This Date in Phillies (and MLB) History: January 14

Phillies events on January 14

• 2016: The Phillies avoided arbitration with shortstop Freddy Galvis by agreeing to a one-year deal, locking in a steady everyday defender as the club moved through its rebuild years.
• 2020: Philadelphia designated Odúbel Herrera for assignment (a major roster decision at the time) and claimed outfielder Nick Martini off waivers, a quick attempt to reshuffle depth.
• 2021: The Phillies reached a one-year, $6 million agreement with reliever Archie Bradley, who pitched one season in Philly with a 7-3 record and a 3.71 ERA in 53 relief appearances.
• 2025: The Phillies announced a slate of non-roster invitations to major league spring training, highlighted by top prospects like Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford along with other upper-minors depth pieces.

MLB events on January 14

• 1963: The White Sox swung a franchise-shaping deal, trading shortstop Luis Aparicio to Baltimore in a package that helped reset Chicago’s roster and direction for the mid-1960s.
• 1976: Ted Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves, a major ownership moment that tied the franchise to Turner’s media empire and changed the club’s long-term trajectory.
• 1999: The Reds signed free-agent first baseman Hal Morris, and the Tigers completed a notable trade with Houston to acquire catcher Brad Ausmus and pitcher C.J. Nitkowski as part of a larger multi-player swap.
• 2008: The Cardinals and Blue Jays swapped third basemen, sending former Phillie Scott Rolen to Toronto for Troy Glaus.

Phillies birthdays on January 14

• Bill Wolff (born 1876) – Another one of those guys whose MLB career consisted of a single game. For Wolff, it was with the Phillies in 1902. He threw a complete game against Pittsburgh, but lost in a 5-1 game with Wolff allowing four earned runs.
• Art Decatur (born 1894) – Finished his six-year MLB career with the Phillies between 1925 and 1927 after pitching for Brooklyn.
• Russ Scarritt (born 1903) – An outfielder who finished his big-league run with the Phillies in 1932. He had played the three previous seasons with Boston.
• Ron Clark (born 1943) – Pitched six MLB seasons with Minnesota, the Seattle Pilots, Oakland, and Milwaukee. He played in the minors in 1973 and 1974 before resurfacing with the Phillies in 1975 when he got one at-bat.
• Derrel Thomas (born 1951) – A switch-hitting utility man who is best known for his time with San Diego, San Francisco, and the Dodgers. Thomas played the 1985 season, his last in the majors, with the Phillies and hit .207. He went on to manage in the minors after his MLB days.
• Aaron Altherr (born 1991) – A Phillies draftee and outfielder who debuted with Philadelphia and played for the Phillies for six seasons. He was claimed by the Giants off waivers on May 11, 2019 and less than two weeks later was waived again. This time he signed with the Mets and played in his final 26 games with New York.

MLB birthdays on January 14

• Terry Forster (born 1951) – A left-handed reliever, Forster led the majors with 24 saves in 1974 while with the Chicago White Sox. He finished his career with 127 saves.
• Sonny Siebert (born 1934) – A two-time all-star who pitched in the majors for 12 seasons. He finished with a 14-=0-114 record and a 3.21 ERA over 12 seasons.
• Erick Aybar (born 1984) – A switch-hitting shortstop best known for his Angels years, when he was a regular on competitive clubs and a steady middle-infield presence.

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A DEEPER DIVE… Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen was the rare third baseman who looked like he was built in a lab to do everything: quick first step, cannon arm, soft hands, and enough thump to hit in the middle of a lineup. The Phillies brought him up in 1996, and even that first season had a little drama. He was hit by a pitch that fractured his right forearm and ended what would have been his rookie year early, which pushed his true rookie season to 1997, when he promptly won National League Rookie of the Year.

Philadelphia, when it was really good
Rolen’s Phillies run (1996–2002) is remembered two ways at once. On the field, it was electric. He was a cornerstone talent at a premium position, a perennial Gold Glove-level defender, and a middle-order bat when healthy. Philadelphia didn’t have a ton of star power in those years, so Rolen’s excellence stood out even more.

The frustration is that the team around him never quite matched his timeline. The Phillies had their first winning season since 1993 in 2001 and were close to the playoffs, but the club didn’t make any aggressive, “we’re all-in right now” additions that would have signaled a push to build a contender around him. That context matters, because it’s right where the relationship starts to sour.

The breakup and why it got ugly
Rolen’s departure from Philadelphia wasn’t a quiet “we tried” parting. It became a rolling controversy because it mixed contract talks, public comments, and fan emotion.

In spring 2002, he was already talking openly about turning down an enormous long-term offer from the Phillies and framing it as a principle thing, even joking that it would take an “idiot” to pass up the money that he did. It was a quote that stuck, especially in a market that expects stars to either commit or keep it private.

By the time the 2002 trade deadline arrived, the marriage was basically over. On July 29, 2002, the Phillies traded him to the Cardinals in a five-player deal that sent Rolen and pitcher Doug Nickle to St. Louis for Placido Polanco and pitchers Bud Smith and Mike Timlin. That deal ended his seven-year tenure in Philly, and even the straight news coverage at the time noted how poorly things had ended.

Why did fans keep booing him for so long after? A lot of it came down to the vibe: the sense that he wanted out, didn’t sugarcoat it, and then landed in a baseball town he praised. Years later, even local retrospectives in Philly still frame it as one of those classic “great player, messy exit” situations.

St. Louis peak, plus the body starting to complain
If you want the cleanest version of Rolen’s greatness, a lot of it lives in St. Louis. He was a centerpiece on elite Cardinals teams, part of the “MV3” era with Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds, and he helped deliver a pennant in 2004 with a huge NLCS Game 7 homer. He also got a ring in 2006, contributing in the postseason and remaining a defensive anchor at third.

But this is where the “career cut short” part starts to feel real. Rolen’s body took repeated hits, and the injuries weren’t minor annoyances. A violent collision in 2005 led to major shoulder trouble and surgery, with the shoulder issues recurring again in 2007. (Even after he left St. Louis, the wear didn’t stop. Later in his career, he dealt with back problems and back spasms that limited his availability, including during his Reds years when he missed time with both shoulder issues and back trouble.

Late-career stops and the Hall of Fame finish
Rolen’s later years were more about managing health and finding the right fit. He had productive stretches in Toronto and Cincinnati, often looking like his old self in bursts, then needing downtime when something flared up.

His Hall of Fame case ended up leaning on the full package: elite defense at third base, strong offensive value, and consistency across a long career even with injuries. In January 2023, he was elected by the BBWAA with 76.3% of the vote, clearing the 75% threshold and heading to Cooperstown in the Class of 2023.

If you’re a Phillies fan, it’s totally reasonable to feel two things at once: that he was a star you wanted to build around, and that the way it ended left a bruise. Time has a way of sanding down the sharp edges, though. The player is Cooperstown caliber, and the Phillies chapter is a big reason why.

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