Former Eagle Greg Dowling Makes History at Wrigley Field

CHICAGO, Ill. – Former Georgia Southern University standout Greg Dowling made history at a historic ball park. Dowling and the Class A Kane County Cougars took on Midwest League rival Peoria Chiefs on July 29th at Wrigley Field in Chicago. A league record crowd of 32,103 packed into the Chicago Cubs’ home field for the first minor league baseball game played there.

Dowling gave the crowd something to remember, hitting a second inning solo home run. That home run was the first-ever hit by a minor league player in the stadium’s 94-year history.

"I was just on cloud nine running around the bases," Dowling told MLB.com. "Then I got to the dugout and everybody was smiling and started cheering a little bit. I think I kept a pretty straight face running around... It was unbelievable, it really was. For all of us that might not make it, or even if you do, it's the first time being in a big league park like that, 32,000, it was just unbelievable. I don't know how to explain it."

Play was suspended in the bottom of the ninth tied at 6-all. The game resumed the following night and Peoria pulled out a 9-8 victory in 12 innings. The 32,000-plus in attendance shattered Kane County's previous attendance high of 14,492 set on August 11, 2007 at the Cougars’ Elfstrom Stadium.

Dowling, who represented Kane County in this summer’s Midwest League All-Star game, is batting .258 in 104 games played with 41 runs scored, 27 doubles, 11 home runs, 53 RBI and 25 walks. The two-time All-Southern Conference first baseman has posted a .407 slugging percentage and is 1-for-2 in stolen bases. In the second half, Kane County currently stands 19-23, six games back in the Western Division.

Dowling finished his four-year career at Georgia Southern ranked in nine offensive categories, and was one of two Eagles ever to record: 300 hits, 200 RBI and 180 runs scored.

Information from MidwestLeague.com and MLB.com used in the story.

Category: Baseball

Published on Tuesday, 05 August 2008 00:13