Bullet Rogan
Encyclopedia
Charles Wilber "Bullet" Rogan, also known as "Bullet Joe" (July 28, 1893 – March 4, 1967), was an American
pitcher
and outfielder
for the Kansas City Monarchs
in the Negro baseball leagues
from 1920 to 1938. Renowned as a two-way player who could both hit and pitch successfully, one statistical compilation shows Rogan winning more games than any other pitcher in Negro leagues history and ranking fourth highest in career batting average
. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1998.
Rogan's early baseball career took place in the U.S. Army
, where he played for a famous team in the all-black 25th Infantry. After joining the Kansas City Monarchs, he was the top pitcher and one of the best hitters on a team that won three pennants from 1923 to 1925 and the Negro League World Series
in 1924. He became a playing manager
in 1926 and led his team to another league title in 1929.
"Charleston
was everything—but Rogan was more," said William "Big C" Johnson, one of Rogan's Army teammates. "Rogan could do everything, everywhere." "He was the onliest pitcher I ever saw, I ever heard of in my life, was pitching and hitting in the cleanup place," said Satchel Paige
. According to Rogan's longtime catcher Frank Duncan
, "If you had to choose between Rogan and Paige, you'd pick Rogan, because he could hit. The pitching, you'd as soon have Satchel as Rogan, understand? But Rogan's hitting was so terrific. Get my point?" Casey Stengel
called Rogan "one of the best—if not the best—pitcher that ever lived."
. After the death of his mother and his father's remarriage, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Kansas
. He began his baseball career there in 1911 as a catcher with Fred Palace's Colts, a semipro team composed mostly of teenagers. Also joining the Colts that season was Dick Whitworth, who would, like Rogan, go on to pitch for many years in the Negro leagues.
Friction with his stepmother and unhappiness with the segregated high school he attended led Rogan to drop out of school before graduation and enlist in the Army on October 19, 1911. He lied about his age to do so. This would cause later confusion about Rogan's age, as some records (along with his Hall of Fame plaque) give his birth year as 1889, others as 1893; recent histories, such as Phil Dixon's, conclude that the latter date is correct.
, an all-black regiment
, for three years. He was honorably discharged in 1914. Before returning to the United States, Rogan reenlisted, this time with the 25th Infantry, another African American unit, at that time stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He was specifically recruited to play for the regiment's famous baseball team, known as the "Wreckers." He made his debut with the Wreckers on July 4, 1915.
His Army teammates included a number of later Negro league stars, such as Dobie Moore
, Heavy Johnson
, Bob Fagan, Lemuel Hawkins, and William "Big C" Johnson. Over the next three seasons, the Wreckers won the Post League championship, the United States Army Series, and the Oahu League. In February 1917 Rogan twice defeated the Portland Beavers
of the Pacific Coast League
, who were visiting the islands for spring training. On furlough for several months in 1917, Rogan played professionally for the Los Angeles White Sox, the Kansas City, Kansas, Giants, and J.L. Wilkinson's All Nations Club
, but returned to the army for three more years.
In August 1918 Rogan and the rest of the 25th Infantry were moved to Camp Stephen D. Little in Nogales, Arizona. Researchers John Holway and James Riley report that in 1919, Casey Stengel played against Rogan in Arizona, and subsequently recommended him to Wilkinson for his new Negro National League team, the Kansas City Monarchs. However, Rogan had already played in the California Winter League and for Wilkinson's All-Nations team in 1917, and had already been noted by Negro sports reporters as early as 1916.
s were good for second in the league. On August 6, 1923, Rogan combined with teammate and manager José Méndez
to pitch a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Bears
, Méndez pitching the first five innings and Rogan the last four. That season he hit .364 with a league-leading 16 wins and 151 strikeout
s to lead the Monarchs to their first pennant.
