3. Scott Rolen, Phillies 1996-2002
Scott Rolen‘s time in Philly ended badly to the point that fans were booing him by the end, but that almost adds to his legend.
Rolen made his big-league debut with the Phillies in 1996, and won Rookie of the Year in 1997. In 1998, he won his first of eight Gold Gloves. By the time the Phillies traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals (for Placido Polanco) in 2002, he had three Gold Gloves and would win his fourth at the end of that season, along with his sole Silver Slugger.
Over seven years and 844 regular-season games in red pinstripes, Rolen hit .282/.373/.504 with a .877 OPS. His 880 hits included 207 doubles and 150 home runs, and he scored 533 times and drove in 559. He also went 71-for-96 in stolen-base attempts.
Unfortunately, a lot of pressure comes from being labeled ‘the next Mike Schmidt,’ and by 2002, Rolen wanted out. The Phillies dealt him at the deadline, and he continued his stellar career in the decidedly lower-pressure environments of St. Louis, Toronto, and Cincinnati.