Roger Dean

    Dean Roger Dean
Baseball, 1980



This 1980 graduate was a two-sport athlete in basketball and baseball, 2019 Danbury High Hall of Fame inductee, Roger Dean. A self-professed late-bloomer, Roger did not earn a varsity letter until his senior seasons, but he went on to enjoy a stellar college baseball career and signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1984. Roger’s baseball career was due to hard work and a strong commitment to the game. He gives credit to his success to his coaches, strong work ethic, and love of competition.

While at Danbury High School, Roger played baseball for Coach Mike Cioppa. “Coach (Mike Cioppa) expected a lot out of me, and I expected a lot out of myself.” Roger took that attitude to Eastern Connecticut State University. During his sophomore year Eastern, Roger earned a spot as catcher, playing for legendary Coach Bill Hollowaty. Their regular season record that year was 35-3-1, and Eastern went on to win the Division III National Championship. At that time Coach Hallowaty said of Roger, “He’s had some great clutch hits for us. He’s been a pleasant addition to the program. The thing I appreciate about him is that he’s doing a very fine job in the classroom and his attitude is outstanding and that combination you can’t beat.”

While at Eastern, Roger hit .382 his sophomore year, .339 his junior year and .346 his senior season, amassing 111 RBI’s and 22 career homeruns. After his college graduation, Roger signed with the Chatham Ironmen Senior baseball league in June of 1984. Chatham is a coastal Canadian town. Roger batted .394 with a league-leading 17 homeruns for the Chatham Ironmen. His led to a contract with the Detroit Tigers in November 1984. He played in the New York Penn league with the Utica Blue Sox in 1985 and the Gastonia Tigers in the south Atlantic league until his release in 1986.

From 1987-1998, Roger worked with the Tigers organization as either a coach or a scout. He later went on to win Men’s Senior Baseball League National Championships in 1999, 2004 and 2008. Over the years Roger has dedicated his time and talents to coaching youth baseball teams. He believes success is contagious and his enthusiasm for the game helps promote values and morals in young people.