Red Bowser

On September 13, 1910, the Chicago Tribune announced that James “Red” Bowser would start in that day’s game for the Chicago White Sox. The article – by columnist Ring Lardner, who went on to become one of the most famous writers of the era, in sports and beyond – expressed high praise and expectations for the 28-year-old rookie.1

Indeed, Bowser made his major-league debut with the Sox in Chicago against the St. Louis Browns. He batted fifth in the lineup and had three plate appearances against Browns pitcher Red Nelson, going 0-for-2 with a sacrifice hit. He played the entire game in left field but did not have a fielding chance. The only ball hit his way was a single in the first inning. The Browns won the game 1–0, with each team getting only three hits.

In his September 14 column, Lardner mentioned that the “‘Flint Terror’ looked good in practice before the game and got away at bat better than most.”2 But Bowser never played again in the majors.

“Red” Bowser may not be celebrated in baseball lore, nor did he have a notable post-playing career. He was a small-town player who excelled on his local amateur team, played semipro ball and in nine minor-league seasons, retired, and worked as a skilled laborer for 30 years. Yet Bowser did make it to the top level and into the record books.

***

James Harvey Bowser was born on September 20, 1881, in Freeport, Pennsylvania. This small community of 1,600 people is not much bigger today than it was in 1880. It lies in the southwestern portion of the state, in Armstrong County along the Allegheny River, northeast of Pittsburgh. His parents were David F. Bowser and Sarah Ellen Johnson Bowser, who were born in Pennsylvania. At the time of his birth James had five stepbrothers/brothers, (Jerome, William, Turney, Homer, and Harvey) and one sister (Martha), all living with their parents.3 The family lived in the general area of southwestern Pennsylvania all their lives, first in Armstrong County and later in Westmoreland County, a little further south.

Bowser’s early baseball career started in 1902, when he played shortstop for an amateur team in South Greensburg, a suburb of Greensburg, Westmoreland County’s seat. When he wasn’t on the diamond, he was working as a “tinner” at the Greensburg Hardware and Supply Company.4 In 1905 he made his professional baseball debut with the Johnstown (Pennsylvania) Johnnies of the independent Tri-State League. It was reported that “‘Red” Bowser, a new fielder, has apparently made good with the Johnnies. He has been hitting the ball for keeps.”5

The next year he moved up to play for the Braddock (Pennsylvania) Infants of the Class D Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League (POML). That fall, he was part of the Greensburg Elks, a semipro team, when they lost a game to the touring National League champions, the Chicago Cubs.6 In 1907, he was an outfielder and part-time catcher for the Greensburg Red Sox of the Class D Western Pennsylvania League and briefly for Charleroi back in the POML.

In early January 1908, Charles Cassel, the new manager of the Flint Vehicles of the Class D Southern Michigan League (SML), made a recruiting trip to southwest Pennsylvania. While there, he signed several players to contracts, including Bowser.7 Standing 5-feet-9 and weighing 145 pounds, Bowser was described as “a good catcher and hard thrower and an outfielder par excellence. As a batter he has a failing for clouting out three baggers especially when there are men on base.”8 He became an instant fan favorite in his first exhibition game in Michigan, getting three hits – and in his second game, hitting a home run against Saginaw, Flint’s archrivals.9 10

Flint finished seventh in the standings; however, Bowser led the league with 11 home runs, four more than the second-place player. He tied for the team lead in hits (117) and led the team in doubles (26). He had 31 stolen bases and batted .272 in 116 games.11 One of Bowser’s teammates was Gene “Rubber” Krapp, a spitball pitcher, who later pitched for the Cleveland Naps of the American League (1911-1912) and the Buffalo Blues of the Federal League (1914-1915). After the season, Bowser returned to Greensburg and again played for the Elks. On September 30, the Elks, despite Cy Young pitching four hitless innings, beat the Boston Red Sox 2–0 in an exhibition game.12

In 1909, Bowser again played the outfield for Flint. That year the pennant race came down to the last week of the season, with three teams – Flint, Saginaw, and Jackson – battling it out. The Vehicles finished second, a half-game behind Saginaw. Red was again one of the club’s stars, batting .284 in 115 games and leading the team in hits (130), total bases (199), and slugging percentage (.435).13.

