Long Beach State University Athletics
Bowker Gets the Giant Call to the Big Leagues
4/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 12, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO--Less than 24 hours after another former Dirtbag, Evan Longoria, was called up to the Majors, Giants prospect John Bowker, a 2004 third round pick, started in right field on Saturday for San Francisco, giving Long Beach State 31 players in the Majors all-time.
Bowker will be the 30th player to formerly wear the Black and Gold, as Longoria still awaits his debut, which could come as early as Saturday night when Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore.
Bowker also singled in his first MLB at-bat against the Cardinals' Todd Wellemeyer, and later in the game hit a three-run homer.
Bowker hit 22 home runs along with 35 doubles while batting .307 for Double-A Connecticut last season, ranking second in the Eastern League in slugging (.523), third in RBIs (90) and fifth in home runs. He was rated as the No. 9 prospect in the Giants Minor League system by Baseball America in December.
Bowker, a first team All-Big West outfielder in 2004, along with three other future Big Leaguers, Troy Tulowitzki, Jason Vargas and Jered Weaver, batted .294 over three and a half seasons and 422 games in the Giants Minor League system.
Ten players now play in the Majors this season for Long Beach State.
