Weekend festivities before the Phillies vs. Minnesota Twins game on Saturday, Aug. 12 at Citizens Bank Park. Because of a personal scheduling conflict, Rolen is unable to attend the Aug. 12 ceremony. He will be honored before the Phillies vs. New York Mets game on Friday, Sept. 22 at Citizens Bank Park.
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“I am humbled and honored to join so many great Phillies on the team’s Wall of Fame,” Rolen said in a release. “My years in Philadelphia, I wouldn’t trade for anything. It taught me how to play the game, how to hustle and play hard. I’m grateful to Philadelphia and the Phillies for the important role they played in my career.”
Rolen spent the first seven of his 17 Major League seasons with the Phillies. A second-round draft pick of the Phillies in 1993, Rolen debuted in the majors in August 1996. During the next seven seasons, he hit .282 with a .373 on-base percentage and a .504 slugging percentage. He had 207 doubles, 150 home runs, 559 RBI, 426 walks, 533 runs and 71 stolen bases as a Phillie.
He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1997, becoming only the second Phillie to win that honor. Dick Allen was the first in 1964 He won four of this eight gold gloves with the Phillies.
“In different but important ways, Scott Rolen, John Quinn and Ruly Carpenter all left an indelible mark of greatness on our organization, and we are proud to honor them,” Phillies Managing Partner and CEO John Middleton said in a release. “Philadelphia is the place where Scott Rolen laid the foundation for a magnificent Hall of Fame career. It was a privilege to watch him play. We look forward to seeing him and his family on September 22.”
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Rolen was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on July 29, 2002 with Doug Nickle for Placido Polanco, Bud Smith and Mike Timlin. He also played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cincinnati Reds.
He finished his career with a .281 batting average, 517 doubles, 43 triples, 316 home runs, 1,287 RBI, 899 walks, 1,211 runs, 118 steals and an .855 OPS in 2,038 games. His 70.1 bWAR during his career ranked sixth in baseball in that span, trailing only Alex Rodriguez (116.4), Albert Pujols (91.5), Barry Bonds (88.8), Chipper Jones (82.4) and Derek Jeter (73.2).
Rolen was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January in his sixth year of eligibility.
