A native of Newberry, South Carolina, Rowe threw right-handed, batted left-handed, stood 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).
Rowe's professional career got off to a rousing start in 1942, when he batted .357 for the Thomasville Hi-Toms, a Cleveland affiliate in the Class D North Carolina State League.
In 1951, while playing for the Nashville Vols, Rowe was named to the Southern Association All-Star team.
Rowe also served as a roving minor league batting coach for the Twins, Orioles, and, after 1984, the Montreal Expos.
Rowe moved his family to Charlotte, North Carolina, after he played for the baseball Hornets in 1958.