February 14, 2023

Scott Rolen Tribute

By Larry (Baron) Shenk

Philadelphia Phillies

“It’s hard hitting when there’s an office building playing third.”

_ Jeff Bagwell, 2017 Hall of Fame, inductee.

Bagwell is referring to Scott Rolen, the newest member of the game’s most prestigious fraternity, the Hall of Fame.

Other accolades include:

“On behalf of the Phillies, I want to congratulate Scott Rolen on his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a player.  He richly deserves this award.

“Philadelphia was privileged to have witnessed the beginning of his extraordinary career.  In addition to being one of the most impactful offensive and defensive players of his era, Scott played the game the right way.  Whether taking an extra base with a head-first slide or diving for a ball in the hole, his hard-nosed effort and selfless attitude resonated with our fans.  Along with his on-field contributions, Scott was a great teammate and a tremendous representative of the Phillies off the field.

“The Phillies look forward to honoring Scott for his momentous achievement at Citizens Bank Park this season at a date to be determined.”

_ John Middleton, Managing Partner and CEO.

“Congratulations to Scott Rolen on his induction into the class of 2023 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.

“Thinking about Scott’s tremendous career, one thing keeps popping into my mind, and that is that his exceptional ability on the field was overshadowed by the strength of his character.  To prove that point, all that you had to do was listen to his interview on the MLB Network which he did shortly after the announcement that he was headed to Cooperstown. 

“The hosts wanted to talk about his remarkable defense, and while answering the questions, Scott twice saluted John Vukovich and the mentorship which Vuk provided. Those of us who were around every day knew the bond which Scott and Vuk had built. Scott mentioning Vuk was sincere, heartfelt and very real.

“Scott then proceeded to talk about the importance of base running and the pride he took in taking nothing for granted on the bases.  He said that how one runs the bases shows that person’s true character.  Such truth to those words.  When your best player is willing to give his all while running the bases, how can anyone else expect less of himself?

“There’s no doubt that talent rules the day, but there’s no getting past the fact that character and makeup matter, and in the case of Scott Rolen, talent, character and makeup will all show up at Cooperstown this Summer.”

_ Ed Wade.

“Scott Rolen played the game not only the right way, but also the best way! He cared about hitting, yet felt that defense was just as important by saving runs and not only concerned with driving them in. What truly sets him apart for me is how he felt about base running. His quote after getting elected, and I’m paraphrasing was that ‘base running shows you the character of a player.’

“That speaks volumes and for me epitomizes playing the game the right way. You can absolutely control how you run the bases and Scott showed his character and integrity by running the bases with the utmost effort each and every time he stepped into the box and made contact. THAT shows me character, integrity and someone who plays the game the right way. I, nor anyone else could ever ask for more,”

_ Larry Andersen.

“What an experience to watch one of the greatest third baseman of all time from the best seat in town, home plate.”

_ Mike Lieberthal.

“One of the best athletes I have ever played with and have watched on the diamond ... also, one of, if not the best, defenders at 3B I have ever seen.  The one thing that separated Rolen from Schmidt was Rolen’s arm strength.   Tremendous base runner and a very solid offensive player.   Defense and base running seemed to come easier for Scott, but he grinned out his at bats and was as dedicated a player from pitch to pitch and game to game as any player I have been around.”

_ Ruben Amaro Jr.

“Congratulations to my old teammate, Scott Rolen.  I had the honor of playing next to him for a few of his early years in Philadelphia.  It was very clear from Day 1 that Scott was a special player.  Not only in his talent as a ball player but more impressively in the way he approached the game on a daily basis.  His work ethic, determination and hard-nosed play was contagious and incredibly fun to watch.”

_ Kevin Stocker.

“When I think of Scott, I think of all the great plays he made at third and all of the runs he stopped with his glove, first and foremost.  But he was more than that. He went first to third better than anyone, broke up a double play with conviction. He was a tight end, who moved with amazing athleticism and grace.”

_ Broadcaster Tom McCarthy.

“Amazing athlete with tremendous range and agility.  Third base is a reaction position and his reactions were out of sight. Couple that with his ability to cover large areas with his body, any a ground ball hit his way was an out. And we haven’t even mentioned his powerful, accurate arm.

“I can remember watching John Vukovich work with him on the ball to his left. Vuk thought he was a little late in his transition from watching the pitcher get ready to deliver the ball, then look to the hitter in time to react. Vuk also was a great teacher of base running. And Scott was an eager student, and in my mind became one of the game’s best baserunners ever through hard work and way above average instincts.

“And then there was the first game back from the tragedy of 9/11/2001. The Phillies last game was on a Sunday afternoon in Montreal, September 9. We were playing the Braves at the Vet on Sept. 17 and emotions were raw. Nobody really knew what to expect. Who can forget the video of manager Larry Bowa as he shed tears during the pre-game. In the game, Scott would hit two homers off future fellow Hall of Famer Greg Maddux to electrify the crowd of 27,910. The Phillies won 5-2 and the country was unanimous in the feeling that baseball had started to restore some semblance of normalcy to a grieving nation.”

_ Broadcaster Chris Wheeler

“He doesn’t argue with the umpires, he runs every single ball out, he makes great plays, he makes routine plays, he gets the runner in when he needs to get him in, he gets the runner over when he needs to get him over. He just plays the game exactly how it should be played. You never second-guess anything he does.”

_ Jonny Gomes, Cincinnati teammate. (sabr.org)