Steve Rogers (baseball player)
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Stephen Douglas (Steve) Rogers (born October 26, 1949) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Montréal Expos. He batted and threw right handed.
A native of Jefferson City, Missouri and gradute of the University of Tulsa, Rogers is remembered as the most successful pitcher in Montreal Expos history. Although he never won 20 games. Regers averaged 14 wins per season between 1974 and 1985. Rogers rarely missed a turn in the rotation until a throwing arm injury shortened his career. His most productive season came in 1982, when he collected a career-high 19 wins with four shutouts and led the National League pitchers with a 2.40 ERA.
Rogers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies and their ace Steve Carlton twice in the 1981 National League Division Series. He held the Phillies to one run in Game One and hurled a six-hit 3–0 shutout, helping himself with two RBI in the deciding Game Five, to send Montreal to the National League Championship Series. In Game Three of that Series, Rogers pitched a seven-hit 4–1 complete game against the Dodgers, but lost Game Five in relief when he allowed a pennant-winning home run to Rick Monday. The decision of manager Jim Fanning to use Rogers in that game, on only two-days rest, is still debated by Montréal fans.
In a 13-year career, Rogers posted a 158-152 record with a 3.17 ERA and 1621 strikeouts in 2837.2 innings. He pitched 129 complete games with 37 shutouts in 399 appearances, 393 as a starter. In four post-season games, Rogers was 3-1 with a 0.97 ERA and two complete games.
[edit] Highlights
- Five-time All-Star (1974, 1978-79, 1982-83)
- Twice led National League in shutouts (in 1979 [5] and 1973 [5])
- Led National League in ERA (1982)
- Three-time Top Five in Cy Young Award vote (1980, 1982-83)
- TSN National League Rookie of the Year (1973)
