Phillies’ Rolen Ends Dodgers’ Rookie Streak

Scott Rolen, the Philadelphia Phillies’ third baseman, ended the Dodgers’ five-year hold on the National League rookie-of-the-year award Tuesday when it was announced he was the unanimous choice of a committee of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America.

A Dodger had won the award every year since 1992, but the unprecedented streak involving Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo and Todd Hollandsworth ended with no Dodger receiving a vote. Wilton Guerrero, their leading candidate before the season, played his way out of the lineup.

Can the Dodgers start a new streak in 1998?

The answer seems to hinge on Paul Konerko, Baseball America’s minor league player of the year.

Is he ready to replace Eric Karros at first base or Todd Zeile at third? Will Karros and Zeile still be with the team in the spring? Will they be among the 15 players the Dodgers protect in the Nov. 18 expansion draft?

Such issues extend beyond rookie-of-the-year consideration, or as Dodger Vice President Fred Claire said:

“Scott Rolen is a great young player with an outstanding future.

“Winning the rookie-of-the-year award is not the main objective, but our system has a lot to be proud of with the run we were able to make and the players on the verge of Dodger Stadium.”

Throughout the Phillies’ struggling season, Rolen was as much of a favorite to win the NL award as Nomar Garciaparra was during the Boston Red Sox’s struggle in the American League.

This was the third time both winners were unanimous choices.

Rolen, 22, the Phillies’ second selection in the 1993 draft, led NL rookies in batting with a .283 average, runs with 93, hits with 159, doubles with 35, home runs with 21 and runs batted in with 92.

He was the youngest National Leaguer to drive in 90 runs since Darryl Strawberry in 1984.

Rolen wouldn’t have been eligible for the award if Chicago Cub pitcher Steve Trachsel hadn’t broken Rolen’s right arm with a pitch on Sept. 7, 1996. Rolen had 130 at-bats at the time--the maximum allowed before a player loses his rookie status.

“At the time, I wasn’t really happy with [Trachsel],” Rolen said. “Now I might give him a call and thank him.”

Of his performance this year, he said, “I think I exceeded anything I could have fathomed. I hope I haven’t reached a pinnacle. I hope there’s more for me in baseball and in life.”

Livan Hernandez, the Cuban defector who went 9-3 with a 3.18 earned-run average in 17 starts for the Florida Marlins, tied for second with St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Matt Morris, who was 12-9 with a 3.19 ERA.

Rolen, who made the minimum $150,000, earned a $25,000 bonus for winning the award.

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The Voting

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Player, Team 1st/2nd/3rd Total Scott Rolen, Philadelphia 28/0/0 140 Livan Hernandez, Florida 0/8/1 25 Matt Morris, St. Louis 0/7/4 25 Rich Loiselle, Pittsburgh 0/4/10 22 Andruw Jones, Atlanta 0/4/3 15 Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal 0/1/6 9 Jose Guillen, Pittsburgh 0/1/1 4 Brett Tomko, Cincinnati 0/1/1 4 Jeremi Gonzalez, Chicago 0/1/0 3 Tony Womack, Pittsburgh 0/1/0 3 Kevin Orie, Chicago 0/0/1 1 Neifi Perez, Colorado 0/0/1 1

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