Rolen got there with elite fielding, powerful hitting and an aggressive playing style. He gained 76.3% support from Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters, who are not easily won over.
But Rolen’s induction would be more meaningful if he were in better company. A Hall of Fame should include every elite former player and only elite former players.
Our National Pastime falls well short of that standard with its tourist attraction in upstate New York. A mishmash of former players has plaques in Cooperstown because of the incoherent selection process.
This is the Hall of Great Players Deemed Ethically Pure, Great Players with Overlooked Character Flaws, and Some Guys Who Really Shouldn’t Be Here.