Former Red Sox Catcher Rich Rowland Dies
A catcher who spent parts of six seasons in MLB as a backup in Detroit and Boston died at 62, according to his son.
Rich Rowland, a former major league catcher who played for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox, has passed away at the age of 62. His son, Robby, announced his father's death on Instagram on August 27 without disclosing the cause. Robby's tribute read, "RIP Pops, my hero man. My best friend & my role model. Thank you." Rowland was born in Cloverdale, California, on February 25, 1964, and was a multi-sport athlete in his youth, excelling in baseball, basketball, and football.
After high school, he attended Ventura College before joining the timber industry. He returned to baseball in 1987, playing for the Cloverdale Merchants in a summer league. His career took off when the Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 17th round of the 1988 amateur draft. Rowland spent most of his early career in the minors, with notable performances with the Toledo Mud Hens in 1992.
He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1994 and played 46 games that season, hitting .229 with nine home runs and 20 RBIs. After a foot injury and the players' strike, Rowland saw limited playing time for the Red Sox in 1995. He briefly played for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1996 before signing a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants, where he appeared in 19 games in their Triple-A system in 1996, finishing with a .237 batting average.
After his retirement, he worked in the timber industry in Northern California, where he was followed by his sons, both of whom had successful careers in baseball but did not reach the majors.
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