Hogan was signed by the Boston Braves on June 18, 1925 as an amateur free agent at the age of 19, and made his major league debut five days later as an outfielder. He was promptly sent to the minor leagues where he played for the Worcester Panthers and the Albany Senators. In 1926, he was sent to play for the Lynn Papooses where he was converted into a catcher. He appeared in 71 games for the Braves in 1927, with 66 hits (including 17 doubles, a triple and three home runs) in 229 at-bats for a .288 batting average. His strong throwing arm was evident as he led National League catchers with an impressive 58.1% caught stealing percentage.\n', '

Prior to the 1928 season, the Braves management wanted to increase Hogan\'s home run productivity, so they built bleachers in the left and center fields of the cavernous Braves Field, reducing the distance from home plate to left field from 403 feet to 353 feet and in center field from 550 feet to 387 feet. The Braves then made an about face when they traded Hogan to the New York Giants. In a controversial decision on January 10, 1928, the Giants owner, Charles Stoneham, traded Rogers Hornsby, one of the best hitters in the major leagues, to the Braves in exchange for Hogan and outfielder Jimmy Welsh. Stoneham announced that the trade "was in the best interests of the team." The controversy resurfaced in 1929 when the Giants filed suit against their former treasurer, Francis McQuade, stating that he had hurt the club with his poor decisions regarding trades.\n', '

Despite the controversy, Hogan experienced his first success in the 1928 season, hitting .333, with 25 doubles, 10 home runs and 71 runs batted in to help the Giants finish in second place, two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished 8th in the balloting for the 1928 National League Most Valuable Player Award.\n', '

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