Our guest this week is former GM of both the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. Currently, Jim Bowden is an MLB Analyst and Insider for CBS Sports HQ, writer for The Athletic, Talk Show Host for SiriusXM’s MLB Radio, and Fantasy Alarm.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Jim shares how his love of sports and a little bit of luck landed his first job with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In his words, “getting rid of my mouth and getting a third ear” is what led to his success. Early in his career, he was challenged with tasks outside his skill set or knowledge base, but he figured it out by asking questions with an authentic desire to learn. The hours, days, weeks, even years that lead to his first go-round as GM was spent doing just that, learning.
Jim has been able to sustain his success because he is always preparing for plan B. He was one of these first GMs to leave baseball and switch to the broadcasting side of the sport offering fans a unique perspective on the game.
He even dishes on a few very unique family traditions he and his sons have completed every year for the last couple of decades.