Nowak Is Bullish On Baseball
6/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 1, 2009
Special for www.upstatespartans.com
Spartanburg, S.C. - Looking out of the press box high atop Knights Stadium outside of Charlotte, N.C., on an overcast, misty day, Chris Nowak stands tall as the starting third baseman for the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. It's been a journey for the Waukesha, Wisc., native, who was a three-year standout on the USC Upstate baseball team from 2002-04, a journey marked with a steady progression up the ranks in the minor league system of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Early Signs Of Stardom
When the USC Upstate baseball team, then known as the USC Spartanburg Rifles prior to the University renaming itself and its athletic teams to the USC Upstate Spartans in 2004, came together in the fall of 2001, one player stood out in fall workouts. The 6-6, 220-pound Wisconsin native came into the program having played mostly first base. However, with Jason Farmer manning first base and owning a .346 batting average, head coach Matt Fincher moved Nowak to third to not only find a place for him in the lineup, but to sure up a gaping hole at the hot corner.
Nowak thrived despite playing third on a regular basis for the first time in his playing career. He finished the year hitting .380 to lead the team. As a freshman, he topped the club in nearly every statistical category including slugging percentage, at bats, runs, hits, RBIs and triples. He was the top dog despite playing alongside solid veteran offensive players like Farmer, Brian O'Neill and Nate Frommelt. When all was said and done, Nowak turned in one of the top freshman performances in the history of the program and was named the Freshman of the Year in the Peach Belt Conference, arguably the top DII baseball conference in the country.
"It was clear when he got here that he was a cut above everybody else and he had a lot of ability. But, the thing that I learned during his first year here was that he was well ahead of everyone else on our team in the mental part of the game," Fincher said. "Once I understood his makeup and his mental process, it just seemed to me that he would be a likely guy to move forward with a career in baseball. He was definitely outstanding in his own right when he got here."
His next two years in the program saw much of the same. He led the Rifles in hitting both seasons, hitting .362 as a sophomore and a career-high .387 as a junior. He led the team in nine categories and finished his career with program career records of 232 hits and 53 doubles and two single-season records with 82 hits and 55 games played in 2002. His 53 doubles remain the all-time mark while his hits record was eclipsed by four-year standouts Bret Hansen and John Caddell in 2007, topping the mark by eight and nine hits, respectively.
In three years in Spartanburg, Nowak earned league honors as the Freshman of the Year in 2002 and as an all-conference pick in 2004. He was also a DII all-region selection in 2004 and a three-time Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll pick, marking his collegiate career as not only a standout on the field but also in the classroom. But, that shouldn't be any shock for an individual who has succeeded in every area in his life.
Standout Career Leads To Early Exit
As the 2004 season came to an end, Upstate baseball had begun its resurgence under head coach Matt Fincher. The 2002 squad finished the year with 21 wins, nine more than it had in 2001. In 2003, the Nowak-led Rifles claimed a 28-26 record, the first winning record in 12 years. The program also moved back on campus to play its first season at the new Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park in 2004. Nowak's family even spearheaded and funded the printing of commemorative t-shirts marking the opening of the stadium. Had it not been for a player who decided to not attend class at the start of the 2004 season, Upstate's 24-28 record would have been a 28-24 mark. But that player had participated in four games prior to Coach Fincher finding out about the player's lackluster academic pursuits. The Rifles were forced to forfeit four games, landing the squad with a sub-.500 record.
But, while the team's record looked like a step back, the program had taken major strides and it was Nowak who was at the center of the Rifles' success. Accordingly, Nowak was credited with leading the resurgence on the field. By season's end, scouts were talking about Nowak and his ability to hit the gaps, drive in runs and score. As time went on, it became nearly a foregone conclusion that Nowak's 2004 season would be his last in Spartanburg.
When the Major League Baseball Draft got underway, most people felt as though Nowak would be taken somewhere in the mid-20 rounds. However, Tampa Bay, which had shown interest throughout the 2004 campaign, selected him in the 19th round. The kid from Wisconsin who had cultivated his talent in three exceptional seasons in Spartanburg had finally gotten his shot at the big leagues and he took it. But, not before leaving a mark on the Upstate program and helping start the resurgence in the program that still feels the effects of his play five years later.
Making His Mark In The Minors
Nowak was a 19th-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft and signed with the club, foregoing his senior season for the Spartans. He quickly moved through Rookie-A and low-A ball before establishing himself as a top prospect in the organization at High-A Visalia in 2005. In one-plus seasons with the club, he was named a postseason All-Star after leading the team to within a game of the 2006 California League championship while hitting .400 in the postseason. He was rated the top defensive first baseman in the league by Baseball America and was a High-A All-Star Team pick by the publication.
Nowak achieved early success while making the transition from college baseball to the pros. Not only is the competition more difficult, but the day-in and day-out grind of baseball was certainly an adjustment.
"The everyday grind was something that was surprising to me," said Nowak. "Everyone talks about going out there and playing a full season. When you are in low-A ball and you're playing in June and July, you finally realize what they are talking about when they talk about the dog days of summer. The sun is beating down, you've got 100 games. It's a tough grind but it's definitely worth it. I feel like I excel during those months because I feel like I have prepared myself with offseason workouts and keeping myself in shape during the season. I think the minor leagues are more strenuous than the majors as far as days off and other things associated with the grind in the minors."