After the season was over, Bowser and some teammates went on a barnstorming trip through the northern portion of lower Michigan. There, he discovered a straight piece of ash timber void of knots or cross grains. He took the wood to a wood smith in Lansing to have it turned into a bat made to his specific dimensions. He spent the winter rubbing it down with oil and hanging it on the wall behind the stove of his boardinghouse room.14

Making the bat seemed to work. The following season, Bowser – again patrolling left field for Flint – had his best year at the plate. By the end of June he was leading the league in batting with a .368 average and nine home runs. Cleveland and Washington were interested in his services,15 but it was Billy Sullivan of the Chicago White Sox who won out and purchased his contract for $1,500 on June 30. Even though the Sox signed him, Bowser was allowed to continue playing for the Flint team.16

Finally, on September 10, the White Sox called on Red Bowser to report to Chicago, where a homestand was set to begin the next day. The club may have needed a fresh body, having played no fewer than five doubleheaders against the Browns in six days from September 5 onward.

The day before Bowser left, the locals put on a benefit game to raise money for his trip. The game between the Fats and the Leans before 250 fans netted $63.35.17 Bowser ended his 1910 Southern Michigan League season with a league-leading .342 batting average, .569 slugging percentage, and 14 home runs, which was eight more than the runner-up. He led the team with 150 hits and 38 doubles in 110 games and had 10 triples and 39 stolen bases.18

After Bowser’s lone appearance on the 13th, the White Sox had 22 games left. As they played out the string, it was publicized that he would be in the lineup for an exhibition game in Battle Creek, Michigan, on September 22 – but without any explanation, he did not appear in the game. There were three more doubleheaders in four days from September 24 through September 27, including games that went 11 and 14 innings. This was a club that would finish in sixth place in the American League. Yet manager Hugh Duffy did not call on Bowser, even as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner. What happened?

Finally, on October 3 it was revealed that during a practice in Chicago, Bowser had strained several muscles in his back. He was hurt so badly that he returned to Flint and entered the local hospital for treatment, opting to be with friends rather than be alone in a big city.19 He was released from the hospital on October 28 and planned to return to Pennsylvania.20 Bowser later returned to Flint and got a job as a roller-skating instructor.21

In December, Chicago sold his contract to the Oakland Oaks of the Class AA Pacific Coast League (PCL).22 The Oaks were excited about getting him and had great expectations.23 However, Bowser’s PCL career started off on the wrong foot. The team expected him to report in February, but – not realizing that the PCL started early and played over 200 games a year – Bowser did not report until March 21.24 His performance, both offensively and defensively, was very disappointing; by May 9, he was gone. He had played in only 23 games with 83 at-bats, batting .193 with just three doubles and no home runs. The Oakland club offered him to any team in the Southern Michigan League (by then a Class C circuit) that wanted him. Bay City jumped on the offer.25

Bowser’s performance upon his return to the SML was improved over his PCL effort but not comparable to his 1910 standard. He found the going a little tougher. He played in 110 games, getting 103 hits (including 33 doubles, six triples, and eight home runs) for a batting average of .258 and a slugging percentage of .430. He also stole 26 bases.

In 1912, Bowser was still in the Southern Michigan League but this time with Jackson. His numbers continued to decline. He played 103 games and batted .265, but with 18 doubles, nine triples, and no home runs, his slugging percentage dipped to .363.

Bowser got into some trouble with the law and was arrested on September 11, 1912. He was charged with threatening to shoot Lottie Smith, a Bay City woman. It was said that Bowser wanted to marry her. He posted a $500 bond and left for Pennsylvania.26

There was an indication that Bowser would rejoin his former Oakland manager, Harry Wolverton, by then in Sacramento, for the 1913 Pacific Coast League season. However, there is no record that it took place.27 In 1914 Bowser was playing semipro in the Pittsburgh area before signing a contract in July with Adrian, yet another team in the Southern Michigan League.28 He played 50 games, batted .210, and hit only one home run.29 He contracted blood poisoning and was released on August 24.30

After his professional playing days, Bowser settled down in Moundsville, West Virginia. There he was employed as a glassworker at the Fostoria Glass Company and was a member of the Moundsville Local of the American Flint Glass Workers Union (AFL). He also played ball for local semipro teams.31  He resided in the city and worked at the glassworks for 30 years.

