Rolen earns Hall induction after entire career at 3rd base

FILE - Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen fields a ball hit by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game Sept. 14, 2010, in Cincinnati. Rolen was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, in voting announced Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Al Behrman, File)
FILE - Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen fields a ball hit by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game Sept. 14, 2010, in Cincinnati. Rolen was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, in voting announced Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Al Behrman, File)

NEW YORK -- Slick-fielding third baseman Scott Rolen was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday with five votes to spare above the 75% needed.

The seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner earned induction in his sixth appearance on the ballot, picked on 297 of 389 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America for 76.3%. A player needed 292 votes for election.

He became the 18th third baseman elected to the Hall, the fewest of any position. Rolen will join Fred McGriff, elected last month by the contemporary baseball era committee, as the inductees at Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 23.

"You don't think about this. You think about doing the best you can," Rolen said. "I never thought the Hall of Fame was going to be the answer."

Rolen had a .281 batting average with 316 home runs and 1,287 RBI for Philadelphia (1996-2002), St. Louis (2002-07), Toronto (2008-09) and Cincinnati (2009-12). He was a unanimous pick as the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year and hit .421 as the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series.

Rolen's five-vote margin tied for the 12th-smallest among players elected by the writers and his 76.3% of the vote was the 10th lowest. Rolen increased from 63.2% last year and 10.2% in his first ballot appearance in 2018.

That became the lowest first-ballot percentage of a player later elected. The previous mark had been Duke Snider's 17% in 1970. Snider was voted in with 86.5% in 1980.

First baseman Todd Helton was second with 281 votes (72.2%) and reliever Billy Wagner third with 265 (68.1%). Helton moved up from 52% and can have five more appearances on the ballot, while Wagner rose from 51% and has two additional chances.

Several others also saw large increases: Andruw Jones moved from 41.1% to 58.1%, Gary Sheffield from 40.6% to 55% in his next-to-last possible appearance and Jeff Kent from 32.7% to 46.5% in his final year. Kent can be considered by the contemporary baseball era committee in future years.

Players tainted by drug suspensions again lagged. Alex Rodriguez was at 35.7%, up from 34.3%, and Manny Ramirez at 33.2%, up from 28.9%. Rodriguez led all finalists with 117.6 career wins above replacement and won the American League's MVP Award three times,. Ramirez was a a 12-time All-Star who hit 555 home runs.

Eight blank ballots were submitted by writers, who are eligible to vote after 10 consecutive years of membership in the BBWAA.

Among 14 players appearing on the ballot for the first time, just two reached the 5% threshold required to remain under consideration next year. Carlos Beltran received 181 votes (46.5%), his total likely impacted by his role in the Houston Astros cheating scandal en route to the 2017 World Series title.

Relief pitcher Francisco Rodriguez received 42 votes (10.8%).

Next year's first-time eligibles include Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, David Wright, Jose Bautista, Chase Utley and Matt Holliday.

For Rolen, the election came after a steady climb in his voting totals over the years. He was named on only 10.2% of ballots in 2018, his first year of eligibility, but saw that percentage increase each year. He was elected this year when he received an additional 48 votes from last year's total.

Having spent nearly his entire career in the National League, Rolen was a third baseman in the truest sense. He never appeared at any other position, and he never played a game at designated hitter, with his only appearances coming as a third baseman or pinch hitter. For his career, he had 21.2 defensive wins above replacement, by Baseball Reference's formulation.

  photo  FILE - St. Louis Cardinals Scott Rolen watches his two-run home run off Houston Astros pitcher Chad Harville in the fifth inning during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004. Rolen could become just the 18th third baseman elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, the fewest of any position. Rolen, Todd Helton and Billy Wagner are the leading contenders in the Baseball Writers' Association of America vote announced Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
 
 
  photo  FILE - St. Louis Cardinals Scott Rolen and teammate Albert Pujols celebrate as Detroit Tigers Ramon Santiago walks off the field after the St. Louis Cardinals defeated Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the World Series in St. Louis, Oct. 27, 2006. Rolen could become just the 18th third baseman elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, the fewest of any position. Rolen, Todd Helton and Billy Wagner are the leading contenders in the Baseball Writers' Association of America vote announced Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.(AP Photo/Tom Gannam, File)
 
 

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