Biography
Rogers was the son of John Rogers and Mary (nee Stone) Rogers.3 He grew up in Batesville, Ark.
Rogers was a remarkably versatile player who excelled as both a hitter and pitcher. He debuted with Helena in the 1908 Arkansas State League. He returned to Helena the following season, but the league collapsed mid-season. Instead, he finished the year with the Peoria Distillers in the Three-I League.4 He reported to Peoria in the spring of 1910, but was sent to Freeport in the the Northern Association instead.5 He was recalled by Peoria in July6 and briefly appeared with the team before he was sold to the Toledo Mud Hens in the American Association, with which he finished the season.7
Before the start of the 1911 season, Rogers was sold by Toledo to the Zanesville club in the Central League.8 With Zanesville, Rogers excelled as a pitcher, though he suffered from poor run support.9 He led the league with 301.0 innings pitched and also showed well as a hitter, batting .295. Consequently, Rogers chose to focus on hitting the following year. He became an outfielder with Zanesville in 1912 and performed well. He was traded to Fort Wayne in the same league in June10 and finished the season with a .311 average.
At the onset of 1913, Rogers intended to become a full-time position player for Fort Wayne.11 However, before the season, he was sold to Ottawa in the Canadian League, a club managed by Frank Shaughnessy, manager of Fort Wayne in 1912.12 At Ottawa, Rogers split his time on the field as a pitcher and an outfielder, though he preferred the outfield.13 He finished the season with an impressive 13-4 record as a pitcher and a .336 average as a hitter. In 1914 with Ottawa, Rogers was largely granted his wish to primarily play the field. He played in 103 games and pitched in only 9. He hit .302 After the season was completed, Rogers was given his release. Ottawa citing his high salary as the reason.14
Rogers lived much of the rest of his life St. Louis, MO and Decatur IL, working for the Missouri Paints and Varnish Co. He died on April 12th, 1961 in Decatur, IL.15 He was buried in Valhalla Cemtery in St. Louis, MO.16
Excerpts
"Pitcher Rogers of the Helena, Ark., team has been signed by Peoria"17
"Manager Rowan of Peoria has completed his 1910 squad and has thirty-seven men signed up to report. Some of them and their records follow: . . . Edgar Rogers, Batesville, Ark."'18
"Pitcher Rogers of the Peoria team has been turned over to Freeport. He was with the team last year, but with so many major stars showing up he had to be side-stepped."19
"Manager Rowan of the Distillers and President Armour of the Toledo Americans have closed negotiations by the terms of which Pitcher Edgar Rogers, of the Distiller twirling staff, is sold to the Ohio club. The purchase price is $1250."20
''"Toledo, Ohio, July 27. Yesterday morning pitcher Edgar Rogers, purchased from the Peoria I.-I.-I. League team by President Bill Armour for $1000, was practically unheard of. To-day he is the most-talked-of person in local baseball circles. Because several big league scouts were after Rogers, and, like Armour, were hanging around Peoria to see him work in a game, the Toledo president made the Peoria management an offer of $1000, the southpaw to be delivered immediately. The deal went through. Rogers came on to Toledo and was sent in against Kansas City. He got away
bad, an infield error and a wild pitch giving the Kaws a pair of runs in the first inning. Toledo tied the score in the second. The game went 14 innings, when Land's single won for Toledo. Rogers was opposed by southpaw "Ducky" Swann. Armour's new find fielded nine assists and had a putout, besides making a hit. It certainly was a sensational debut Rogers was in the Virginia League in 1909."''21
"President Armour yesterday announced the sale of pitcher Ed Rogers, recently purchased from the Peoria Three-Eye League club to the Zanesville Central League club."22
"Edward [sic] "Lefty" Rogers was sold this afternoon by Owner Claude H. Varnell to the Ottawa club and will play ball this season for Manager Frank Shaughnessy who has him here last year."23
""Lefty" Rogers, the Senators star pitcher and outfielder, will leave on Jan. 15 for his home at Batesville, Ark."24
"Edgar T. Rogers, 73, of 230 1/2 W. Main St. died at 1:40 a.m. today in St. Mary's Hospital. He entered the hospital last week. Mr. Rogers, a former salesman with the Missouri Pain and Varnish Co., had lived in Decatur 11 years. He attended the Grace Methodist Church and was a member of Castle Williams Post 105, American Legion. He was born Oct. 21 1887 in Independence County, Ark., a son of John and Mary Stone Rogers. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, having served in World War I. On June 23, 1917, he married Eva Margaret Markwell in Peoria. In addition to his wife, he leaves a son, E. Neil Rogers, Alexandria, Va.: three brothers, Robert H. of Hot Springs, Ark., Oscar, Wellington, Tex.; Bandy of Little Rock, Ark.; three sisters, Miss Daisy Rogers, and Mrs. Geneva Gathright, Stockton, Calif., and Mrs. Lockie Herkert, Cotter, Ark. There are also three surviving grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Friday at Brintlinger's Funeral Home. Graveside and military services will be at Valhalla Cemetery, St. Louis Mo., at 3 p.m. Friday. Friends may call after 4 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home."25
Stats
1908, 1911-1914 Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.
1909-1910 Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.
4
Rock Island Argus and Daily Union, 7/12/1909, p.3
17
Rock Island Argus and Daily Union, 7/12/1909, p.3