A few days ago, I wrote a brief post about Collin Cowgill, outfielder for Arizona’s Low A affiliate in Yakima, who started his professional career by slugging homeruns at a pretty impressive pace: six in the Bears’ first eleven games. At the time, I jokingly suggested that Cowgill’s early productivity should earn him a spot on the Diamondback’s major league roster.
This was before I realized that Cowgill is an absolute BEAST with a 33-inch piece of ash in his hands (I don’t know if he uses ash or maple, but I’ve always thought that ash sounds better; I think of maples, I think of the trees with the pretty leaves that changed colors in my back yard when I was a kid. Ash trees didn’t have time for silly little things like “leaves”).
Wednesday night, Cowgill went 4-6 with four runs scored and five batted in, but that’s not the best part: he also hit three homeruns, bringing his season total to an unbelievable ten in fifteen games. For a little perspective on that, consider this: three players are currently tied for second place with three homeruns for the entire season. Cowgill has one more homer than the three guys behind him combined.
Last season’s leader, Ian Gac (GAC!), had 17 roundtrippers in 70 games; in 2005, Freddie Thon and Luis Valbuena tied for the lead with 12. Twelve! My man Collin (with two L’s) should top that by Monday.
If the slightly built righty (5’9″, 195 lbs, and he throws lefty, which is just weird) continues jacking longballs at this pace, he also has a chance at the all-time short-season record of 25, set by William Darkis way back in 1980. That is a lot of homeruns in not a lot of games. Cowgill is currently on pace for 50 (and I’m not even rounding up – it’s actually 50.667)!
And after that, he’s goin’ to South Bend (Silver Hawks), and then he’s goin’ to Visalia (Oaks – say hi to Crash Davis), and Mobile (BayBears), and Tucson (Sidewinders – I hate snakes, Jacques, I hate ’em), and Arizona (Diamondbacks), heeeeeeeeyaaaaaaaaah! (/pointless and confusing Howard Dean reference)
Bus Leagues Baseball 
Posted by Tim Timmerson on July 12, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Who wrote this? First off Cowgill swings a 34 inch bat. “the slightly built righty (5′9″, 195 lb”-what a dumb comment. Cowgill may be short, but hes built like a mac truck. Anyone who is 5’9 and near 200 pounds is jacked. Get ya facts together
Posted by OMDQ on July 13, 2008 at 4:13 am
Hi Tim!
My name is Brian. I wrote this post. Nice to meet you.
Thank you for setting me straight on the length of Collin’s bat. You failed, however, to address the real question: ash, maple, or other?
In high school, I was 5’9″ and near 200 pounds. I was most certainly NOT jacked. Get ya facts together.
Posted by Mike Karras on July 19, 2008 at 2:53 am
My name is Mike Karras. My wife and I were host parents for Collin Cowgill when he played on the Cape Cod Baseball League the Summer of 2007 when Collin and the Y-D Red Sox took the championship.
The crowd nicknamed him “Hoover” because his amazing play in the field. He literally would vacuum up everything that came his way. He was a crowd and team favorite right from the start.
His continued success is no shock to anyone who ever watched him play the game. The boy has a lot of heart and with it, touches everyone that surrounds him. To Collin and his family-All our love and best wishes for your future.
The Karras Family-Cape Cod, Mass
Posted by Extra P. on July 19, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Thanks for that direct testimonial, Mike. It’s great that these guys can count on loyal host families during their rise to prominence.
Posted by Lexington Boy on February 18, 2009 at 9:53 am
I had to privilege to play with Cowgill on high school summer ball teams, I was also not so lucky… having to pitch against him in high school. This kid can flat out play and as Mike said he has heart. I would go as far as saying that I’ve never known an individual as passionate and dedicated to the game as he is.
A little story to prove my point… We were playing in summer tournament in Georgia. We walked in expecting to win. Didn’t turn out like we thought and we ended up playing in a conciliation game for 3rd place. It was extremely hot, we had just played a game or 2 earlier in the day and the team wanted to just forfeit and go home, since it really meant nothing to us. Even the coaches were leaning towards defeat.
Enter Collin Cowgill.
Shamed at the thought of forfeiting a chance to play baseball, he rallied us to play and ended single-handedly changing everyone’s mind. Well, we went on to the field, following our determined leader and took care of business and took our 3rd place medals.
Us with our medals…. how sweet…
Posted by The Z-Meter: 4/22/2009 - Another Z Makes the Nats « Bus Leagues Baseball on April 22, 2009 at 12:41 am
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Posted by rob L on July 10, 2011 at 8:59 pm
Hello TIM,
I played ball with colin in high school i for one can tell you that he is jacked! I have seen him hit a 440ft homer in high school! Colin has probably that fastest bat speed that i have ever seen. So far the team i played for 2 players are in AAA and one is playing for the twins right now…so i no a little bit about talent.
Posted by The Z-Meter: 4/22/2009 – Another Z Makes the Nats | Bus Leagues Baseball on May 22, 2012 at 3:48 pm
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Posted by John Davis on July 27, 2021 at 10:43 pm
I was there that 4th of july week…colin was a pure natural…I waited after the game…like most. And he had all of 8 or 9 peeps ushering him out of the front gate…and into the smallest mazda ? Mini pick up…i had ever seen…loaded down on all its lil mini leaf springs. We were agasp