Scott Rolen

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**Scott Rolen**
Image:Rolen2.jpg
St. Louis Cardinals — No. 27
Third base
Born: April 4, 1975
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
August 1, 1996 for the Philadelphia Phillies
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
Batting Average	.283
Home Runs	261
Runs Batted In	1,012
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (1996-2002) St. Louis Cardinals (2002-present)

Scott Bruce Rolen (born April 4, 1975 in Jasper, Indiana) is an American baseball player who currently plays at third base for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rolen grew up in Jasper, Indiana [1][2]. Although drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 1993 amateur draft, he didn't receive playing time until 1996. In the next season, he was named National League Rookie of the Year.

On July 29, 2002, Rolen was traded, along with Doug Nickle, to the Cardinals for Plácido Polanco, Mike Timlin, and Bud Smith. Later that year, he received an eight-year contract extension.

Rolen's 2004 season has arguably been his best to date. For much of the season, he led the National League in RBIs, often ranked among the league leaders in most offensive statistics, and had the highest vote total of any player for the All-Star Game. Despite being injured for the last stretch of the season, he finished the year with a career-high .314 batting average, 34 home runs, and 124 RBIs. He finished fourth in the National League MVP voting. Rolen, along with Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds earned the nickname MV3 for their phenomenal 2004 seasons.

In the 2005 season, Rolen only played 56 games due to a left shoulder injury. He eventually opted to have surgery on his shoulder, rather than attempt to let it heal on its own and return for the playoffs. He returned to full-time duties in 2006, a year in which Rolen was one of six nominees for the National League Comeback Player of the Year award.

On September 15, 2005^{[citation needed]}, Rolen set a personal record for RBIs in a game with 7 in a 13-4 win against the San Francisco Giants, hitting 2 home runs.

Image:Rolen swing.jpg

Rolen taking a swing

A middle-of-the-order hitter throughout his career, Rolen has a career .283 batting average as well as a .372 on-base percentage and a .507 slugging percentage. He has 1,558 Hits, 261 Home runs, and 1,012 RBIs, as well as having scored 954 Runs (as of August 31, 2007).

He went 4-for-5 with two singles, a double, and his 261st home run against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 15, 2007.

He played in his 1,500th game (5,480 ABs) on August 22, 2007.

He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 31, 2007 because of his recurring left shoulder problems. Then on September 11, Rolen had season-ending shoulder surgery "for the removal of scar tissue and a bursectomy and a manipulation of his left (non-throwing) shoulder", according to a release from the team.

However, while Rolen is a fine hitter, it is his glove that attracts the most attention. In a twelve-year career, Rolen has won seven Gold Glove Awards. Only Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson (16) and Mike Schmidt (10) have more at third base. Schmidt himself has said that Rolen is a better gloveman than he was, and many analysts and baseball experts agree.

Rolen is known throughout the baseball community as one of the hardest working players in the game. He was also a star basketball player as 6' 4" tall growing up in Indiana. This athleticism and determination make him one of the game's best third basemen.

Rolen's charitable foundation to brighten the lives of children and their families who struggle with an illness, hardship, or other special needs is the Enis Furley Foundation.

Rolen currently splits his time between residences in Saint Charles, Missouri; Carmel, Indiana; Bloomington, Indiana and Bradenton Beach, Florida

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Scott Rolen

Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube
Scott Rolen page at stlcardinals.scout.com

Awards
Preceded by Todd Hollandsworth	National League Rookie of the Year 1997	Succeeded by Kerry Wood
Preceded by Jason Kendall	Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year 2002	Succeeded by Todd Helton
Preceded by Todd Hollandsworth	Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie 1997	Succeeded by Kerry Wood
Preceded by Joe Randa	Topps Rookie All-Star Third Baseman 1997	Succeeded by Bobby Smith
Preceded by Ken Caminiti Robin Ventura Mike Lowell	NL Third Base Gold Glove Winner 1998 2000-2004 2006	Succeeded by Robin Ventura Mike Lowell David Wright