TOPSHAM — No Mt. Ararat High School baseball player will ever again don a uniform sporting the number “ 8” in interscholastic competition.
The School Administrative District 75 school board Thursday night voted to retire Mt. Ararat High School baseball standout Mark Rogers’ No. 8 jersey from future use in the school’s baseball program.
Colin Roy, the high school athletic director, asked the board to retire Rogers’ number and display a jersey bearing the number 8 at the school until SAD 75 officials can formally present the jersey to Rogers.
Rogers starred on the diamond for Mt. Ararat from 2001 to 2004, when he was named Gatorade Maine High School Player of the Year. In June 2004, the Milwaukee Brewers picked Rogers fifth overall in the Major League Baseball entry draft, the highest a Maine high school player has been selected.
Rogers remains a member of the Brewers’ organization, and made his major league debut in September 2010. He’s currently training for the start of the 2012 season.
“We’ll get him back here and make a formal presentation, and have (the jersey) in the trophy case until we can do that,” Roy said.
Noting “it’s never too late,” Roy told the school board that he recently participated in the retiring of the jersey of his closest friend since childhood 38 years after the two graduated from high school.
“He felt that this was the most important honor that he received, and he felt that it was important that I give it to him, being his lifelong friend,” said Roy, who is slated to retire at the end of the current school year. “It got me to thinking that when you know you’re toward the end, sometimes you feel you have unfinished business, and the business of and the pleasure of making a proposal to retire Mark Rogers’ jersey number was right in my mind.”
“Our school system has never retired anyone’s jersey number,” Roy continued. “ We’ve had many fine athletes come to the school and leave. Mark Rogers, in my opinion, in the short time I’ve been here in the last 16 years, is one of the best young athletes and one of the most successful young athletes I’ve ever met. … He was a superb athlete in hockey, a superb athlete in soccer and he was just an exceptional athlete in baseball.”
Roy also cited Rogers’ accomplishments in the classroom as another reason for retiring his number. Academically, Rogers ranked in the top 5 percent of his graduating class, according to Roy.
At Thursday’s meeting, Roy also presented criteria for retiring jerseys in the future to recognize the efforts of those who attend the high school and maintain a high standard of integrity, character, athletic and academic excellence.
Superintendent Brad Smith said he thinks such guidelines would initially be created internally by the administration, but said he appreciated having Roy’s work and background in anticipation of that process.
School board member Joanne Rogers of Harpswell, who is Mark Rogers’ grandmother, said, “I can only say I am extremely proud of my grandson and this is such a pleasure and such an honor to be part of this. Thank you.”
Board member Linda Hall of Harpswell entered a motion to retire Mark Rogers’ number.
Board member Kay Ogrodnik, also of Harpswell, cast the lone vote in opposition to the motion, citing Rogers’ suspension last season for allegedly using a banned substance and suggesting that now is not the time to retire the jersey in light of the suspension.
Board member Dorothy Gardner of Topsham clarified, “We’re talking about his high school career, which was exceptional.”
Chairwoman Kim Totten of Bowdoin added, “I think that (Mark Rogers) did the school well. He represented the school well. He was a good role model for our students, and I think he is still a good role model for our students. I would support this wholeheartedly.”
dmoore@timesrecord.com
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
