Rolen, Held to be Inducted to Reading Baseball Hall of Fame

20 years following their historic Eastern League Championship season, former Reading Phillies standouts Scott Rolen and Dan Held will both be inducted into the Reading Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 2nd when the club hosts the Portland Sea Dogs at 6:05 p.m. The duo will be honored during a special pre-game ceremony and address the fans. 

Rolen became a hit with Reading fans instantaneously following his arrival on August 15, 1995 where he hit a home run in his Double-A debut. A 2nd round selection of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993, Rolen helped the R-Phils in winning the club's third Eastern League title. He returned to man third base at America's Classic Ballpark in 1996 before being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 16th. In 81 total games with the Reading Phillies, Rolen hit .349 with 12 home runs, 25 doubles, and 57 RBIs.

Rolen began his decorated major league career late that season when he debuted for the Phillies on August 1st. The following season, Rolen became the first Phillies player since Dick Allen in 1964 (and first Reading player) to capture National League Rookie of the Year honors after hitting .283 with 21 homers and 92 RBIs. In 1998, Rolen won his first of eight Gold Glove Awards. He picked up two more Gold Glove Awards in 2000 and 2001 with the Phillies before being dealt to St. Louis during the 2002 season.

The Indiana native spent 17 total seasons in the majors before retiring in 2012. Over the course of his esteemed career, Rolen batted .281 with 2,077 hits, 316 home runs, and 1,287 RBIs. He was also a 7-time All-Star, World Series Champion in 2006, and Silver Slugger Award winner in 2002. 

Much like Rolen, Held debuted for Reading during the 1995 post-season where he clubbed one of the team's 21 post-season home runs. That homer ended up being a precursor to his Baseballtown career as the first baseman hit 26 home runs in both the 1996 and 1997 season. His 53 career home runs with the Reading Phillies stood as a franchise record until Gary Burnham (1999-01, 2006) swatted his 54th career home run in 2006 to snap it. From 1995-1997 with the R-Phils, Held hit .259 with 49 doubles, 93 triples, and 183 RBIs. 

Held played nine total seasons in the minors in the Philadelphia and New York Mets farm systems. He returned to the Phillies organization in 2002 as a hitting coach with Batavia (Short-Season A) and then served as a bullpen assistant with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2003 to 2007 where he was a member of the 2006 World Series Champions coaching staff along with his Reading teammate and fellow inductee Rolen. 

The Fightin Phils will kick off their home schedule on Thursday, April 17th when the team hosts the Richmond Flying Squirrels at FirstEnergy Stadium. Season tickets, mini-plans, and group tickets for 2015 can be purchased online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person by visiting the Fightins Ticket Office at FirstEnergy Stadium.