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July 21 (UPI) — Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff are set to join the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the newest inductees. The ceremony will take place on Sunday in Cooperstown, N.Y., and will be broadcasted on MLB Network and MLB.com at 1:30 p.m. EDT.
The induction ceremony, hosted at the Clark Sports Center, is expected to attract numerous baseball legends and thousands of fans who will join Rolen and McGriff in celebrating their achievements.
“I haven’t fully grasped everything yet,” said Rolen during a video conference. “It’s an awe-inspiring group, no doubt. I’m greatly honored to be a part of it.
“Compared to the likes of Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Hank Aaron, I’m just a small fish in a big pond. But it’s an incredible pond to be in. To think that I’m sharing the Hall of Fame gallery with these true legends, that’s a tremendous honor.”
Rolen, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cincinnati Reds over a span of 17 seasons, was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1997. Throughout his career, he was a seven-time All-Star, eight-time Gold Glove winner, and won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2006.
In 2004, Rolen posted impressive numbers with a career-high .314 batting average, 34 home runs, and 124 RBIs. He finished his career with a .281 batting average, 316 home runs, and 2,077 hits in 2,038 games. Rolen’s defensive prowess is evident in his 4,081 assists and 2,023 games played at third base, ranking 11th and 12th all-time, respectively. He retired after the 2012 season while playing for the Reds.
During his 19-year MLB career, McGriff played for several teams including the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade from the New York Yankees in 1982. McGriff compiled a .284 batting average and hit 493 home runs across 2,460 appearances. He was a five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and won the World Series in 1995 with the Braves. McGriff’s career highlights also include being named the 1994 All-Star Game MVP.
McGriff led the American League with 36 home runs in 1989 and topped the National League with 35 homers in 1992. His best batting average came in 1994, when he hit .318 for the Braves. With 2,490 career hits, McGriff ranks 103rd all-time. He is also recognized for his defensive abilities, having turned 1,775 double plays and playing 2,239 games at first base, ranking fifth and third all-time, respectively.
McGriff currently holds the 29th spot on the all-time home runs list.
Rolen garnered 76.3% of the votes in his sixth year of eligibility for induction by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
McGriff, on the other hand, was unanimously selected for induction by the contemporary baseball era committee, consisting of 16 members, during the 2022 winter meetings.
Despite his impressive career with the Colorado Rockies, third baseman Todd Helton narrowly missed out on the 2023 Hall of Fame class. Helton, who finished his career with a .316 batting average and 369 home runs over 17 seasons, received 72.2% of the baseball writers’ vote.
Helton is eligible for the ballot once again in 2024, joining other notable players such as Billy Wagner, Andruw Jones, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Beltran, Alex Rodriguez, and Manny Ramirez.
The 2024 induction ceremony is scheduled for July 21, 2024, in Cooperstown.
