'Now Playing: The Rookie II'

Could Disney possibly have another great comeback

story to follow up the popular 2002 baseball flick starring Dennis Quaid? If former

Georgia Bulldog pitcher Barry Fowler has his way they will.

Fowler, who pitched for Georgia from 1996-1999 may not be a household names at the moment

but if his story continues to follow the typical Disney script it won't take long

for that to change.

The Rockdale County High School standout came to Georgia in the mid-90s, a time

that most fans will remember as the dark days of Georgia baseball. However Fowler

was able to leave his share of memories at Foley Field. During Fowler's stint with

the Dawgs he posted a complete game shutout win against eventual first round pick

Mark Prior as well as taking part in a combined no-hitter.

When Fowler's playing career at Georgia ended in 1999, he decided to forgo the

Major League draft and remained in school another year, time that allowed him to grant

his mother's single greatest wish for her son.

"My mother wanted me to graduate so that's what I did. I made up my mind that

I was going to stay in school and graduate. Nobody drafted me because they knew

that I was going to stay in school and graduate for my mom. I really wanted that

to be fulfilled for her because I was pretty much the only person to graduate from

college in our family," revealed Fowler. "I worked out a little bit during that

year but I pretty much just spent my time concentrating on school and graduating

for my mom; I just thought that baseball was one of those things that would always

be there."

But baseball would have to wait some more.

After Folwer graduated and was readyto fulfill his dream of playing professionally, his family was struck by a series of debilitating illnesses. He chose to return home and assist his mother and stepfather render what aid they could. In the years that followed Fowler lost his grandfather, grandmother, and uncle.

"It definitely was a mental and emotional battle to give up the thing that I

loved and the good lord blessed me with. I always had baseball to go to and I have

been able to pour out my passion and my love for that game, so to give all of that

up was definitely a heart felt decision but obviously my family outweighs all of

that, "Fowler said. "The time spent with those loved ones are priceless to me." 

In 2005, tragedy would strike again as his mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died three months after receiving the news.

Two years after the passing of his mother, Fowler, now an employee with an Atlanta based utilities company, decided that it was time to go chase down his dream that had been put on hold years ago. So he quit his job and broke the news to his girlfriend. It had been ten years since he last pitched a game.

"I knew that at some point I was going to venture out and pursue a career in

baseball, it was just something that I wanted to do. It was actually in the late

2000s, in the late part of that decade when it really started to become prevalent

that I was going to do this."

After contacting several different teams around the country Fowler received an

offer to attend spring training with the Pensacola Pelicans. Fowler had an excellent

spring training with the Pelicans but in the end the team decided to pass on the

right hander.

"I had a great spring training and when it was all said and done he sat me down

and the first words out of his mouth were: 'I couldn't have asked anymore out of

you this spring training but we've decided to go in another direction'."

The decision came as a surprise to Fowler but instead of quitting the setback

instead motivated him

to make the next move in his epic tale.

"When I wasn't working out in the bullpen or whatever I evaluated the other pictures

because after being out of the game physically I made sure to still study the game

intellectually and I was very intelligent of the game," Fowler explained. "So I knew

exactly what these other guys brought to the table and there were a lot of guys

that I thought I legitimately beat out personally and I deserved an opportunity.

When that didn't come that fueled me even more because I knew exactly what I had

seen and that I could compete with those guys. So basically I came home and worked

for another week and got all of my ducks in a row and told Lyndsey (Mills, his girlfriend)

that I had some stuff that I had to go do."

Fowler spent the next several weeks in the stands at Pelican's games as a fan.

He bought Pelican's t-shirts and cheered on the team that he tried out for just

a few weeks ago. Fowler's philosophy was to be as close to the team as possible

in case of an injury - he considered himself their 23rd player.

Fowler never made his way into a Pelican's uniform. 

Disappointed but resolute, Fowler went on to a brief stint with

the Desert Valley Mountain Lions, a team in an El Paso pay-to-play league. That

earned Fowler a workout with the El Paso Diablos. The Diablos,  a member of the American

Association of Independent Professional Baseball, decided to give Fowler his first

long awaited taste of professional baseball.

With the Diablos Fowler posted a stingy 2.67 ERA minus two bad outings. However,

Fowler was left looking for a new team at the end of the season. After sending out

several emails one team responded with a tryout offer - the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

"After the tryout he (the Winnipeg Coach) drove me back to the airport and asked

me about my passport and all of that, that left me with a really good feeling so

I didn't pursue any other teams and he sent me the contract on December 23 - that

made a great Christmas present for myself."

Finally, Fowler had found a home for the 2011 baseball season.

On May 28, 2011

Fowler pitched a perfect game into the sixth inning when he was pulled after giving

up is first hit. Not bad for a 35-year-old rookie.

Fowler was ecstatic. "I feel like I'm 21 years old. I feel great and I work out hard and everything

and there is nothing wrong with my abilities or anything - I feel great."