GaryMrMets
10-23-2003, 02:44 AM
Even though I read this at Phillies.com, I am posting it here if Dan and all you other Yankee fans don't mind.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/phi/news/phi_news.jsp?ymd=20031020&content_id=588073&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi
10/20/2003 3:43 PM ET
Bowa pulling for his nephew
Phils manager hopes Yanks' Johnson gets ring
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- National League allegiance aside, Phillies manager Larry Bowa is pulling hard for the New York Yankees in their quest for a 27th World Series championship.
It has nothing to do with any bitterness toward the feisty team that derailed his team's postseason dreams.
It's a family thing.
"I'm rooting for my nephew," he said without any touch of reservation. "Blood is thicker than baseball."
Rooting for his nephew -- Yankees first baseman Nick Johnson -- is something he has done for the past 25 years. This weekend, Bowa plans to join his younger sister, Paula, in New York for the final two games, if necessary.
Already Bowa has seen the peaks and valleys of Johnson's postseason experience. In the World Series alone, he saw Johnson go hitless in Game 1 -- and get picked off third base by Ivan Rodriguez to end an inning -- then collect three hits in Game 2's series-evening win. Of the three hits, one was a bunt single.
"I told him a couple of things I saw after [Game 1]. After he got his third hit [in Game 2], I left a message saying, 'That's what I'm talking about,'" said Bowa, with a laugh. "The bunt must have been for me because he never bunted. He's a good base runner, but he's not real fast. Maybe he said, 'That was for my uncle.' I told him one day that they were playing him deep."
And Pudge?
"I warned him about that, painted the whole scenario," Bowa said. "Stuff happens. He is the best catcher of this generation."
Bowa said it's part of the learning curve for Johnson, who has been around his uncle and baseball since he could walk. Johnson attended Spring Training regularly in the early 1980s as a pre-schooler, when Bowa trained in Arizona with the Cubs.
Johnson grew up in Sacramento, and would serve as the batboy during his uncle's road trips to San Francisco. This continued when Bowa managed San Diego in the late '80s.
Bowa has an earlier memory of Johnson playing catch with Aaron and Bret Boone, while Bowa and Bob Boone were teammates in Philadelphia. Seeing Boone win the ALCS with an 11th-inning homer was an extra bonus.
In his past three seasons of managing the Phillies, Bowa has been afforded the opportunity to regularly see Johnson. The Phillies and Yankees are frequent Spring Training opponents and train within 20 minutes of each other, so dinners are common.
Because of his playing and coaching/managing career in the mid-'80s and early '90s, Bowa didn't see Johnson play as often as he would have liked, so he relied on scouting reports from his father, Paul, and Paula.
"I used to get updates from my dad and sister because neither missed a game," Bowa said. "My dad always said he was going to be pretty good and I figured it was a typical grandfather talking, but he was right."
Bowa said he started believing it in 1999, when Johnson punished pitchers at Double-A Norwich. He has been derailed a few times because of injuries -- including one that cost him the 2000 season -- but his mental toughness has helped him through.
"He gets that from his mom," said Bowa. "My sister is a tough little kid. Because of that, he's very calm and keeps a lot inside. He knows what he has to do and is tough to crack."
Though Johnson has been with the Yankees since 2001, this is his first World Series appearance. His other postseason experience was hitting .182 (2-for-11) in the 2002 Division loss to the Angels. He's hitting .375 so far in the World Series.
"He's excited," said Bowa. "I told him to grab onto this. I tell that to a lot of guys, but with the Yankees, it's liable to happen for the next 10 years. Still, he should enjoy it and have a good time.
"My sister always told me how great he was, but seeing this unfold, it's a pretty proud moment for me to watch what he's done. I would love to see him get a ring on his finger. As long as we're not in it, I wish him the best."
Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/images/2003/10/20/LpAgaA6G.jpg
Larry Bowa (center) hopes Nick Johnson (right) experiences the joy of a World Series win. (Steve Nesius/AP)
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/phi/news/phi_news.jsp?ymd=20031020&content_id=588073&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi
10/20/2003 3:43 PM ET
Bowa pulling for his nephew
Phils manager hopes Yanks' Johnson gets ring
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- National League allegiance aside, Phillies manager Larry Bowa is pulling hard for the New York Yankees in their quest for a 27th World Series championship.
It has nothing to do with any bitterness toward the feisty team that derailed his team's postseason dreams.
It's a family thing.
"I'm rooting for my nephew," he said without any touch of reservation. "Blood is thicker than baseball."
Rooting for his nephew -- Yankees first baseman Nick Johnson -- is something he has done for the past 25 years. This weekend, Bowa plans to join his younger sister, Paula, in New York for the final two games, if necessary.
Already Bowa has seen the peaks and valleys of Johnson's postseason experience. In the World Series alone, he saw Johnson go hitless in Game 1 -- and get picked off third base by Ivan Rodriguez to end an inning -- then collect three hits in Game 2's series-evening win. Of the three hits, one was a bunt single.
"I told him a couple of things I saw after [Game 1]. After he got his third hit [in Game 2], I left a message saying, 'That's what I'm talking about,'" said Bowa, with a laugh. "The bunt must have been for me because he never bunted. He's a good base runner, but he's not real fast. Maybe he said, 'That was for my uncle.' I told him one day that they were playing him deep."
And Pudge?
"I warned him about that, painted the whole scenario," Bowa said. "Stuff happens. He is the best catcher of this generation."
Bowa said it's part of the learning curve for Johnson, who has been around his uncle and baseball since he could walk. Johnson attended Spring Training regularly in the early 1980s as a pre-schooler, when Bowa trained in Arizona with the Cubs.
Johnson grew up in Sacramento, and would serve as the batboy during his uncle's road trips to San Francisco. This continued when Bowa managed San Diego in the late '80s.
Bowa has an earlier memory of Johnson playing catch with Aaron and Bret Boone, while Bowa and Bob Boone were teammates in Philadelphia. Seeing Boone win the ALCS with an 11th-inning homer was an extra bonus.
In his past three seasons of managing the Phillies, Bowa has been afforded the opportunity to regularly see Johnson. The Phillies and Yankees are frequent Spring Training opponents and train within 20 minutes of each other, so dinners are common.
Because of his playing and coaching/managing career in the mid-'80s and early '90s, Bowa didn't see Johnson play as often as he would have liked, so he relied on scouting reports from his father, Paul, and Paula.
"I used to get updates from my dad and sister because neither missed a game," Bowa said. "My dad always said he was going to be pretty good and I figured it was a typical grandfather talking, but he was right."
Bowa said he started believing it in 1999, when Johnson punished pitchers at Double-A Norwich. He has been derailed a few times because of injuries -- including one that cost him the 2000 season -- but his mental toughness has helped him through.
"He gets that from his mom," said Bowa. "My sister is a tough little kid. Because of that, he's very calm and keeps a lot inside. He knows what he has to do and is tough to crack."
Though Johnson has been with the Yankees since 2001, this is his first World Series appearance. His other postseason experience was hitting .182 (2-for-11) in the 2002 Division loss to the Angels. He's hitting .375 so far in the World Series.
"He's excited," said Bowa. "I told him to grab onto this. I tell that to a lot of guys, but with the Yankees, it's liable to happen for the next 10 years. Still, he should enjoy it and have a good time.
"My sister always told me how great he was, but seeing this unfold, it's a pretty proud moment for me to watch what he's done. I would love to see him get a ring on his finger. As long as we're not in it, I wish him the best."
Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/images/2003/10/20/LpAgaA6G.jpg
Larry Bowa (center) hopes Nick Johnson (right) experiences the joy of a World Series win. (Steve Nesius/AP)