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Wilbur "Bullet" Joe Rogan

Born in Oklahoma City in 1889, Rogan pitched briefly for the Kansas City Colored Giants and then joined the military in 1911, playing on military teams until 1920.

During this period he won 52 games in one season and struck out 25 batters in one game. Rogan was "discovered" by Casey Stengel who referred him to the Kansas City Monarchs. At age 31 in 1920, he began a remarkable 15-year career with the Monarchs, during which he completed 131 of the 192 games he started and had a winning percentage of .721.

On the days he was not pitching, he was centerfielder and an outstanding hitter. His lifetime batting average in the Negro Leagues was .343. Rogan was inducted posthumously into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.


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