“He took me under his wing. I’ll tell you that much.” Bowa worked them hard, Maton recounts. “A lot of reps every single day. Hundreds and hundreds of ground balls. He’s a good guy to have on your side.”
Baseball season is longer than just the Spring. In the March to October, there are players constantly going in and out of the lineup for a variety of reasons. In most cases, organizations will need to dip into their minor league depth and add men to the major league roster. For rookie Phillies infielder Nick Maton, that’s how he’s getting his first taste of action at the big league level.
In fact, Maton has MPG speaker Larry Bowa to thank for it.
Since coming up to the majors in place of an injured Jean Segura, the 2017 draft pick has made the most of the opportunity, getting regular playing time and slashing an astounding .297/.328/.391 in just 21 games of his major league career, including a .400 average against left-handed pitching.
Larry Bowa Sees Old Souls in New Rookies
Bowa praises the 24-year old’s work ethic to anyone who will listen. He draws comparisons between the mindset and confidence of Maton and former Phillies legends like Chase Utley, whom Bowa had the chance to manage when Utley made his debut with the Phils in 2003.
In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bowa said, “Personality-wise. He gets after it, man. He’s not afraid to work,” however, Bowa knows they’re not equal as players, “I’m not comparing him to Chase because Chase is a great player, but they remind me a lot of each other.”
For younger Phillies fans like myself who grew up watching Utley, admiring his critical role in bringing the Commissioner’s Trophy down Broad Street in 2008, that is certainly high praise. The fact that it’s coming from another Phillies great, the legendary Larry Bowa, is even sweeter.
If he’s maligned even half as much by New York Mets fans as Utley and Bowa were during their playing days with the Fightins’, that would be the sweetest of all.
Larry Bowa Lays it Out on the Diamond
As a special assistant during spring training, Bowa worked one-on-one with Maton, helping him take ground balls on the defensive end. During their time together, he got to understand more about what drives Maton as a person and an up-and-coming player.
Unlike most minor leaguers, who fall behind when they get their first call-up to the majors, the game didn’t speed past Maton – thanks in large part to the terrific work of Bowa.
In fact, much of Maton’s playing closely resembles the hard-nosed style that both Utley and Bowa prided themselves on each and every night. They all give one hundred and ten percent, and they need to, when playing for a city like Philadelphia that demands consistency from its athletes.
Few mentors could understand this pressure more than Larry Bowa, the shortstop of the 1980 World Champion Phillies.
Maton reflected on his experience with Bowa saying “He took me under his wing. I’ll tell you that much.” Bowa worked them hard, Maton recounts. “A lot of reps every single day. Hundreds and hundreds of ground balls. He’s a good guy to have on your side. He helped me out a lot and taught me a lot. He’s still consistently working with me. …The main thing he would say is to never take anything for granted. Always take everything like it’s your last. Never take any ground ball for granted. Just always get after it.”
Book Larry Bowa Today
The Mollie Plotkin Group represents Larry as one of our speakers because of his grandiose perspective, learned not only from his time working in the MLB, but with individual players as a mentor and coach. Team building could benefit any company, regardless of the industry. Why not let Larry Bowa inspire your organization with his expert wisdom at your next event? Get after it, and get in touch with The Mollie Plotkin Group to learn how to bring Larry’s championship-caliber insight to your next occasion.
