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Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa (born December 6, 1945) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played professionally for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and the New York Mets. Bowa went on to manage the San Diego Padres and Phillies.
Bowa was born in Sacramento, California, 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 both games for arguing. Bockman 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. After 4 years in the minors, he made the Phillies' roster at the age of 24 in 1970.
Bowa won two Gold Glove Awards and led the National League (NL) in fielding percentage six times, then a league record. He retired with the NL record for career games at shortstop (2222) and was also among the career leaders in assists (sixth, 6857) and double plays (fourth, 1265); Bowa's records have since been broken, though he retains the NL mark for career fielding percentage. Apart from his fielding achievements, Bowa was a switch-hitter, batting .280 or better four times (.305 in 1975); he also had nine seasons with 20 or more stolen bases.
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. In 1978, Bowa had one of his most productive seasons, hitting .294 and leading NL shortstops with a .986 fielding percentage while finishing third in NL MVP voting. He 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 1989, and Rey Ordóñez broke the NL record with a .994 average in 1999. Bowa 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 third baseman named Ryne Sandberg as a part of the trade. In return, the Phillies received shortstop Iván DeJesús. 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 1984 for the first time in 39 years.
At the beginning of the 1985 season, Bowa lost the Cubs' starting shortstop job to veteran journeyman Chris Speier and eventually to their 1982 first-round draft pick, 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, he played the last month of the season with the New York Mets, before retiring.
Bowa was a .260 career hitter with 15 home runs, 525 RBI, 2,191 hits, 987 runs, 262 doubles, 99 triples, and 318 stolen bases in 2,247 games. His NL records for career games at shortstop and most years leading the league in fielding were later broken by Ozzie Smith; Bowa's Major League record for career fielding average has been broken by Omar Vizquel.
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Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa (born December 6, 1945) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played professionally for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and the New York Mets. Bowa went on to manage the San Diego Padres and Phillies.
Bowa was born in Sacramento, California, 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 both games for arguing. Bockman 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. After 4 years in the minors, he made the Phillies' roster at the age of 24 in 1970.
Bowa won two Gold Glove Awards and led the National League (NL) in fielding percentage six times, then a league record. He retired with the NL record for career games at shortstop (2222) and was also among the career leaders in assists (sixth, 6857) and double plays (fourth, 1265); Bowa's records have since been broken, though he retains the NL mark for career fielding percentage. Apart from his fielding achievements, Bowa was a switch-hitter, batting .280 or better four times (.305 in 1975); he also had nine seasons with 20 or more stolen bases.
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. In 1978, Bowa had one of his most productive seasons, hitting .294 and leading NL shortstops with a .986 fielding percentage while finishing third in NL MVP voting. He 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 1989, and Rey Ordóñez broke the NL record with a .994 average in 1999. Bowa 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 third baseman named Ryne Sandberg as a part of the trade. In return, the Phillies received shortstop Iván DeJesús. 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 1984 for the first time in 39 years.
At the beginning of the 1985 season, Bowa lost the Cubs' starting shortstop job to veteran journeyman Chris Speier and eventually to their 1982 first-round draft pick, 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, he played the last month of the season with the New York Mets, before retiring.
Bowa was a .260 career hitter with 15 home runs, 525 RBI, 2,191 hits, 987 runs, 262 doubles, 99 triples, and 318 stolen bases in 2,247 games. His NL records for career games at shortstop and most years leading the league in fielding were later broken by Ozzie Smith; Bowa's Major League record for career fielding average has been broken by Omar Vizquel.