Danny Rogers dominated in college, played two seasons as a pro; Later played softball

Danny Rogers' college coach at Missouri Southern Warren Turner knew Rogers would be taken by the pros, he told The Joplin Globe in June 1990.

Rogers was just too good not to be.

"We were confident Danny would be drafted," Turner told The Globe. "He was Missouri Southern baseball this spring. He dominated. We won't fill his shoes."

Rogers was drafted and signed. His pro career, however, proved limited. He played two seasons and topped out at single-A.

Rogers' career began that year in 1990, taken by the Tigers in the eighth round of the draft out of Missouri Southern State University.

Rogers started with the Tigers at short-season Niagara Falls. He played in 71 games, mostly as a first baseman. He ended with a .204 average and 10 home runs.

He moved to single-A Fayetteville for 1991. He hit .230 there over 112 games. He also hit 11 home runs. That season turned out to be his final season as a pro.

Rogers found himself back on the field in 1996, a local softball field, playing a different kind of baseball. He noted the different approach then to The Globe, as compared to his college and pro baseball days.

"That's what I try to keep in the back of my head. It's just softball," Rogers told The Globe of the pitch style. "They're throwing it underhanded. They're not throwing a 90 mile-per-hour fastball at Innings or a slider or something."

• Joplin Globe, June 6, 1990: Detroit ends wait for Sadler, Rogers
• Joplin Globe, June 9, 1996: Rogers' home run swing still works

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:3,349
Made the Majors:1,193-35.6%
Never Made Majors:2,156-64.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 496
10+ Seasons in the Minors:289