Al Cowens
Encyclopedia
Alfred Edward Cowens, Jr. (October 25, 1951 – March 11, 2002) was a right fielder
in Major League Baseball
. From through , Cowens played for the Kansas City Royals
(1974–79), California Angels
(1980), Detroit Tigers
(1980–81) and Seattle Mariners
(1982–86). He batted and threw right-handed.
A native of Los Angeles, California
, Cowens was a product of the Kansas City Royals farm system. He made his major league debut with the Royals in 1974 and played for them through 1979. His most productive season came in , when he batted
.312 with 23 home run
s and 112 RBI
, earned a Gold Glove
, and finished second to Rod Carew
in balloting for the American League MVP Award
.
A notable feud occurred between Cowens and pitcher Ed Farmer (current White Sox radio announcer). On May 8, 1979 playing for the Royals, Cowens suffered a fractured jaw during an 8-7 loss to Texas as a result of being hit by a pitch from Farmer; he would miss 21 games. Farmer also hit Royal Frank White in the same game and White sustained a broken hand, missing 33 contests. The next season on June 20‚ 1980 while playing for the Tigers‚ Cowens hit an infield grounder as Farmer pitched at Comiskey Park. While Farmer watched his infielder make the play, Cowens ran to mound and attacked the pitcher from behind instead of running to first base. Cowens was suspended for 7 games and a warrant was issued for his arrest in Illinois‚ forcing him to skip the remainder of the Tigers-White Sox series in Chicago. Farmer agreed to drop the charges in exchange for a handshake‚ and the 2 players brought out the lineup cards before the game on Sep 1, 1980. However, future appearances for Cowens in Chicago were greeted with a "Coward Cowens" banner.
In a 13-year career, Cowens was a .270 hitter with 108 home runs and 717 RBI in 1584 games.
Cowens died in Downey, California
, at the age of 50 from a heart attack
.
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. From through , Cowens played for the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1974–79), California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1980), Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1980–81) and Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
(1982–86). He batted and threw right-handed.
A native of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Cowens was a product of the Kansas City Royals farm system. He made his major league debut with the Royals in 1974 and played for them through 1979. His most productive season came in , when he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.312 with 23 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 112 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, earned a Gold Glove
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
, and finished second to Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
in balloting for the American League MVP Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
.
A notable feud occurred between Cowens and pitcher Ed Farmer (current White Sox radio announcer). On May 8, 1979 playing for the Royals, Cowens suffered a fractured jaw during an 8-7 loss to Texas as a result of being hit by a pitch from Farmer; he would miss 21 games. Farmer also hit Royal Frank White in the same game and White sustained a broken hand, missing 33 contests. The next season on June 20‚ 1980 while playing for the Tigers‚ Cowens hit an infield grounder as Farmer pitched at Comiskey Park. While Farmer watched his infielder make the play, Cowens ran to mound and attacked the pitcher from behind instead of running to first base. Cowens was suspended for 7 games and a warrant was issued for his arrest in Illinois‚ forcing him to skip the remainder of the Tigers-White Sox series in Chicago. Farmer agreed to drop the charges in exchange for a handshake‚ and the 2 players brought out the lineup cards before the game on Sep 1, 1980. However, future appearances for Cowens in Chicago were greeted with a "Coward Cowens" banner.
In a 13-year career, Cowens was a .270 hitter with 108 home runs and 717 RBI in 1584 games.
Cowens died in Downey, California
Downey, California
Downey is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is best known as the birthplace of the Apollo space program, and is the city where folk singer Karen Carpenter lived and died...
, at the age of 50 from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.