Larry Bowa
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder
, playing mainly as a shortstop
, and manager
in Major League Baseball
.
, the son of Paul Bowa, a former minor-league infielder and manager in the St. Louis Cardinals
farm system. While at C. K. McClatchy High School
, Bowa tried out but never made the school's baseball team. After graduation, Bowa went to Sacramento City College
where he started, and was expected to go in the MLB Draft
, but didn't. The Philadelphia Phillies were the only Major League team interested in Bowa. They sent a local scout, Eddie Bockman to watch Bowa play in a doubleheader, only for Bowa to be thrown out of the game for arguing. Borkman had a winter league team in the area and offered Bowa a chance to play. Bowa played well and signed with the Phillies for a $2,000 bonus.
s and led the National League
in fielding percentage
six times, then a league record. He retired with the NL record for career games at shortstop (2222) and the Major League records for fielding average in a career (.980) and a single season (.991, in ), and was also among the career leaders in assists
(sixth, 6857) and double play
s (fourth, 1265); his records have since been broken, though he retains the NL mark for career fielding average.
Apart from his fielding achievements, he was a switch-hitter, batting
.280 or better four times (.305 in 1975); he also had nine seasons with 20 or more stolen base
s. From his 1970 rookie season through 1981, Bowa provided solid reliability in the Phillies' infield, along with third baseman
Mike Schmidt
; from 1976 to 1981, the Phillies reached the postseason five times, ending a drought dating back a quarter of a century. Bowa batted .333 in a losing cause in the 1978 NLCS
, but played an even greater role in 1980, hitting .316 in the NLCS
and .375 in the World Series
as the Phillies captured the first title in franchise history. In 1979, Bowa set a Major League record for shortstops with a .991 fielding average; Tony Fernández
broke the record with a .992 mark in , and Rey Ordóñez
broke the NL record with a .994 average in . He tied Ozzie Smith for the most post-1930 seasons with at least 400 at-bats and no home runs, with six.
By the end of the 1981 season, Bowa had worn out his welcome with the Phillies' front office, and let it be known he was available. The Chicago Cubs
, who had just hired former Phillies manager Dallas Green
as general manager, quickly expressed interest. However, Green, who had managed the 1980 world champions, knew that Bowa didn't have many years left, and demanded a young rookie shortstop named Ryne Sandberg
as a part of the trade. In return, the Phillies received shortstop Ivan DeJesus
. The trade paid off tremendously for the Cubs, as Bowa's veteran leadership and Sandberg's outstanding all-around play (en route to a Hall of Fame career) brought the Cubs to the postseason in for the first time in 39 years.
At the beginning of the 1985 season, Bowa lost the Cubs' starting shortstop job to Shawon Dunston
, which left the 39-year-old Bowa discontented with the Cubs' organization; after becoming the San Diego Padres'
manager in 1987, Bowa vented his frustrations with the Cubs in an autobiography, titled "Bleep!" After being released by the Cubs in August 1985, Bowa played the last month of the season with the New York Mets
before retiring. He was a .260 career hitter with 15 home run
s, 525 RBI
, 2191 hits
, 987 runs
, 262 doubles
, 99 triples
, and 318 stolen bases in 2247 games. His NL records for career games at shortstop and most years leading the league in fielding were later broken by Ozzie Smith
; his Major League record for career fielding average has been broken by Omar Vizquel
.
in , but his aggressive and often angry style were ineffective, and he was fired a year later. Bowa returned to managing, joining the Phillies in , and was honored as Manager of the Year
after bringing the team within two games of the division title; they had finished in last place in 2000. He also received the Sporting News NL Manager of the Year Award
and was voted the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards
NL Manager of the Year. He was fired with two games remaining in the season after failing to finish within 10 games of first place in his last three years.
's Baseball Tonight
and co-hosted a baseball talk show on XM Radio.
hired him to be the team's new third base coach, following the hire of new manager Joe Torre
. He previously served as a third base coach under managers Lee Elia
, John Vukovich
, Nick Leyva
, Jim Fregosi
, Terry Collins
, and Lou Piniella
.
