Tony Roig
Encyclopedia
Anton Ambrose Roig was an utility
infielder
who played in Major League Baseball
between the and seasons. Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana
, Roig spent more than a half-century in professional baseball, which included a prominent role with the Spokane Indians
of the Pacific Coast League
.
Basically a shortstop
, Roig was able to play second and third
bases during 21 seasons, including parts of three years for the original Washington Senators
of the American League
, three years with Spokane, and six in Nippon Professional Baseball. The versatile Roig later managed in the Minor leagues
and spent nearly 30 years as a scout
for the Milwaukee Brewers
, California Angels and Philadelphia Phillies
systems, where he also served as their hitting instructor.
Roig signed his first professional contract as a 19-year-old pitcher
with the Phillies organization in 1948. Two years later, he was sent by Philadelphia to Washington, where he played in the middle infield and outfield while hitting .327 in 129 games for Class-D Rome Red Sox, then finished the year with Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
.
After two years in the Army during Korean War
, Roig spent most of 1953 at Chattanooga, where he batted .303 and earned a call-up to the Senators in late September. He divided the next four years between Washington, Chatanooga, Class-A Charlotte Hornets
and Triple-A Louisville Colonels
. Shuffled back to Chattanooga for 1957, he hit .300, though an injury limited him to 73 games. At the end of the season, Washington sold Roig to the Los Angeles Dodgers
, who assigned him to the Spokane Indians
of the Pacific League
.
Roig played for Spokane from 1958 to 1960. He batted .282 in 1958 as the regular second baseman, .281 as their third baseman in 1959, and hit .278 with 16 home runs and 90 runs batted in as the primary first baseman
for the 1960 PCL champions. Although the hard-hitting 1960 Spokane produced big-league standouts as Willie Davis
and Ron Fairly
, fanatics selected Roig as the team’s Most Valuable Player. On September 8, he set a team record in 1960 for having played every position in a single game.
Interestingly, while on road trips, Roig and fellow players Jim Gentile
(1B
), Dick Scott (P
), and the brother battery
of Norman
(P) and Larry Sherry
(C
), entertained their teammates as a back-of-the-bus singing group.
In 1961 Roig was drafted by the Chicago White Sox
, but he came down with pneumonia
during spring training
. That season he played minor league ball with Triple-A San Diego Padres
. The next year he played for Triple-A Indianapolis Indians
and in the Venezuelan Winter League
.
Roig later played in Japan
, where he met the long-ball expectations for American ballplayers by hitting 126 home runs from 1963 to 1968 with the Nishitetsu Lions and Kintetsu Buffaloes
of the Pacific League
. Jim Albright, a writer who bills himself as The Japanese Insider, named Roig to the starting lineup of his all-time team of foreign-born baseball players.
In a three-season majors career, Roig was a .212 hitter (39-for-184) in 76 games, driving in 11 runs and scoring
11 times, while collecting seven doubles
, two triples
, and two stolen base
s without home runs. He also hit a .278 average and 326 homers in 1234 minor league games.
Besides playing, Roig began his scouting career with the Brewers in 1973. He also managed
the Newark Co-Pilots
from 1975 to 1976, leading his team to the New York – Penn League championship in 1975. He later scouted for the Angels, before beginning a two-decade association with the Phillies as a scout and minor-league hitting instructor in 1981.
In 2008, Roig threw out the ceremonial first pitch
when the Spokane Indians celebrated 50 years in Avista Stadium
, the ballpark built as the home of Pacific Coast League play. In addition, he was widely respected as a talent evaluator and was followed by author Kevin Kerrane in his book about scouting, Dollar Sign on the Muscle.
Roig died at his home in Liberty Lake, Washington
, at the age of 82.
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
who played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
between the and seasons. Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Roig spent more than a half-century in professional baseball, which included a prominent role with the Spokane Indians
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
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...
.
Basically 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...
, Roig was able to play second and third
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
bases during 21 seasons, including parts of three years for the original Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, three years with Spokane, and six in Nippon Professional Baseball. The versatile Roig later managed in the Minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
and spent nearly 30 years as a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, California Angels and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
systems, where he also served as their hitting instructor.
