Garry Roggenburk


Major League Baseball career

Roggenburk made his Major League debut on April 20, 1963, with the Twins, playing against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park with 7,137 people attending the game. Roggenburk was called to replace Bill Dailey in the sixth inning. He pitched only one-third of an inning while walking one batter and allowing one hit. Roggenburk was then replaced by Frank Sullivan, who surrendered a two-run home run to Dave Nicholson, one of those earned runs charged against Roggenburk. The Twins lost the game 10–7 in the tenth inning, with Roggenburk getting a no-decision.
Roggenburk appeared in 60 games for the Twins over all or parts of three years before being purchased by the Boston Red Sox on September 7, 1966. After finishing with Boston, he appeared in portions of the and seasons for the Red Sox, then was purchased by Seattle Pilots on June 23, 1969. He worked in 12 total games for Boston and seven for Seattle.
In 79 MLB appearances, 73 of them as a relief pitcher, he fashioned a 6–9 won–lost record, with a 3.64 earned run average and seven saves. Four of his six starting pitcher assignments came with the 1969 Pilots. He threw his only MLB complete game July 8 against the California Angels, a five-hit, 3–1 Seattle victory at Sicks Stadium. In 126 big-league innings pitched, he surrendered 132 hits and 64 walks; he struck out 56.

Activity after retirement

After Roggenburk's playing career ended, Roggenburk became a pitching coach in the Red Sox' minor-league system, and later became general manager from 1978 to 1983 for the Winter Haven Red Sox, Boston's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League. After leaving baseball, he returned to Cleveland and he worked as a real-estate appraiser. In 2006, Roggenburk, age 66, was living in Avon, Ohio.