Lawrence "Carl" Rodgers Jr.

August 27, 1933 - November 30, 2013

Lawrence "Carl" Rogers, 80, died Saturday, November 30, 2013 in Jacksonville, FL following a long illness. Born in Saluda County, August 27, 1933, he was the son of the late Lawrence Rogers and Pearl Herlong Rogers. Survivors include his sons, Barry Rogers, Jacksonville, FL.; Jason Rogers, Leesville, SC; sisters, Frances Rogers Martin, West Columbia, SC ; Myra Gail McMullen, Saluda, SC ; grandchildren, Brittany Rogers, Chelsea Rogers and Nathaniel Marroletti and a great grandchild, Caiden Rogers all of Jacksonville, FL. He is also survived by his former wife, Millie Rogers, Jacksonville, FL. Services will be at Ramey Funeral Home, Saluda, SC at 2:00 pm on Monday, December 16, 2013 with burial following at Chestnut Hill Baptist Church, SC Highway # 39, Chappells, SC 29037. The family will receive friends and family at Ramey Funeral Home one hour prior to the funeral services. Carl was an avid, life-long outdoor sportsman who loved hunting and fishing and collected many trophies in Bass tournaments and Quail trails. Carl was a two-sport player for Batesburg-Leesville High School in baseball and football from 1947-1950. His team won two Class A Baseball State Championships in his sophomore and junior years. In 1950 he entered Newberry College where he again played on the football and baseball fields. In 1952, he led the Indians with a .400 batting average while helping the Indians win the baseball State Championship. He was named All-State in baseball in 1955 and was also named Honorable Mention All-State in football in 1954. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1954 and played three years of minor league baseball for the Indians in Hannibal, Missouri and Sherbrooke, Canada. Carl entered the US Army in 1957. His Army baseball team won 40 straight games and went on to win the GI World Series. After military service, he was a teacher and coach in the Duval County School System in Jacksonville, FL for 30 years. He led Ribault High School to a State Baseball Championship in 1964. In 2004, he was inducted into the Newberry College Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2012, he was inducted into the Batesburg-Leesville High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and loved him.