Roig signed his first professional contract as a 19-year-old 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...
with the Phillies organization in 1948. Two years later, he was sent by Philadelphia to Washington, where he played in the middle infield and outfield while hitting .327 in 129 games for Class-D Rome Red Sox, then finished the year with Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
.
After two years in the Army during Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Roig spent most of 1953 at Chattanooga, where he batted .303 and earned a call-up to the Senators in late September. He divided the next four years between Washington, Chatanooga, Class-A Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
and Triple-A Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
. Shuffled back to Chattanooga for 1957, he hit .300, though an injury limited him to 73 games. At the end of the season, Washington sold Roig to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, who assigned him to the Spokane Indians
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
of the Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
.
Roig played for Spokane from 1958 to 1960. He batted .282 in 1958 as the regular second baseman, .281 as their third baseman in 1959, and hit .278 with 16 home runs and 90 runs batted in as the primary first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the 1960 PCL champions. Although the hard-hitting 1960 Spokane produced big-league standouts as Willie Davis
Willie Davis (baseball)
William Henry Davis was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Los Angeles Dodgers...
and Ron Fairly
Ron Fairly
Ronald Ray Fairly is a former Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. He either played in or broadcast over 7,000 major league games from through .-College career:...
, fanatics selected Roig as the team’s Most Valuable Player. On September 8, he set a team record in 1960 for having played every position in a single game.
Interestingly, while on road trips, Roig and fellow players Jim Gentile
Jim Gentile
James Edward Gentile , also nicknamed "Diamond Jim", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left-handed batter who played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers ; Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Athletics , Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians .A powerful slugger listed at 6' 4",...
(1B
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
), Dick Scott (P
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 the brother battery
Battery (baseball)
In baseball, the term battery refers collectively to the pitcher and the catcher, who may also be called batterymen or batterymates of one another.- History :...
of Norman
Norm Sherry
Norman Burt Sherry is an American former catcher, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the man who, while still an active player as the second-string catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, helped the great lefthanded pitcher Sandy Koufax harness his talent and transform...
(P) and Larry Sherry
Larry Sherry
Lawrence Sherry was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers...
(C
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
), entertained their teammates as a back-of-the-bus singing group.
In 1961 Roig was drafted by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, but he came down with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. That season he played minor league ball with Triple-A San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
. The next year he played for Triple-A Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
and in the Venezuelan Winter League
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
.
Roig later played in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he met the long-ball expectations for American ballplayers by hitting 126 home runs from 1963 to 1968 with the Nishitetsu Lions and Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
of the Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
. Jim Albright, a writer who bills himself as The Japanese Insider, named Roig to the starting lineup of his all-time team of foreign-born baseball players.
In a three-season majors career, Roig was a .212 hitter (39-for-184) in 76 games, driving in 11 runs and scoring
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...
11 times, while collecting seven doubles
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....
, two triples
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....
, and two stolen base
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...
s without home runs. He also hit a .278 average and 326 homers in 1234 minor league games.
Besides playing, Roig began his scouting career with the Brewers in 1973. He also managed
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...
the Newark Co-Pilots
Newark Co-Pilots
The Newark Co-Pilots were a minor league baseball team based in Newark, New York that played in the New York-Penn League from 1968 to 1979. They were affiliated with the Seattle Pilots from 1968 to 1969 and with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1970 to 1978. They were independent in 1979. Their home...
from 1975 to 1976, leading his team to the New York – Penn League championship in 1975. He later scouted for the Angels, before beginning a two-decade association with the Phillies as a scout and minor-league hitting instructor in 1981.
In 2008, Roig threw out the ceremonial first pitch
Ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team...
when the Spokane Indians celebrated 50 years in Avista Stadium
Avista Stadium
Avista Stadium is a ballpark located in Spokane Valley, Washington, United States. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team, a Class A short-season affiliate of the Texas Rangers...
, the ballpark built as the home of Pacific Coast League play. In addition, he was widely respected as a talent evaluator and was followed by author Kevin Kerrane in his book about scouting, Dollar Sign on the Muscle.
Roig died at his home in Liberty Lake, Washington
Liberty Lake, Washington
Liberty Lake is an incorporated city in Spokane County, Washington, United States, on the Idaho state line. Liberty Lake is a suburb of Spokane, Washington. Thus, it is situated between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho...
, at the age of 82.