Fogel was born on March 2, 1861 in Macungie, Pennsylvania. He spent his youth working in the local iron ore mines and after a stint as a telegraph operator he entered the sports world as a sports writer for The Philadelphia Press and later the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph.
In 1887, at the recommendation of Francis Richter, Fogel was hired to manage the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the National League. During his tenure as manager, Fogel stripped Jack Glasscock of his captaincy, suspended and fined a number of other players, and accused umpires of robbing his team. In a letter published in the Indianapolis News, one of his players, Otto Schomberg, accused Fogel of drinking. He resigned after the season.
After leaving Indianapolis, Fogel returned to Philadelphia, where he wrote for the Sporting Life and served as sports editor of the Public Ledger. In 1892, he entered politics as a Democrat. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Philadelphia City Council in 1892 and the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1894. In 1893 he unsuccessfully lobbied for the position of Naval Officer of the Port of Philadelphia. In the sporting world, Fogel unsuccessfully campaigned for the positions of secretary of the Pennsylvania State League in 1894 and president of the Atlantic League in 1896.

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