Bowker Takes Aim at 600 Homers

Ok. So it is a bit too early to declare John Bowker as a future member of the 600 home run club. However, if he could learn to be consistent instead of incredibly streaky, he may have a great career ahead of him. Then again, it may be Bowker's streaks of hot and cold that make him our secret weapon.

Giants fans got excited when Bowker homered in his first two major league games. Then he cooled off, and critics thought it was a fluke. Then he got hot again. But, coming in to Washington this past weekend, Bowker was mired in a little bit of a slump. He only had six hits in his last 40 at-bats.

If the Giants end up sweeping Washington in four games, Bowker had as much to do with that as anybody, going 4-for-12. His eighth inning grand slam on Saturday turned a pitcher's duel into a blowout, and the following day, he padded what was a one-run lead for Barry Zito with a two-run homer.

Sports talk radio hosts cite often cite Bowker as an example of, "What if these kids actually can't play," but just when it starts looking that way, Bowker turns it around again. With a little guidance and a lot more experience, Bowker could be hitting those clutch bombs just a little more often.