“I’ll sit on the bench in the shade,” he said.
That doesn’t seem likely.
Rogers was a member of the first-ever amateur baseball team, the Heron Lake Lakers, founded in 1970. Once an excellent shortstop, pitcher and hitter, this morning at 10:30 am he will be among the seasoned players who will return to their roots when the ball club celebrates its past with an alumni game.
Current Lakers manager Chad Knutson is organizing the game as part of the city’s Blue Heron Days celebration.
Surely Lakers Baseball is something to celebrate.
“There will be a chance to see some of the guys that you haven’t seen in a while,” said Rogers. “Some of the old veterans and guys you went to the state tournament with. That’ll be a lot of fun. “
Classic cars that might show up to play include athletes with familiar surnames like Burns, Spencer, Liepold, Fest, Dewall, Freking, and Rogers.
Knutson has led the Lakers for about 20 years and estimates he has managed nearly 100 players. It’s been about 10 years since the last Laker Alumni Game.
The franchise started in 1970 when Arnie Luhning was running the club. The Lakers took places in the Minnesota Amateur Baseball State Tournaments in 1972, 1975, 1988 and 1989.
Rogers, 69, played on all four of these great Heron Lake teams.
“I was a short stop and graduated high school at £ 170,” Rogers recalls his rookie season with the Lakers in 1970. “But I’ve been drinking beer and eating potatoes all summer, so I weighed 200. Me couldn’t move that well, so this year I was a pitcher. “
There laughs.
Along with his long career at Heron Lake, Rogers then headed city ball teams in Lakefield and Fulda. He grew up with baseball-playing brothers Glenn and Wayne on a farm near Brewster.
The brothers all played together for the Lakers about 45 years ago.
Rogers also played countless softball games – both fast-pitch and slow-pitch – while growing up.
“I’ve got a couple of swings in a slow pitch game this week,” said Rogers. Then he laughed again.
“The club speed is just not what it used to be,” he chuckled.
But don’t make a mistake. Kevin Rogers is still a ball player despite having a heart attack. He had a second episode in November last year and had stents implanted.
“I feel good,” he said.
Rogers is still on the ball field today, though normally not wearing a glove and spikes. He works as a groundsman in Mountain Lake and Heron Lake. And that’s a good gig because it keeps a ball player on the ball field.
There is no better place in spring and summer.
“That’s for sure,” said Rogers. “You did that right.”