After a standout stint with Visalia where he was named the prospect in the Rays' organization with the best strike-zone discipline, Nowak was promoted to Double-A Montgomery in 2007 and spent the better part of two seasons with the Biscuits. He continued to shine in the organization, playing alongside big-league locks Evan Longoria and David Price during his time in Montgomery. He had a solid first season in helping lead Montgomery into the Southern League Championship Series where he was named the MVP after going 11-for-18 with a home run at the plate.
Nowak began the 2008 season in Montgomery and was named the Rays' Minor League Player of the Month in June and July, the only player in the organization to earn more than one monthly honor during the year. He then got the call on Aug. 18 that he was promoted to Triple-A Durham. He hit .315 in 18 games with the Bulls to close out the season. Nowak impressed the Rays enough to be invited to spring training with the big club and saw action in 11 games as a pinch hitter before being reassigned to the minor league camp to begin preparation for the upcoming season.
"I'm watching his progress because I want him to do well," said Fincher. "I want Chris Nowak to do well because he is a great guy, a super individual.
"A lot of players don't make it to the big leagues with the organization that drafted them," said Fincher. "On paper, given Tampa's situation in those days when he was drafted, you would think that was an organization he could move in and he did. But, the reason he moved is because he's good. If he would have been drafted by somebody else, I feel very confident he would have moved there as well."
In his five previous seasons in minor league baseball, Nowak has never finished the season hitting below .300 despite making moves up through the organization with three mid-season call-ups.
While baseball consumes his life throughout the year, Nowak does look forward to the offseason back in Wisconsin where he is able to have a normal life living with his wife and their dog. Baseball, though, is never far away. He works out at a couple of high schools, including his alma mater, North High School, goes to the gym and works to keep his body, mind and mechanics in tune for another season. And, as most minor leaguers understand, working a steady job to get a paycheck is also a must.
"I get a good number of swings in during the offseason," said Nowak. "I get in the gym four or five times a week to stay in shape and prepare myself for the upcoming season. And, I have to get a job to help pay the bills. The places where I have worked have been pretty generous with allowing me to take time off when I have needed it."
What Will The Future Hold?
When he broke into the Rays organization, Nowak played primarily first base before moving over to third, at times, for Visalia. He has played both corner positions throughout the last three years and has spent a smattering of time in the outfield, though his primary position over the last three seasons has been at third. While versatility is a strong point, the fact that Longoria (third) and Carlos Pena (first) are prominent players on Tampa Bay's big league club could mean Nowak may be mired in Triple-A for some time unless he heads to another team. In his sixth season playing professionally, he certainly has made progress toward a major league appearance.
But minor league players often know that taking that next step from rising through the minor leagues to making to "the show" is something bigger than they have experienced in the years building up to that point. Add to that the fact that in the minors, playing baseball can often times mean focusing more on individual accomplishments than team results. Players jockey for position to make themselves look good to the organization with the aim at making it closer to the majors.
Nowak is not immune to feeling the pressure of making a mark on an individual basis. But, it is not something that comes easy to him. He is the quintessential team player. And so, despite being pressed on commenting on the individuality of the minors, Nowak would rather talk about the camaraderie that exists on the Bulls despite everyone working towards that next big step.
"This team is very together," said Nowak. "As much as it is a team sport, individually, you want to do well. If you don't come out and perform well, you place the blame on yourself. I am looking for the same thing I have accomplished in the past. Go out there and play solid every day and help the team win. Everything seems to fall in place after that. If you try to help the team, you are more than likely going to be successful. If you start thinking individually instead of with the team concept, you run into trouble."
While Nowak obviously loves playing in the Rays' organization, after all Tampa Bay was the darling of Major League Baseball last year as a surprise representative of the American League in the World Series and was the organization that showed interest in him the most during his time at Upstate, the fact that Longoria and Pena man the very positions at which he has thrived in his minor league career only magnifies the importance of proving he can deliver.
"Every year you go out there and try to catch someone's eye whether it's from your own organization or someone else," said Nowak. "To go out there and play those two positions that are pretty much locked down with the Rays is tough. I'm not dumb. I have played with Evan (Longoria) and I know he is a great, great player. I have seen Carlos (Pena) play. He is a great defensive player and can definitely hit the ball out of the park. That's the way it goes sometimes, but I am going to go out there and prove that I can play two positions solidly and hope someone sees a need for someone like me."
"He can't control the situation he is in (with Longoria and Pena ahead of him on the Rays)," said Fincher. "He's fortunate in that he is on the team, he's playing Triple-A baseball and he gets an opportunity to go out there every day and prove himself to the Tampa Bay organization as well as the rest of the major league teams. The beauty of playing minor league baseball is someone is always watching and if he keeps his nose to the grindstone and concerns himself with the process, I truly believe he is going to make it. He's too good not to."
Baseball is a business and while he would rather remain with the Rays, Nowak understands that his best chance of breaking into the majors may be with another organization. But, until something happens, he will continue to work as he always has to be the best player he can be and whatever happens, wherever he ends up, he will know, and the organization will know, they have gotten his best.
"Obviously I would love to be a major league baseball player," said Nowak. "But, I can't complain with what has happened in my career. I have accomplished a lot and being here right now is one step away. If I can't break into the majors with the Rays, then possibly I can for another organization which has a need for what I can bring to the field. I am just going to go out there every day and do my best. I would love to be a major leaguer, but I can't complain at all with where I am at."