James “Red” Bowser died at his rooming house in the afternoon of May 22, 1943. He was 61 years old. The cause of death was a ruptured aneurysm of the aorta. He was survived by two brothers: Homer and Turney. There is no evidence that he was ever married or had any offspring. He was interred in the family plot at the Greensburg Union Cemetery. There is no monument to mark the site.32

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Darren Gibson and Rory Costello and checked for accuracy by SABR’s fact-checking team.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the Notes, the author used Ancestry.com, Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and the James H. “Red” Bowser Hall of Fame Library Player File. This file contains the player’s death certificate, transcribed obituaries (from the Greensburg Morning Review, Greenburg Daily Tribune, and Wheeling News Register), and a short biography by Robert B. Van Atta.

Notes

1 R. W. Lardner, “Soaked Diamond Balks Sox Game,” Chicago Tribune, September 13, 1910: 10.

2 R. W. Lardner, “Sox Lose Game, 1-0 to Lucky Browns,” Chicago Tribune, September 14, 1910: 10.

3 United States Census 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910.

4 “James H. (Red) Bowser” by Robert B. Van Atta, dated August 15, 1992.

5 “Brittle Bits of Tri-State News,” Philadelphia Inquirer, July 16, 1905: 4.

6 “Cubs Defeat the Elks,” Pittsburgh Post, October 4, 1906: 10.

7 “Five in a Bunch,” Flint (Michigan) Daily Journal, January 3, 1908: 6.

8 “At Clouting Ball,” Flint Daily Journal, January 10, 1908: 6.

9 “Timely Hits Did It,” Flint Daily Journal, May 11, 1908: 6.

10 “On Costly Errors,” Flint Daily Journal, May 11, 1908: 7.

11 “Cote Is Leading Batsman of South Michigan League,” Detroit Free Press, October 4, 1908: 23.

12 “Greensburg Is Celebrating,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, October 1, 1908: 9.

13 “Averages in South Michigan,” Detroit Free Press, September 26, 1909: 21.

14 “Red Bowser Has Plans for Next Season,” Lansing (Michigan) Journal, December 9, 1909: 5.

15 “Big League Men Watch Bowser and His Batting.” Flint Daily Journal, June 10, 1910: 11.

16 “Bowser Is Sold to Chicago White Sox,” Flint Daily Journal, June 30, 1910: 11.

17 “Fats Beats Leans,” Flint Daily Journal, September 12, 1910: 5.

18 “Southern Michigan Batting Averages,” Flint Daily Journal, October 24, 1910: 5.

19 “Red Bowser Hurt,” Flint Daily Journal, October 4, 1910: 5.

20 “Bowser Is Improving,” Lansing (Michigan) State Republican, October 27, 1910: 8.

21 “Fouls Snatched from the Southern Michigan Roost,” Lansing (Michigan) State Journal), March 6, 1911: 5.

22 “Red Bowser Is Sold to Oakland,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, January 23, 1911: 9.

23 “Oakland Fans Are Proud of Bowser,” Lansing State Journal, February 13, 1911: 10.

24 “Red Bowser, Outfielder, Arrives Completing Oaks’ Line-Up for Season of 1911,” Oakland Tribune, March 22, 1911: 15.

25 “Bowser Comes Back,” Flint Daily Journal, May 13, 1911: 5.

26 “Red Bowser Arrested,” Flint Daily Journal, September 11, 1912: 10.

27 “Bowser to Join Wolverton,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, January 10, 1913: 10.

28 “Baseball Notes,” Adrian (Michigan) Daily Telegram, June 26, 1914: 10.

29 Bowser’s 1914 statistics do not appear in the published Southern Michigan League final stats or in Baseball-Reference.com. The statistics noted in this document were compiled from box scores published in the Adrian (Michigan) Daily Telegram and other SML city newspapers. Erin Blohm of the Adrian, Michigan, District Library was instrumental in helping me find the information.

30 “Baseball Notes,” Adrian Daily Telegram, August 20, 1914: 7.

31 “Red Bowser to Play with Mound City Team,” Moundsville (West Virginia) Daily Echo, June 12, 1925: 1.

32 Wheeling (West Virginia) News Register, May 24, 1943.