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Thursday, October 28, 2004
Rogers keeps improving, just look at all the signs
Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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Homework didn't end for Mark Rogers when he signed a professional contract to play baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers following his graduation from Mt. Ararat High School in June. During the past several days, before embarking on a cross-country road trip back to Maine from Arizona, Rogers has been busy signing 5,000 Topps baseball cards . "Kids complain about homework," he said, in a telephone interview Wednesday. "This is my homework." Previously, Rogers, who signed for a reported $2.2 million after the Brewers made him the fifth pick in major league baseball's annual amateur draft last June, had put his signature on baseball cards manufactured by Fleer, Donruss and Upper Deck. "It's kind of weird to see your face on a baseball card," he said. At the moment, Rogers, who intends to visit the Grand Canyon before starting his drive back to Maine next Sunday, is a hot commodity. In its most recent issue, Baseball America named him the top pitching prospect in the Arizona Rookie League. Last Saturday, the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher from Orrs Island completed his six-week assignment in the Arizona Instructional League. "The level of play was a lot better than rookie ball," he said. "I pitched to a lot better players. There were players from Single-A and Double-A." In addition to the Brewers, teams made up of the top 25 prospects from the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Oakland A's and the contingent from China preparing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, played in the league. "No statistics were kept," said Reid Nichols, Milwaukee's Director of Player Development. "We want them to focus more on the process instead of results. We want them to work on things they need to work on without worrying about the results." But Rogers kept track of his performances. "I got six starts," he said. "All of them lasted two or three innings, and I allowed only two earned runs. I had a good time here." The Brewers seem satisfied with Rogers' progress. "We're real happy with his progress," Nichols said. "He's a quality individual. He's obviously got the talent and got the stuff to be a front-line major league pitcher, and it's our job to try to get him there." After his return to Maine, Rogers intends to remain home until early next year when he returns to Arizona for spring training at the Brewers' complex in Maryvale, outside of Phoenix. His next assignment could be with Milwaukee's new Class A affiliates in the Florida League or the New York-Penn League, Rogers said. Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at:
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