In 1924 Rogan hit .395 while compiling a 18–6 record and leading the Monarchs to their second league title. He starred in the first Black World Series
, leading the Monarchs with 13 hits and winning two games as Kansas City defeated the Eastern Colored League
champion Hilldales
. That winter he led the 1924/25 Cuban League
with nine victories for the champion Almendares club.
Rogan may have reached his peak in 1925, leading Kansas City to its third straight league championship with a 17–2 record and a .381 batting average. In the playoffs against the St. Louis Stars
he hit .450 and won three more games, including one shutout
. However, before the World Series rematch with Hilldale, Rogan suffered a knee injury while playing with his young son. Forced to undergo surgery, he missed the series. Without their star, the Monarchs went down to defeat in six games.
The following season, Rogan took over from José Méndez as manager of the Kansas City Monarchs. In that season's NNL playoffs against the Chicago American Giants
, he pitched and lost both games of a series-deciding doubleheader to the younger Bill Foster. As late as 1928 at the age of 34, Bullet Rogan was the best hitter (.358) and arguably the best pitcher (10–2) on the Monarchs. That year he slammed three home runs in a game against the Detroit Stars
.
Rogan continued at the Monarchs' helm in 1929 when they won their fourth NNL championship and recorded the best record (62–17) in the history of the league. On April 29, 1930, in Enid, Oklahoma
, Rogan played for the Monarchs in baseball's first night game. In August he was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. He remained out of the lineup for more than a year, finally returning on September 28, 1931.
When Wilkinson did not organize a Kansas City Monarchs team for 1932, Rogan joined a white independent team in Jamestown, North Dakota
, where he played until August. He batted .315 and went 20–3 as a pitcher before returning to the reorganized Monarchs in September. In the winter of 1933 and 1934, Rogan returned to Hawaii and the Philippines as a member of the Philadelphia Royal Giants, a black all-star team. The Royal Giants toured Japan and China as well. In 1936, at the age of 43, Rogan appeared in the East-West All-Star Game.
hit in his prime, then you saw Rogan," said Buck O'Neil
. "He could hit that ball...He was the type of guy that stood a long way from the plate. Not too close, because they'd jam you." According to his longtime teammate Frank Duncan, "Rogan was one of the best low-ball hitters I ever saw, and one of the best curve-ball hitters. Rogan taught Bob
and Irish Meusel
how to hit curve balls." While not extremely fast, he ran the bases well and stole
when necessary.
As a pitcher, Rogan used a no-windup delivery and both overhand and sidearm motions, and relied on an array of curveball
s, a spitball
, a palmball
, a forkball
, and the fastball
that gave him his nickname. According to the sportswriter A.S. "Doc" Young, "Joe Rogan possessed as much natural ability as Smokey Joe
or Satch
, but his control was not up to theirs." Frank Duncan, who caught both Paige and Rogan, said,
Another Monarchs teammate, George Carr, said,
As a manager, he was a strict disciplinarian, possibly a result of his military background. Carroll "Dink" Mothell maintained that "Rogan wanted to run the ball club like they did it in the army. He liked to give orders too much, even before he was managing. He used to bawl players out for different things. I could take it, but we had ball players, when he'd get on them, they'd go into a shell, resented it, and didn't give him their best." Another Monarchs pitcher, Chet Brewer
, said that "Rogan wasn't the best manager because he was such a great ball player himself. He couldn't teach pitchers much, because he'd say, 'All you have to do is go out and throw the man what I threw'." According to historian Phil Dixon, "In Rogan's first few years as manager he was reluctant to pinch-hit for many of the veterans on his roster because they were his friends." He didn't trust younger players, often inserting himself to pitch or pinch-hit for them. He sometimes treated rookies harshly. Eventually Rogan "discarded his distant approach" and became increasingly known for teaching and developing less experienced players.
in the Negro American League
until 1946, then worked in the post office. He died in Kansas City, Missouri on March 4, 1967 at age 73. The Baseball Hall of Fame first admitted Negro league players in the 1970s, but did not honor Bullet Rogan until 1998, 31 years after his death.
