Former Phillie Scott Rolen was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame along with Fred McGriff this past weekend during ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Yet, there are many who believe Rolen’s numbers can be questioned. He also entered the Hall as a Cardinal - not a Phillie. Something some Philadelphia fans aren’t happy about.

Over the weekend, there was an on-line poll on the newspaper’s Facebook page questioning whether Rolen, former Phillie Dick Allen, former Yankee Don Mattingly, and former Met Jose Reyes are worthy of such an honor.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column, I’ll weigh the options of the above-mentioned nominations as well as some thoughts about the status of the Phillies, Yankees, and Mets.

The Votes Are In ... Mattingly received 51% of the online votes cast from readers. He was followed by Allen (28%), Rolen (12%) and Reyes (9%).

Here’s a brief synopsis of the candidates:

Rolen Ruled ... Back in 1996, Rolen was deemed as the next Mike Schmidt of the franchise. He could field, hit, and had power. Rolen won the NL Rookie-of-the-Year Award the following year during a bad cycle for the franchise that had a young manager named Terry Francona. Rolen hit 21 homers with 92 RBIs and a .283 average, and Phillies’ fans believed they had their next generational player.

From there, Rolen kept his production numbers high, and began to accumulate some Gold Glove awards. In 1998, he had career numbers in homers (31) and RBIs (110) and a Phillies’ best.290 average.

Yet, Rolen’s often moody attitude didn’t sit well with the media, and his combative personality began to filter through the locker room. At the time, the Phillies were struggling, and a new regime under Bill Giles didn’t want to give Rolen a long-term deal in the range of $140 million.

Rolen wanted to win, and didn’t like playing at the Vet. He publicly stated his desire to be a free agent, and his desire to return to his midwest roots, primarily the Cardinals. The Phils worked out a deal to receive third baseman Placido Polanco in exchange. Rolen would go on to have his most productive years with the Cardinals, including winning a World Series.

As a Phillie in seven seasons, he had 150 homers, 559 RBIs, and a .282 average. Overall, Rolen had 316 homers, 1,287 RBIs and a .282 average with eight Gold Gloves and six All-Star appearances.

He does have the numbers.

One Vote Short ... Allen’s quirky baseball lifestyle wasn’t easily accepted by the baseball writers of the 60s and 70s. Today, Allen wouldn’t have received the criticism he did for his actions.

Allen was one vote short in the past two ballots of the Golden Era committee, who meet once every three years. They look at players from 1950-69, and last met in 2022. Allen finished his 15-year career with a .292 average, 351 homers, and 1,119 RBIs. From 1964-70, Allen averaged 29 homers and 90 RBIs a season.

One glaring stat is his OPS+ at 165 from 1964-74, which is higher than eight other Hall of Famers - Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in the mix - at the time.

Allen’s propensity to literally follow his own drum beat by choosing to miss games didn’t follow baseball’s protocol and placed him on presumed black list.

His best chance was in 2022, and time may have passed him by.

I remember him from his days with the White Sox when he won the AL MVP in 1972, and when he was a shadow of himself during his second Phillies stint in 1975 and 1976. Still, Allen’s presence during the 60s was legendary. For those of you who saw him play, you know what I mean.

Donnie Baseball ... From 1984-89, Mattingly arguably was the best or definitely among the best players in the game. During that period, he hit .327, had 160 homers and 684 RBIs with a 147 OPS+ and a 33.0 WAR. He always was among the top three picks in fantasy leagues.

However, the argument against Mattingly is the remainder of his career. A disc issue in his back slowed his progress over his last six seasons, and Mattingly averaged 10 homers, 64 RBIs, and a 286 average.

In his 14 seasons - all with the Yankees - Mattingly had 222 homers, 1,099 RBIs and a .307 average with 442 doubles. He earned six All-Star appearances, five Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and one MVP.

Diehard Yankees’ fans still continue to make their case, and Mattingly was one of the game’s greats for a period of time, but longevity hurts him. His name is likely to surface with the veterans’ committee.

Reyes Reign ... Longtime Times News sports writer Rod Heckman disagreed with me about Reyes, - and he could have a point. Heckman thought that David Wright was probably a better candidate to be my Mets representative in the poll. When you think about Mets’ candidates, there isn’t a long list. If you can think of a legitimate one, please let me know.

For his 12-year career with the Mets, Reyes hit. 282 with 408 stolen bases, 521 RBIs and a OBP percentage of .334. Overall in 16 seasons, Reyes hit. 283 with 517 steals, 719 RBIs, and an OBP of .334. Reyes was a four-time All-Star.

On the other hand, Wright had 249 homers with 970 RBIs and a lifetime .296 average in 14 seasons. He was a seven-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers awards. Wright finally retired in 2018 after back issues, but he would appear to be a borderline candidate at best.

Where have you gone, Cleon Jones?

No Postseason Parties ... For the Phillies, Mets, and Yankees, there is plenty of baseball left to be played.

However, I am going out on a limb here and state that all three teams won’t make the postseason. The main reason for all of them has been consistent starting pitching. No team has a pitcher who has been able to reach the next level.

The Phillies have the best chance, beginning today within a half game of the final Wild Card spot. They host the Orioles in a three-game set beginning tonight.

Readers Write ... Regular contributor Jason Green recently replied about the July 17 column commenting “it is very disappointing at how many busts the Phillies have had drafting players over the last 40 years. That is what made the 2007-2011 seasons so special in that most of those players were homegrown and not free agent signings. So it is nice to see players like Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm flourish with the team.”

Feedback ... Your opinions, comments, and thoughts are always welcomed. Email tnpsorts@tnonline.com