Lynn’s Ben Bowden is one step closer to reaching his lifelong dream of pitching in the Major Leagues. Bowden, a left-handed reliever in the Colorado Rockies’ farm system, was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque (New Mexico) at the end of June.
“I was excited,” Bowden, 24, said. “I was looking forward to moving up. I was a little sad at the same time because I became close with the guys in the Hartford locker room but I’ll be seeing them shortly. I’m excited to move on and get a little closer to the main goal.”
His brief stint with the Double-A Hartford (Connecticut) Yard Goats lasted just three months but Bowden made the most of it. He appeared in 26 games and went 20-for-20 in save opportunities over 25 2/3 innings. Opponents batted just .096 against the Lynn English graduate, who posted a 1.05 ERA and allowed just three earned runs.
“I had a pretty strict routine,” Bowden said. “I’d get ready, go to the bullpen with the guys and get my mind off being all pumped up. I’d pay attention to the game, see how our starters are doing. You see how the game’s playing out. When the sixth inning comes around, you get stretched and get ready to go. When I finally get out there, it’s about letting the adrenaline work for me instead of against me. Guys made plays behind me. We were very successful in the ninth inning.”
His time in Hartford kept Bowden close to home. Bowden’s friends and family often made the 2-hour commute up I-84 to watch him pitch. He’s over 2,000 miles away from Lynn now but feels the same level of unwavering support.
“You have to do what you have to do to try and live out your dream,” Bowden said. “I enjoyed being close to home. Having family come to games was nice. It’s a step you have to take. I’m excited to be here and hopefully continue to throw the ball well. It was nice having that time close to home but I knew this was going to happen. My family’s incredibly supportive and understanding. They’re behind me 100 percent.”
While Bowden earned his promotion, a handful of his former Vanderbilt teammates made him proud last week when the Commodores beat Michigan in the College World Series. Bowden helped the Commodores capture a World Series title as a freshman in 2014. He was drafted by Colorado in 2016, when this season’s Vanderbilt seniors were freshmen. Commodores pitcher Donny Everett died in a drowning accident that season.
“I couldn’t be happier for the seniors,” Bowden said. “Not taking anything away from the underclassmen but what they went through losing Donny (Everett) during their freshman season. Some of them had pro opportunities and they came back. They worked so hard. They made Coach (Tim) Corbin’s life easier because they were incredible leaders. I couldn’t be happier seeing the faces of the coaches and how happy they were. It brought back great memories from when we won it.”
Back in Lynn, Bowden’s uncle, St. Mary’s baseball coach Derek Dana, guided the Spartans to the Division 2 state championship.
“It’s great for Lynn and great for those guys,” Bowden said. “Just like anywhere else, you have to have a little luck and a whole lot of hard work. To pull it off is extremely tough to do.”
Thus far, Bowden has made four relief appearances for the Isotopes. Sunday night, Bowden will suit up in the 21st MLB All-Star Futures Game at Progressive Field in Cleveland. He’s one of 10 pitchers on the National League’s roster.
“It’s exciting,” Bowden said. “It’s one of those things you don’t expect. It’s an honor. I’m really excited to represent the Rockies and put on a good performance for however long I’m out there. I’m honored and excited to share the field with some incredible up-and-coming players.”
Although he’s one call away from setting foot on a Major League diamond, Bowden isn’t looking too far ahead. He’s keeping a “one day at a time” approach as he prepares himself for the next chapter.
“It’s one of those things where you can let it consume you and that’s never good,” Bowden said. “Just like any level, you want to worry about the task at hand. Everybody here’s getting better every day so they’re ready when they get up to the big leagues. It’s not something that’s talked about too much. You know it’s there but it’s not something I dwell on. I know I have a lot of room for improvement. I have to focus on that stuff so by the time I get that call I’m ready to go.”
