Cal Baseball Foundation

I n February 1989, Dan Cholowsky stepped to the plate for his first collegiate at bat versus Fresno State and promptly drove the ball over the right field fence for a home run. By the time "Chow" finished his Cal Baseball career in 1991, his name was all over Cal's record book. On Friday, October 30, he will be recognized for his accomplishments by being inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame. Dan will also be honored on Sunday, November 1, at Cal Baseball's annual Alumni Game. Dan came to Cal in the fall of 1988 after graduating from Bellarmine High School in San Jose, where he was a multi-sport star athlete and was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. As a freshman on Cal's 1989 team, he had an immediate impact and it was quite obvious a bright future was in store for him. But, it was his junior year in 1991 when he truly made his mark on Cal Baseball. Chow was named the Most Valuable Player of Cal's 1991 team that went to the Midwest Regional at Wichita State. There they lost in the finals to the Shockers, just missing out on a trip to the College World Series. It was one of the best offensive teams in Cal history, holding single-season record bests in batting average, hits, runs scored, RBIs, and total bases. Chow's 1991 season put his name in Cal's single-season record book in several categories. He ranks first in at bats (274), second in triples (7), fifth in hits (93), and sixth in home runs (18) and games (64). Those stats earned him a First Team All-Pac-10 selection as well as All-District 8 and All-American honors. Chow also ranks sixth in career runs scored (155) and triples (10). ALUMNI ISSUE September 2015 Volume 3, Issue 1 Baseball Foundation Golden Bear News & Notes FORMER CAL BASEBALL STAR DAN CHOLOWSKY TO BE INDUCTED INTO CAL HALL OF FAME "Chow had a knack for always being involved in the winning of a baseball game. He made things happen offensively, defensively, on the bases, and by his leadership on the field. He was a tough, hard-nosed player with an unmatched competitive spirit. He made the players around him better." –Bob Milano "Chow was an unbelievable talent! He could run like the wind, hit the ball as far as anyone, and play any position you asked of him. The best part about him, besides what he could do on the field, was the fact that he was always there for the team and battled and literally fought until the final out. You could not ask for a better guy to have on your team. I don't know one guy who did not love playing on Dan's team. He was our backbone." –Jon Zuber C a l G o l d en B e a r D a n C h ol o wsk y , 1 99 0 Be ar s Assi s t a n t C o ac h "C h ow ," 2 0 0 5 While Chow put up great offensive numbers and was a five tool player, there were other factors that make him one of Cal Baseball's best. Defensively, he spent most of his time at third base, but he could play any position and had the ability to contribute in many different ways. His intensity and desire to win was off the charts and is best expressed by two other Cal Hall of Famers, head coach Bob Milano and teammate Jon Zuber (see inset). Following Dan's 1991 Cal season, he was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (39th overall pick). He played up to Triple A until he was forced to retire due to vision problems. Chow was an assistant coach for the Bears in 2005. He currently lives in Arizona with his wife, Tika, daughter, Syla (11), and son, Roch (10), and works for the Cincinnati Reds as their 4 Corners Scouting Supervisor. "To this day, the majority of my friends are a product of my years at Cal and I wouldn't trade those years for anything. It is a huge honor being inducted into the Cal Hall of Fame with all the great athletes who have come through our university. I am very appreciative and look forward to seeing all of my teammates, coaches, and friends who helped make this happen." –Dan Cholowsky Dan will be honored at the Cal Baseball Alumni Game on Sunday, November 1 at Evans Diamond.

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