Rolen picks Cards for HOF plaque; McGriff chooses no logo

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced Friday that Scott Rolen’s Cooperstown plaque will feature a Cardinals cap and Fred McGriff’s plaque will feature no team’s logo.

Rolen and McGriff will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 23 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Each player’s plaque will be revealed immediately prior to each electee’s induction speech on that day.

Rolen will become the 12th player to don a Cardinals cap on their Hall of Fame plaque. He played six of his 17 MLB seasons in St. Louis, winning three Gold Gloves and earning four All-Star selections while there. Rolen also captured his only World Series ring with the 2006 Cards.

“After reflecting on my 17-year career, and conferring with the Hall of Fame, I have decided on a Cardinals logo for my Hall of Fame plaque,” said Rolen, who was elected to the Hall on Jan. 24 by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “I believe this decision accurately represents a pivotal portion of my career based on our teams’ successes in St. Louis.”

McGriff, who was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Players Era Committee on Dec. 4, played for six teams over 19 seasons. His career was fairly evenly split as he spent five years each with the Blue Jays, Braves and Rays. He also played three seasons with the Padres, two with the Cubs and one with the Dodgers.

“At each stop, I was lucky to be a part of memorable teams and to play in front of some of the best fans in baseball,” McGriff said.

“In discussing my career with the Hall of Fame, we decided that with no logo on my plaque, I can equally represent these cities and the incredible fans in Toronto, where I got my start, Atlanta, where we won the World Series, and my hometown of Tampa Bay, as well as my time in San Diego. I can’t wait to see my plaque when it’s unveiled this July in Cooperstown.”