Barehanded, backhanded, diving, leaping, sliding — all trademarks of the way Gold Glove third baseman Scott Rolen made plays at the hot corner.
He could also field a slow-roller or a bunt, snare a missile, throw on the run, or from his knees or off-balance, even while standing on one leg. And, every once in a while, he’d throw in a play you’d never seen before.
With a rifle for an arm and pinpoint accuracy, Rolen made throwing to first base a foregone conclusion. Tony La Russa, Rolen’s manager when he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, famously said, “I told him once, my happiest day would be if there’s a game where 27 ground balls get hit to third base.”
Rolen, one of the premier third basemen of his era (1996-2012), was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in January. When he is inducted on July 23, he will become only the 18th third baseman in major league history to be enshrined in Cooperstown.
When thinking about Rolen, most fans remember his spectacular fielding plays at third base as well as his daring baserunning. Not that Rolen didn’t have a strong offensive game. He certainly did. But his fielding prowess made it seem as if every time the ball was hit to him, he found a new, breathtaking way to make a play.
In Rolen’s playbook, using his glove to stop an opponent from scoring was akin to using his bat to knock in a run. The 17-year veteran took great pride in his defense because it allowed him to contribute to his team on a daily basis, even in games when he had an 0-fer at the plate.
As a member
