The St. Louis Cardinals and their loyal fans received good news on Tuesday night when it was announced that former third baseman and team cornerstone Scott Rolen had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Rolen, 47, was already a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2019.
But after six years on the ballot for Cooperstown, Rolen finally has received the highest honor possible for anybody in baseball.
After the news broke, Cardinals Owner Bill DeWitt Jr. released a statement congratulating the newest member of the Hall of Fame on his achievement, expressing his gratitude for his accomplishments during his time in St. Louis.
#STLCards Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr on Scott Rolen's Hall of Fame selection: "On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to congratulate Scott Rolen on the well-deserved honor of being selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. … (more, 1/2)
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) January 24, 2023
Rolen played six years in St. Louis, having been traded over to the team from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2002.
He helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series twice and was a key factor in their victory over the Detroit Tigers in 2006.
One of Rolen’s best moments was in Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS.
The Cardinals had rallied to tie the Houston Astros at two apiece on the recently retired Albert Pujols‘ RBI double.
Rolen then took Roger Clemens deep to put St. Louis ahead, where they would stay, defeating the Astros 5-2 and advancing to their first World Series since 1987.
The 47-year-old won eight Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger Award, a Rookie of the Year Award, and was a seven-time All-Star.
Some of his best career moments came while he was wearing the Birds on the Bat in St. Louis.
Now, Rolen has reached baseball immortality.
NEXT: Scott Rolen Had Elite Offensive Numbers During His Career