Em Roser: An Appreciation

by Lou Parrotta

He may have never been the formidable starter men like Allie Reynolds and Whitey Ford were, but over the course of three years, Emerson C. "Steve" Roser was a part of the most storied franchise in all of sports. Donning the glorious pinstripes of the New York Yankees from 1944-1946, Rome-native Roser did what thousands of local boys could only dream about ­ he played Major League Baseball.

I was afforded a wonderful opportunity some time back to visit with Em Roser over a cold glass of iced tea on a hot summer day. When he arrived, he came toting two shopping bags full of scrapbooks that contained treasured clippings from his days as a Rome Free Academy standout in the early 1930s to his memorable days as a member of the Clarkson University baseball and basketball teams to his days in the Majors. For nearly two hours, Em and I talked (mostly he talked and I listened) about his life as a ballplayer in the 1940s and mainly what it was like to be a Yankee.

Roser remembered playing ball with some of the most prominent stars of the day. He had the unique opportunity to play for Joe McCarthy and Bill Dickey, two legends enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and was teammate to giants like DiMaggio, Raschi, Berra, Rizzuto, Ruffing, Gordon, Spahn, Sain, Herman, and Henrich. He was also a teammate to Frank "The Crow" Crosetti who passed away this week.

While he never was part of a pennant-winning team, as so many other players employed by the Yankees have been, he was still eternally grateful to have been a part, no matter how small, of the legendary Yankees.

Roser finished his short career with the Boston Braves in 1946 after a shoulder injury forced him into an early retirement. In the ensuing years, he and his lovely wife ran a sporting goods store and a restaurant. He actively participated in the New York Yankees Alumni Association and was always content to sit and discuss his love of the game.

In 1980, Roser was inducted into the Rome Sports Hall of Fame and in 1992 was selected for induction into the Clarkson University Athletic Hall of Fame ­ both honors bestowed fifty years after he starred for them. In 1996, the Utica Sports Hall of Fame never limited to just native Uticans, inducted Roser into their hallowed halls.

Em Roser was a gentle, kind, and dear man. He was simply a joy to talk with. When he presented me with a small photograph of himself, I was grateful that I would always have this terrific memento of the time we spent together. Em Roser left this world on February 8, 2002, but he will forever remain in my memory