and supervised by Larry Lester and Dick Clark, in which a research team collected statistics from thousands of boxscores of league-sanctioned games. The first results from this study were the statistics for Negro league Hall of Famers elected prior to 2006, which were published in Shades of Glory edited by Lawrence D. Hogan. These statistics include the official Negro league statistics for Bullet Rogan:
Pitching
Source:
Batting
Source:
These statistics can be compared to an earlier compilation by Negro leagues historian John Holway, who puts Rogan's career record in the Negro leagues at 151 wins and 65 losses, with a .348 average and 62 home runs in 2039 at bats. According to Holway's statistics, Rogan's 151 wins are first all-time among Negro league pitchers, his .699 winning percentage fifth, and his .348 average fourth among players with more than 2000 at bats. (It should be pointed out that Negro league schedules were at their longest in the 1920s, so Rogan enjoys a statistical advantage over both later and earlier pitchers.) Also according to Holway, Rogan hit .370 against white major league competition.
Pitching
Rogan spent five seasons in the integrated California Winter League
between 1920 and 1930 against teams of white major and minor leaguers. Rogan's team won the championship every year.
Source:
and Army teams, at more than 350 games won, 2000 strikeouts, 2500 hits, 350 home runs, and 500 stolen bases.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the Kansas City Monarchs
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time...
in the Negro baseball leagues
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
from 1920 to 1938. Renowned as a two-way player who could both hit and pitch successfully, one statistical compilation shows Rogan winning more games than any other pitcher in Negro leagues history and ranking fourth highest in career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1998.
Rogan's early baseball career took place in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, where he played for a famous team in the all-black 25th Infantry. After joining the Kansas City Monarchs, he was the top pitcher and one of the best hitters on a team that won three pennants from 1923 to 1925 and the Negro League World Series
Negro League World Series
The Negro League World Series was a post-season baseball tournament which was held from 1924-1927 and from 1942-1948 between the champions of the Negro leagues, matching the mid-western winners against their east coast counterparts....
in 1924. He became a playing manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in 1926 and led his team to another league title in 1929.
"Charleston
Oscar Charleston
Oscar McKinley Charleston was an American center fielder and manager in baseball's Negro leagues from to ....
was everything—but Rogan was more," said William "Big C" Johnson, one of Rogan's Army teammates. "Rogan could do everything, everywhere." "He was the onliest pitcher I ever saw, I ever heard of in my life, was pitching and hitting in the cleanup place," said Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
. According to Rogan's longtime catcher Frank Duncan
Frank Duncan (baseball)
Frank Duncan was a baseball player in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1948. He was primarily a catcher for the Kansas City Monarchs, handling their pitching staff from 1921 through 1934 as the team won five pennants between 1923 and 1931...
, "If you had to choose between Rogan and Paige, you'd pick Rogan, because he could hit. The pitching, you'd as soon have Satchel as Rogan, understand? But Rogan's hitting was so terrific. Get my point?" Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
called Rogan "one of the best—if not the best—pitcher that ever lived."
Early life
Wilber Rogan was born in Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. After the death of his mother and his father's remarriage, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. He began his baseball career there in 1911 as a catcher with Fred Palace's Colts, a semipro team composed mostly of teenagers. Also joining the Colts that season was Dick Whitworth, who would, like Rogan, go on to pitch for many years in the Negro leagues.
Friction with his stepmother and unhappiness with the segregated high school he attended led Rogan to drop out of school before graduation and enlist in the Army on October 19, 1911. He lied about his age to do so. This would cause later confusion about Rogan's age, as some records (along with his Hall of Fame plaque) give his birth year as 1889, others as 1893; recent histories, such as Phil Dixon's, conclude that the latter date is correct.
U.S. Army and the 25th Infantry Wreckers
Rogan served in the Philippines with the 24th Infantry24th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 24th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States Army, active from 1869 until 1951, and again from 1995 until 2006. The regiment is notable for having a colorfully checkered history, with a record of mostly meritorious service and valorous combat performance interspersed with episodes of...
