Former Cincinnati Reds Third Baseman Scott Rolen Gets Cooperstown Nod

BY ALLISON BABKA

In his sixth year of eligibility, former Cincinnati Reds third baseman and eight-time Gold Glover Scott Rolen nally made it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame – and he’s nearly peerless.

Rolen punched his Cooperstown ticket on Jan. 24 with 297 votes, or 76.3% of the vote, from eligible members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). For induction, players must receive at least 75% of that year’s vote .

In 2022, Rolen received 63.2%. e 47-year-old Rolen was the only former player that BBWAA members elected into the 2023 class. He’ll be inducted into the hall during a July 23 ceremony alongside Fred McGri , who played 19 seasons during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s and was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee in December.

Rolen may elect to enter the hall wearing the uniform of any team he’s played for: Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays or Cincinnati Reds. He also may enter with a teamless cap. Experts expect Rolen to choose enshrinement as a Cardinal or Phillie, though he nished his career in Cincinnati.

Reds rst baseman Joey Votto posted a story to Instagram congratulating Rolen.

“Scott would think this is so lame, me doing this on video and sharing it with the public, but I have to say a big congratulations to my former teammate Scott Rolen, AKA ‘Ro-Dog,’” Votto said, yipping like a pooch. “I loved playing with him. I learned so much. If any player’s lucky enough to have a role model and teammate like him, they’re as lucky as it gets. I shaped my career, my e ort, my work in his mold. He’s a Hall of Famer today, deserving, and I have nothing but respect for him and his achievements.”

Former Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo was on the 2023 ballot but earned just one vote and will not be considered in the future. To remain on the ballot, candidates must earn at least 5% of the vote.

Rolen joined the Reds in 2009, playing through 2012 at the corner before retiring. While in Cincinnati, Rolen hit his 300th career home run and helped the team win the Central Division –something that Cincinnati hadn’t seen in 15 seasons prior. He also earned one of his eight National League Gold Gloves and was an MLB All Star in 2010 and 2011 (he’d earned the honor ve additional times elsewhere) during his time in the Queen City.

Known for his hustle and leadership, Rolen compares favorably with third basemen already enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Over his career, he tallied a .490 slugging percentage (fourth-best of third basemen), 517 doubles ( fth), 2023 games (sixth), 316 homers (sixth) and .855 slugging (sixth). Rolen is one of just four third basemen ever to compile at least 2,000 hits, 500 doubles, 300 home runs and 1,200 RBI, and he’s one of just three players at any position to post those stats.

Rolen played a total of 17 years in the majors, nabbing the National League Rookie of the Year award when he came up with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997. His most celebrated era came during his years with the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he won a World Series in 2006.

Truly Connect With Their Animal Friends

For many people in Cincinnati and beyond, pets are an integral part of life. According to a 2021-2022 report from the American Pet Products Association, pets live in 90.5 million homes in the United States. at means a whopping 70% of U.S. households have a Fido, Gar eld or Goldie keeping them company.

And it seems that a good chunk of those pet-friendly homes are right here in Cincinnati. In 2022, a Lending Tree study said that Cincy was the most pet-obsessed metropolitan area in the country, with 1.93 pet stores per 1,000 businesses.

With all of these furry, feathered and scaled friends around, Queen City residents can’t help but want to pamper them. Read on for some innovative ways to show your love to your best friend.

same ve senses.”

Noftsger and her partner Cindy Hu have been working as animal communicators for two decades. ey do the work mostly by phone from their home in Maineville, since their services aren’t performed in the physical realm, Noftsger says.

“Animals talk to each other telepathically all the time,” Noftsger says. “In that realm, there’s no time or space, so I can talk to a dog in Singapore right now as if I was in the room with the dog.”

Although the concept of telepathy is a little out there for some, Noftsger has a way of explaining it in more approachable terms. According to her, animals pick up on emotions without the use of words, just like humans do. For example, if someone enters a room in which an argument has just ended, they may pick up on that, even if no one is saying or doing anything to give it away.

“You feel that and you’ve gotten that information somehow, right?” Noftsger asks. “With animals, it keeps them safe. ey can catch the intention of something.”

Noftsger’s and Hu ’s home is lled with animal photos and painted pet portraits. Right now, their family includes two dogs – one greyhound, one podengo – plus two horses. Like Noftsger, Hu has a background in science, working as a biology teacher and in information technology before retiring.