It was season 8 when 23 yr old rookie Earl Stowers made his major league debut with the Boston Minute Men. After starting 28 games, Stowers was demoted the next season, where he became an All-Star at the AA level. But Stowers' brief stint at the majors seemed like a once in a lifetime chance that came and went as Stowers simmered in the minors for 4 seasons. Iowa City signed him as an unsigned minor league free agent before trading him away. Earl was then waived 5 times, including 3 times by the Seattle Lightning and being limited to 6 games and 3 at bats in the majors. And 5 yrs after making his Major League debut, Seattle's latest waive coincided with a team's desperate need for a defensive catcher who could play regularly.
Never complaining about his limited opportunities in Seattle, the now 28 yr old grizzled catcher jumped at the opportunity to start for the Salem Whips. In 35 games, Stowers has taken advantage of every opportunity to show that he belongs in the Major league team. By anchoring the pitching staff, Stowers has helped his new team turnaround what seemed like an atrocious start to the season. Surprisingly, he has also handled the bat quite well - at the rhythm of a .292 batting AVG.
Earl Stowers is not an All-Star, he is not the best catcher in the league or even in his division, but this blue collar, hard-nosed, no-nonsense old-school catcher has taken advantage of every opportunity and he is not looking back.
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