Hall of Fame Discussion 2022 and Beyond

[andyb]

As mentioned in the former Phillies thread, Scott Rolen makes the Hall of Fame. Todd Helton misses by 11 votes.

Scott Rolen voted into Baseball Hall of Fame

[LoneStarPhan]

Congratulations to Scott Rolen.

Sadly, his departure from the Phillies was not a good time but he went on to have many pretty good seasons.

A number retirement in the Phillies' future?

[nycphils]

I’m still a little salty. Make him wear a Phillies cap on his plaque!

[BaseballCat]

I always loved Scott and his play. Maybe because I was in the area when he was making it through the minors and was at his MLB debut. I never got the negative talk. I don’t think he leaves Phils with the current batch of owners.

[RolenRules]

I agree with you 100% BaseballCat.

I am glad (obviously given my screen name) that he was voted in. It will be interesting to see which team's cap he will wear at the ceremony.

[julio]

I’m still a little salty. Make him wear a Phillies cap on his plaque!

Make him?

You're salty? (Yeah, know what that means, as silly as it is.) If Rolen doesn't opt to go in as a Phillie, it will be because of the way our organization, and a sizable chunk of our phandom, treated him. What goes around...

I don’t think he leaves Phils with the current batch of owners.

No, he probably wouldn't have. Middleton probably wouldn't have been stupid and petty. Giles?

[Dirk41]

If Rolen goes in with a blank cap, that is him essentially going in with a Phillies one, imo. Really think it would be of their best interest to make a bigger deal of this. The statement was nice, but you can sense the tension.

He was really great. And really great here. He's gotta go on the wall this year.

[BaseballCat]

Unfortunately I think he will have a Cardinals hat, but I could be wrong. I will not hold it against him if he does.

[Dirk41]

He has said he hasn't made a decision yet, but I honestly think it will be blank

Also, the Phillies look nothing but classy by retiring his number this year. There is no downside at all to it. The 08 guys aren't likely getting in the HOF and if Jimmy does, retire his number, too. Seems like a really great PR move

[zambonir]

They haven't even put him on the Wall of Fame! Now that the Phillies no longer have a policy, informal or otherwise, of only retiring Hall of Famers (even if honoring Allen was also a statement about the fact that they thought he should be there) they can honor the '08 stars with impunity (and ditto, when it comes to Chase and Jimmy). But automatically and immediately retiring Rolen's number would make it look like the policy still exists.

I'd also be shocked if he didn't go in in a St. Louis cap but if he said otherwise that might be more about the Reds than the Phillies.

[zambonir]

In a statement, Phillies owner John Middleton said the team is “privileged” to be associated with Rolen and intends to honor him at Citizens Bank Park “this season at a date to be determined.”

Former Phillie Scott Rolen is elected to the Hall of Fame

[Dirk41]

He spoke about every team he played for when asked specifically about the Phillies and Cards on a Zoom with MLB Network earlier. I really think it will be blank.

Just think it's a great opportunity for the Phillies to build good will.

[BaseballCat]

I saw that part of the interview. He did have good things to say about the Phils. Just think we should have mended the fence before now.

[Dirk41]

Absolutely. And the release by the team (especially in comparison to even how excited Reading seems to be for him) kinda shows that they aren't there yet

[Lucky_Beagle]

I would not retire Rolen's number. I personally think a player should be able to be thought of as a "Phillie" when most of the fans across the country think of the player. I would use the "rule" of the player needed to have played at least over half their career as a Phillie to even be considered. Therefore Rolen doesn't make the cut to me. (of course Doc H wouldn't have made the cut either, At the present time Harper wouldn't make the cut, however he as the potential depending upon how the next 8 years go.)

[allentown]

I think he belongs on the wall. I will always regard him as a Phillie. I also will always view the way Giles handled Rolen and Schilling to be a disgrace on the order of his drafting and handling of the J. D. Drew non-signing. The Philly turf was very tough on Rolen's back. Rolen and Schilling were bright lights in a very dim Phillies era.

[andyb]

Not sure Roy Halladay is thought of as a Phillie.

I probably would not retire Rolen's number but I also hedge on the trio of Rollins, Utley, and Howard. It lowers the bar considerably to where you really have to think about multiple other players (Rolen, Hamels, etc.).

They should definitely put Rolen on the Wall of Fame. I have never understood why they did not do it pretty quickly because it was so obvious. Rolen's "sin" was criticizing the organization for not trying hard enough to win and he was right about that. Several owners and a generation of fans later and we are still debating this?

[julio]

I would not retire Rolen's number. I personally think a player should be able to be thought of as a "Phillie" when most of the fans across the country think of the player. I would use the "rule" of the player needed to have played at least over half their career as a Phillie to even be considered. Therefore Rolen doesn't make the cut to me. (of course Doc H wouldn't have made the cut either, At the present time Harper wouldn't make the cut, however he as the potential depending upon how the next 8 years go.)

By your rule, Grover Alexander and Jim Bunning would have to come off the wall, as well as Halladay.

[Lucky_Beagle]

so be it....retired numbers should be for the few

[andyb]

Harper is not there yet, but I fully expect his number to be retired if he is half decent the rest of his career (i.e. the normal decline). If Nola resigns for another 5 years and wins another 75 more games (that would be over the next year plus those 5 extra) one might have to consider him if the Howard/Rollins/Utley group gets retired.

That is the danger of lowering the bar and they already did it with Halladay unfortunately.