Joe Ruocco

There is hardly a sports fan who grew up in Wichita in the past 40 years who hasn’t visited – and delighted in – Rock’s Dugout and its owner, Joe Ruocco.

Ruocco grew up in The Bronx as a Yankees fan collecting baseball cards. He left New York to attend college at St. Mary’s of the Plains in Dodge City. He planned to return to New York but was offered a job while student teaching in Wichita. Ruocco taught elementary school in Wichita from 1969 until he retired in 2003.

In 1977, Ruocco, a lifelong bowler, opened Rock’s Dugout in the basement of Rose Bowl East in Wichita. His original inventory was his own personal collection.

In 2003, Rose Bowl East closed so Rock’s Dugout moved to another bowling alley, Northrock Lanes. Like its predecessor, Rock’s Dugout has bats, balls and sports gear hanging from the ceiling. Memorabilia adorns every wall with one wall dominated by a photo collage that once hung in Yankee Stadium. And, most of all, there are hundreds of thousands of sports cards.

Known for his honesty and integrity, Ruocco regularly hosts card and memorabilia shows. He hired national sports figures – like Stan Musial, Phil Rizzuto and Hank Aaron – to come to Wichita to sign autographs.

In 2022, Ruocco retired a second time, this time from Rock’s Dugout after 45 years of business. He sold Rock’s Dugout to a long-time customer, so it continues to be the oldest-running card shop in Kansas.

Ruocco and his wife, Cathy, live in Wichita.