Larry Bowa

Larry Bowa
Bowa with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008
Shortstop/Manager
Born:(1945-12-06)December 6, 1945 Sacramento, California,U.S.
Batted:Switch Threw:Right
MLB debut
April 7, 1970, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last MLB appearance
October 6, 1985, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Batting average	.260
Hits	2,191
Home runs	15
Runs batted in	525
Managerial record	418–435
Winning %	.490
Teams
As player Philadelphia Phillies(1970–1981) Chicago Cubs(1982–1985) New York Mets(1985) As manager San Diego Padres(1987–1988) Philadelphia Phillies(2001–2004) As coach Philadelphia Phillies(1989–1996) Anaheim Angels(1997–1999) Seattle Mariners(2000) New York Yankees(2006–2007) Los Angeles Dodgers(2008–2010) Philadelphia Phillies(2014–2017)
Career highlights and awards
5×All-Star(1974–1976,1978,1979) World Serieschampion (1980) 2×Gold Glove Award(1972, 1978) NL Manager of the Year(2001) Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame

Lawrence Robert Bowa(born December 6, 1945) is anAmericanformerprofessional baseballshortstop,manager,andcoachinMajor League Baseball(MLB), who played for thePhiladelphia Phillies,Chicago Cubs,andNew York Mets.Bowa went on tomanagetheSan Diego Padresand Phillies, and is currently a senior advisor to thegeneral managerof the Phillies.

Early life

Bowa was born inSacramento, California,the son of Paul Bowa, a former minor-league infielder and manager in theSt. Louis Cardinalsfarm system. While atC. K. McClatchy High School,Bowa tried out but never made the school's baseball team.After graduation, Bowa went toSacramento City Collegewhere he started, and was expected to go in theMLB Draft,but didn't. The Philadelphia Phillies were the only Major League team interested in Bowa. They sent a local scout,Eddie Bockmanto watch Bowa play in a doubleheader, only for Bowa to be thrown out of both games for arguing. Bockman had awinter leagueteam 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.

Professional career

Bowa won twoGold Glove Awardsand led theNational League(NL) infielding percentagesix times, then a league record. He retired with the NL record for career games at shortstop (2222) and was also among the career leaders inassists(sixth, 6857) anddouble 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 morestolen bases.

Philadelphia Phillies (1970-1981)

From his 1970 rookie season through 1981, Bowa provided solid reliability in the Phillies' infield, along withthird basemanMike 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 inNL MVPvoting. He batted.333 in a losing cause in the1978 NLCS,but played an even greater role in 1980, hitting.316 in theNLCSand.375 in theWorld 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 Fernándezbroke the record with a.992 mark in1989,andRey Ordóñezbroke the NL record with a.994 average in1999.Bowa tiedOzzie Smithfor the most post-1930 seasons with at least 400 at-bats and no home runs, with six.

Chicago Cubs (1982-1985)

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. TheChicago Cubs,who had just hired former Phillies managerDallas Greenas 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 namedRyne Sandbergas a part of the trade. In return, the Phillies received shortstopIván 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 in1984for the first time in 39 years.

At the beginning of the 1985 season, Bowa lost the Cubs' starting shortstop job to veteran journeymanChris Speierand eventually to their 1982 first-round draft pick,Shawon Dunston,mainly because he couldn't get the ball all the way from shortstop to first base, which left the 39-year-old Bowa discontented with the Cubs' organization. After becoming theSan Diego Padres' manager in 1987, Bowa vented his frustrations with the Cubs in an autobiography, titledBleep!

New York Mets (1985)

After being released by the Cubs in August 1985, he played the last month of the season with theNew York Mets,before retiring.

Bowa was a.260 career hitter with 15home runs,525RBI,2,191hits,987runs,262doubles,99triples,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 byOmar Vizquel.

Managerial and coaching career

San Diego Padres (1987-1988)

After retiring, Bowa was named manager of theLas Vegas Stars,theTriple-Aaffiliate of theSan Diego Padres,for the 1986 season. In Bowa's only season at the helm, the Stars went 80–62 en route to thePacific Coast Leaguechampionship.

Bowa was hired to manage the Padres on October 28, 1986, a little over a year after playing in his final MLB game. His aggressive and often angry style combined with an extremely young and inexperienced roster led to a down 1987 season in San Diego, and when higher expectations for the 1988 team (mainly engendered by those young players showing greatly improved performances in the 2nd half of the 1987 season and the 1988 spring training slate) were not met, he was fired on May 28, 1988, with an overall record of 81–127 as the club's skipper.

