Philadelphia Phillies: Scott Rolen will eventually get into the Hall of Fame

Aside from the big news of Derek Jeter and Larry Walker being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, let’s not lose sight of the gains made by former Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen, which could be an indicator of future enshrinement for him.

The votes are in, and Scott Rolen didn’t make the Baseball Hall of Fame again.

Philadelphia Phillies fans rejoice!

There is a dark lining on this silver cloud, however, as Rolen made a sizable gain from last year. He has now risen from 10.2% of the vote in his first year of eligibility to 17.2% in the second year to his current 35.3% in Year 3.

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Simply put, it’s not looking good for ol’ Scott to not make the Hall of Fame, which should be a disappointment to Phillies fans everywhere who loathe him. You heard that right. I know I just wrote an article about Philadelphia fans not having any sour grapes when it comes to Andy Reid, but Rolen is a different story entirely.

As far as I can tell, Andy Reid never whined his way out of town and then literally said that he was in “heaven” after landing somewhere else. And Andy Reid wasn’t thoroughly miserable the entire time he was in Philadelphia, unlike a certain third baseman.

Rolen is simply one of those rare cases where his former supporters can hold onto a grudge for years, even decades. I will admit that the Phillies were a mess from ownership on down during his time with the club, but he could have been one of the biggest stars in town if he had just been more patient and let the team’s impending stadium situation play out.

Citizens Bank Park could have been “The House that Rolen Built”, but he just couldn’t wait to get out of town. And this was even despite the fact that he had a pandering manager during the first few years of his career who tried to cater to his needs. Ultimately, Rolen showed that he and Philadelphia were like oil and water, an especially entitled and whiny kind of oil at that.

And I’ll admit, the prospect of Rolen in Cooperstown hurts chiefly because it would be a reminder of what he could have accomplished for the Phillies. Instead, he built up his resume with the St. Louis Cardinals, the team that fleeced the Phils in the trade for his services.

In truth, Rolen had a very good career. He posted solid offensive numbers with a glove that separates him from the pack. But was he ever truly one of the ten best players in baseball at any point during his career? Or top 15? Top 20? Maybe for a couple years, but just barely.

Is this really the kind of player that belongs in the the Hall of Fame? You wouldn’t think so, until you see some of the players that the Hall has opened its doors to in the last couple years.

So resign yourself, Phillies fans. Even though Rolen only has about half of the votes his needs, the analytics people really seem to love him. So expect his total to climb in the next few years. Even though it’s been almost a decade since he last played Major League Baseball, that’s the strange way this thing works. Writers reflect and talk themselves into thinking a player was better than he actually was.

Rolen’s career was nothing to sneeze at, but it’s a shame that the “experts” are coming around on his case after all these years. Now, it’s only a matter of time before he’s giving that induction speech while we all stare at the Cardinals hat on his plaque, shaking our heads at how he was rewarded for essentially quitting on the first fanbase that cheered him on.

He could have been idolized here, but he decided that he didn’t want it. So we should all choose not to support his candidacy for baseball’s ultimate honor.

Despite what anybody else might say, you’ll never be able to change my mind on Scott Rolen. There’s only one way he should be able to get into the Hall of Fame. Just like you or me, he should have to buy a ticket.