Bowden spent the majority of last year with Triple-A Pawtucket, where he posted a 3.13. ERA in 24 starts with the PawSox. The former first-round draft pick thrived as a minor league starter, but was an up-and-down big league relief pitcher.
Bowden posted a 9.56 ERA in eight appearances with the 2009 Red Sox, and his most memorable outings — and the ones he'd like to forget — came against the Yankees. Bowden pitched two scoreless innings of relief against New York in an April victory, but Yankee hitters pounded him for seven runs on eight hits in an August loss.
"[In the first outing], I knew what innings I was pitching," Bowden told the AP. "I'm very structured. I've started my whole career. So I could prepare that like a start. The second time I got called up, it was very tough, because all it was was a lack of experience. I didn't know how many throws my body needed to warm up. I got warmed up in the second, third. I threw way more than I should have."
Red Sox minor league pitching coordinator Ralph Treuel understands most pitchers experience adversity at the major league level.
"Almost everyone will go through it," Treuel said. "It's how they deal with it that will help them determine how successful they can be."
Bowden is improving his mechanics and developing a routine during spring training, two things that should help him pitch out well of the bullpen this year.
"I really got a good routine down," Bowden said. "I just learned how to prepare like a reliever. It was just a lot of fun. I didn't think I'd like it, but I had a blast in the bullpen and I really enjoyed it."
