Benny Bowcock

Benjamin James Bowcock

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 150 lb.

• Debut September 18, 1903
• Final Game September 28, 1903
• Born October 28, 1879 in Fall River, MA USA
• Died June 16, 1961 in Taunton, MA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Benny Bowcock hit quite well in his 14 games for the 1903 St. Louis Browns, but apparently failed to keep the job at second base because of his glove. His appearances were all on the road in September, and he hit .320, which was by far the highest average on a team that hit only .244 that season. The most-used second baseman that year, Bill Friel, hit .228. Bowcock also showed excellent power, slugging .480 on a team where no one else slugged as high as .400. It was noteworthy that he outdid Hall of Fame team members Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace, neither of whom hit .300 or slugged .400 (albeit in a smaller sample size). However, his glove was not as good. His .885 fielding percentage was well below the league average of .943, and his range of 3.86 did not compare well to the league range of 5.04.

Dick Padden had been the team's second baseman in 1901 and 1902, but in 1903 he appeared in only 29 games, hitting .202, but showing a good glove. He became the regular second baseman for the team again in 1904. Bowcock, who was 23 in 1903 and was by far the best hitter on the team, never played again in the majors. Bowcock was not done playing; in fact, his minor league career spanned 1902-1915. During that time, Bowcock played at least part of 13 years for various teams of the New England League. Multiple years were spent with the Fall River Indians who played in his hometown.