Army man earns stripes on mound

Chris Rowley admits he didn’t end up at the U.S. Military Academy after high school because he dreamed of being a war hero.

He wasn’t even following a family tradition of military service.

Yes, Rowley’s paternal grandfather enlisted in the Army and served in Korea, while his maternal grandfather was a noncommissioned officer in the Air Force.

But Rowley going to West Point had more to do with the Black Knights needed a starting pitcher for the baseball team and Rowley needing a place to play.

“I wanted to play baseball at the next level,” Rowley says. “It wasn’t like I had this calling.” He does now. Saturday, Rowley, 26, became the first West Point graduate to reach the major leagues when he was called up by the Blue Jays and pitched 51/3 innings of onerun ball in Toronto’s victory over Pittsburgh.

There have been many obstacles to overcome.

Rowley, a first lieutenant, was bypassed in the amateur draft after graduation in 2013.

He eventually signed with Toronto and went 4-0 with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays that year, but he missed the 2014 and 2015 minor league seasons while on active service, which included a stint in Bulgaria.

He remains on Individual Ready Reserve, but the Army waived his 5-year active service commitment after 30 months so he could continue his baseball career, and he wasted no time climbing up the ranks.

Now, he’s in the major leagues, where no West Point grad has ever been.

Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons, the son of an Air Force colonel, credited the rookie’s military background for his composure.

“That’s just how they groom ’em,” Gibbons said.

Rowley acknowledges that his budding baseball career helped reduce his military service.

“I’ve been so fortunate to carry a brand,” he said. “The whole reason the Army let me go is because of the opportunity to positively reflect on the United States Army and West Point was so much greater in this profession than it would be if I had stayed in active duty. That’s why it’s so important for me to carry myself the right way on and off the field.” He certainly did on Saturday.

The Canadian Press via AP/FRANK GUNN Toronto pitcher Chris Rowley went to West Point because they needed a pitcher. Now he is the school’s only graduate to reach the major leagues.