October, 2024 - Normally I would be excited about the possibilities for next season. I would be trying to improve the roster and have a productive off season. However, there will be no Marysville Drakes in 2025. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. To say I'm really angry and ticked off would be accurate.

Why are the Drakes not coming back to Marysville next season, despite the City of Marysville saying they want the Drakes back and the Commissioner of the Pecos League Andrew Dunn claiming he wants to return to Bryant Field? First of all, the city officials of Marysville hate Andrew Dunn. Dunn hates the city officials. It's an acrimonious relationship. The city claims Dunn owes them money. Dunn says that's not the case. There is a large utility bill that hasn't been paid. All sorts of behind the scenes accusations that I won't get into here. It's just not a healthy situation. I'm not placing any blame on any one person. It's just a shame supposedly intelligent people couldn't come to an agreement to keep the team in Marysville.

One thing that irritated people, including me, is Dunn took the Drakes off the league map on the Pecos League website. He also added Monterey and put a schedule on the website for all the teams in the league...except Marysville. That made the city think Dunn didn't want to return. That's what I thought. Dunn told me otherwise. But through all the bickering, Dunn decided to leave Marysville. Nobody wins. The losers are the fans of the Drakes. The fan base was growing, people had a great time at the games, we had a good ballclub and things were only going to get better. Now it's over. The players get screwed over and so did our great General Manager Jerry Bettencourt. Jerry graciously hosted me the past two seasons. We are like brothers. There is nothing he wouldn't do for the team. He sold outfield billboards, he cleaned the stadium, he helped create a booster club, he made sure the players had food after the game, he cleaned up a dilapidated room for the umpires, he was the official scorer and P.A. announcer. He loved the team. I can't imagine a better General Manager in our league, or any other league. He got the shaft.

Bill and GM Jerry Bettencourt (shortly after this picture, I was helping Jerry off the ground. Sorry Jerry!)

The 2024 season for the Marysville Drakes was one I'll never remember. Last year was great, this year was better. We made the playoffs where we suffered a heartbreaking loss in the deciding game three against the defending champion San Rafael Pacifics. Four of our players advanced to the Pioneer League, Noah Lewis, Josh Leslie, Earl Johnson and Bryan Krolikowski.

I had never been part of a no-hitter, as a player, broadcaster, manager or fan. I've seen a few on TV but never in person. That changed on June 14th when righthander Jayden Drake tossed a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Vallejo at Bryant Field. Jayden walked two and struck out eight. To make it even more special, my brother-in-law Vince McGurgan was visiting from Illinois and saw his first no-hitter. It was a fun night.

Jayden Drake (left) and catcher J.D. Leslie.

One of my favorite players, Declan Peterson, retired after the season. Was with me for four years, two in Santa Fe and two in Marysville. He wasn't spectacular but he did all the little things to help teams win. He always gave everything he had and I can't say enough good things about him.

Declan Peterson

 

By the way, I wasn't thrown out of a game. I guess I was on my best behavior. My previous four seasons managing, I was thrown out a total of 10 games. In 2024...none. By the way, I still believe of all my ejections, only once did I deserve it.

We ended the regular season at 29-25 and then went 1-2 in the playoffs. Considering some of the adversity we had to overcome, it was a solid season, one I'm proud of. We started the season with three players out with injuries. A 3-7 start had people wondering if we were a bad team. But I knew when we got our guys healthy, we would be a pretty good team. That's what happened.

We also had the best uniforms in the league. I helped design old school uniforms with collars and old style lettering. People loved them...well most of them.

Lastly, where will I manage next year? I don't know. While I really want to manage, this could be the end of the line. It's very depressing for me to think about.

The 2024 Marysville Drakes

This is what I wrote to wrap up the 2023 season....

2023 was probably my favorite year managing. I managed the first year Marysville Drakes in the Pecos League and it was an awesome experience.

I was fortunate enough to have a great group of guys, we played in a beautiful tradition-laden ballpark and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the Marysville/Yuba City area is.

We finished a disappointing 27-23. What made it disappointing was the injury issues we had. We had players go down for the season or miss significant time with a broken wrist, torn wrist ligaments, two players suffered from post-concussion syndrome, two pulled hamstrings, a torn groin, broken toe, shoulder impingement, a hip pointer, a broken finger to go along with the usual bumps and bruises associated with a baseball season.

There were the usual highlights to a baseball season and the usual disappointments. One off the disappointing aspects of 2023 was getting thrown out of four games. In 2019 I was tossed once, in 2021 I was asked to leave early twice, 2022 saw another two ejections and in 2023 I was given the heave-ho four times. Only once do I feel an ejection was warrented. The other three were the product of thin-skinned, over zealous umpires. 

Here is what newspaper beat writer Steven Bryla wrote about my final ejection of the season for the Gridley-Herald. 
"Marysville handled Dublin again on Friday, July 28 with a 10-6 win despite Rogan getting ejected in the top of the first inning before an out was even recorded. There was a clear foul ball that trickled away from home plate and the Dublin runner on third scored. Rogan told the umpire it was a foul ball in a calm tone and the home plate umpire threw Rogan out of the game."

See, I'm not always the bad guy!

By the way, a Drake is a mature male duck. I didn't know that until I was hired this past February. So now you know.

The 2023 Marysville Drakes

Beautiful Bryant Field in Marysville, California. No longer the home of the Marysville Drakes. I'm sick and sad about it.