Scott Rolen Biography

Scott Bruce Rolen was born on April 4, 1975, in Evansville, Indiana. He grew up in Jasper. Scott Rolen was the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year while playing with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Scott Rolen Trade After playing 7 years in Philadelphia, on July 29, 2002, Scott Rolen was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies with pitcher Doug Nickle and cash to the Cardinals in exchange for Placido Polanco, Mike Timlin, and Bud Smith.

Rolen put up some great numbers in just 55 games - the final 1/3 of the Cards 2002 season. Obviously, it was a match made in heaven. (Scott Rolen came to Busch Stadium during the early 1980s with his parents to see the Cardinals play as a youngster.) In late September 2002, the St. Louis Cardinals rewarded Rolen with an 8-year $90 million contract to play for them through 2010. His loss due to a freak shoulder injury while playing 3B against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2002 playoffs proved just how valuable he is to the Cardinals team.

Scott Rolen got off to an incredible start to his 2004 season, leading the NL in Runs Batted In for most of the season, and also ranked among the league leaders in home runs, batting average, runs scored, and more. Scott Rolen was the leading vote getter for the 2004 National League All-Star Game in Houston. Injured for several weeks at the end of the 2004 season, Scott Rolen ended up 2nd in the National League with 124 RBI. Rolen also finished the 2004 regular season batting .314 with 34 home runs, and also ranked among the NL's top 10 in both runs scored and on base percentage.

Buy this Scott Rolen 2004 NLCS Game 7 homerun photograph

The Cardinals won the National League Central Division with 105 wins. Scott Rolen's 2-run home run in the 6th inning of game 7 of the NLCS won the National League pennant for St. Louis by defeating the Astros in 7 games. Unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox swept 4 games against the Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series.

Scott Rolen has won
6 Gold Glove Awards!

DEAR SCOTT,

Thanks for a great season. Please don’t beat yourself up over the World Series. No one should ever let 4 losses (even in the World Series) offset 112 wins, a Division Championship and a stirring comeback to win the National League Pennant. You guys are the National League Champions!

You ran into a red-hot team on a mission, fueled by an improbable and phenomenal comeback from 0-3 in the ALCS. I don’t think anyone could have beaten them in these circumstances. You will get another chance -- if not next year, then the year after. And, even if you don’t, this was still a great year that just didn’t end well (you guys still finished with more wins than any other team in baseball; that has to count for something).

You guys gave us a wonderful season of baseball. I haven’t enjoyed watching Cardinals baseball this much since the Whitey Herzog days back in the 1980’s.

We are all still behind every one of you. Get your calf healed up, enjoy a good, well-earned off-season and come back and give us more of the same next year. We are all looking forward to the next several years with all of you guys wearing the “Birds on the Bat.” One of these years, the entire team will go into a World Series healthy (although I really believe that, even if you, Carpenter and Kline were 100%, it would not have made any difference against a team of destiny like Boston).

Thanks again,

Bruce Truesdale - Lifelong Cardinals Fan

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