Maybe It’s Not Us…

You know when two people break up, and you think to yourself, “That guy broke up with her?  Why the hell did he do that, she’s fantastic?”  Then, without surprise, she lands on her feet, in an even happier relationship with another guy almost right away.  “Of course,” everyone says, “She’s great, remember?”  And everything seems to work out for everyone except that first guy.  Then, for another seemingly illogical reason, this new guys dumps her too, and it starts to dawn on everyone that maybe all those wonderful things we think about her aren’t really the reality of who she is.  Her strengths are for all to see, but her shortcomings are only for those that get close to her–and these shortcomings are just too much to overcome.  Well, that first guy, who “made the mistake” finds some vindication, no matter how long it has been.

Well, when Scott Rolen gets traded in the next couple of weeks because he won’t “give back” all of the respect that his new guy–the Cardinals and their manager, Tony LaRussa–has shown all these years, the first guy–the Phillies and their fans–will be the ones feeling that sense of vindication.

Rolen, drafted by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the 1993 amateur draft, won the Rookie of the Year, 4 Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger Award in his 6 seasons with the Phillies, but parted ways on bad terms because Rolen’s relatively thin skin wasn’t able to ward off some of the things that were said about him by the fans, the manager, and even some front office personnel.  In fact, the biggest dagger to Rolen’s ego was when Dallas Green, the senior advisor to the general manager at that time, questioning Rolen’s drive and personality.  “Scotty’s satisfied with being a so-so player.  I think he can be greater, but his personality won’t let him,” Green said, while Rolen was still with the Phillies.  Green also questioned Rolen’s determination to play through injury, making several snide remarks about how it is hard to build a team around a player who is only willing to play 120-125 games per season.  As it turns out, though Green may not have used tact in delivering these messages, he spoke the truth, as “Scotty” has only been a so-so player and has only averaged 121 games in 5 seasons with the Cards.

When Rolen was traded to his “hometown team,” he was as happy as a 6-year old on Christmas morning.  He must have been thrilled to be able to underachieve, take 40 games off, and never get booed.  What a dream-come-true!  However, all good things must come to an end, as the Cardinals now are actively looking to trade their once “golden boy” because of his attitude and his personality.  And it does not look like they are even asking all that much in return. 

He left Philadelphia in a whirlwind of negativity.  He was called out by Dallas Green, but everyone just blamed Green and his well-documented temper.  He was called out by his manager, Larry Bowa, but everyone just blamed Bowa for his consistent inability to handle “today’s athletes.”  He was called out by newspapers and talk shows, but everyone just blamed the Philadelphia media’s legendary over-criticism of its city’s athletes.  He was called out by the fans, but everyone just blamed our extraordinarily notorious propensity to boo and the harsh  demands we place upon our heros.  He was even called out by his teammates on several occaisions for being a “clubhouse cancer,” but everyone just blamed the players for their passive acceptance of a front office that appeared to not be fully committed to winning.  No one outside of the Philly–and I mean no one–even thought to blame Scott Rolen.  He was, in the eyes of the world, a victim and was being mercifully “saved” by a trade to his hometown team in a market of passive fans who love all players, regardless of the effort they put forth.  And now that it looks like we’re nearing the end of what has been the very disappointing career of one of the best talents to hit the game in a generation, the truth may be brought to light:  Scott Rolen, though probably one of the best “people” in baseball, just is not cut from the right mold to be a superstar athlete.  Though he might be (and I actually believe that he is) an incredibly “nice guy” and a decent, noble, genuine human being, from a strictly baseball sense, he is a selfish, spoiled, underachieving player without whom the Phillies have been better off for now six years and counting.