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Former Pilot OF John Bowker makes historic MLB debut
Becomes 1st San Francisco Giant to homer in
each of his 1st two ML games
April. 14, 2008
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2002 Pilots right fielder
John Bowker powered his way
into the baseball
record books by homering in each of
his first two Major League games. He
becomes the
3rd former Pilot to make his way
to the Big Leagues. |
SAN
FRANCISCO, CA--
When
Giants rookie John Bowker strode to the plate Saturday
afternoon to take his 1st ever Major League time at-bat
(at AT&T Park in San Francisco) his team was in need of
an offensive spark. The 4-6 start for the San
Francisco Giants, marked largely by offensive
ineptitude, led to the decision to call up the 24 year
old former Peninsula Pilot. He promptly singled
off of St. Louis Cardinals starter, and fellow Coastal
Plain League alum, Todd Wellemeyer ('99 Thomasville
HiToms). By the end of the sixth inning he had led
his new teammates in chasing Wellemeyer from the mound
courtesy of a
thunderous three-run homer into the San
Francisco Bay (his third at-bat in the Majors). He
finished the day 2-3 with a single, a homer and 3 RBI in
a game that his team squandered a 5-run lead on the way
to dropping an 8-7 decision to the Cards.
The next day, Sunday, he delivered an
historic encore by becoming the first player in Giants history to homer
in each of his first two games when (in the 4th inning) he launched a
two-run blast into the right field arcade off of Cardinals starter Joel
Pinero. He added an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to lead the
home team to a 7-4 win, their 5th of the season.
In just two games of work as a member of
the Giants, Bowker has tallied a line of 4-6 (.667 BA), 2 HR and 7 RBI.
The 7 runs driven in puts him in second in that category among Giants
players behind catcher Bengie Molina, who had played in eleven of the
team's 13 games as of the end of play Sunday night.
In 2002, Bowker battled through an injury
plagued season as a part-time right fielder in Hampton collecting 11
hits in 55 at-bats following his freshman season at Long Beach State
University. With his call-up from AAA Fresno, the Pilots now have
more active alumni in the Major Leagues than any other CPL franchise.
Bowker joins Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and Texas
Rangers pitcher Josh Rupe as former Pilots now competing in the 'Show.'
Additional links:
Bowker homers in MLB debut
(video courtesy of MLB.com)
Bowker's dream debut continues with three run homer in
game 2
(video courtesy of MLB.com)
Two games, two homers for Giants John Bowker
(San Jose Mercury News article)
Bowker, Linecum star in Giants win - Rookie homers
for second straight win, starter strikes out 11
(By Rick Eymer / Special to
MLB.com)
Bowker has dream debut in Majors - Outfielder
singles in 1st Big League at bat, then homers
(By Rick
Eymer / Special to MLB.com)
War Memorial renaissance to
continue with addition of new scoreboard, video center and sound system
April. 04, 2008
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The new score center
features a 36' x 9' 10-inning scoreboard
with
MPH readout, a 19' x 9.5' LED message center
capable of video playback, backlit sponsor
panels and a
decorate truss with clock and stadium
name. |
HAMPTON, VA--
The
Peninsula Pilots have finalized plans to install a new
state-of-the-art scoreboard at Peninsula War Memorial
Stadium in Hampton, VA this season. After nearly
eighteen months of proposal review, planning, design,
sales and marketing for the privately financed
initiative, Daktronics (a Brookings, SD company) was
selected as the supplier for the $400,000 project.
The structure will include a 36' long 10-inning LED
scoreboard with a speed-of-pitch display, a 19' LED
color video / message center, backlit sponsor panels, a
5' analog clock and a decorate steel truss framing the
stadium name. Construction is set to begin
immediately and the project's completion is slated for
mid-May, in time for an unveiling at the 2008 USCAA
National Championships hosted by the Northrop Grumman NN
Apprentice School.
MORE...
Pilots caretaker Henry Morgan named 2008 Bud Metheny Award recipient by
Old Dominion University
Dec. 14, 2007 - Story as written on
odusports.com
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Morgan joins his friend, the
late Warren
Spivey, as one of two local
baseball
men with CPL ties to receive award. |
NORFOLK, VA--
Local
Peninsula businessman Henry Morgan, who has devoted much
of his life and resources to area youth baseball
activities, will be honored as the 31st recipient of the
Bud Metheny Award at the GTI Systems, Inc. "Meet the
Stars" banquet, Friday Jan. 25th at the Sheraton Norfolk
Waterside as part of the annual Greenwich Kitchens/ODU
Baseball Clinic weekend. The banquet begins with a
social at 6:30, followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m.
Baseball Hall of Famer and award winning sportscaster
Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds will be the keynote
speaker and clinician.
Tickets for the banquet are $60, and on sale at the Old
Dominion Athletic Ticket Office in the Athletic
Administration Building (683-5484). The Greenwich
Kitchens Baseball Clinic will be held Saturday, Jan. 26
with one session, beginning at 9 a.m. Tickets for the
clinic are $5.
MORE...
John Bowker added to San Francisco Giants
40-man roster
Nov. 20, 2007
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Bowker, who collected 11
hits in
18 games as a member of the 2002
Pilots, becomes the 3rd former
player to make
a Major League roster. |
SAN
FRANCISCO, CA--
2002 right
fielder John Bowker (Long Beach State) has parlayed a
breakout season in the AA Eastern League, 22 homeruns
and 90 RBI for the Connecticut Defenders, into a spot on
the San Francisco Giants 40-man roster. When the
Giants purchased his contract from the AA Defenders,
Bowker immediately became a candidate to assume the left
fielder's job vacated by home run king* Barry Bonds.
Under a cloud of controversy, Bonds was not offered
arbitration by the Giants, effectively ending his
15-year run as the starter in left.
Bowker will be invited to Major League
spring training and thrust into an open competition for the starter's
job with Rajai Davis, Dave Roberts, Fred Lewis, Nate Sheirholtz and
whomever else the Giants invite to camp. The 'worst-case-scenario'
for Bowker appears to be starting left fielder for AAA Fresno.
He becomes the third former Peninsula Pilot to make his
way onto a Major League 40-man roster, following RHP Josh Rupe (Texas
Rangers - '01 Pilots) and 3B Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals - '03
Pilots). In 2002, Bowker fought through an injury plagued season
as a part-time right fielder in Hampton collecting 11 hits in 55 at-bats
following his freshman season at Long Beach State University.
MORE...
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