If you have power they will come.
Not quite the famous words uttered in Field of Dreams, but when you club 59 homers in two years with a club record 34 in one, you’re going to perk the interest of many teams and the Arizona Diamondbacks were definitely one of them.
The York Daily Record reported that the Diamondbacks as well, as many other teams were interested in Nowak, but wanted more information, including what he could do defensively said Revolution manager Mark Mason.
"Offensively, everyone knew what he could do," Mason said. "Defensively ... some teams needed more information."
According to the Record, Nowak, primarily a first baseman, finished the season manning third base and playing the corner outfield positions.
Nowak has been in the game for a long time. Since being drafted in the 19th round out of the University of South Carolina in the 2004 MLB June Amateur Draft, he has played in nine professional seasons making it all the way up to AAA with the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers.
At 29, Nowak still has a lot of game left and sometimes you just wonder what it takes to make that final jump and to be successful against the best players in the world? Determination, and hard work all plays a part, but talent and consistent performance, of course, are major factors.
In over 1000 professional games Nowak is a career .289 hitter with a OBP anyone would love; .376. With 119 career home runs, including 59 with the Revolution, who play in the Independent Atlantic League, it appears Nowak has honed his home run stroke and improved his defensive ability, which may well have been the final piece on this road back to the big leagues (courtesy of Baseball Reference).
Nowak joins a list that includes five other Revolution players who have been signed by Major League teams this season.
Devon is the Founder and Executive Director of The GM's Perspective. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies. Currently, Devon is a Manager at a financial institution in Northern Ontario Canada, and can be reached at devon@thegmsperspective.com. You can follow The GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.
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