Interesting discussion ... will Scott Rolen be inducted into the Hall of Fame?
| Yes, and he should be |  19 (7.54%) |
| No, and he shouldn't be | 115 (45.63%) |
| Yes, but he shouldn't be | 1 (0.40%) |
| No, but he should be | 23 (9.13%) |
| Eventually -- the old-timer's committee will right the wrong | 19 (7.54%) |
| Too early to make a call | 75 (29.76%) |
252 votes | 4 featured comments
"Too early to make a call" is definitely fair. It would be interesting to run this poll after the season, and compare the results. Rolen seems to have made an adjustment at the plate which is working. I doubt that he's going to hit 30 homers again, but I can see him hitting .300 with 35 doubles, 15 homers and 60 walks with great defence. That's a helluva third baseman.
It really helps that Cito is giving him plenty of rest.
It really helps that Cito is giving him plenty of rest.
Rolen could make it with a Chipper Jones type career finish, where he is limited to 120 games a year or so, but hits as well or better than before. The thing is, if you think a guy is a hall of fame talent, you have to figure he has more top years in him. If Rolen retired today, I'd say it's safe to assume he wouldn't make the hall. I'd say hitting solidly above average (like this year) and providing top quality defense for another 4-5 years at least would be required to get voted in. Defense and OBP are the typically underrated skills when voting comes around.
A few postseason heroics and/or another MVP quality season would be huge helps as well.
A few postseason heroics and/or another MVP quality season would be huge helps as well.
I voted no on Rolen because I'm a small-haller and have my doubts about where he'll be at the end of 2010 let alone 5 years from now. However, the previous comment on D/OBP being undervalued made me think - with BP writers just getting membership to the guild of ink-stained wretches this past year and the year before other non-traditional writers gaining membership, we might see defense/OBP getting their due by the time Rolen is eligible (assuming 5+ years on Rolen's career). Then again that's perhaps too much to expect from a group that can't even get rookie eligibility right and by that time only 4 non-traditional writers will be able to vote for the HoF.
If you think Brooks Robinson deserved the election he got, you think Rolen should make it. Or you are intellectually inconsistant.
At the same point in his career, Brooksy was a distinctly worse hitter than Rolen and both are equally praised for their defense.
Brooks got in on the first ballot with over 90% of the vote. All that's ask for Rolen is that he get in on the last chance with 75% of the vote. That's way more than enough to account for the different eras (offensively) that they played in.
That said, I have my doubts that most voters will see that because of various factors (like MVPs and post-season play and such)
I'm afraid he might have to count on the VC.
But he is absolutely deserving (and I thought so before he became a Blue Jay)
On the other hand, in the doping era, guys whith pristine reputations will be more likely to gain favor with the judges, so that might help him (not that it's done much for McGriff)
At the same point in his career, Brooksy was a distinctly worse hitter than Rolen and both are equally praised for their defense.
Brooks got in on the first ballot with over 90% of the vote. All that's ask for Rolen is that he get in on the last chance with 75% of the vote. That's way more than enough to account for the different eras (offensively) that they played in.
That said, I have my doubts that most voters will see that because of various factors (like MVPs and post-season play and such)
I'm afraid he might have to count on the VC.
But he is absolutely deserving (and I thought so before he became a Blue Jay)
On the other hand, in the doping era, guys whith pristine reputations will be more likely to gain favor with the judges, so that might help him (not that it's done much for McGriff)