Time Out with Willie Bowman

BY DARRELL MOODY

Nevada Appeal Sports Writer

(Willie Bowman, a former Carson High baseball star, played three years of college baseball at UNLV and has now returned to the area. He is an associate scout for the Tampa Bay Rays.)

DM: What has kept you playing baseball all of these years?

WB: It's a fun sport to play. The camaraderie with your teammates. baseball is such a challenging sport

DM: Who is the best player you ever played with?

WB: Dustin Pedroia. He's won every single piece of hardware you can win - Rookie of the Year, American League MVP, Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger Award.

DM: What has been your biggest thrill as a player?

WB: There are two things. The first is winning the Little League District championship when I was 12. The second is having the opportunity to play in front of thousands of fans for the LaCrosse Loggers in 2005 and 2007. It was a great experience.

DM: If you couldn't be involved in baseball you would do.....?

WB: I'd like to be a pilot. I love airplanes. I love flying and they (pilots) make good money.

DM: Talk to us about your career at UNLV?

WB: I learned a lot as a person, player and student. I made some great friends, got a degree and got to play college baseball.

DM: When you aren't working, scouting or giving baseball lessons, what would we find you doing?

WB: Probably just sitting on the couch and watching television or playing video poker. I like American Idol, Home Improvement, Nip Tuck and Las Vegas.

DM: What kind of music do you listen to, and who is your favorite group?

WB: I listen to everything, but I listen to country music the most. I listen to Cross Canadian Ragweed. It's really big in the Midwest.

DM: Tell us something that many people may not know about you?

WB: Maybe that I really enjoy hunting. I hunt for ducks, quail and geese. I've gone out with my dad and grandpa since I was 5 or 6 years old.

DM: The last book you read for pleasure and not for school?

WB: Standard & Poor's Guide for New Investors. Financial investing really interests me. I want to invest at an early age so I have a good retirement.