, an all-black regiment
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....
, for three years. He was honorably discharged in 1914. Before returning to the United States, Rogan reenlisted, this time with the 25th Infantry, another African American unit, at that time stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He was specifically recruited to play for the regiment's famous baseball team, known as the "Wreckers." He made his debut with the Wreckers on July 4, 1915.
His Army teammates included a number of later Negro league stars, such as Dobie Moore
Dobie Moore
Walter "Dobie" Moore was an American shortstop and right-handed batter in the Negro Leagues who played his entire career with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League...
, Heavy Johnson
Oscar Johnson (baseball)
Oscar "Heavy" Johnson was a baseball player in the Negro Leagues. He played catcher and outfielder. Johnson was one of the Negro League's foremost power hitters in the 1920s, reportedly weighing 250 pounds, and known for hitting home runs...
, Bob Fagan, Lemuel Hawkins, and William "Big C" Johnson. Over the next three seasons, the Wreckers won the Post League championship, the United States Army Series, and the Oahu League. In February 1917 Rogan twice defeated the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, who were visiting the islands for spring training. On furlough for several months in 1917, Rogan played professionally for the Los Angeles White Sox, the Kansas City, Kansas, Giants, and J.L. Wilkinson's All Nations Club
All Nations
All Nations was the name of a barnstorming professional baseball team that toured the Midwest from 1912 to 1918. It derived its name from the fact that its team including players of several nationalities, including blacks and whites, Indians, Hawaiians, Orientals, and Latin Americans. The team was...
, but returned to the army for three more years.
In August 1918 Rogan and the rest of the 25th Infantry were moved to Camp Stephen D. Little in Nogales, Arizona. Researchers John Holway and James Riley report that in 1919, Casey Stengel played against Rogan in Arizona, and subsequently recommended him to Wilkinson for his new Negro National League team, the Kansas City Monarchs. However, Rogan had already played in the California Winter League and for Wilkinson's All-Nations team in 1917, and had already been noted by Negro sports reporters as early as 1916.
Professional career
In July 1920, Rogan and Dobie Moore joined the Monarchs. Rogan quickly became the premier pitcher and biggest box-office draw in the young league. By his third season with the Monarchs, 1922, he hit .390, and his 13 home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s were good for second in the league. On August 6, 1923, Rogan combined with teammate and manager José Méndez
José Méndez
José de la Caridad Méndez was a Cuban right-handed pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues. Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, he died at age 41 in Havana. Known in Cuba as El Diamante Negro , he became a legend in his homeland. He was one of the first group of players elected to the Cuban...
to pitch a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Bears
Milwaukee Bears
The Milwaukee Bears were a Negro National League team that operated during the 1923 season, its only season in the league, representing Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
, Méndez pitching the first five innings and Rogan the last four. That season he hit .364 with a league-leading 16 wins and 151 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s to lead the Monarchs to their first pennant.
In 1924 Rogan hit .395 while compiling a 18–6 record and leading the Monarchs to their second league title. He starred in the first Black World Series
1924 Colored World Series
The 1924 Colored World Series was a best-of-nine match-up between the Negro National League champion Kansas City Monarchs and the Eastern Colored League champion Hilldale. In a ten-game series, the Monarchs narrowly defeated Hilldale 5 games to 4, with one tie game. It was the first World Series...
, leading the Monarchs with 13 hits and winning two games as Kansas City defeated the Eastern Colored League
Eastern Colored League
The Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Clubs, more commonly known as the Eastern Colored League , was one of the several Negro leagues, which operated during the time organized baseball was segregated.- History :...
champion Hilldales
Hilldale Club
The Hilldale Athletic Club was an African American professional baseball team based in Darby, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia....
. That winter he led the 1924/25 Cuban League
Cuban League
The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside of the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961...
with nine victories for the champion Almendares club.
