Former Eagle Greg Dowling Makes History at Wrigley Field
8/5/2008 4:13:00 AM | Baseball
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
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,
Dowling finished his four-year career at
Information from MidwestLeague.com and MLB.com used in the story.
