Roger Henry Metzger was a Shortstop

Shortstop

Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...

 for the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

 (1970), Houston Astros

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

 (1971–78) and San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

 (1978–80). A light-hitting shortstop, he was known for his strong defense and good running speed.

Career

Metzger won the 1973 Gold Glove Award at Shortstop. He led the National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 in triples in 1971 (11) and 1973 (14). He led the National League in outs (528) in 1972.

In 11 seasons Metzger played in 1,219 games and had 4,201 at bats, 453 runs, 972 hits, 101 doubles, 71 triples, five home runs, 254 RBI, 83 stolen bases, 355 walks, .231 batting average, .291 on-base percentage, .293 slugging percentage, 1,230 total bases, 90 sacrifice hits, 22 sacrifice flies and 34 intentional walks.

Injury and subsequent retirement

In the off-season between 1979 and 1980 Metzger lost the tips of four fingers (index to pinky) in a table saw accident. He attempted a comeback for the 1980 season, but was released by the San Francisco Giants on August 10, 1980, after only hitting .074 in 28 games.

Personal life

A graduate of St. Edward's University

St. Edward's University

St. Edward's University is a private Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located south of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. The university offers a liberal arts education and its campus is located on a hill overlooking the city of Austin. The campus's most notable landmark is Main...

 in 1970, the school retired his jersey in June 2005. He resides with his wife, Tamy Metzger in Brenham, Texas

Brenham, Texas

Brenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...

, and they have two sons - Roger Kurt Metzger and Ryan Evans Metzger.

Sources