The winningest pitcher in Expos history, Rogers cracked double figures in wins in
10 of his first 11 ML seasons and was an NL All-Star five times before arm problems
ended his career. He was touted as the Expos guaranteed first 20-game winner after
going 10-5 with a 1.54 ERA as a rookie in the second half of 1973, but became the
club's first 20-game loser instead, finishing a'Fh)''disappointing 15-22 with a 4.46
ERA in his first full ML season. He was still named to the NL's mid-season All-Star
team that year after only one full year in the ML, and although he never did win
20 games, for the next nine seasons the unimposing righthander posted only one ERA
above 3.29.
Rogers led the NL in losses a second time in 1976, finishing 7-17 for
a team that lost 107 games, then had winning records every year until 1984 as the
Expos rose to prominence in the NL East. As the staff ace, he led the NL with five
shutouts in 1979 and was 16-11 in 1980, then reached the playoffs for the only time
in his career after winning 12 games in the strike-shortened 1981 season. In the
special divisional playoff series, Rogers held the Phillies to one run in Game One
and shut them out in the deciding Game Five to send the Expos to the LCS. There,
Rogers beat the Dodgers 4-1 in Game Three, but lost Game Five in relief 2-1 when
he surrendered a two-out ninth-inning home run to Rick Monday.
Rogers rebounded
in 1982 to lead the NL in ERA (2.40) while winning a career-high 19 games, and was
17-12 in 1983, only to see his career crippled by arm woes the following year. Rogers
was only 6-15 in 1984, and logged a 5.68 ERA in eight appearances in 1985 before
retiring.
(SCL)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»May 5, 1978: Pete Rose singles off Montreal's Steve Rogers for career hit 3,000 and gets a hug at 1B from former teammate Tony Perez. The Expos beat the Reds 43.
»May 31, 1979:
The Expos complete a series sweep over the Phillies, each win by a shutout. Scott Sanderson is the 10 winner today, following whitewashes by teammates Steve Rogers (90) and Bill Lee (20). Christensen allows just two hits in seven innings but takes the loss.
»October 11, 1981: Steve Rogers wins the playoff for Montreal over Philadelphia by twirling a 6-hit shutout and knocking in two of his team's runs in a 30 victory.
»October 16, 1981: Montreal wins 41 over Los Angeles behind Steve Rogers. White's 3-run home run is the big blow in the 4-run 5th inning.
»October 19, 1981: In game five of the NLCS, Rick Monday hits a solo home run with two out in the top of the 9th against Montreal's Steve Rogers to give Los Angeles a 21 victory and a trip to the World Series. The loss, played in bitterly cold conditions in Montreal, will be known as Blue Monday.
»May 12, 1984:
The Giants tip the Expos, 87, but lose 2B Manny Trillo when he is hit on the hand by a Steve Rogers pitch. Trillo will be out six weeks with the fracture.