Scott Rolen

Did You Know?

• Rolen was born in Evansville, Indiana, and attended Jasper High School in Jasper, Indiana.
• On July 18, 2018, Rolen was hired as the Director of Player Development for Indiana University baseball.

Career

Rolen had committed to playing college basketball for the Georgia Bulldogs after receiving scholarship offers from schools including Oklahoma State and the University of Alabama. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the second round of the 1993 MLB draft, and he expressed hope to play in the Phillies farm system during summers and for Georgia basketball in winters. On July 22, he chose to sign with the Phillies and focus on baseball, joining the Rookie-level Martinsville Phillies.

In 25 games that season, he batted .313 with five doubles and 12 RBIs. He opened 1994 with the Low A Spartanburg Phillies, batting .295 with 10 home runs, 30 doubles, and 61 RBIs by late August, though his 35 defensive errors drew concern. Manager Roy Majtyka defended him, saying many errors came from bad hops. Rolen was named Spartanburg's MVP after batting .294 with 14 home runs and 72 RBIs, but he said he was not satisfied and needed to improve his entire game. He participated in the 1994 Florida Instructional League to continue developing.

Charity work

In 1999, Rolen created The Enis Furley Foundation, named after one of his dogs, to help children and families facing illness, hardship, or other special needs. The foundation's broad scope allows flexibility in responding to various circumstances. It runs community outreach programs, "Hot Corner Kids," and builds outdoor retreats such as "Camp Emma Lou," named after another of Rolen's dogs. Rolen has said his charity goals are "to have fun, have a blast. Let's play." He also gave a major gift to Indiana University's baseball program and Bart Kaufman Field in honor of his parents, Ed and Linda Rolen, who are educators and IU fans.

Awards and honors

Rolen was selected to the Indiana Basketball All Star Team in 1993 and named Indiana Mr. Baseball that same year. He won the 1997 NL Rookie of the Year award and earned eight Gold Glove Awards at third base (1998, 2000–04, 2006, 2010). He was a seven-time NL All-Star and won the NL Silver Slugger in 2002. The Baseball Writers' Association of America elected him to the Hall of Fame in 2023, his sixth year of eligibility, after receiving only 10.2% of the vote in his first ballot appearance in 2018—the lowest ever for a candidate eventually voted in by the BBWAA. He was formally inducted on July 23.