His Cooperstown case comes down to the subtle brilliance with which he played the game.
Scott Rolen was a superb baserunner to go along with his elite fielding and solid hitting. Taken together, he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
If Scott Rolen is headed to the Hall of Fame, as his meteoric rise in balloting suggests, his candidacy will be unlike anything seen in the 56 years under current voting rules for the Baseball Writers Association of America. It is a reflection of how he played the game: with subtle brilliance.
Rolen received only 10% support in the first year on the ballot.