Washington Nationals Mount Rushmore
By David Hill
Steve Rogers (1973-1985)
Only one player has had a career lasting over five seasons, and spent his entire playing career withe the Expos. That player was Steve Rogers.
A tenacious competitor with outstanding stuff, Rogers was one of the top pitchers during the 1970s and into the 1980s. He was a five time All Star, and finished in the top five in the Cy Young vote three times. Rogers led the league with a 2.40 ERA in 1982, proving to be far more than a solid innings eater for the Expos.
His final numbers do not represent how good of a pitcher he was. Overall, Rogers posted a 158-152 record, a performance skewed because he led the league in losses twice. Rogers did have a 3.17 ERA and a 1.232 WHiP, suggesting that he deserved a better fate in regards to emerging victorious. In his 2837.2 career innings, he struck out 1621 batters with only 876 walks.
Rogers was a star in the 1981 postseason. He was dominant, winning each of his three starts in the playoffs. However, Rogers is remembered for his relief appearance against the Dodgers in Game Five, when he served up the game winning home run to Rick Monday. As he posted 0.98 ERA and a 1.012 WHiP in the postseason that year, he certainly deserves to be remembered for more than one pitch.
Steve Rogers was a lifelong member of the Montreal Expos, an excellent pitcher who gave the team everything he had. Had that one pitch turned out differently, he could have been a national hero in Canada.