CBN HOF Series: Shawn Bowman on Larry Walker

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Steve Rogers on Marvin Miller ||||| Mario Ziino on Ted Simmons ||||| Buck Showalter on Derek Jeter ||||| “The Legend” Dick Groch signed Jeter, plus scouting report ||||| Captain Jeter was Mr. November ||||| Jeter held in high regard by baseball brethren

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September 8, 2021

By Shawn Bowman

Pittsburgh Pirates

Growing up in Coquitlam, BC, we were all in the shadow of Larry Walker. He paved the way of hope for all us ball players striving to become major league players. He still does.

I joined the Coquitlam Reds and had the honour of being coached by the legendary Bill Green. The same coach that coached Larry. Billy used to reference Larry back then, how he was raw but could do anything he wanted to do on the field. That rained true in the big leagues.

I remember watching Larry play and he always looked effortless. It looked like he was always under control. As I learned the hard way, the game isn’t easy, but Larry sure made it look that way.

Larry was the role model growing up that I had never met. Being a right-handed hitter, I still tried to stand like he did in the batter’s box. He used to use a red bat at one point and the first wood bat I ever bought was the same colour.

During my time with the Canadian Senior national team I had the privilege of meeting Larry. During an epic 2009 trip through Italy, there were many stories formed, some we can talk about, some we can’t.

What I can say is this was Larry’s first time coaching with the senior team. He himself was learning what coaching was all about. Coaching a bunch of upper level grinders that were maximizing their talent. We saw him open up that trip and become one of the guys ... that sounds simple but for all us that looked up to Larry for so long, it was amazing.

The best hitter to come out of our country was one of the guys. One day you’re watching him hit homers in the World Series, the next your standing in McDonald’s drive through in the middle of Italy at midnight in full ‘uni’ trying to order a Big Mac.

It has been a fun ride watching his career and I feel very grateful that I have met him.

Shawn Bowman in 2012 with triple-A New Orleans, a Marlins farm club.

Shawn Bowman (Coquitlam, BC) now the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league field coordinator< speaks to members of the Canadian Junior National Team in Bradenton. Photo: Adam Morissette photography studios, Bradenton brand.

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INF Shawn Bowman was part of the class of 2002. He played with the Canadian Junior National Team at the World Juniors in Sherbrooke, Que. In fact, 2002 was his second year with the Juniors, and he earned all star shortstop honours at the Worlds.

Bowman (New Westminster, BC) was part of the golden Canuck class of 2002. Drafted players with the juniors besides Bowman, selected in the 12th round by the New York Mets, were ...

LHP Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC), who went fourth overall in North America from the Whalley Chiefs, to the Orioles; RHP Chris Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.), Team Ontario, Rays; ninth round; LHP David Davidson (Thorold, Ont.) 10th round, Team Ontario, Pirates; RHP Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC) Langley Blaze, 17th round, Phillies; LHP Ryan McGovern (Abbotsford, BC) Abbotsford Cardinals, 27th round Giants; RHP James Avery (Maple Creek, Sask.), 29th round, Twins; RHP Chris Toneguzzi (Thunder Bay, Ont.) Team Ontario, Pirates, 30th round; and C Christopher Robinson (Dorchester, Ont.) London Badgers, Tigers 30th round; 1B Eric Wolfe (Willowdale, Ont.) Team Ontario, 40th round, Dodgers and C Tyler Williams (North Delta, BC) 43rd round, Marlins.

And that was just the high school scene. Then, there were those too old or not on the junior team and collegians: LHP Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC) ninth overall to Rockies, UBC; 1B Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) 44th overall, Etobicoke Indians, Reds; RHP Terry Forbes (Halifax, NS) Mariners, ninth round; LHP Aric Van Gaalen (Edmonton, Alta.) 16th round, Blue Jays; Michael Galloway (St. Thomas, Ont.) Miami of Ohio, Blue Jays, 14th round; RHP Jeffrey Brewer (Bathurst, NB) 14th round, Mets from UBC; OF Sambu Ndungidi (Pierrefonds, Que.), Dodgers, ABC 16th round; RHP Ryan Leaist (Hamilton, Ont.), Mariners, Montreat College, 16th round, INF Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) Chipola College, 17th round, Dodgers; C David Harriman (Richmond, Ont.) Armstrong Atlantic State, Athletics, 17th round; RHP Adam Hawes (Victoria Harbour, Ont.), Ontario Blue Jays, 17th round Twins; RHP Herbert Andres (Abbotsford, BC) Abbotsford Cardinals, 19th round,;LHP Adam Daniels (Vancouver, BC), Eastern Oklahoma State, 19th round, Twins; C George Kottaras (Markham, Ont.) Connors State College, 20th round, Padres; RHP Michel Simard (Quebec, Que.) Angels, St. Petersburg College, 25th round and RHP Steven Reiss (Thornhill, Ont.) Seminole (FLA) Braves, 25th round, C Larry Balkwill (Chatham, Ont.) 41st round, Tigers and OF Adam Pernasilici (Tecumseh, Ont.) Team Ontario, 43rd round, Mariners.

Bowman made his professional debut in 2003, splitting time at rookie-class Kingsport and class-A Brooklyn (as he combined to hit .187 with eight RBIs in 52 games). The next year he was at class-A Capital City (hitting .255, with 18 homers, 66 RBIs and a .775 OPS in 116 games).

In 2005, he climbed a level to class-A St. Lucie (where he batted .221 with a homer, 22 RBIs and a .712 OPS in 87 contests). The next two seasons he was at St. Lucie again (batting .214, four homers, 21 RBIs and a .680 OPS in 38 games).

In 2008 he started the season at St. Lucie and moved on double-A Binghamton (batting .290 with four homers, 21 RBIs and a .731 OPS in 55 games). He returned to Binghamton in 2009 (hitting .294 with nine homers, 44 RBIs and an .804 OPS in 91 games). He helped Canada win bronze in the World Cup.

Dealt from the Mets to the Blue Jays, he split 2010 between class-A Dunedin and double-A New Hampshire where he made an impact (batting .269 with 22 homers, 70 RBIs and an .826 OPS in 110 games at the two places).

In 2011, Bowman, a product of Mundy Park, signed with the Braves and made three stops: rookie-Class Gulf Coast Braves, double-A Mississippi and triple-A Gwinnett (he batted .259 with eight homers, 21 RBIs and a .713 OPS in 65 games). Again he helped Canada to a repeat bronze in the World Cup and was part of Canada’s Pan Am gold medal in Mexico in 2011. He was named Coquitlam, BC’s athlete of the year in 2011.

Next, in 2012 he was on to the Miami Marlins organization stopping at double-A Jacksonville and triple-A New Orleans (he hit .247, with 11 homers, 53 RBIs and a .682 OPS in 118 games).

After he retired of the 170 Canadian minor leaguers who have over 2,000 career at-bats, Bowman ranks tied for 33rd in home runs (93), tied for 54th in batting average (.255), 62nd in triples (10), tied for 63rd in RBIs (357), 74th in doubles (138), 83rd in runs scored (341), 101st in games played (732), 114th in at-bats and 124th in hits (676).

He quickly jumped into the coaching ranks helping Greg Hamilton with the Junior National Team from 2013-16 and the next two seasons worked as a major-league coordinator in Europe.

Then, he was hired by Kyle Stark and Larry Broadway of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019, earning rookie-class Dominican Summer League manager of the year as his DSL Pirates 2 finished first going 56-16 (with a .778 winning percentage).

He was then promoted to his current role of minor league field coordinator.

HOF SeriesCBN StaffSeptember 8, 2021