Larry Bowa
Born: 12/6/1945 in Sacramento, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1970-04-07 | Final Game: 1985-10-06
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 155 lbs
Full name: Lawrence Robert Bowa
Biography
Larry Bowa, born in 1945, was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, celebrated for his contributions as a position player from 1970 to 1985. Over the course of his career, Bowa played in 2,247 games, amassing 2,191 hits and demonstrating a keen ability to get on base with a batting average of .260. A dynamic presence on the field, he showcased his speed and agility with 318 stolen bases, while also contributing 15 home runs and 525 runs batted in. Bowa's exceptional defensive skills earned him five All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the premier shortstops of his era.
Bowa's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the increasing importance of speed and defense. He was known for his tenacious playing style and leadership qualities, which helped shape the teams he played for, particularly the Philadelphia Phillies, where he spent the majority of his career. His contributions were instrumental in the Phillies' rise during the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in their 1980 World Series championship. Larry Bowa's legacy endures not only through his statistics but also through the impact he had on the game and the players who followed in his footsteps.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2247 | 8418 | 987 | 2191 | 262 | 99 | 15 | 525 | 318 | 474 | 569 | 0.260 | 0.300 | 0.320 | 0.620 | -19913.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 145 | 547 | 50 | 137 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 34 | 24 | 21 | 48 | 0.250 | -2122.9 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 159 | 650 | 74 | 162 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 28 | 36 | 61 | 0.249 | -1783.8 |
| 1972 | PHI | NL | 152 | 579 | 67 | 145 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 31 | 17 | 32 | 51 | 0.250 | -1008.0 |
| 1973 | PHI | NL | 122 | 446 | 42 | 94 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 10 | 24 | 31 | 0.211 | -2473.7 |
| 1974 | PHI | NL | 162 | 669 | 97 | 184 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 36 | 39 | 23 | 52 | 0.275 | -1299.2 |
| 1975 | PHI | NL | 136 | 583 | 79 | 178 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 38 | 24 | 24 | 32 | 0.305 | 37.6 |
| 1976 | PHI | NL | 156 | 624 | 71 | 155 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 49 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 0.248 | -1852.7 |
| 1977 | PHI | NL | 154 | 624 | 93 | 175 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 41 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 0.280 | -1392.3 |
| 1978 | PHI | NL | 156 | 654 | 78 | 192 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 43 | 27 | 24 | 40 | 0.294 | -372.6 |
| 1979 | PHI | NL | 147 | 539 | 74 | 130 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 31 | 20 | 61 | 32 | 0.241 | -1426.0 |
| 1980 | PHI | NL | 147 | 540 | 57 | 144 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 0.267 | -1405.0 |
| 1981 | PHI | NL | 103 | 360 | 34 | 102 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 16 | 26 | 17 | 0.283 | -155.2 |
| 1982 | CHC | NL | 142 | 499 | 50 | 123 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 8 | 39 | 38 | 0.246 | -1431.8 |
| 1983 | CHC | NL | 147 | 499 | 73 | 133 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 43 | 7 | 35 | 30 | 0.267 | -905.2 |
| 1984 | CHC | NL | 133 | 391 | 33 | 87 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 10 | 28 | 24 | 0.223 | -1749.9 |
| 1985 | CHC | NL | 72 | 195 | 13 | 48 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 0.246 | -572.5 |
| 1985 | NYN | NL | 14 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.105 | -572.5 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 118 | 11 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 0.254 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | NLCS | CHN | 5 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.200 |
| 1981 | NEDIV | PHI | 5 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.176 |
| 1980 | WS | PHI | 6 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.375 |
| 1980 | NLCS | PHI | 5 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.316 |
| 1978 | NLCS | PHI | 4 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.333 |
| 1977 | NLCS | PHI | 4 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.118 |
| 1976 | NLCS | PHI | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.125 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 5 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| SS | 2222 | 2181 | 3314 | 6857 | 211 | 1265 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | PHI | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | PHI | SS | 143 | 141 | 202 | 418 | 13 | 69 |
| 1971 | PHI | SS | 157 | 156 | 272 | 560 | 11 | 97 |
| 1972 | PHI | SS | 150 | 147 | 212 | 494 | 9 | 88 |
| 1973 | PHI | SS | 122 | 118 | 191 | 361 | 12 | 87 |
| 1974 | PHI | SS | 162 | 161 | 256 | 462 | 12 | 104 |
| 1975 | PHI | SS | 135 | 135 | 227 | 403 | 25 | 82 |
| 1976 | PHI | SS | 156 | 155 | 180 | 492 | 17 | 90 |
| 1977 | PHI | SS | 154 | 154 | 222 | 518 | 13 | 94 |
| 1978 | PHI | SS | 156 | 155 | 224 | 502 | 10 | 87 |
| 1979 | PHI | SS | 146 | 147 | 229 | 448 | 6 | 80 |
| 1980 | PHI | SS | 147 | 147 | 225 | 449 | 17 | 70 |
| 1981 | PHI | SS | 102 | 100 | 117 | 309 | 11 | 50 |
| 1982 | CHN | SS | 140 | 138 | 210 | 396 | 17 | 64 |
| 1983 | CHN | SS | 145 | 141 | 230 | 464 | 11 | 102 |
| 1984 | CHN | SS | 132 | 123 | 217 | 378 | 16 | 64 |
| 1985 | CHN | SS | 66 | 60 | 91 | 197 | 9 | 34 |
| 1985 | NYN | 2B | 4 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 1985 | NYN | SS | 9 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 5 |
| Shortstop | 2222 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-06-25 |
| 1978 | Gold Glove | SS |
| 1978 | TSN All-Star | SS |
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-05-16 |
| 1975 | TSN All-Star | SS |
| 1972 | Gold Glove | SS |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | NYN | NL | $525,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $525,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | CA | 1964, 1965 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 3rd | 189.0 | 336 | 3 |
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 29th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 22th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1970 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 3rd | 3.0 | 24 | 3 |