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Interview With 9th-round Pick Michael Bowman


In 2007, Michael Bowman posted an awesome 110/26 K/BB in 99 innings for the Virginia Military Institute Keydets. He fell off just a bit this year, managing an 82/25 ratio in 91.7 innings, but as you'll read below, he was just following orders.

BCB: So you've signed already, right? Are you in Arizona now?

MB: Yeah I've signed, and yeah I’m in Arizona right now.

BCB: How's the weather? I was there for the Fall League and you couldn’t go out of the shadows

MB: Yeah, it’s hot. Something I’m not used to for sure.

BCB: Are you from Virginia?

MB: Yeah.

BCB: Did you always want to go to VMI?

MB: No, I actually never knew about it when I was younger. I had no idea I would end up there, but I was glad to have spent time there, that place taught and did a lot for me.

BCB: What's it like attending a military academy?

MB: Well, it’s not a military academy, it’s not like Navy or Army, but it’s different [from a regular university]. A lot of structure. You’re always busy doing something.

BCB: How is it connected to the military?

MB: You can commission [into the military] if you want to, but to any branch, not just one specific branch.

BCB: But you aren't required to serve?

MB: Yeah, you don’t have to.

BCB: You played with another Brewers draft pick at VMI, [38th-round pick] Mike Roberts.

MB: He's a great guy.

BCB: Scout him a bit for me. What are his strengths and weaknesses as a player?

MB: I mean, he loves to compete, always goes out there with a can't-lose attitude. He’s also not afraid to get in your face and tell you you’re not performing like you’re supposed to.

BCB: Is he a good defensive catcher? There seems to be a dearth of those in the Brewers’ system.

MB: Yeah, he's got a good arm behind the plate too.

BCB: Do you know any of the other guys the Brewers drafted?

MB: I’ve played against Evan Frederickson, but I don’t know him personally.

BCB: Did you know anyone else in the draft well?

MB: Yeah, I've played with a bunch of guys that were drafted.

BCB: Who’s the best?

MB: Matt LaPorta is the best hitter I've ever faced.

BCB: Good thing you were drafted by the Brewers then! You hopefully won't have to face him again.

MB: (laughs) Yeah.

BCB: How did he do against you?

MB: He hit a bomb off me. Thought I struck him out one time, but it was a walk. Oh well.

BCB: Are you glad you got drafted by an NL organization so you'll get to hit at the big league level?

MB: Yeah, I may not be able to hit, but I can have fun trying.

BCB: Have you ever watched Ben Sheets bat? He openly admits he hates it.

MB: (laughs) I actually watched him pitch against the Braves a year or two ago, in Atlanta. He dealt; I definitely like what he does on the mound. Definitely can learn from watching him throw.

BCB: Is your stuff similar to his? What do you throw?

MB: No, he has a hammer; I throw a slider. A fastball, slider, and change.

BCB: How hard do you throw your fastball?

MB: Low 90's, I guess. I really try not to pay attention and worry about that stuff.

BCB: Can you describe the movement on your slider?

MB: Late break, I guess? I don’t know, really.

BCB: What's your out pitch?

MB: The slider.

BCB: Your strikeouts were down a bit this year compared to last; were you pitching to contact more?

MB: Yeah, at VMI our pitching coach wants us to get them on or out in three pitches or less. Wants us to attack the hitters. He wanted us to not shy away from contact.

BCB: Do you think you're off to Helena after a bit of training in Arizona?

MB: Yeah, that’s where I was told I’m going.

BCB: Were you pleased with where you were drafted? Were you expecting to go higher or lower?

MB: I was expecting to go higher, but I’m pleased with where I am and the organization that took me and couldn't be happier right now.

BCB: Did you know the Brewers were interested?

MB: Yeah.

BCB: Who else was in on you?

MB: The Braves, Sox, Tigers, A's, Mets, Rangers, and some others, I think.

BCB: You said you went to a Braves game earlier. Are you a Braves fan?

MB: I’m a Brewers fan now, but yeah, Braves fan my whole life, being from Richmond and growing up with the R-Braves.

BCB: Is there anything else you want Brewers fans to know about you?

MB: No, I’m a pretty simple guy. (laughs)

BCB: Well, you have a lot of new fans. We wish you the best of luck.

MB: Thanks, I appreciate it.

1 recs | Comment 13 comments

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Love the interviews

There seems to be a format issue there, a bunch of white space until the comments show up… does the editor automatically insert the (br) tag?

by jihad on Jun 12, 2008 5:46 PM CDT   0 recs

Yeah, I'm not sure why that happened

Regardless, it’s fixed now.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Jun 12, 2008 5:58 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

What about fighting a cougar?

But can Bowman fight a cougar.. that’s what we really need to know!

by SgtClueLs on Jun 12, 2008 5:52 PM CDT   0 recs

Brewers and Braves scouts

I’ve noticed that just about every one of these interviewees mentions the Braves as another team that was interested. Does anybody have a theory as to why? Are there similar organizational philosophies? Is there a teacher/protege relationship across the two organizations?

Don't try to do too much with it. Just take the ball the other way.

by shooty babitt on Jun 12, 2008 8:09 PM CDT   0 recs

there's a ton of movement among front offices

but I don’t know of any specific folks who went between the two scouting departments.

I think that the Braves have one of the more extensive scouting staffs, though, so it might just be that they are in on a lot of players. And there is some similarity in philosophy—something of a focus on younger players, and raw (mark rogers) but not insanely raw (anthony hewitt) tools.

As a sidenote, did you guys know that Jack Z was a second baseman in the minors in the mid-70s? I didn’t.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Jun 12, 2008 9:40 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Ah, here we go
Zduriencik played in the White Sox organization in 1973 and ‘74 but was never going to be Johnny Bench.

His scouting report on himself: “I was kind of a versatile guy. I could really throw. I had a good arm. I had really good hands and instincts. But I couldn’t run. That’s why I was behind the plate. I hit decent in college and then when I got into pro ball, I didn’t hit at all.”

link

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Jun 12, 2008 10:20 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Versatile, can't run...

He sounds downright…gritty! I wonder if you can be gritty with a 70s afro,

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Jun 13, 2008 5:45 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I played a gig at a VMI frat party several years ago

I can attest to it not being a military school :).

I can also advise anyone living in NYC not to take gigs at VMI with the intent of driving back after said gig. That was a bad idea.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Jun 12, 2008 8:55 PM CDT   0 recs

Fastball, slider, change

Now that is a guy I can root for. Interesting that he doesn’t know how fast he throws. I think that is a good thing but you would think that many college pitchers might obsess over that as scouts seem to pay a lot of attention to throwing gas.

Visit my baseball blog ...or else!

by dixieflatline on Jun 13, 2008 7:19 AM CDT   0 recs

I thought that, coupled with the instructions from his pitching coach, were very interesting

It means he have more strikeout potential than his stats are letting on, since he apparently doesn’t care about lighting up radar guns and he was pitching to contact. I interviewed his teammate, Mike Roberts, as well, and asked him about Bowman’s pitching; that interview will be up in the next couple of days. I actually have a couple in the can, do you guys want to see that one next?

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Jun 13, 2008 11:19 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Interviews in the can?

That might be over the line…

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Jun 13, 2008 11:53 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

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