Blower Power
CJ Blowers on His Journey to Oakland, Hip Hop, and Treating Every Outing Like It’s His Last
By Chris Drue, Ballers Beat Writer
For CJ Blowers, his mentality on the rubber is simple: “Every time I go out there, it’s my last time on the mound.”
After being away from baseball from 2019 to 2024, he would know. Blowers carried that mindset through the National Baseball Congress World Series and Frontier League before landing in Oakland this March. At 29 years old, the 6’6” lefty will make his Pioneer League debut this season—a career milestone and the latest chapter in his return to baseball.
Reflecting on the hiatus, Blowers admits that walking away ultimately wasn't really an option. “My journey back to baseball is truly just one of pure love for the game—I didn’t have any other choice," he shares with Dispatches. "My heart and soul wasn’t letting me do anything else.”
The Road Back: From the NBC World Series to the Pioneer League
After stepping away from baseball in 2019 to pursue a life outside of sports, Blowers rediscovered his calling through coaching and a legendary stint with the Seattle Blackfins of the Pacific International Collegiate League. Returning to the bump in 2024, he immediately proved that he still had it, delivering a 161-pitch marathon across 10 2/3 innings in a single start at the NBC World Series.
That display of stamina helped land him a spot with the Ottawa Titans in the Frontier League, where he proved the time away hadn't diminished his talent by posting a 0.87 ERA over 31 innings. He continued that success with the Joliet Slammers in 2025, racking up 53 strikeouts and maintaining a sturdy 2.71 ERA and 1.258 WHIP across 17 starts.
Now that he's landed in the East Bay, Blowers believes Oakland is the perfect destination for this next challenge—a sentiment reinforced by former teammate and 2025 Baller RHP Christian Cosby. Cosby's rave reviews of Oakland resonated with Blowers' own desire for an organic fit. “I love [the Oakland Ballers’] culture… I think my energy fits," Blowers says. "I want to shove for Oakland and have some fun. I think that’s what the Oakland Ballers’ organization is—they win and they have fun doing it. That’s the heart of baseball.”
As he prepares to face the big bats of the Pioneer League, he is aware that at this level every pitch is tied to a player's livelihood—these players are “hungry” and are playing for their careers, knowing that a single bad stretch can be life-altering. Blowers is pragmatic about the challenge. “I’m really looking forward to doing the homework and putting together a plan of attack,” he explains, acknowledging the weight of the competition. “These guys are hungry… they’re playing with their lives on the line. I just gotta be myself.”
Maddux’s Brain + Johnson’s Frame
Blowers describes himself as a pitcher that “dots” the corners and edges of the strike zone and relies on a massive seven-pitch arsenal—a 2-seam fastball, 4-seam fastball (hitting up to 92 mph), cutter, sweeper, curveball, circle changeup, and a diving forkball that he deploys strategically based on his next matchup. His attack is a balance of precision and power: “I like to try to be powerful like Randy Johnson, but I’m not quite there yet. I try to find a happy medium where I can look mechanically like Randy, but have the brain of a Greg Maddux to play the chess game.”
A self-described "nutcase" on the mound, Blowers is an old-school enforcer with a dominating presence: “Once I get on that mound and start my warm ups, nobody better talk to me. I'm there to do a job. If you throw at one of my guys you’re going to get one right back. I’m going to be there for my team, my guys. That’s the kind of competitor that I am.”
His personal intensity is real, but it’s also fueled by the environment. When told that the legendary right-field drums from the Coliseum have found a new home at Raimondi Park, Blowers was ecstatic. “That is so awesome!" he exclaims. "I don’t know what kind of competitor I’m going to be with those drums... I might start making animal noises or something!”
He views that fan support as a vital ingredient for another Oakland title run, drawing inspiration from the "Balfour Rage" era of the 2012 Oakland Athletics. To secure another championship for the Town, he says he needs that specific energy every time: “If the fans are going wild, I promise that it’s going to be a 6+ [inning] shutty every time.”
Too $hort, Tacos and "Blower Power"
Off the field, the hard-nosed enforcer gives way to a "gentle giant" who is authentically "weird as hell." He embraces the duality of his persona, noting that while he is a nutcase on the mound, he’s “the softest guy you’ll ever meet” in the dugout and off the field. For Blowers, landing in Oakland carries more than just the next step in his baseball career—it’s a chance to play for an organization co-owned by one of his favorite artists, Too $hort. A devotee of the West Coast and Bay Area rap scenes, Blowers cites legends like Too $hort, Mac Dre and E-40 as foundational influences alongside current favorites like Seiji Oda, Larry June, and LaRussell.
On his off days, his perfect day is decidedly low-key: a morning gym and sauna session, tacos, going on a long walk and finding a pickup basketball game with “randoms,” and getting some gaming in, with his current favorites being League of Legends and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. As he settles into the East Bay, he's eager for fan recommendations for nature walks and the best taco and birria spots.
While he is busy forging his own path, baseball is clearly part of CJ’s DNA. As the son of Mike Blowers—an 11-year MLB veteran third baseman who spent time in Oakland and a longtime broadcaster—CJ is proud to carry on the family legacy. When asked about a potential nickname for himself that the Oakland 68s could use for a chant, he doesn’t hesitate to suggest the same moniker his father once proudly used: "Blower Power” (pronounced like “Flower Power”).
Despite the professional pedigree, he knows there is still a lot of work ahead of him and remains deeply grateful for this second chance. “I look forward to being a leader and making this thing happen again,” he says, ending our call with a nod to the fans. “I thank the fans before anything else. It’s awesome that we even get to do this stuff.”
All images and video used with permission from the Oakland Ballers and CJ Blowers.
Chris Drue is an East Bay native who has loved baseball since visiting the Coliseum with his dad as a kid. His favorite combo at Raimondi Park is a Fieldwork Day Money and a veggie dog (in a helmet!). His favorite pitch is the eephus, with a Barry Zito 12-6 curveball (circa 2002) a very close second. Find him on Instagram.
