Henry Owens
Encyclopedia
Henry Jay Owens is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Florida Marlins
. He bats and throws right-handed.
Owens graduated from G. Holmes Braddock High School
in Miami and attended Barry University
. He played catcher
as an amateur. He planned to attend medical school but scouts
noticed his exceptional throwing skills and encouraged him to take up pitching.
as an undrafted free agent
in June . In , an elbow injury hampered his performance. As a result, the Pirates left him unprotected and he was selected by the New York Mets
in the minor league
phase of the Rule 5 Draft
.
In , after four years in the Single-A leagues, Owens was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Mets
where he was outstanding as a closer
. He compiled 51 strikeout
s while allowing only eight hits
in 25 innings pitched
before his promotion to the major leagues.
He made his major league debut on July 7, , for the New York Mets. He pitched a perfect ninth inning in a 7-3 Mets loss to the Florida Marlins. On November 20, 2006, the Mets traded Owens, along with Matt Lindstrom to the Florida Marlins for lefties Jason Vargas
and Adam Bostick. On November 11, , Major League Baseball suspended Owens for the first 50 games of the season following a positive test for performance-enhancing substances.
. Owens made it clear that he coveted the closer job very early on. After newly acquired reliever Jorge Julio
proved to be ineffective as the club's closer, Owens became a candidate for the closer role.
On May 11, Owens was placed on the disabled list
with right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis. Later in the season, Owens was shut down, and ultimately underwent shoulder surgery.
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...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. He bats and throws right-handed.
Owens graduated from G. Holmes Braddock High School
G. Holmes Braddock High School
G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School is a secondary school located in Miami, Florida, USA. The school is named after a former 38-year member of the school board, who, as chairperson from 1969–1970, led the district's efforts to desegregate its schools....
in Miami and attended Barry University
Barry University
Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....
. He played catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
as an amateur. He planned to attend medical school but scouts
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
noticed his exceptional throwing skills and encouraged him to take up pitching.
Professional career
Owens was signed by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in June . In , an elbow injury hampered his performance. As a result, the Pirates left him unprotected and he was selected by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the minor league
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. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
phase of the Rule 5 Draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
In , after four years in the Single-A leagues, Owens was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Mets
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
where he was outstanding as a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
. He compiled 51 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s while allowing only eight hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 25 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
before his promotion to the major leagues.
He made his major league debut on July 7, , for the New York Mets. He pitched a perfect ninth inning in a 7-3 Mets loss to the Florida Marlins. On November 20, 2006, the Mets traded Owens, along with Matt Lindstrom to the Florida Marlins for lefties Jason Vargas
Jason Vargas
Jason Matthew Vargas is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He has played parts of two seasons in the major leagues with the Florida Marlins, part of one season in the major leagues with the New York Mets and the last two seasons with the Seattle Mariners.-College...
and Adam Bostick. On November 11, , Major League Baseball suspended Owens for the first 50 games of the season following a positive test for performance-enhancing substances.
2007 season
Owens started the season as a late-inning reliever, but was looked at as a closing option during spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. Owens made it clear that he coveted the closer job very early on. After newly acquired reliever Jorge Julio
Jorge Julio
Jorge Dandys Julio Tapia is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles from 2001–2005, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, and the Florida Marlins in 2007 before being traded...
proved to be ineffective as the club's closer, Owens became a candidate for the closer role.
On May 11, Owens was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
with right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis. Later in the season, Owens was shut down, and ultimately underwent shoulder surgery.
External links
- Winter Wonders by Chris Kline, Baseball America, January 5, 2005