On April 1, 2008 Bowa, was thrown out in the second game of the season due to arguing with an umpire about standing out of the coaches box (he eventually threw a watercooler in the dugout). Bowa was subsequently suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount. His position with the Dodgers ended with the retirement of Joe Torre at the end of the 2010 season.
Since January 2011, Bowa has been a studio analyst for the MLB Network
.
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, playing mainly as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Early life
Bowa was born in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, the son of Paul Bowa, a former minor-league infielder and manager in the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
farm system. While at C. K. McClatchy High School
C. K. McClatchy High School
C.K. McClatchy High School is a Sacramento City Unified School District High School. It is located in the Land Park area of Sacramento, California, USA . McClatchy High School is also the second-oldest high school in Sacramento, having been established in 1937. It is currently the oldest high...
, Bowa tried out but never made the school's baseball team. After graduation, Bowa went to Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College is a two-year community college located in Sacramento, California. SCC is part of the Los Rios Community College District and had an enrollment of 25,307 in 2009. Sacramento City College is officially accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges , offering...
where he started, and was expected to go in the MLB Draft
MLB Draft
The First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players, from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs, to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with...
, but didn't. The Philadelphia Phillies were the only Major League team interested in Bowa. They sent a local scout, Eddie Bockman to watch Bowa play in a doubleheader, only for Bowa to be thrown out of the game for arguing. Borkman had a winter league team in the area and offered Bowa a chance to play. Bowa played well and signed with the Phillies for a $2,000 bonus.
Playing career
Characterized by his "soft" hands, strong arm, and fiery personality, he won two Gold Glove AwardGold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
s and led the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
six times, then a league record. He retired with the NL record for career games at shortstop (2222) and the Major League records for fielding average in a career (.980) and a single season (.991, in ), and was also among the career leaders in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
(sixth, 6857) and double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s (fourth, 1265); his records have since been broken, though he retains the NL mark for career fielding average.
Apart from his fielding achievements, he was a switch-hitter, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.280 or better four times (.305 in 1975); he also had nine seasons with 20 or more stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. From his 1970 rookie season through 1981, Bowa provided solid reliability in the Phillies' infield, along with third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
; from 1976 to 1981, the Phillies reached the postseason five times, ending a drought dating back a quarter of a century. Bowa batted .333 in a losing cause in the 1978 NLCS
1978 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1978 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBecause of having to start an NL East-clinching game a few days earlier, Phillies ace Steve Carlton wasn't available for the start of the series, leaving the task to Larry Christenson...
, but played an even greater role in 1980, hitting .316 in the NLCS
1980 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaGame 1 was the most ordinary contest of the series. Starters Ken Forsch and Steve Carlton dueled for the first five innings, with only one run scored by Houston in the third on an RBI single by Gary Woods...
and .375 in the World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
as the Phillies captured the first title in franchise history. In 1979, Bowa set a Major League record for shortstops with a .991 fielding average; Tony Fernández
Tony Fernández
Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...
broke the record with a .992 mark in , and Rey Ordóñez
Rey Ordóñez
Reynaldo Ordóñez Pereira is a former professional baseball shortstop. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Chicago Cubs....
broke the NL record with a .994 average in . He tied Ozzie Smith for the most post-1930 seasons with at least 400 at-bats and no home runs, with six.
By the end of the 1981 season, Bowa had worn out his welcome with the Phillies' front office, and let it be known he was available. The Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, who had just hired former Phillies manager Dallas Green
Dallas Green
George Dallas Green is a former pitcher, manager, and executive in Major League Baseball. After playing for the Philadelphia Phillies and two other teams, he went on to manage the Phillies, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets, and managed the Phillies when they won their first World Series...
as general manager, quickly expressed interest. However, Green, who had managed the 1980 world champions, knew that Bowa didn't have many years left, and demanded a young rookie shortstop named Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
as a part of the trade. In return, the Phillies received shortstop Ivan DeJesus
Ivan DeJesus
Iván Alvarez DeJesús is a former Major League Baseball player from 1974 to 1988 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Detroit Tigers. DeJesús was regarded as a good fielding but light hitting shortstop...
