Courtesy of Tommy BawdenLast spring, most of us were either in the midst of Washington University campus life or playing out our senior year of high school. Freshman Tommy Bawden, on the other hand, was being summoned to the office… the front office of the Gulf Coast Red Sox, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. After exiting the office, Bawden’s life took a dramatic U-turn. For the last two years of his life, the only thing he knew was baseball. He was suddenly cut.
“I had a few offers from independent teams and other minor league teams, but I was at a time in my life where I had to make a decision: baseball or school,” Bawden said.
Bawden, a 2003 graduate of Parkway Central High in Chesterfield, Mo., experienced the college life of a freshman before his professional baseball career started. He attended Indiana University for the fall semester of 2003.
Bawden was signed by the Red Sox after graduating from high school, and after signing he decided to spend the fall semester at Indiana, even though he intended to leave after the first semester to join his team in Rookie Ball.
“I guess that gave me a little bit of a college experience, but my mind was on baseball,” Bawden said.
Upon leaving Bloomington, Ind., Bawden was told to report to Fort Myers, Fla., for the 2004 season with the Gulf Coast Red Sox in Rookie Ball. The team mainly consisted of guys ages 18-25 and was mostly comprised of rookies; however, that didn’t matter to Bawden, because he was a 19-year-old professional baseball player with a weekly paycheck and a signing bonus.
“It wasn’t as glamorous as you would think. It was a lot of work. It was both tough mentally and physically, but with that aside, I was getting paid to play baseball,” Bawden said.
He practiced and played games everyday. He “lived” in hotels. It taught him how to grow up and fast.
“Instead of going to college and just worrying about school, like most of my friends, I was suddenly put into a situation where showing up late would cost me a fine, and not showing up at all would probably cost me my job,” Bawden said.
Wash U and Football
After being released by the Red Sox organization, Bawden faced a decision. He wanted to go to school but still had a desire to play sports. This led him to Washington University. Coming from St. Louis and knowing of the great academics that the school offered, he decided that the University was his ideal choice. After being accepted, he pursued his desire to continue to play sports.
“I called [head football] coach [Larry] Kindbom and asked him to tryout. I made the team and have played in both games,” Bawden said.
So far this season, Bawden has made a big impact on the Bear defensive side of the ball. Playing at the defensive back position and playing in both games thus far, Bawden is the team leader in tackles with 16 and tied for the lead in interceptions with one.
His first interception came in the first game of the season against juggernaut Mount Union College when he picked off a Mount Union pass and returned the ball 67 yards to the Mount Union 32-yard line.
He plans on majoring in some form of business and left his professional baseball career with no regrets and many wonderful memories of his time spent in Fort Myers.
“I had an unforgettable experience,” he said. “This season I even went to spring training with the team and ate lunch with [Johnny] Damon and got caught in a run-down with Edgar Renteria, but now it’s back to the real world,” Bawden said.
However, because Bawden signed a professional contract, he is forbidden by collegiate rules to participate in the sport under which he signed. Thus, Bawden will not be showing off his baseball prowess with the baseball team in the spring. For now, he’s helping his football squad all he can.