Steve Sogge

Steven Sogge

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 175 lb.

• School University of Southern California
• High School Gardena High School

• Born April 20, 1947

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Steve Sogge played football (where he won All-American honors at quarterback, forming a backfield with O.J. Simpson) and baseball in college. He represented the USA in the 1967 Pan American Games, winning a Gold Medal. He was 4-for-4 with a triple and a homer in their opening loss to Cuba, homered against Canada and had four hits in another win over Canada. In the title game, he drove in George Greer with their first run off Manuel Alarcón and Cuba. He made two errors in the 6th that helped Canada tie it but the US rallied for a 2-1 win; through 2026, it remains their only Pan American Games Gold Medal in men's baseball (the women took Gold in 2015, in contrast to many Silver Medals. He led the Games with 11 runs and 3 homers.

Sogge signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969, and he played 119 games with a .281/.376/.379 batting line for the Albuquerque Dodgers in his first season. He led the Texas League in putouts (678), assists (95) and errors (16). He was 7th in the TL in walks (63, between Bernie Williams and Jim Howarth) and was 8th in OBP (right behind Bobby Grich). He and Randy Brown were named the TL West All-Star catchers. Among Dodgers farmhands, he tied for 10th in runs (62), was 5th in doubles (24) and tied Bob Stinson for third in walks. He crushed 6 homers with a .274/.323/.389 batting line the next year for the Spokane Indians, his .988 fielding trailing 1970 PCL leader Stinson by .002 behind the dish. He had 32 passed balls to lead the loop (13 ahead of Stinson) but that can be blamed in large part to Charlie Hough being on the team.

Sogge declared he wanted a major league job , and was openly disappointed with being sent back to the minor leagues by the Dodgers in spring 1971, and with the prospect of backing up Joe Ferguson in AAA. He was sold to the Tucson Toros, which were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox in early April, where his batting line was .268/.333/.335 in 123 games in 1971. His .993 fielding led PCL backstops. That was his last season as a professional player.