Cincinnati Reds: Scott Rolen falls short of FanSided Mock Hall of Fame

The MLB site experts at FanSided got together for a mock Hall of Fame vote. Unfortunately, former Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen didn’t make the cut.

The MLB site experts at FanSided recently got together for a mock Hall of Fame vote. After all 42 ballots were cast, only one player emerged to be immortalized in Cooperstown. No surprise, that player was Derek Jeter. Former Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen received some love from the site experts, but not enough to make the cut.

The site experts adhered to BBWAA voting rules, with 10 players maximum per ballot and a 75 percent voting threshold to be elected. There were mixed opinions on those players accused of used PEDs. Of the 42 site experts, representing about 10 percent of the actual vote, 16 voted for Rolen. The 38.1% left the seven-time All-Star 16 votes shy meeting the 75 percent threshold.

Scott Rolen definitely has the stats to merit inclusion in Cooperstown. In addition to his seven All-Star appearances, Rolen won eight Gold Gloves, the 1997 NL Rookie of the Year Award, a Silver Slugger, and was part of the St. Louis Cardinals 2006 World Series Championship.

Rolen spent the majority of his 17-year career in the National League, playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cardinals, and Reds. Rolen spent one-plus seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. In fact, Rolen was traded from Toronto to Cincinnati, along with cash considerations, for Edwin Encarnación, Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart in 2009.

Immediately becoming a clubhouse leader, Rolen was instrumental in the Reds return to the playoffs in 2010. Playing the most games since his All-Star season with the Cardinals in 2006, Rolen returned to the Midsummer Classic and finished the 2010 season with an .854 OPS. He also took home his eighth Gold Glove that season.

Rolen finished his career in 2012, playing in 92 games for the Reds that season. Injuries limited Scott Rolen to just 157 games over his final two seasons in the league. He hit a combined .244 from 2012-2013 and barely eclipsed a .300 on-base percentage.

Scott Rolen finished his career with 70.2 WAR (wins above replacement), which ranks 10th all-time among third basemen, slightly behind former Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo (70.5) who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Is Scott Rolen a Hall of Famer? In the eyes of the FanSided MLB site experts, the answer is no, at least this year. Again, Jeter was the only player to meet the rigorous standards set, and he didn’t even receive a unanimous vote. Barry Bonds was one vote shy of making this mock Hall of Fame, and Roger Clemens fell just two votes short. To view the results, click here.