Roger Bowman

Roger Bowman
Pitcher
Born: (1927-08-18)August 18, 1927
Amsterdam, New York
Died: July 21, 1997(1997-07-21) (aged 69)
Los Angeles, California
Batted: Right Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 22, 1949, for the New York Giants
Last MLB appearance
May 22, 1955, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Win–loss record 2–11
Earned run average 5.81
Strikeouts 75
Teams

Roger Clinton Bowman (August 18, 1927 – July 21, 1997) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Baseball career

Bowman was signed by the New York Giants before the 1946 season. He appeared in games for the Giants in 1949, 1951, and 1952, and he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953 and 1955. He had a career win–loss record of 2–11 in the major leagues.[1] Most of Bowman's professional baseball career was spent in the minor leagues, where he played from 1946 to 1961, winning 131 games and losing 119 overall.[2]

In 1950, while playing for the International League's Jersey City Giants, Bowman went 16–11 with a 3.71 earned run average. He led the league with 233 innings pitched and 181 strikeouts.[3] In 1954, while playing for the Pacific Coast League's Hollywood Stars, he went 22–13 with a 2.51 ERA and 165 strikeouts, leading the league in wins and games started (37).[4] He pitched a seven-inning perfect game that season.[5]

Bowman also played in professional baseball leagues in Havana, Cuba and Caracas, Venezuela where he was awarded Juego Estrella (Star Player) in 1955.

Personal life

Bowman was born on August 18, 1927 in Amsterdam, New York, the son of Burdette Frank and Rebecca Hinkle Bowman. In 1945 he graduated from Wilbur H. Lynch High School. He attended Colgate University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. A skilled jazz musician, he played clarinet, saxophone, flute and vibraphone. He played with big bands at Caroga Lake in the Adirondacks. During later travels he met and "sat in" with many jazz greats including Tommy Dorsey. He later earned a master's degree in education from UCLA. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy.

Bowman owned and operated Roger Bowman Custom Upholstery in Los Angeles until retiring in March 1997 after 45 years in the business. He was also a private pilot and aviation instructor in Santa Monica, California for 20 years. Bowman was a member and past president of the Westwood Exchange Club in Los Angeles and a member and past president of AirSpacers in Los Angeles.

He married Dona Massey (née Murphy), mascot for the Oakland Oaks, in 1952. Their daughter is Jocelyn Paige Mel. In the early 1970s Barbara Utzinger became his second wife, and their children are Piper Jaye Bowman George and Russel Clinton Bowman. He married Nancy Watson on May 26, 1985. Bowman died on July 21, 1997 at Lawnwood Manor in Los Angeles from complications from Parkinsons. He was 69 years old. He is interred in Hagaman Cemetery, Montgomery County, New York.

References

  1. ↑ "Roger Bowman Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Roger Bowman Register Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  3. ↑ "1950 International League Pitching Leaders". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  4. ↑ "1954 Pacific Coast League Pitching Leaders". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Roger Bowman Chronology". baseballlibrary.com. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
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