Chad Rogers #78

Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 28th round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of Galveston College... signed with the Reds on Aug. 14, 2010... survived a shark attack on June 27, 2010, the same day he had been scheduled to workout for the Reds after the organization drafted him... Rogers, 20 at the time of the attack, was bitten by a bull shark in the Gulf of Mexico while surfing at a beach in Galveston, Texas. He was taken to University of Texas Medical Branch and received 60 stitches... Rogers' attack was the first shark attack in Galveston since 2005... "I got to shore and I could see my foot was bleeding all over the place," Rogers told Fox Sports... "I had three different gashes along the right side of my foot, some bite marks and cuts on my big toe." ... Rogers eventually threw a bullpen session for Reds scout Jerry Flowers on Aug. 11, 201 at the University of Houston. "I just wanted to get my opportunity to pitch for the Reds. I was drafted and worked hard and a freak accident happened and I didn’t want to let a freak accident stop me from pursuing my dream. Even though I still couldn’t tie my shoe, I had all the laces just tucked into my cleats. I kept it loose so I could throw. I threw a bullpen, they were impressed, and they signed me." ... fully recovered, Rogers finally made his Reds debut in the Minors with Class A Dayton on April 20, 2011... Reds traded him to the Braves in August 2016... Rogers and his shark encounter was featured in an episode of a National Geographic television show during the network's 2021 Shark Fest... Rogers appeared in 168 career Minor League games with the Reds and Braves, going 28-21 with a 3.43 ERA and 386 strikeouts in 479 2/3 innings... after getting released by the Braves, he returned to Galveston and opened a baseball training camp and instruction business called The Baseball Bunker