. The trade paid off tremendously for the Cubs, as Bowa's veteran leadership and Sandberg's outstanding all-around play (en route to a Hall of Fame career) brought the Cubs to the postseason in for the first time in 39 years.
At the beginning of the 1985 season, Bowa lost the Cubs' starting shortstop job to Shawon Dunston
Shawon Dunston
Shawon Donnell Dunston is a former shortstop and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball. He resides in Fremont, CA. He was the first overall pick in the 1982 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, and played for the Cubs , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates , Cleveland Indians , St...
, which left the 39-year-old Bowa discontented with the Cubs' organization; after becoming the San Diego Padres'
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
manager in 1987, Bowa vented his frustrations with the Cubs in an autobiography, titled "Bleep!" After being released by the Cubs in August 1985, Bowa played the last month of the season with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
before retiring. He was a .260 career hitter with 15 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 525 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 2191 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 987 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 262 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 99 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 318 stolen bases in 2247 games. His NL records for career games at shortstop and most years leading the league in fielding were later broken by Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
; his Major League record for career fielding average has been broken by Omar Vizquel
Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
.
San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies
After retiring, Bowa was named manager of the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in , but his aggressive and often angry style were ineffective, and he was fired a year later. Bowa returned to managing, joining the Phillies in , and was honored as Manager of the Year
Manager of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Manager of the Year Award is an honor given annually since 1983 to the best managers in the American League and the National League . The winner is voted on by 28 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America . Each places a vote for first, second, and third...
after bringing the team within two games of the division title; they had finished in last place in 2000. He also received the Sporting News NL Manager of the Year Award
The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award was established in 1936 by The Sporting News and was given annually to one manager in Major League Baseball...
and was voted the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards
Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards
The annual Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards are based on fan voting. They started in 1991 with the Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year awards, in each of the two leagues in Major League Baseball. In 1998, an award for Manager of the Year was added in each...
NL Manager of the Year. He was fired with two games remaining in the season after failing to finish within 10 games of first place in his last three years.
ESPN and XM radio
After leaving the Phillies and before accepting his job with the Yankees, Bowa served as an analyst for ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight is a program that airs on ESPN. The show, which recapitulates the day's Major League Baseball action, has been on the air since 1990.-Air times:...
and co-hosted a baseball talk show on XM Radio.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On November 5, 2007, the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
hired him to be the team's new third base coach, following the hire of new manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
. He previously served as a third base coach under managers Lee Elia
Lee Elia
Lee Constantine Elia is a former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball. He was a manager of the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies . Additionally, he has served as a coach for the Phillies, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore...
, John Vukovich
John Vukovich
John Christopher Vukovich was an American third baseman and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his years of service with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in parts of ten seasons from 1970 to 1981 for the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers...
, Nick Leyva
Nick Leyva
Nicholas Tomas Leyva is the current third base coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Leyva, who is of Mexican American descent, is a former minor league player and manager, and has spent over a decade as a Major League Baseball coach...
, Jim Fregosi
Jim Fregosi
James Louis Fregosi is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played from 1961–1978 for four different teams, primarily the Los Angeles and California Angels. In that franchise's first eleven years of play, he became its first star as the team's...
, Terry Collins
Terry Collins
Terry Lee Collins is the manager for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. A former minor league shortstop, Collins managed the Albuquerque Dukes of the Pacific Coast League, the Buffalo Bisons of the International League, the Duluth Huskies of the summer collegiate Northwoods League, and...
, and Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
.
On April 1, 2008 Bowa, was thrown out in the second game of the season due to arguing with an umpire about standing out of the coaches box (he eventually threw a watercooler in the dugout). Bowa was subsequently suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount. His position with the Dodgers ended with the retirement of Joe Torre at the end of the 2010 season.
Since January 2011, Bowa has been a studio analyst for the MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases