JUPITER, Fla. — Some of the best seasons of his career and his championship year all happened in St. Louis, so, fittingly, the honor of his lifetime will also be bronzed with an STL.
Scott Rolen, the latest Cardinal set to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, will wear the interlocking STL logo on his plaque, he and Cooperstown announced Friday afternoon. Rolen spent more games and time in Philadelphia, but after a trade to the Cardinals had his career season in 2004, four consecutive All-Star appearances, and the 2006 World Series title.
“After reflecting on my 17-year career, and conferring with the Hall of Fame, I have decided on a Cardinals logo for my Hall of Fame plaque,” Rolen said in a release from the Hall. “I believe this decision accurately represents a pivotal portion of my career based on our teams’ successes in St. Louis. I am grateful to Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto and Cincinnati for the opportunities given to me as a player, but more importantly, for how they embraced me and my family. I am truly honored that my plaque will hang among the legends in Cooperstown."
Rolen was elected Jan. 24 by eligible members' of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and he was the only player on the writers' ballot to receive more than the 75% needed for induction.
He will join Fred McGriff in the Class of 2023 after McGriff's unanimous selection by one of the Hall's era committees.
McGriff will not have a logo on his hat, the Hall announced.
The Cardinals acquired Rolen in 2002, almost five years after he won the NL's Rookie of the Year award while with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rolen signed an extension with the Cardinals that riveted him into a lineup that included Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds. As a trio they became the MV3 of 2004. That summer, on the way to the NL pennant, Rolen hit 34 home runs with 124 RBIs and a 1.007 OPS.
In that great St. Louis summer, he hit .314.
Rolen spent parts of six seasons with the Cardinals before a trade to Toronto at the end of the 2007 season. He played seven seasons with the Phillies, and he had two All-Star appearances later as his career ended with Cincinnati. Rolen had seven All-Star selections, four as a Cardinal, and of his eight Rawlings Gold Glove awards, he won four with the Cardinals.
Rolen will be the 11th player or manager to have the interlocking STL on his plaque, following Ted Simmons, who wears a Cardinals cap on his plaque. He was inducted in 2021 as part of the Class of 2020. Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Lou Brock, and Bob Gibson are others with the STL on their cap, while players who predate the logo, such as Rogers Hornsby and Joe Medwick do not have logos on their caps.
Manager Tony La Russa decided after conferring with the Hall of Fame to have a blank cap on his plaque, exactly like McGriff will.
The Hall holds the final decision for what logo appears on a plaque, though officials with the Hall say they prefer to come to an agreement with the player.
Rolen will be inducted July 23.
