Sunday, Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen formally entered baseball immortality. The first baseman and third baseman became the latest inductees to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“What a journey, what a dream,” said McGriff, who was the first of the two to accept baseball’s highest individual honor.
McGriff, 59, cranked 493 home runs over his 19-year big league career, split among six teams. He played a key role on the 1995 World Series-champion Braves and amassed 10 seasons with 30 or more home runs and eight 100-RBI campaigns.
Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen, welcome to the Baseball Hall of Fame! #HOFWKND
(Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) pic.twitter.com/hi1l2Q4riS
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) July 23, 2023
Rolen, 48, won eight Gold Gloves as one of the greatest third basemen to play the game and starred in the 2006 World Series as the Cardinals won their first title in 24 years.
He played in five postseasons, including two World Series, and was a seven-time All-Star during a 17-year career spent with four clubs.
“It’s intimidating,” Rolen said. “It’s very intimidating to be in a room with those guys and their wives and their families. They are the legends of the game. … There’s not going to be a quick turnaround here that I’m going to feel like I belong.”
We witnessed two INCREDIBLE speeches in Cooperstown today!@jonmorosi caught up with Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen after the duo became the newest members of the @baseballhall. pic.twitter.com/wmlCiBbHEg
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 23, 2023
In a separate ceremony Saturday, three other baseball notables were recognized. Pat Hughes received the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, John Lowe was honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award and Carl Erskine received the Buck O’Neil lifetime achievement award.