Rogan may have reached his peak in 1925, leading Kansas City to its third straight league championship with a 17–2 record and a .381 batting average. In the playoffs against the St. Louis Stars
St. Louis Stars (baseball)
The St. Louis Stars were a Negro League baseball team that competed in the Negro National League from 1922 to 1931. Founded when Dick Kent and Dr. Sam Sheppard took over the St...
he hit .450 and won three more games, including one shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
. However, before the World Series rematch with Hilldale, Rogan suffered a knee injury while playing with his young son. Forced to undergo surgery, he missed the series. Without their star, the Monarchs went down to defeat in six games.
The following season, Rogan took over from José Méndez as manager of the Kansas City Monarchs. In that season's NNL playoffs against the Chicago American Giants
Chicago American Giants
Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team, owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Foster. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball...
, he pitched and lost both games of a series-deciding doubleheader to the younger Bill Foster. As late as 1928 at the age of 34, Bullet Rogan was the best hitter (.358) and arguably the best pitcher (10–2) on the Monarchs. That year he slammed three home runs in a game against the Detroit Stars
Detroit Stars
The Detroit Stars were a United States baseball team in the Negro leagues and played at historic Mack Park.- Founding :Founded in 1919 by Tenny Blount with the help of Rube Foster, owner and manager of the Chicago American Giants, the Detroit Stars immediately established themselves as one of the...
.
Rogan continued at the Monarchs' helm in 1929 when they won their fourth NNL championship and recorded the best record (62–17) in the history of the league. On April 29, 1930, in Enid, Oklahoma
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
, Rogan played for the Monarchs in baseball's first night game. In August he was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. He remained out of the lineup for more than a year, finally returning on September 28, 1931.
When Wilkinson did not organize a Kansas City Monarchs team for 1932, Rogan joined a white independent team in Jamestown, North Dakota
Jamestown, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.7 per square mile . There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile...
, where he played until August. He batted .315 and went 20–3 as a pitcher before returning to the reorganized Monarchs in September. In the winter of 1933 and 1934, Rogan returned to Hawaii and the Philippines as a member of the Philadelphia Royal Giants, a black all-star team. The Royal Giants toured Japan and China as well. In 1936, at the age of 43, Rogan appeared in the East-West All-Star Game.
Rogan as player and manager
Relatively small (5 foot 7, 180 pounds (82 kg)), Rogan was solidly built and strong, with thin legs and a narrow waist but broad shoulders. He threw and batted right-handed, and used an unusually heavy bat. "You saw Ernie BanksErnie Banks
Ernest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
hit in his prime, then you saw Rogan," said Buck O'Neil
Buck O'Neil
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil was a first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout, and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball...
. "He could hit that ball...He was the type of guy that stood a long way from the plate. Not too close, because they'd jam you." According to his longtime teammate Frank Duncan, "Rogan was one of the best low-ball hitters I ever saw, and one of the best curve-ball hitters. Rogan taught Bob
Bob Meusel
Robert William "Bob" Meusel was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees...
and Irish Meusel
Irish Meusel
Emil Frederick "Irish" Meusel was an American baseball Left fielder.He was first signed with the Washington Senators in 1914 and played one game. After a tour in the minor league, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1918...
how to hit curve balls." While not extremely fast, he ran the bases well and stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
when necessary.
As a pitcher, Rogan used a no-windup delivery and both overhand and sidearm motions, and relied on an array of curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
s, a spitball
Spitball
A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of saliva, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance....
, a palmball
Palmball
In baseball, the palmball pitch is a type of changeup. It requires placing the baseball tightly in the palm or held between the thumb and ring finger and then throwing it as if throwing a fastball...
, a forkball
Forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard snapping the wrist....
