Thanks. The Tigers will be glad to know they didn't waste that #3 draft pick on somebody who doesn't exist, I suppose.
Don Bowman certainly exists; he's a big hulking dude. But he found the lower minors a grind, and didn't start to shine until 1982 when, at age 25, he posted an .835 OPS for AA Charlotte.
At which point, the Orioles…released him. Because, hey, dude, you're 25. And we're not really looking for first basemen, with Eddie Murray holding the job.
In game, he shined a bit quicker, winning Player of the Week, Batter of the Month, and making the Carolina League All-Star Team in 1980. Thus prompting the Orioles to…release him.
But this time he signed with Cleveland as a minor league FA. They bumped him to AAA Charleston, which was probably too much of a jump, as he struggled and was benched. But, hey, it's Cleveland. They'll promote
anybody come September, apparently.
So Big Don, who already got 3 innings as a defensive replacement at Seattle in June (one PA; he struck out, swinging) gets to sit by the shores of Lake Erie, watching the summer turn to fall. Secure in the knowledge he's made the encyclopedias…and, more importantly, the MLBPA pension plan. Attaboy!
