James McOwen
Encyclopedia
James McOwen is a professional baseball player in the Seattle Mariners
organization. He currently plays for the Class-A High Desert Mavericks
. He was Mariners' sixth-round selection in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
; signed by Mariners scout Mike Tosar. He plays outfield
, primarily right field.
He graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas in June 2004. He earned All-Broward honors from The Miami Herald
and team MVP his senior season. He attended Florida International University
and was named First Team All-Sun Belt
his junior season. He was also named to the Second Team All-Sun Belt his sophomore year.
Contact hitting is McOwen's strong point, power is not. He puts the ball on the ground more often than not and has above-average speed, though his base running isn't a major part of his game. He also doesn't have the best range in the outfield and has below-average arm strength.
McOwen currently holds the California League
consecutive-game hitting streak record with a 45-game hitting streak that shattered the previous league mark. His 45-game streak is the eighth longest in Minor League Baseball
history.
on June 23. He went three-for-five with 2 runs scored, 1 double, and a season-high 4 RBIs on June 25 at Peoria. He recorded an RBI in five consecutive games, seven RBIs, from August 1 to 6. He recorded a season-high four hits on August 4, against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. He hit .353 with runners in scoring position. He participated in the Mariners 2007 Arizona Fall League
.
He spent the 2008 season with the Class-A Advanced High Desert Mavericks
, finishing tied for third among all Mariners' minor leaguers with 30 stolen bases. He recorded five hit streaks of seven-or-more games, including three season-high eight-game hitting streak, from April 26 to May 8, June 10 to 17 and June 21 to July 2. He had 36 multi-hit games, including two season-high four-hit games. He hit .326 with 10 runs, 10 extra-base hits and 12 RBI in 23 games in June. He hit first career grand slam
on July 24 against the Inland Empire 66ers. He stole 12 bases in August. He was transferred to the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx on September 6 for the playoffs, going one for four with a double. After the season was over, McOwen played for the Waikiki BeachBoys in the Hawaii Winter League.
McOwen had a break-out season in 2009 with the Mavericks. He hit .340 with ten home run
s with 82 RBIs and 13 stolen basses. On July 9, McOwen broke the California League
consecutive games hit record with 45 games. It was the eighth longest hitting streak in Minor League Baseball history. He said this about the record about not continuing his record:
McOwen spent time with the Mariners in spring training
, however, most of his time was spent in minor league camp in 2010. On April 3, McOwen dislocated his shoulder in a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies
after he attempted to catch a double of the wall hit by the Rockies' Clint Barmes
.
After the 2010 USA baseball season McOwen played in the inaugural Australian Baseball League
season for the Adelaide Bite
. He led the league in home runs, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS and was awarded the Silver Slugger award for the 2010–11 Australian Baseball League season
. In the 2011-12 Australian season, McOwen is representing inaugural champions, Perth Heat.
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...
organization. He currently plays for the Class-A High Desert Mavericks
High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks are a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California, USA. Their Major League parent club is the Seattle Mariners. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and had been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since 2005 before the switch...
. He was Mariners' sixth-round selection in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...
; signed by Mariners scout Mike Tosar. He plays outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
, primarily right field.
He graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas in June 2004. He earned All-Broward honors from The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
and team MVP his senior season. He attended Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
and was named First Team All-Sun Belt
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt or Spanish Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest . Another rough boundary of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel, north latitude. It is the largest region which the U.S government does not recognize officially...
his junior season. He was also named to the Second Team All-Sun Belt his sophomore year.
Contact hitting is McOwen's strong point, power is not. He puts the ball on the ground more often than not and has above-average speed, though his base running isn't a major part of his game. He also doesn't have the best range in the outfield and has below-average arm strength.
McOwen currently holds the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
consecutive-game hitting streak record with a 45-game hitting streak that shattered the previous league mark. His 45-game streak is the eighth longest in Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
history.
Seattle Mariners
In 2007 McOwen began his professional career with the rookie-level Peoria Mariners, appearing in one game before being transferred to the Class-A Wisconsin Timber RattlersWisconsin Timber Rattlers
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a minor league baseball team of the Midwest League, and the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, and are named for timber rattlesnakes. The team plays its home games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium...
on June 23. He went three-for-five with 2 runs scored, 1 double, and a season-high 4 RBIs on June 25 at Peoria. He recorded an RBI in five consecutive games, seven RBIs, from August 1 to 6. He recorded a season-high four hits on August 4, against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. He hit .353 with runners in scoring position. He participated in the Mariners 2007 Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
.
He spent the 2008 season with the Class-A Advanced High Desert Mavericks
High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks are a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California, USA. Their Major League parent club is the Seattle Mariners. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and had been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since 2005 before the switch...
, finishing tied for third among all Mariners' minor leaguers with 30 stolen bases. He recorded five hit streaks of seven-or-more games, including three season-high eight-game hitting streak, from April 26 to May 8, June 10 to 17 and June 21 to July 2. He had 36 multi-hit games, including two season-high four-hit games. He hit .326 with 10 runs, 10 extra-base hits and 12 RBI in 23 games in June. He hit first career grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
on July 24 against the Inland Empire 66ers. He stole 12 bases in August. He was transferred to the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx on September 6 for the playoffs, going one for four with a double. After the season was over, McOwen played for the Waikiki BeachBoys in the Hawaii Winter League.
McOwen had a break-out season in 2009 with the Mavericks. He hit .340 with ten 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 with 82 RBIs and 13 stolen basses. On July 9, McOwen broke the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
consecutive games hit record with 45 games. It was the eighth longest hitting streak in Minor League Baseball history. He said this about the record about not continuing his record:
McOwen spent time with the Mariners in spring training
Spring 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...
, however, most of his time was spent in minor league camp in 2010. On April 3, McOwen dislocated his shoulder in a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
after he attempted to catch a double of the wall hit by the Rockies' Clint Barmes
Clint Barmes
Clint Harold Barmes [BAR-miss] is an American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He played for the Colorado Rockies from 2003-2010 and Houston Astros in 2011...
.
After the 2010 USA baseball season McOwen played in the inaugural Australian Baseball League
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League was a baseball league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.-Formation:Before the formation of the Australian Baseball League, the Claxton Shield, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament...
season for the Adelaide Bite
Adelaide Bite
The Adelaide Bite are a professional baseball team who plays in the Australian Baseball League and is one of the six founding teams of the league. Their home ballpark is Coopers Stadium at Norwood Oval which is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia...
. He led the league in home runs, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS and was awarded the Silver Slugger award for the 2010–11 Australian Baseball League season
2010–11 Australian Baseball League season
- Rosters :During the season each team made use of a 22-man active roster, drawn from 35-man squads announced on 28 October 2010.- Venues :Four of the six teams used their existing venues from the Claxton Shield: the Adelaide Bite, Perth Heat and Sydney Blue Sox all used the same grounds used...
. In the 2011-12 Australian season, McOwen is representing inaugural champions, Perth Heat.