PORTLAND, Maine — The silence at Hadlock Field during this lost baseball season in Portland became even more somber with the death of a Sea Dogs icon.
The team broke the news to its fans that Dean Rogers had died with a Twitter post on Tuesday, July 7. This latest blow added to the heartache that fans already felt over the cancellation of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rogers was Hadlock's original public address announcer. He was there for the team's debut as an affiliate of the Florida Marlins in 1994. Among the future stars he introduced in their walk-up to home plate were Edgar Renteria, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez.
Rogers provided a sense of consistency as the team made the transition to the Red Sox organization. While the team's logo changed from turquoise to red, Rogers remained as steady as ever with his friendly and resonant tone of voice.
He had to learn to pronounce the names of a new roster of prospects including Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, and Dustin Pedroia. They'd eventually become legends throughout Red Sox nation as the winners of multiple World Series titles. But for many fans in Portland, those names were unknown until they were spoken by Dean Rogers.
The Maine Baseball Hall of Fame honored Rogers with its President's Award in 2002. In addition to his work for the Sea Dogs, the Hall also recognized his achievements as a student player for Cheverus High School and Boston University. In later years, he created Maine's first over-30 men's league so he could continue to compete in the game he loved.
Rogers switched off his microphone for good in 2012. In talking to NEWS CENTER Maine about his retirement, he said, "Half of the fun, if not more than half the fun, is when I'm up here in my booth looking down at the people and the audience, so to speak. You see the little kids and it's so cool, the little bitty ones, mom and dad with them, just kind of nostalgia that way. It's almost like a Norman Rockwell painting."
Rogers' wife and son also worked for the Sea Dogs. He said he loved the family atmosphere that the team created. And the team clearly felt the same affection for him as seen in the message announcing his death which said, "He will forever be a large part of our history. Our condolences to his family. We'll miss you, Dean!"
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