First stint with the Philadelphia Phillies (1989-1996)

Bowa returned to the Phillies as the team's third base coach on August 11,1988and remained there through the1996season. In1993,he andJohn Vukovichbecame the first two Phillies in franchise history to go to the World Series with the club as both a player and coach (Vukovich was Bowa's teammate on the 1980 World Champions and was the bench coach for the '93 National League champs.Milt Thompson,an outfielder for the 1993 club, would become the third member of this group when he served as hitting coach for the2008 World Championsand2009 National League Champions).

WhenJim Fregosiwas fired as Phillies manager following the 1996 season, Bowa was one of the candidates to interview for the vacant position, which ultimately went toTerry Francona.

Anaheim Angels (1997-1999) and Seattle Mariners (2000)

Bowa then joined theAnaheim Angelsas their third base coach, where he served from1997to1999before spending the2000season in the same capacity with theSeattle Mariners.

Second stint with the Philadelphia Phillies (2001-2004)

After being passed over for the job four years earlier, Bowa was named manager of the Phillies on November 1, 2000. Taking over a team that had gone 65–97 in2000,Bowa led the club to a surprising 86–76 mark in2001,two games behind theNational League EastChampionAtlanta Braves.Bowa was honored asNational League Manager of the Yearand also received theSporting NewsNL Manager of the Year Awardthat year. In addition, he was voted theBaseball ProspectusInternet Baseball AwardsNL Manager of the Year in 2001.

Despite a promising first season at the helm, Bowa's Phillies could never quite build off the 2001 club's surprising success. A disappointing 80–81 campaign in2002would be the franchise's last losing season until2013.The2003and2004seasons saw the Phillies finish with similar records of 86–76, and the former season was marked by considerable turmoil with Bowa having clashes with such players asTyler HoustonandPat Burrell.Though respectable, much more was expected from the club in those latter two campaigns and Bowa was fired with two games remaining in the 2004 season after failing to reach the postseason or finish within 10 games of first place in his last three years. Bowa's managerial record with the Phillies was 337–308.

New York Yankees (2006-2007) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-2010)

After a one-year absence, Bowa returned to the field as third base coach for theNew York Yankeesin2006,a position he held for two seasons.

On November 5, 2007, theLos Angeles Dodgershired Bowa to be the team's third base coach, following the hire of new managerJoe Torre,under whom Bowa had served with the Yankees. Torre became the seventh manager to have Bowa on his staff as third base coach, followingLee Elia,John Vukovich,Nick Leyva,Jim Fregosi,Terry Collins,andLou Piniella.The Dodgers won consecutiveNational League Westtitles in2008and2009,but in both seasons were eliminated in five games in theNLCSby the Phillies, managed by Bowa's permanent successor in Philadelphia,Charlie Manuel.

The conclusion of Bowa's tenure with the Dodgers coincided with Torre's retirement at the end of the2010season.

Third stint with the Philadelphia Phillies (2014-2017)

Bowa reunited with Joe Torre and served as his bench coach for theUSA teamin the2013 World Baseball Classic.

Bowa returned to Major League Baseball and the Phillies by joiningRyne Sandberg's staff as bench coach for the2014season.Bowa remained with the Phillies as bench coach underPete Mackanin,who took over after Sandberg resigned during the2015season.

Bowa was relieved of his coaching duties on October 13, 2017, and accepted the role asMatt Klentak's senior advisor to the general manager.

Broadcasting career

ESPN and XM radio

Bowa spent the2005season as an analyst forESPN'sBaseball Tonightand co-hosted a baseball talk show onXM Radio.

After leaving the Dodgers, Bowa was a studio analyst for theMLB Networkfrom 2011 to 2013, regularly appearing on the network's daily studio show "MLB Tonight." He also hosted a weekly show during the baseball season withChris Russoon Sirius XM while occasionally providing postgame analysis for Phillies games onWPHL.

Managerial record

Team	From	To	Regular season record			Post–season record			Ref.
			W	L	Win %	W	L	Win %
San Diego Padres	1987	1988	81	127	.389	—
Philadelphia Phillies	2001	2004	337	308	.522
Total			418	435	.490	0	0	–	—

See also

• List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orESPN,orBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
• Larry Bowa managerial career statisticsatBaseball-Reference
• Larry Bowaat theSABR Baseball Biography Project
• Larry Bowaat Baseball Almanac
• Larry Bowaat Ultimate Mets Database
• Larry BowaPhiladelphia Phillies Bio