Born in Springfield, Illinois, Rogell was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox prior to the 1925 campaign after two seasons in the Southwestern League. The Red Sox quickly tried to convert the switch-hitting Rogell into solely a right-handed batter, thinking that he would benefit from more appearances from the right side, hence more chances to drive balls off the Green Monster. "They just screwed me up for a couple years," Rogell would say later.\n', '

He appeared in 58 games for the last-place Red Sox—49 at second base—while hitting .195 in 169 at-bats. He was sent back to the minors for more grooming during the 1926 season before being recalled by Boston for 1927.\n', '

Rogell played in 82 games, hitting .266 while splitting time between third and second. The Red Sox again finished in the cellar, losing 100 games for the third year in a row.\n', '

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