Billy Rogell

[Cowtipper]

Shortstop Billy Rogell spent 14 years in the big leagues, hitting .267 with 1,375 hits, 256 doubles, 1.56 BB/K ratio and a .955 fielding percentage. The suave infielder was one of the best fielders of his day, leading the league in defensive WAR three times (his career dWAR was 13.9), games at shortstop twice, putouts once, assists once and shortstop fielding percentage twice. He is statistically similar to one Hall of Famer: Phil Rizzuto.

Offensively, he was a serviceable, but not a stellar, player. He led the league in games twice and from 1932 to 1938, he averaged 156 hits, 29 doubles and 86 runs scored a season. He had a decent three year run from 1933 to 1935, when he hit .289 with a .374 OBP, while averaging 90 runs scored, 30 doubles, 10 triples, 78 walks to 33 strikeouts, and a 101 OPS+ each season. He performed well enough in the playoffs, hitting .283 with three doubles and five RBI, en route to one World Series ring.

Aside from Rizzuto, he is also statistically similar to Lyn Lary, Neifi Perez, Rick Burleson, Lonny Frey, Doggie Miller, Scott Fletcher, Cristian Guzman, Art Fletcher and Marty Marion. Honestly, when I first Rogell's stats, I thought they didn't look much different than Marion's...then I wondered how Marion got a zillion votes for the Hall and Rogell received zero.

He is also noted as Charlie Gehringer's double play mate.

What do you think about Billy Rogell? Should he be in the Hall of Fame? Did he have Hall of Fame potential?

[Cougar]

Suave??!??

[Cowtipper]

What. Sure he committed 51 errors in a season once, but he also had a 13.9 dWAR.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I voted no. He just doesn't have the career stats. Although I do feel he was a big part of Detroit's championship.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I voted no. He just doesn't have the career stats. Although I do feel he was a big part of Detroit's championship.

I voted "no". Rogell's a guy who was good enough to makd an ASG or two. I was a llittle surpirsed that he doesn't have an ASG appearance, even given that there was no ASG until 1933. He would be in the discussion if he had a career as long as Omar Vizquel's or Rabbit Maranville's, but he didn't. Those guys were still good enough to play into their 40s on their gloves, whereas Rogell's last full-time season was at age 33, and he was done at age 35. If you're talking about a guy like Rogell (who WAS considered something of a star while active) for the HOF, I think you have to show unusual durability and skill retention. Rogell's career trajectory is not really extraordinary in any way for a glove man who could hit in his better years.

[Freakshow]

Rogell was an all-star caliber player for three years (1933-35), an important part of the Tigers back-to-back pennant winners, but that's pretty much his whole case. Unfortunately for him, he first signed with the Red Sox who mishandled him, never settling him into a position and trying to get him to abandon switch-hitting. (This was typical for the Bosox of the 1920's, who were in a general state of disarray until Tom Yawkey bought them in 1933.) Rogell finally settled in as the Tiger's regular shortstop in the last third of the 1931 season when he was 26 years old.

Rogell left baseball after his playing career, but remained in the public eye by becoming a fixture on the Detroit city council for nearly four decades. He lived out his days in the Detroit area, passing away nine years ago at age 98.

Similar shortstops:

Player             WAR/pos OPS+   PA Rfield From   To   Age    G
Greg Gagne            23.8   83 6209     83 1983 1997 21-35 1798
Mike Bordick          23.5   83 6484     68 1990 2003 24-37 1720
Eddie Miller          21.8   80 5817     79 1936 1950 19-33 1510
Freddie Patek         21.3   79 6247     13 1968 1981 23-36 1650
Jack Wilson           21.2   76 5339    141 2001 2012 23-34 1370
Billy Rogell          21.2   85 5919     60 1925 1940 20-35 1484
Rick Burleson         21.0   87 5717     48 1974 1987 23-36 1346
Chico Carrasquel      19.2   82 5260     63 1950 1959 24-33 1325
David Eckstein        18.6   87 5705    -12 2001 2010 26-35 1311
Bud Harrelson         18.6   76 5516     36 1965 1980 21-36 1533
Buck Weaver           18.5   92 5296      4 1912 1920 21-29 1254
Lyn Lary              17.6   91 5422    -42 1929 1940 23-34 1305
Granny Hamner         15.9   84 6291     12 1944 1962 17-35 1531
Walt Weiss            14.6   78 5516     19 1987 2000 23-36 1495

[TomBodet]

Agree with Noted_Sage F. B'ar about Rogell. No Hof, good player, interesting life story.