Byline: Gene Levy Staff writer
After major surgery to both legs twice within a year, it looked like Bobby Rogowicz might not have a leg to stand on in his budding athletic career.
Today, less than a year after the second operation, the 15-year-old Colonie High sophomore stands proud with a .386 batting average that's highest on the Garnet Raiders' 14-3 JV baseball team.
'Some other kids might have given up. He's a fighter,' said Jerry Tabone, his coach.
He referred to the physical and mental agony Rogowicz has endured since Sept. 29, 1985 when, in a Pop Warner game, an opponent fell on his right leg, fracturing his femur (thigh bone).
As serious and painful as the experience was, it wasn't the first time the youngster had injured himself.
'I had broken kneecaps and thumbs, so I thought, at least, it would heal and that would be it,' he said.
Little did he realize it would take two operations, two winter recuperation periods totaling 20 weeks, and a lot of emotional wear and tear on his parents before he returned to a normal teenage existence.
It was determined that the fracture had gone through the growth plate in the thigh, meaning his leg would not grow any more. Because he was in his growing cycle, that meant there would be a good chance his left leg would be longer than the right one.
'The doctor warned us the major effect could be the stopping of the growth,' said Peggy Rogowicz, the boy's mother.
Rogowicz was operated on by Dr. Peter Quinn. Following the surgery to his right leg, the youngster spent 12 weeks recuperating - six with a full-length leg cast and six more on crutches. He was home for much of that time, coping with schoolwork with the help of tutors and supportive teachers, who spent time with him at home.
He finally returned to gym class Feb. 1, 1986. He played school baseball in the spring, and was even looking forward to playing football that fall. But in July, Dr. Quinn took X-rays for the purpose of measurment. His right leg was nearly an inch shorter than his left leg.
'I was really upset when I found out there was a difference in the legs. I had bad thoughts about limping,' he said.
'His world was momentarily destroyed,' his mother said.
She said Dr. Quinn was basically left with three options. The first was to stop the growth in his good leg. The other two involved waiting until his growth cycle ended, then either removing a portion of bone from the left leg or taking a block of bone from the hip and moving it into the right leg.
The family got a second opinion from Dr. Munir Jabbur. It was determined the left leg - the good one - would have to be operated on immediately.
Dr. Quinn went through an involved procedure, using four incisions to remove six pieces of bone from above and below the knee, then putting them back in order to simulate a fracture through the growth area.
Once again, young Rogowicz went through the trauma of crutches and the entire rehabilitation process.
Because he will still have growth below the knee in his right leg, he will have to be monitored every year until he is fully grown. Because the 5-8 youngster's parents are both short, there is reason to believe the remaining growth won't effect him much.
'The hope is that when he's fully grown, his legs will be even,' Mrs. Rogowicz said.
Amazingly, he is already faster than he was before the operations, said Tabone, who tests speed by clocking his players between bases.
'He's a full second faster home to home,' the JV coach said. 'He's moving pretty well.
'The kid's a worker. He's very determined. ' I'd think he'd be an inspiration to any kid with a physical problem.'
Young Rogowicz, whose idol is Carl Yastrzemski, said his baseball goals include beginning varsity ball next year, and playing well enough to get a college scholarship. Meanwhile, the former Pop Warner running back is trying to decide whether to go out for football this fall.
'That's the big decision,' he said. 'If I don't go out for football, I will work on my baseball.'
Like a lot of athletes, he just wishes he was taller.
'I knew I was going to be short; I didn't want to be even shorter than I was,' he said. 'You don't have to be big, but it helps.'
There is no doubt, Bobby Rogowicz has grown as a person through his ordeal.
'I've come back physically and mentally,' he said. 'I had a bad attitude. Now I have a good attitude.''
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