Larry Bowa
From BR Bullpen
Lawrence Robert Bowa
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 155 lb.
- School Sacramento City College
- High School McClatchy High School
- Debut April 7, 1970
- Final Game October 6, 1985
- Born December 6, 1945 in Sacramento, CA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Larry Bowa had the first ever hit at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia on April 10, 1971. Bowa took over the Phillies' shortstop position from Don Money in 1970 and stayed there for a dozen seasons. A fine fielder (four Gold Gloves), the switch-hitting Bowa also hit .260 for his career and stole 318 bases. n one of the biggest steals of all time, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with minor leaguer Ryne Sandberg for shortstop Ivan DeJesus. Bowa was the shortstop for the 1984 division winning Cubs team that lost to the San Diego Padres in the NLCS. He finished his career with the New York Mets in 1985.
Bowa's playing record compares well with such Hall of Fame shortstops as Rabbit Maranville and may qualify him for election to Baseball's Hall of Fame, although the Veterans Committee seems bent on electing nobody and Bowa did not win the support of the Baseball Writers Association of America in numerous votes. He is a baseball lifer, having spent 38 of the last 40 seasons in organized baseball. He has made the following stops.
- Philadelphia Phillies, player, 1966-1969 (minors), 1970-1981 (majors)
- Chicago Cubs, player, 1982-1985
- New York Mets, player, 1985
- Las Vegas Stars (Pacific Coast League), manager, 1986
- San Diego Padres, manager, 1987-1988
- Philadelphia Phillies, coach, 1989-1996
- Anaheim Angels, coach, 1997-1999
- Seattle Mariners, coach, 2000
- Philadelphia Phillies, manager, 2001-2004
- ESPN, analyst, 2005
- XM Radio, analyst, 2005
- New York Yankees, coach, 2006-present
His first Baseball Card appearance was in the 1970 Topps set. He is the son of Paul Bowa, a minor league infielder and manager, the nephew of Frank Bowa, a minor league infielder, and the uncle of Nick Johnson.
".. A helluva coach. A great field manager. God, what a dickhead. I thought he was the biggest asshole in the United States of America. Of course, there are still days when I think that, but only some days. Not every day like before. Oh yeah, one more thing. The best thing that ever happened to me in my career was him becoming my manager" - John Kruk in I Ain't An Athlete Lady....
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1970 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 5-time NL All-Star (1974-1976, 1978 & 1979)
- 2-time NL Gold Glove Winner (1972 & 1978)
- NL At Bats Leader (1971)
- NL Singles Leader (1978)
- NL Triples Leader (1972)
- Won a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980
- NL Manager of the Year Award (2001)
| Preceded by Steve Boros | San Diego Padres Manager 1988-1990 | Succeeded by Jack McKeon |
| Preceded by Terry Francona | Philadelphia Phillies Manager 2001-2004 | Succeeded by Gary Varsho |
[edit] Year-By-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Las Vegas Stars | Pacific Coast League | 80-70 | 3rd | San Diego Padres | League Champs | |
| 1987 | San Diego Padres | National League | 65-97 | 6th | San Diego Padres | ||
| 1988 | San Diego Padres | National League | 16-30 | -- | San Diego Padres | replaced by Jack McKeon on May 28 | |
| 2001 | Philadelphia Phillies | National League | 86-76 | 2nd | Philadelphia Phillies | ||
| 2002 | Philadelphia Phillies | National League | 80-81 | 3rd | Philadelphia Phillies | ||
| 2003 | Philadelphia Phillies | National League | 86-76 | 3rd | Philadelphia Phillies | ||
| 2004 | Philadelphia Phillies | National League | 85-75 | -- | Philadelphia Phillies | replaced by Gary Varsho on October 2 |
