Tom Rogers

Thomas Andrew "Shotgun" Rogers (February 12, 1892 – March 7, 1936) was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1917 to 1921 for the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, and New York Yankees. Career Rogers, who was born in Sparta, Tennessee, and grew up in Gallatin, Tennessee, began his professional career with the Nashville Vols of the Southern Association in 1914. In two seasons with the Vols, Rogers had a career win–loss record of 17–20 in 46 games, having allowed 149 runs on 305 hits. The St. Louis Browns were close to signing Rogers to a major league contract in 1915, but they felt he was not yet ready and, instead, he continued with Nashville in 1916. On June 19, 1916, Rogers accidentally killed a longtime friend and former teammate with a pitch. The friend, Johnny Dodge of the Mobile Sea Gulls, was hit in the temple and knocked unconscious. Dodge was helped to stand and led to the showers, where he died of a brain hemorrhage. On July 11, 1916, on only two days of rest, Rogers pitched a perfect game against the Chattanooga Lookouts at Sulphur Dell ballpark in Nashville. The Lookouts nearly recorded a hit in the second inning when Joe Harris led off with a sharp line drive to right-center field. Center fielder Billy Lee made a diving catch at the base of the notorious Sulphur Dell right field incline, saving the perfect game bid in its early stages. A second defensive play was made by Vols left fielder Gus Williams in the top of the seventh when he crashed into the left field bleacher fence in the act of catching Jake Pitler's sharply hit ball to left. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, John Peters came in to pinch hit for pitcher James Allen. He hit a soft fly ball to second base which was fielded by Thomas Sheehan for the final out. In all, Rogers struck out 4 of the 27 batters he faced. The game lasted just 1 hour and 25 minutes.