Mickey Bowers facts for kids

Allen LaGrant "Mickey" Bowers (born February 27, 1949) is an American who used to play, scout, coach, and manage in minor league baseball. He was an outfielder who threw and batted right-handed. He stood 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds. Mickey Bowers spent his entire baseball career in the minor leagues, which are teams that help players get ready for the major leagues.

Early Life and Starting Baseball

Mickey Bowers grew up in Mount Vernon, Virginia, and went to Mount Vernon High School. He also attended Northern Virginia Community College. In 1968, he started his professional baseball journey with the Philadelphia Phillies team.

A Memorable Play

One exciting moment in Mickey's early career happened in his very first professional game. On July 4, 1968, when he was 19, Mickey was playing for the Huron Phillies. He was chasing a foul ball in right field when he crashed right through the fence! He came out of the hole unhurt, but he didn't catch the ball. People said he was "startled" but otherwise fine after his unexpected adventure.

His Best Playing Season

In 1969, when Mickey was 20, he had his best season as a player. He played for the Spartanburg Phillies and hit the ball really well, with a .308 batting average. He also got 124 hits, hit 10 home runs, and helped his team score 73 runs batted in. He scored 74 runs himself and stole 29 bases. He led his team in all these important hitting categories.

After this great season, his manager, Bob Malkmus, shared some thoughts about Mickey. He said Mickey needed to learn to follow orders and be a team player. Mickey was known for being a strong individual, but his manager wanted him to work more closely with the team.

Moving On and Becoming a Coach

Mickey played one more season with the Phillies organization in 1970 for the Peninsula Astros. He led his team with 127 hits and had a good batting average of .272. After that season, the Phillies released him.

Mickey then worked as a police officer in Washington, D.C., for six years. But he loved baseball, so he returned to the sport in 1977. He became a coach for the Seattle Mariners' farm system, which is where young players develop their skills.

In 1978, while coaching for the Alexandria Dukes, Mickey actually played in one game himself! He hadn't played since 1970, but he got two hits and made an amazing catch in the outfield. The crowd gave him a standing ovation for his exciting return.

Becoming a Manager and Making History

After coaching for a few years, Mickey became the manager of the Lynn Sailors in 1982. He led his team to a great record of 82 wins and 57 losses, and they won their division title.

In September 1982, Mickey Bowers was named the Eastern League Manager of the Year. This was a very special award because he was the first Black man ever to be chosen as Manager of the Year in professional baseball. Many future major league stars played for him, including Alvin Davis, Jim Presley, and Harold Reynolds.

In 1983, Mickey managed the Chattanooga Lookouts. He was later replaced as manager that season. Even with some changes, the team had talented players like Ivan Calderón and Mark Langston, who would go on to play in the major leagues.

Images for kids

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  Mickey on January 3, 2017, in Fort Myers, Florida

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  Mickey as coach of the Lynn Sailors