Jim Bowden  James Goodwin Bowden IV (born May 18, 1961) is an American baseball analyst. He is a co-host of SiriusXM's "Inside Pitch" on MLB Network Radio and a columnist for The Athletic. He previously worked for ESPN, writing a blog for ESPN.com titled "The GM's Office". He used to be a host and co-host on Fox Sports Radio, a baseball analyst for FoxSports.com and a Baseball Insider for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels for Fox Sports West. He has held positions of Senior Vice President and General Manager for both the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. On October 16, 1992 he became the youngest general manager in baseball history. He was named MLB Executive of the Year by "Baseball America" in 1999. Bowden's teams finished in first place in 1994 and 1995. Bowden has also worked in television for ESPN and Fox Sports West as well as local television and radio stations in both Cincinnati and Washington, D.C.. Bowden was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Weston, Massachusetts and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He graduated from Rollins College in 1983 with a B.A. degree in Communications and Business Administration. He was the Sports Director at the College radio station as well doing the play by play for both the baseball and soccer teams. HIs broadcast partners included Chris "Mad Dog" Russo (Class of 1982). His entry to professional baseball came as an assistant in the Pittsburgh Pirates media relations department in 1985. He was a former college roommate of Squire Galbreath, whose father Dan and grandfather John were the principal owners of the Pirates. General manager Syd Thrift was impressed with Bowden and asked him to join the Pirates' baseball operations department as an administrator. Bowden computerized the Pirates' scouting files, and became a protégé to Thrift. He followed Thrift to the New York Yankees, and eventually moved to the Cincinnati Reds where he was later promoted by the Reds Owner, Marge Schott, to General Manager. He also served as team president during her suspension in 1993. His first role as a general manager was with the Cincinnati Reds at age 31 in 1992. When he took this position, he was the youngest general manager in the history of Major League Baseball. Bowden was named Major League Executive of the Year in 1999 by "The Sporting News" after leading one of the lowest payroll teams in baseball to 96 wins. In 1993 Bowden fired rookie manager Tony Pérez after only 44 games.