, and the fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that gave him his nickname. According to the sportswriter A.S. "Doc" Young, "Joe Rogan possessed as much natural ability as Smokey Joe
Cyclone Joe Williams
Joseph Williams , nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" or "Smokey Joe", was an American right-handed pitcher in the Negro leagues. He is widely recognized as one of the game's greatest pitchers, even though he never played a game in the major leagues...
or Satch
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
, but his control was not up to theirs." Frank Duncan, who caught both Paige and Rogan, said,
Satchel was easier to catch. He could throw it in a quart cup. But Rogan was all over the plate—high, low, inside, outside. He'd walk five-six men, but he didn't give up many runs. Bullet had a little more steam on the ball than Paige—and he had a better-breaking curve. The batters thought it was a fastball heading for them and they would jump back from the plate and all of a sudden, it would break sharply for a strike. I would rank him with today's best. I have never seen a pitcher like him, and I have caught some of the best pitchers in the business.
Another Monarchs teammate, George Carr, said,
Rogan was the greatest pitcher that ever threw a ball. He had not only an arm to pitch with but a head to think with. Rogan was a smart pitcher with a wonderful memory. Once Rogan pitched to a batter, he never forgot that batter's weaknesses and strong points. And don't think Rogan was nicknamed "Bullet" for nothing. That guy had a ball that was almost too fast to catch. He would really burn 'em in there.
As a manager, he was a strict disciplinarian, possibly a result of his military background. Carroll "Dink" Mothell maintained that "Rogan wanted to run the ball club like they did it in the army. He liked to give orders too much, even before he was managing. He used to bawl players out for different things. I could take it, but we had ball players, when he'd get on them, they'd go into a shell, resented it, and didn't give him their best." Another Monarchs pitcher, Chet Brewer
Chet Brewer
Chester Arthur "Chet" Brewer was an American right-handed pitcher in baseball's Negro Leagues. Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, he played for the Kansas City Monarchs, and from 1957 to 1974 he scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates....
, said that "Rogan wasn't the best manager because he was such a great ball player himself. He couldn't teach pitchers much, because he'd say, 'All you have to do is go out and throw the man what I threw'." According to historian Phil Dixon, "In Rogan's first few years as manager he was reluctant to pinch-hit for many of the veterans on his roster because they were his friends." He didn't trust younger players, often inserting himself to pitch or pinch-hit for them. He sometimes treated rookies harshly. Eventually Rogan "discarded his distant approach" and became increasingly known for teaching and developing less experienced players.
Personal life
On October 22, 1922, Wilber Rogan married Kathrine McWilliams, a Colorado farm girl. Their son Wilber Rogan, Jr., was born right after the 1924 World Series. After his retirement as a player, Rogan became an umpireUmpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
in the Negro American League
Negro American League
The Negro American League was one of the several Negro leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. The league was established in 1937, and continued to exist until 1960...
until 1946, then worked in the post office. He died in Kansas City, Missouri on March 4, 1967 at age 73. The Baseball Hall of Fame first admitted Negro league players in the 1970s, but did not honor Bullet Rogan until 1998, 31 years after his death.
