James Harvey "Red" Bowser (September 20, 1881 - May 22, 1943) was an outfielder

Outfielder

Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

 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...

 for the Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

.

Biography

Bowser was born in Freeport, Pennsylvania

Freeport, Pennsylvania

Freeport is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States; it is situated along the Allegheny River in the southwest corner of the county. The population was 1,962 at the 2000 Census. Freeport received its name from David Todd, who declared it to be a free-port where no man would be...

, and started his professional baseball career in 1908. He played for the Flint Vehicles

Flint Vehicles

The Flint Vehicles were a professional baseball team in Flint, Michigan from 1921-1926. They were a part of the Michigan-Ontario League....

 of the Southern Michigan League

Southern Michigan League

The Southern Michigan League was a Minor League Baseball circuit which operated between 1906 and 1912. It was classified as a Class D league from 1906 to 1910 and as a Class C league from 1911 to 1912...

. After two seasons with batting average

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 :...

s of .272 and .284, Bowser was the star of the SML in 1910, when he batted .342, slugged .569, and hit 14 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. He led the league in all three categories and hit more homers than any two other players combined.

Bowser was then purchased by the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

's White Sox and joined the team late in the season. He played in one game for them, going 0 for 2 at the plate. The following season, he returned to the minor leagues. He batted just .246, and his organized baseball career ended in 1912.

Bowser died in Moundsville, West Virginia

Moundsville, West Virginia

Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,998 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. The city was named for the Grave Creek Mound. Moundsville was settled in...

, at the age of 61.

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