Brogna was the Detroit Tigers first round pick in 1988 out of high school in Watertown, Conn. He was a three-sport star in high school, and planned to play quarterback for Clemson University, but decided on baseball instead. He appeared in 9 games for the Tigers in 1992 and was traded to the Mets just before the 1994 season. He was the Mets starting first baseman in 1995, where he hit .289 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI. He also hit the first home run ever at Coors Field in Denver.
He was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (a type of spinal arthritis) early in his career, but he took medication and was able to keep playing. He became spokesperson for the Spondylitis Association of America.
Brogna was traded to the Phillies after the 1996 season for Toby Borland and Ricardo Jordan, a pitcher, not to be confused with Ricky Jordan, a first baseman. Anyway, Brogna was the Phillies everyday first baseman from 1997 through the first half of 2000. In 496 games, he hit 65 home runs and knocked in 300 runs. He is a Phillies record-holder as well. He hit 2 of the Phillies team record 7 home runs against the Mets on Sept. 8, 1998.
The Phillies put him on waivers in July 2000, and he was signed by the Red Sox. He signed as a free agent with the Braves in 2001 but retired before the end of the season.
Brogna had a number of coaching gigs after he retired, in baseball, basketball and football. He coached Post University's baseball team, his alma mater's basketball team, and high school and college football. He was hired by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Who Play in California on the West Coast of the United States as a special assistant to the general manager in 2014, and he was the Angels player information coach in 2015. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2015 and had surgery to get rid of it.
Today, Brogna is back in the Phillies organization, where he's a coach with AA Reading.
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