Former pitcher Steve Rogers: players who left the game on their own terms: one-time workhorse was the ace of some contending Montreal Expos teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s.(Curtain Calls)

HE FINISHED HIS CAREER WITH AN ERA (3.17) BETTER THAN NOLAN RYAN and logged more innings per season than Sandy Koufax. Yet, when Steve Rogers became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1991, the longtime Expos ace failed to garner a single vote.

"I needed five to eight more years and 70 more wins to really he considered," said Rogers, who played 13 seasons and recorded 158 wins. "My only regret is that every player gets the token one or two votes from writers in their area. And, for some reason, the Montreal writers felt I didn't deserve their vote."

But the 54-year-old Missouri native, who now works for the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), has mostly fond memories of his playing career. The lanky hurler was selected to five All-Star teams and remains the winningest pitcher in Expos history.

Not bad for someone who played in only two games for his varsity high school team as a junior. It wasn't until Rogers pitched for an American Legion team in Springfield, Missouri in 1966 that he caught the eye of scouts.

"I was taken by the Yankees in the 63rd or 67th round. I think my bonus would have been a bus ticket and an apple," joked Rogers, who chose to attend the University of Tulsa rather than sign.

En route to an engineering degree, he would grow three inches during his freshmen and sophomore years. By the end of college, he was considered a bona fide prospect and was selected fourth overall by Montreal in the 1971 amateur draft (Secondary Phase).

Rogers would make his major league debut in Houston on July 18, 1973, hurling eight strong innings, allowing only two runs--an impressive debut, topped only by the one-hitter he tossed in his next start.