I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
This song got a fair bit of airplay at the Rogers Centre from April to late July. The player who used this song before stepping into the batter's box is the subject of our December Double POTD +1.
Scott Rolen mans the hot corner during an August 29th game against the Dodgers at Great American Ballpark.
Rolen looks over a knuckleball delivered by the Dodgers Charlie Haeger in the second inning. Brad Ausmus is behind the plate to give Canadian Russ Martin a day off. Rolen would later ground out to short.
Rolen heads to second with Dodgers first baseman James Loney watching the play. He reached base on an infield single to short off Jeff Weaver but didn't advance any further after Jonny Gomes grounded out to third to end the third inning. Rolen finished the afternoon going 1-for-4 with a HBP. He was robbed of a hit on a diving stop by former Jay Orlando Hudson at second base with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth. That preserved a 5-4 Dodgers lead and they went on to win it by a score of 11-4.
Former Jays third baseman Scott Rolen has agreed to a contract extension with the Reds that will see him stay in the Queen City until 2012. The 34 year-old from Evansville, Indiana will receive $23.6-million dollars over the next three years, including a $5-million dollar signing bonus. Rolen was dealt to the Reds by the Blue Jays in exchange for third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and pitchers Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart, the Jays top prospect according to Baseball America and Batter's Box.
Coming over from St. Louis in the Troy Glaus deal before the 2008 season, Rolen was looking for a fresh start in Toronto and chose number 33 at the suggestion of his daughter. However, he broke his right swear finger during a fielding drill in spring training. That meant the 2006 World Series champion had to wait until late April to make his Jay debut. He got off to a terrific start by collecting at least one hit in his first seven games. He was hitting over .300 into the early part of June but his average dipped below .250 until a late September surge in which he reworked his swing to accomodate his ailing shoulder. Rolen was able to rebound to an overall batting line of .262/.349/.431 with 30 doubles, three triples, 11 homers and 50 runs batted in along with five stolen bases in five attempts.
Rolen's choice of Coldplay's "Vida La Vida" as his theme song at the plate reflected his bat coming back to life in 2009 as he batted .320/.370/.476 with eight dingers, 29 two-baggers and four steals. However, he was traded to Cincinnati in late July to accomodate his request of being closer to his home in Indiana. Rolen's batting average and sluggling cooled off as he finished with a line of .270/.364/.401 with three homers and 24 RBI. Despite a controversial exit from Baseball North, the seven-time Gold Glove winner delivered the finest glove work ever seen at the Jays hot corner since the halcyon days of Kelly Gruber. With a contract in his pocket until 2012, will Rolen be able to justify the faith in him shown by Reds general manager Walt Jocketty? Rolen enters 2010 as a career .284/.370/.498 hitter with 283 homers and 1,129 RBI.
By the way, Rolen's theme song in Cincy was Limp Bizkit's "Rollin' ". Considering his relative struggles with the bat, he may consider going back to Coldplay for 2010.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20091220195619169