Scott Rolen met with a warm welcome for his Phillies Wall of Fame induction

Scott Rolen cleared his throat, looked up from his speech, and saw his family, friends, teammates, and other invited guests who came together Friday night to honor him on the Phillies’ Wall of Fame.

Then, he spotted Bill Giles. And gave him a hug.

Imagine that. Twenty-two years after turning down a nine-figure extension offer from the Phillies because he doubted ownership’s commitment to building a World Series contender, Rolen delayed his remarks by a few seconds, walked over to the longtime former team chairman, and embraced.

It wasn’t planned, Rolen said later. It was just that he hadn’t seen Giles in a while, and Giles still exchanges Christmas cards with Rolen’s mom — “In the mail,” Rolen said — and, well, it felt like the right thing to do.

“I wasn’t trying to make a big spectacle,” Rolen said. “But I did see him there, and I thought, ‘My mom’s going to want me to hug him. ‘And so, I thought, what the hell, I’m going to go hug him right now. I just did it.”

But maybe it symbolized something more. Rolen didn’t get booed, as some suspected he would, by fans who haven’t forgiven him for pushing for a trade in the first place, though a late-arriving crowd may have softened the response. In turn, Rolen paid homage to late coach John Vukovich and other influences, including a demanding fan base, from the first seven seasons of career that culminated with his Hall of Fame induction in July.

“This is where I cut my teeth as a player,” Rolen said in his speech. “This is where I learned to play the game.”

It prompted actual applause.

“That was fantastic,” Rolen said. “I don’t know [what he expected]. But I’m very appreciative of the reaction. I thought it went great.”

The thawing began in January. A few weeks before Rolen’s election to the Hall of Fame on his sixth ballot, he heard from managing partner John Middleton.

Rolen called it a “reintroduction” to Middleton, who not only expressed the Phillies’ interest in honoring Rolen this season whenever his schedule allowed but also in welcoming him back into their family.

“We had a great conversation, and what we were in agreement that we had been strangers for too long — and for no reason,” Rolen said. “Nobody’s mad. It’s just, I’m in Indiana and Philadelphia’s in Philadelphia. I’m coaching my kids and traveling around.

“But he was quite clear that he was opening the door. Not that I thought it wasn’t open. I think he was kind of pushing the pedal and saying, ‘Let’s get back together. It’s been a long time.’ It’s wide open. It’s been really positive.”

And so, Rolen came back. He stood in Citizens Bank Park, next to Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski, Garry Maddox, John Kruk, Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome, and Mike Lieberthal. He pulled on a red pinstripe jersey with his old No. 17, accepted one of the franchise’s highest honors, and reminisced about everything, from his play on the field to dating his wife, who waited tables in South Jersey.

But not before hugging Giles.

“I love Bill Giles,” Rolen said. “He’s just a great human. He was great to my family and stayed in touch. Very generous and dear to our family.”

Asked for a comparison to newly summoned reliever Orion Kerkering’s meteoric rise from low-A at the beginning of the season to the majors in September, manager Rob Thomson pointed to former Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who got called up in August 2007 and pitched in the postseason.

Here’s another: Francisco Rodríguez.

K-Rod, as he became known, made his major-league debut for the Angels on Sept. 18, 2002, and struck out 13 batters in 5⅔ innings over five appearances. He was a revelation in the playoffs, posting a 1.93 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 18⅔ innings and helping the Angels to win the World Series.

» READ MORE: How Phillies prospect Orion Kerkering jumped from low A to the big leagues in one year

Entering play Friday, Kyle Schwarber drew a career-high 123 walks, six shy of equaling Lenny Dykstra’s single-season franchise record of 129 in 1993. ... The Phillies designated utility infielder Drew Ellis for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Kerkering. ... Zack Wheeler (12-6, 3.63 ERA) is scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, weather-permitting, against Mets lefty José Quintana (3-5, 3.02). Heavy rain is in the forecast.