Roger Metzger black and white photo for autographing (photo by the San Francisco Giants)
Roger Metzger – SS – 1978-80 – #16
He Was a Giant?
By Tony the Tiger Hayes
For the first decade of his professional baseball career Roger Metzger was known as a quintessential “good field, no hit” shortstop. But after joining the Giants in mid-1978, the trajectory of not only his playing career, but his life, changed forever.
For the Cubs and Astros from 1970-78, Metzger, a career . 231 hitter, was a steady if unspectacular performer who could without question schedule a short vacation with the family during the annual All-Star Game break as the likes of Dave Concepcion and Larry Bowa lined up to tip their caps on the foul lines for mid-Summer Classic introductions during that era.
Metzger could usually also count on playing for a team without a shot at the post-season.
But that changed – at least for a few months – when San Francisco acquired Metzger from Houston in a trade deadline deal.
For the first five months of the 1978 season the Giants were a surprise legitimate contender for the National League West title.
After joining the Orange & Black Metzger would spilt time at shortstop the rest of the season with incumbent starter Johnnie LeMaster.
While San Francisco would eventually finish in third place in the West in ‘78, six games back of the Dodgers, Metzger thrived with the Giants, playing his typical stellar defense up the middle and batting .260 in 75 games after hitting just .220 in 45 games that season for the Astros before the deal.
Why Was He a Giant?
After a rather blah fourth place finish in 1977, the Giants came out blazing in 1978. Slugger Jack Clark blossomed into an All-Star, first baseman Mike Ivie scalded the baseball with a number of memorable hits including a magnificent pinch-hit grand slam against the Dodgers and cross bay trade acquisition Vida Blue gave the club an instant pre-fab ace and star attraction.
The club would stay near or atop the western division though out the summer of ‘78.
On June 15, the shocking Giants led the West by 2.5 games over the Reds when they acquired Metzger in a straight cash deal.
Before & After
Originally a first round draft pick of the Cubs in 1969, Metzger made his MLB debut just a year later, appearing in one game with Chicago in 1970. But with Don Kessenger established as their starting shortstop the Cubs dealt Roger to Houston the following offseason. The deal came as a blessing to Metzger who would not only be returning to his native Texas to play, but was joining an Astros team that was looking to upgrade defensively at shortstop.
The untested Metzger was immediately installed as the Astros starting shortstop, playing in 150 games as a rookie. Though Metzger would bat just .235, the speedy youngster took full advantage of the spacious Astrodome and led the NL with 11 triples. He would repeat the three bagger feat again two years later.
While Metzger’s overall batting average typically hovered just south of .250 and he possessed virtually zero power (just five career homers in more than 1,200 big league games), Metzger was also among the best defensive shortstops in the game during the ‘70s.
He won the NL SS Gold Glove Award in 1973, when he led the Senior Circuit with a .982 fielding percentage (just 12 errors) in 149 games. He had an even better statistically fielding season in 1976, but lost out in the Gold Gold voting to the more hyped Concepcion of the World Champion Reds who captured the fielding award every year from 1974-77.
He Never Had a Bobblehead Day. But…
In his third game with San Francisco, Metzger batted 2-for-4 and drove in two runs in a 3-0, Ed Halicki shut-out over Tom Seaver and the visiting Reds (6/21/78). In the fourth inning, Metzger laced a bases loaded single to center field off Seaver to score Clark and Willie McCovey.
That game would spark the hottest batting streak of Metzger’s career. After a three hit game in a 6-5 win at Pittsburgh which increased the Giants divisional lead to 3 games (7/15/78), Roger had batted .410 in over his first month (22 games) with the Orange & Black and temporarily replaced LeMaster as the Giants starting shortstop.
Giant Footprint
After his inspiring 1978 Giants debut, the club didn’t hesitate to bring Metzger back in 1979. While the club fell on its face with a disappointing fifth place finish, Metzger was his typical steady self, batting .251 in 94 games as a backup.
Just 32 years old, Metzger seemed to have a few more years left of pro ball. But during the winter offseason of ‘79, disaster struck Metzger. While involved with his beloved wood working hobby, Metzger accidentally severed parts of four fingers (index to pinky) on his fingers on his right hand with an electric table saw.
A dotting father of two sons, Metzger had been making a wooden playhouse for his kids as a Christmas gift in his Brenham, TX workshop.
“The saw hit across the grain the wrong way,” he told the New York Times. “I was pushing the wood with my left hand and guiding it with my right. When the saw grabbed the wood, the wood’s momentum pulled my right hand into it.”
Metzger, his right hand jammed into a bucket of ice, along with the severed tips in another container of ice, rushed to a local ER. Sadly, reattachment surgery could not be performed.
Despite the catastrophic injury to his throwing hand, Metzger soldiered on.
With former big leaguer Carlos May – who lost part of his thumb as a Military Reservist before resuming his playing career, as a role model, just three months later, Metzger reported to Giants spring camp.
Metzger stunned onlookers as he casually played catch with teammate Tom Griffin, who stood 70 yards away, on the first day of spring training.
“I couldn’t tell the difference,” said fellow shortstop LeMaster. “The guy has as much determination as anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Metzger though was cautious about his ability to hit at the big league level. The injury forced him to abandon switch-hitting and focus purely on left-handed batting.
“It’s the top hand that supplies the power,” Metzger noted. “I have to doubt whether I can hit right-handed.”
Miraculously, Metzger wound up making the Giants opening day roster in 1980 as the club’s utility infielder.
Roger would appear in 28 games, including seven starts at shortstop. In 69 innings on defense, he was charged with just one error.
Metzger was correct however about his batting. With his damaged hand, the valiant Giant could muster just a .074 average (2-for-27). He was released by the Giants on August 16.
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