Grandfather has Lethbridge connection

Despite his team’s loss, Fort McMurray Giants leftfielder Mike Bowes enjoyed a strong outing Sunday afternoon against the Lethbridge Bulls.

Bowes batted 3-for-5, scored one run and added an RBI in Sunday before the Bulls posted a 7-6 come-from-behind win at Spitz Stadium.

As it turns out, his grandfather knows a thing or two about enjoying a little success in southern Alberta as well.

Bowes’ grandfather, Stephen Schott, was a member of the 1959 Lethbridge White Sox who went on to have a fine career outside of playing baseball as the owner of the Oakland Athletics from 1995-2005.

“He lives close by, five minutes away from my hometown,” said Bowes, a product of Los Altos, California who went to college at San Jose State University. “He told me a few stories coming in and let me know a little bit about it. Fort McMurray is a little farther away and farther north, but he told me a few stories about Canada and how he loved the experience here.”

On Saturday, Bowes and his Giants teammates were taken out to dinner by longtime Lethbridge businessman Gary Kirk, the business manager of the 1959 White Sox Team.

Bowes recalled many Major League games in the bay area as a youngster at his grandfather’s place of work.

“I went to a bunch of the games when I was younger, that was a lot of my childhood, going to the Coliseum was definitely fun. It was some good memories with the A's"

As for some sagely advice, the grandfather has passed some onto his grandson despite the difference in positions.

“He was a pitcher and I'm a hitter, so it was a little bit different,” said Bowes. “But he tells me a little bit about the game. He knows a lot about the players when he was with the A's, too. He was closely involved, so he knew a lot about baseball.”

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