FORT MYERS, Fla. • As he recently retraced what carried him to the majors, from a Rule 5 pick to the Cardinals’ leading fireman, Matt Bowman remained aware of how a heavy workload played a supporting role in his rise.
It took someone else’s to clear a job for him.
It took having one to keep it.
“I don’t ignore the reasons why some of my opportunities have presented themselves,” Bowman said. “You don’t want to sit here and say you’re the exception to the rule. It has been the case for me that the term rubber-armed gets thrown around, a lot.