St. Louis Cardinals: Rolen and Walker to remain eligible for Baseball Hall of Fame

Former St. Louis Cardinals, Scott Rolen and Larry Walker remain eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame after results were announced on Wednesday.  Chris Carpenter and Jason Isringhausen drop off future ballots.

Former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen and outfielder Larry Walker will remain eligible for the 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame after Wednesday’s results were announced.  Dropping off the ballot for 2019 will be former pitchers Chris Carpenter and Jason Isringhausen.

The Baseball Writers Association of America(BWAA) announced the results of election to the 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday afternoon.  Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, and Trevor Hoffman were elected.  They will join Jack Morris and Alan Trammell, who were elected last month on the Modern Era ballot.

To be elected to the BWAA Baseball Hall of Fame, a former player must receive at least 75 percent of the vote.  Players become eligible for the Hall of Fame consideration five years after retirement.  They can remain on the ballot for up to 10 years as long they receive at least five percent support.

Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter, and Jason Isringhausen were in the first year of eligibility for the HOF.  Larry Walker was in the eighth year of his eligibility.

Scott Rolen received 10.2% of the vote, while Larry Walker received 34.1%.  Chris Carpenter received 0.5% of the vote, while Jason Isringhausen received 0%.

Scott Rolen was a 1997 Rookie of the Year, eight-time Gold Glove winner, and seven-time All-Star.  The former third baseman was also a Silver Slugger Award winner, and a member of the 2006 St. Louis Cardinal World Championship team.

Rolen’s career numbers included a .281 BA, .364 OBP, and a .490 SLG with a .855 OPS over 2,038 career games.  During the 2006 World Series, he batted .421 with a .476 OBP and a .737 SLG.

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However, Rolen will have a steep climb to get into the Hall of Fame according to many  baseball analyst and writers.  Rolen’s career after 2006 was hampered by a lingering shoulder injury that impacted his offensive numbers until he retired after the 2012 season.

Larry Walker was a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner and a five-time All-Star.  He was also a three-time NL batting champion, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 1997 NL Most Valuable Player.

Walker, who played for the Cardinals during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, hit .313 during a 17 year career.  He also had a OBP of .400, a .565 SLG, and a .965 OPS over 1,988 career games.

Looking at these numbers, it would seem that Larry Walker would have a clear path to the Hall of Fame.  However, Walker’s numbers during his 10 years with Colorado Rockies are viewed as inflated due to high altitude games in Denver.

Thus, Walker’s entrance to the HOF is considered unlikely by many baseball analyst and writers.

Scott Rolen’s and Larry Walker’s election to Baseball’s Hall Fame will require a change of attitude among the HOF voters. Therefore,  Scott Rolen and Larry Walker will unlikely ever be members of Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

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Regardless, Scott Rolen is a fan favorite among St. Louis Cardinal fans.  His membership into Baseball’s Hall of Fame will still draw wide support among Cardinal Nation.