Negro leagues
The first official statistics for the Negro leagues were compiled as part of a statistical study sponsored by the National Baseball Hall of FameNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
and supervised by Larry Lester and Dick Clark, in which a research team collected statistics from thousands of boxscores of league-sanctioned games. The first results from this study were the statistics for Negro league Hall of Famers elected prior to 2006, which were published in Shades of Glory edited by Lawrence D. Hogan. These statistics include the official Negro league statistics for Bullet Rogan:
Pitching
| Year | Team | League | W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
L | Pct Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win... |
G Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while... |
CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were... |
IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
RA Run average In baseball statistics, run average refers to measures of the rate at which runs are allowed or scored. For pitchers, the run average is the number of runs—earned or unearned—allowed per nine innings... |
ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
| 1920 | Kansas City Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time... |
NNL | 5 | 3 | .625 | 9 | 8 | 79.7 | 67 | 27 | 68 | 3.62 | 2.26 |
| 1921 | Kansas City | NNL | 12 | 8 | .600 | 22 | 20 | 181.0 | 150 | 57 | 102 | 3.38 | 2.24 |
| 1922 | Kansas City | NNL | 8 | 6 | .571 | 19 | 13 | 131.3 | 117 | 27 | 80 | 4.18 | 1.99 |
| 1923 | Kansas City p | NNL | 16 | 10 | .615 | 33 | 19 | 239.7 | 209 | 74 | 146 | 4.13 | 2.85 |
| 1924 | Kansas City c | NNL | 18 | 6 | .750 | 27 | 21 | 204.0 | 181 | 66 | 115 | 4.15 | 2.69 |
| 1925 | Kansas City p | NNL | 17 | 2 | .895 | 24 | 17 | 171.3 | 137 | 25 | 102 | 2.31 | 2.31 |
| 1926 | Kansas City | NNL | 16 | 5 | .762 | 24 | 13 | 158.0 | 145 | 41 | 77 | 3.65 | 3.19 |
| 1927 | Kansas City | NNL | 13 | 7 | .650 | 27 | 13 | 144.7 | 134 | 29 | 102 | 3.05 | 2.30 |
| 1928 | Kansas City | NNL | 10 | 2 | .833 | 17 | 8 | 114.3 | 122 | 14 | 54 | 3.70 | 2.99 |
| 1929 | Kansas City p | NNL | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 0 | 9.3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 2.89 | 2.89 |
| 1933 | Kansas City | Independent | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1.3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20.25 | 13.50 |
| 1935 | Kansas City | Independent | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9.00 | 0.00 |
| 1937 | Kansas City p | NAL Negro American League The Negro American League was one of the several Negro leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. The league was established in 1937, and continued to exist until 1960... |
0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 5.7 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 14.29 | 7.94 |
| 1938 | Kansas City | NAL | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Total | 14 seasons | 116 | 50 | .699 | 209 | 132 | 1444.3 | 1286 | 361 | 855 | 3.66 | 2.59 | |
| p = pennant; c = Negro League World Series championship. | |||||||||||||
Source:
Batting
| Year | Team | G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... |
R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... |
H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
2B Double (baseball) In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... |
3B Triple (baseball) In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... |
HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI... |
SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
SLG |
| 1920 | Kansas City | 37 | 145 | 12 | 43 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 8 | .297 | .441 |
| 1921 | Kansas City | 66 | 199 | 25 | 57 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 23 | .286 | .462 |
| 1922 | Kansas City | 62 | 200 | 40 | 78 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 33 | 15 | 30 | .390 | .695 |
| 1923 | Kansas City | 68 | 209 | 39 | 76 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 45 | 5 | 20 | .364 | .550 |
| 1924 | Kansas City | 60 | 195 | 36 | 77 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 51 | 8 | 16 | .395 | .590 |
| 1925 | Kansas City | 56 | 139 | 20 | 53 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 15 | .381 | .590 |
| 1926 | Kansas City | 57 | 147 | 26 | 45 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 24 | .306 | .422 |
| 1927 | Kansas City | 56 | 116 | 18 | 38 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 21 | .328 | .457 |
| 1928 | Kansas City | 64 | 201 | 40 | 70 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 5 | 18 | .348 | .512 |
| 1929 | Kansas City | 71 | 256 | 64 | 92 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 33 | 26 | 40 | .359 | .570 |
| 1930 | Kansas City | 29 | 107 | 26 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 17 | .299 | .355 |
| 1933 | Kansas City | 7 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .316 | .474 |
| 1934 | Kansas City | 7 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .074 | .111 |
| 1935 | Kansas City | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | .167 |
| 1936 | Kansas City | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 |
| 1937 | Kansas City | 16 | 30 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .267 | .400 |
| 1938 | Kansas City | 12 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .208 | .250 |
| Total | 17 seasons | 672 | 2022 | 363 | 684 | 104 | 59 | 45 | 251 | 104 | 243 | .338 | .515 |
Source:
These statistics can be compared to an earlier compilation by Negro leagues historian John Holway, who puts Rogan's career record in the Negro leagues at 151 wins and 65 losses, with a .348 average and 62 home runs in 2039 at bats. According to Holway's statistics, Rogan's 151 wins are first all-time among Negro league pitchers, his .699 winning percentage fifth, and his .348 average fourth among players with more than 2000 at bats. (It should be pointed out that Negro league schedules were at their longest in the 1920s, so Rogan enjoys a statistical advantage over both later and earlier pitchers.) Also according to Holway, Rogan hit .370 against white major league competition.
