Steve Bowling, baseball player, 1976-1977

Steve Bowling

Born: 6/26/1952 in Tulsa, OK, USA

MLB Debut: 1976-09-07 | Final Game: 1977-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Stephen Shaddon Bowling

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Biography

Steve Bowling was a professional baseball player born in 1952, whose career spanned from 1976 to 1977. He played primarily as a position player and appeared in 103 games over his time in Major League Baseball. Bowling recorded a total of 47 hits, which included one home run and 15 runs batted in (RBIs), achieving a batting average of .199. Known for his speed on the base paths, he successfully stole two bases during his career. Bowling's time in the majors coincided with a period of significant change in baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively driven game. While his offensive numbers may not reflect the power-hitting trends of the late 1970s, his versatility and contributions on the field were part of the broader narrative of baseball during that era. After his retirement on October 2, 1977, Bowling's legacy remained as a reminder of the grit and determination required to compete at the highest level in sports.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
103 236 23 47 10 1 1 15 2 39 47 0.199 0.310 0.263 0.573 -519.8

Career AVG .199 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 23.4% below league average.

Career OBP .310 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .263 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 31.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.573 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — 18.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1976 ATL AL 14 42 4 7 2 0 0 2 0 2 5 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1977 TOR AL 89 194 19 40 8 1 1 13 2 37 42 0.206 .264 (-22%) .329 (avg) .401 (-32%) .730 (-17%) -519.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 100 68 177 15 3 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1976 ML4 OF 13 11 38 1 1 1
1977 TOR OF 87 57 139 14 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 20
Center Field 37
Right Field 47
Designated Hitter 1

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Tulsa Tulsa OK 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974