Michael F. Rogers

Michael F. Rogers (born January 5, 1965 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former minor league player for the Texas Rangers organization from 1987-1988 and a college baseball player in the Big 12 Conference of the NCAA, who lettered on the varsity baseball team for four years at the University of Missouri-Columbia (a.k.a. Mizzou, MU) from 1984 through 1987. He bats right and throws right.

Minor League Baseball career

The Texas Rangers team drafted Rogers in the 20th round (#518 overall), when he graduated from Mizzou in 1987, [cite web
url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/teams/draft/texas-rangers-1987.shtml 1987
title=Texas Rangers Draft Picks |publisher=TheBaseballCube.com] and he played with their Port Charlotte, Florida affiliate for two years. (The first overall pick in the 1987 amateur baseball draft was Ken Griffey, Jr.)

College baseball

Career Records

Rogers broke Mizzou baseball records during his college career and is currently on the Top Ten list for eight season or career records for the Tigers on their all-time baseball record list in batting average, RBIs, runs scored, hits, walks, on base percentage, slugging %, and Total Bases. He still holds the record for the highest Slugging % at Mizzou (.695). Rogers most notably held the Mizzou career record in home runs until a 2008 graduate, Jacob Priday, broke his career home run record (45) back on April 16, 2008, when Priday slugged his 46th homer to finish his career. Rogers held this career home run distinction for 21 years until Priday broke it. [Tim Griffin (April 18, 2008). " [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3352552 Priday makes the transition from small town to big numbers] ". ESPN.com.] [" [http://mutigers.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/051508aad.html Mizzou Closes Out Regular Season with Three-Game Set Against Nebraska] ", "Missouri Athletics" (May 15, 2008).]

Rogers leads Mizzou Hall of Famer Dave Otto in batting average and leads Mizzou Hall of Famer Dave Silvestri in six baseball categories. Rogers is also ahead of Mizzou Hall of Famer Phil Bradley in two baseball record categories. Bradley, who was inducted into the Mizzou Hall of Fame in 1990, had his #15 baseball jersey retired by Mizzou back in 2003. In addition, Bradley played for the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League (Major League Baseball). Coincidentally, Bradley personally worked with Rogers during the off-season to improve his game. Otto was a former broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs on WGN radio.

Former college baseball teammates

Two of Rogers' college teammates, Dave Silvestri and Dave Otto, were inducted into the Mizzou Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and 2000 respectively. [" [http://mutigers.cstv.com/school-bio/hall-of-fame.html Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame] ", "Missouri Athletics", University of Missouri.] Both of these athletes were great players and they also continued their careers after college with Major League Baseball teams. Rogers was coached at Mizzou by Gene McArtor, who was also inducted into the Mizzou Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. Rogers also played college baseball with former players such as Dave Biscan (P), Brad Bollinger (1B), Roger Johnson (C), Russ Perkins (P), Rich Weisner and Nick Rallo (2B).

High school

Rogers lettered all four years in three varsity sports at Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur (a suburb west of St. Louis, Missouri). He played baseball (pitcher, short stop), hockey (right defense) and football (quarterback, kicker and punter). He graduated with honors in 1983 and was awarded the "Scholar Athlete of the Year" at Chaminade in his senior year. Back in the 1990s, Rogers served as Chaminade's treasurer for their high school hockey team.

Personal

Rogers and his wife, Teresa (1988 Mizzou graduate, B.A. Education), have two children (Anna, Patrick) and reside in Kirkwood, Missouri (a suburb less than 15 miles west of St. Louis). He grew up in Warson Woods, a suburb west of St. Louis and played his youth sports at Ste. Genevieve du Bois Catholic grade school. He also played legion baseball during his summers while in high school. Rogers currently works for Monsanto in St. Louis.

References

*" [http://groups.msn.com/SimmonsField/milestones1.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=1473&LastModified=4675528807642980776 Simmon Field"] . MSN Groups.VC|date=October 2008
*" [http://varsity-m.missouri.edu/alumni/baseball.html Varsity Letter Winners] ". MU Varsity M Association.