California Winter League
Batting| Year | Team | G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... |
H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
2B Double (baseball) In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... |
3B Triple (baseball) In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... |
HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
SLG | |||
| 1920/21 | Los Angeles White Sox | 30 | 106 | 39 | 3 | 4 | 5 * | .368 * | .613 | |||
| 1925/26 | Philadelphia Royal Giants | 30 | 89 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 2 | .326 | .494 | |||
| 1926/27 | Philadelphia Royal Giants | 23 | 57 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .298 | .333 | |||
| 1928/29 | Cleveland Giants | 28 | 106 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .406 | .585 | |||
| 1929/30 | Philadelphia Royal Giants | 19 | 76 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .362 | .632 | |||
| Total | 130 | 434 | 157 | 25 | 5 | 15 | .362 | .546 | ||||
| * = league leader. | ||||||||||||
Pitching
| Year | Team | W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
L | Pct Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win... |
G Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while... |
CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were... |
IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
ShO Shutout (baseball) In Major League Baseball, a shutout refers to the act by which a single pitcher pitches a complete game and does not allow the opposing team to score a run... |
||
| 1920/21 | Los Angeles White Sox | 8 | 8 | .500 | 16 | 16 | 144 | 74 * | 110 * | 1 * | ||
| 1925/26 | Philadelphia Royal Giants | 14 * | 2 | .875 | 18 * | 16 * | 153 * | 52 * | 82 * | 1 | ||
| 1926/7 | Philadelphia Royal Giants | 6 | 2 | .750 | 11 * | 6 | 68 | 21 * | 38 | 2 * | ||
| 1928/29 | Cleveland Giants | 9 | 1 | .900 | 12 | 8 | 92 | 21 | 68 | 1 | ||
| 1929/30 | Philadelphia Royal Giants | 5 | 1 | .800 | 7 | 6 | 59 | 21 | 53 * | 0 | ||
| Total | 42 | 14 | .750 | 64 | 52 | 516 | 189 | 351 | 5 | |||
| * = league leader. | ||||||||||||
Rogan spent five seasons in the integrated California Winter League
California Winter League
California Winter League is a former baseball Winter League. It is the first integrated league in the 20th century as players from Major League Baseball and Negro League Baseball played each other in training games. The league existed for almost 50 years during the first half of the 20th century...
between 1920 and 1930 against teams of white major and minor leaguers. Rogan's team won the championship every year.
Cuban (Winter) League
| Year | Team | League | W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
L | Pct Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win... |
G Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while... |
CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were... |
| 1924/25 | Almendares Almendares (baseball club) The Almendares club was one of the oldest and most distinguished baseball teams in the old Cuban League, which existed from 1878 to 1961. Almendares represented the Almendares District on the outskirts of the old city of Havana—when the league was founded it was still considered a suburban area,... p |
Cuban Cuban League The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside of the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961... |
9* | 4 | .692 | 18 | 5 |
| p = pennant; * - led league. | |||||||
Source:
Against all competition
Historian Phil Dixon puts Rogan's lifetime totals against all competition, including semiproSemi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
and Army teams, at more than 350 games won, 2000 strikeouts, 2500 hits, 350 home runs, and 500 stolen bases.
External links
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum eMuseum – biography
- BaseballLibrary – biography
- Find-A-Grave