Eric Blake Owens (born February 3, 1971) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
. He played for five
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) teams from 1995 through 2003.
Career
Owens was selected by the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
in the fourth round of the
1992 MLB draft
The 1992 Major League Baseball draft took place on June 1, 1992, through a conference call involving all 28 MLB teams of the time. Phil Nevin of Cal State Fullerton was the first overall selection, chosen by the Houston Astros. Derek Jeter, selec ...
out of
Ferrum College
, mottoeng = Not Self, But Others
, established =
, type = Private college
, president = David L. Johns
, city = Ferrum, Virginia
, country = U.S.
, c ...
, where he played baseball and football. As a ballplayer, he led his team into the NCAA Regionals three times and was named to the All-America first team in 1991 and 1992, including a pair of South Regional runner-up finishes in both seasons, while earning Dixie Conference Player of the Year honors in 1992.
[
Owens left Ferrum the owner of seven school records, including marks for career ]batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(.430), stolen bases
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
(68) and triples
TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...
(18), while batting over .400 in each of his three college seasons.
Owens made his MLB debut with the Reds in 1995, playing with them for three seasons before joining the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
(1998), San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
(1999–2000), Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
(2001–2002) and Anaheim Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
(2003).
On July 15, 1999, Owens became the first player to collect a hit at Safeco Field
T-Mobile Park is a retractable roof stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners and has a seating capacity of 47,929. It is in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, near the western t ...
, lining the sixth pitch of the game from Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
starter Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Over his 25-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Moyer pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston R ...
into shallow right field during an interleague game.
The Padres traded Owens to the Marlins prior to the 2001 season in a five-player deal that included Matt Clement
Matthew Paul Clement (born August 12, 1974) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Clement played for the San Diego Padres (–), Florida Marlins (), Chicago Cubs (–) and Boston Red Sox (–). While on the Red Sox active roster, he ...
and a minor leaguer in exchange for César Crespo
César Antonio Crespo (born May 23, 1979) is a Puerto Rican former second baseman who last played in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Listed at 5'11, 170 lb., Crespo was a switch-hitter and throws right-handed. He is the younger brother ...
and Mark Kotsay
Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975) is an American professional baseball manager and former outfielder. He is the manager for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Kotsay appeared in 1,914 MLB games for the San ...
.
Additionally, Owens played in the Minor League
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
s in all or parts of 10 seasons spanning 1992–2005, including stints with the Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
of the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
organization in 2004 and the Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
in 2005. In between, he played winter ball with the Águilas del Zulia
The Águilas del Zulia ( en, Zulia Eagles) is a Venezuelan professional baseball team based in Maracaibo which plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.
History
The team was founded in 1969 and debuted in the 1969–70 season. The fra ...
and Leones del Caracas
The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...
clubs of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year.
History Early years
Baseball exp ...
during the 1996–1999 seasons.
Owens gained induction into the Ferrum College Alumni Sports Hall of Fame as part of its Induction Class of 2002.[
Following his playing career, Owens was hired by the Angels as the hitting coach for their Single-A ]Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
affiliate Cedar Rapids Kernels
The Cedar Rapids Kernels are Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and play their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels are owned ...
in 2006. He returned to Cedar Rapids in 2007 and served in the same capacity with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are affiliated with the Seattle Mariners as members of the Texas League.
History
The team succeeded ...
in 2008. After that, he managed the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field.
The franc ...
and later worked as a roving instructor in the Angels minor league system.
On January 2, 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
announced that he would be their assistant hitting coach for the 2015 season. On October 24, 2016, general manager Ross Atkins stated at his end-of-season press conference that Owens would not be retained for the 2017 season.
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet
o
The Baseball Gauge
o
Mexican League
o
Venezuela Winter League
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owens, Eric
1971 births
Living people
Águilas del Zulia players
American Association (1902–1997) MVP Award winners
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Anaheim Angels players
Baseball coaches from Virginia
Baseball players from Virginia
Billings Mustangs players
Calgary Cannons players
Chattanooga Lookouts players
Cincinnati Reds players
Ferrum College alumni
Ferrum Panthers baseball players
Florida Marlins players
Indianapolis Indians players
Leones del Caracas players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Louisville Redbirds players
Major League Baseball hitting coaches
Major League Baseball outfielders
Mexican League baseball outfielders
Milwaukee Brewers players
Minor league baseball coaches
Minor league baseball managers
Sportspeople from Danville, Virginia
Potros de Tijuana players
San Diego Padres players
Saraperos de Saltillo players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Toronto Blue Jays coaches
Winston-Salem Spirits players