Rolen won eight Gold Gloves during his career
McGriff hit 493 home runs in a 19-year career
Scott Rolen, the best third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) during his career, and Fred McGriff, who hit 493 career home runs, have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The MLB Office of the Commissioner held the 2023 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony today (24 June) at the Clarke Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York, home of the MLB Hall of Fame.
스포츠토토The ceremony officially inducted Rolen and McGriff into the Hall of Fame.
Rolen received 76.3 percent of the vote in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) ballot announced on 25 January, surpassing the 75 percent threshold for induction. Rolen is the only one of 28 candidates to be elected to the Hall of Fame through this year’s BBWAA ballot.
To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a player must have played at least 10 years in the major leagues and be five years out of retirement.
Rolen, who retired in 2012, was first eligible in 2018. In his first attempt, he received just 10.2 per cent of the vote in the 2018 ballot, but has since improved. With 63.2 percent of the vote in last year’s ballot, Rolen earned Hall of Fame honours in his sixth attempt.
Rolen made his big league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1996 and went on to play 17 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2002-2007), Toronto Blue Jays (2008-2009) and Cincinnati Reds (2009-2012). In 1997, he was unanimously voted the National League Rookie of the Year.
In his career, Rolen batted .281 with 316 home runs and 1287 RBIs in 2038 games. He also won eight Gold Gloves for his defensive prowess. He was also an All-Star seven times.
“At no point in my life did I ever think I would be on this stage,” Rolen said. But I’m so glad it’s happening, it’s unbelievably special.”
For the 10th consecutive year, McGriff failed to meet the 75 percent threshold in BBWAA voting, but was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Modern Baseball Era Players Committee, a group of baseball elders.
Nicknamed “Crime Dog” during his career, McGriff made his big league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1986 and played 19 seasons with six teams before retiring in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Rays.
He batted .284 with 493 home runs and 1550 RBIs in 2460 games. He was a five-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger during his career.
“It’s been a long journey,” McGriff said. It’s a dream come true,” he said.