Now He’s Pitching to Be a Rock Star

Any baseball fan knows that Jack McDowell is one of the premier pitchers in the game. The Stanford alum has won 37 games over the last two years--more than anybody in the American League. So it’s no wonder the Chicago White Sox star is paid $4 million a year.

But just how good a rock singer is he?

McDowell, who’ll pitch the season opener Tuesday in Minneapolis, has been eyeing a rock career for years. He even played nightclubs occasionally and sent demo tapes to record companies after the 1991 season.

But McDowell found it hard to get anyone to take him seriously. The music wasn’t impressive and most record company execs and managers dismissed him as some hotshot pursuing an expensive hobby.

But McDowell, 27, says all that was just a warm-up.

He’s made some new tapes and hooked up with Wally Versen, who manages the L.A. band Dada.

“It’s tough to get it across when you’ve got an image as one thing,” McDowell says. “People say, ‘Aren’t you making enough money?’ I have a hard time saying why I’m doing the music. I just got the bug and can’t stop.”

Even Versen says he had doubts at first about McDowell, who began writing songs and playing with fellow athlete-musician Lee Plennel (a former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals organization) while the two were students at Stanford.

Says Versen, “I didn’t think he was ready (the first time around). The record companies don’t have the money these days to sign someone just because they’re famous--Bill Clinton’s brother notwithstanding.”

But Versen said he was convinced by McDowell’s determination and the quality of his new material. “People who have heard the earlier stuff will be surprised. The music will end up getting it sold. If Jack’s name gets us a decent listen, then the music can speak for itself.”

And McDowell is apparently starting to stir some interest.

“It’s a lot better than most of the stuff that comes across my desk,” says Stevo Glendinning, head of A&R; at I.R.S. Records. “Is my checkbook out? Not yet. But it was well put together and sounded good.”

McDowell’s style?

The pitcher-songwriter calls it “power pop alternative,” citing everyone from R.E.M. to Alice in Chains as influences. “Most of the stuff is about personal things. . . . I don’t think I get quite as ambiguous as Michael Stipe does.”

Any reaction from his teammates to his music?

“People who like this music are few and far between in baseball,” the 6-foot-5 pitcher says. “They mostly like country.”