Jim Owens (baseball)
Encyclopedia
James Philip Owens nicknamed "Bear," is a former right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played from to with the Philadelphia Phillies
, Cincinnati Reds
and Houston Astros
. He was 5'11" tall and he weighed 190 pounds.
Originally signed by the Phillies in , he played in the minors until 1955-the year of his major league debut. His first game came on April 19 at the age of 21. His first two years in the majors were fairly poor-his record was 0 and 6 with an ERA of 7.51.
He did not play in the majors in 1957, but in 1958 he appeared in one game, pitching seven strong innings for the win. His ERA in that game was 2.57. He was in the military during most of this time. His best season was —to complement a solid ERA of 3.21, Owens went 12 and 12 with 11 complete games and 135 strikeouts in 221.1 innings of work. He was apparently a one year wonder—in , he went 4 and 14 and in his record was 5 and 10. After his poor season-2 and 4 record, 6.33 ERA-the Phillies traded him to the Reds for Cookie Rojas
.
He was used almost entirely as a reliever in his one year with the Reds, . On April 21 of that year, he set a National League
record by balk
ing three times in one inning. Bob Shaw
broke that record less than one month later when he balked five times in one inning. Overall, Owens posted an ERA of 5.31 in 19 games that year, three of them started. In December of that year, the Astros took him in the Rule V Draft.
He spent the final four seasons of his career with the Astros. He was used almost entirely as a reliever for them, pitching in a total of 148 games with them and starting only 11 (all in 1964). He even led the team in relief appearances in with 50. He played his final big league game on June 20, . After his playing days, was the Houston Astros pitching coach from 1967 to 1972.
Overall, his record was 42 and 68 with a 4.31 ERA. Of the 286 games he appeared in, he started 103 of them, completing 21 of the starts and tossing one shutout. In 885.1 innings, he gave up 84 home runs, walked 340 batters and struck out 516.
He was a poor hitter throughout his career. In 218 at-bats, he collected only 22 hits for a .101 batting average. He struck out 102 times. He had a .954 fielding percentage
.
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...
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...
who played from to with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. He was 5'11" tall and he weighed 190 pounds.
Originally signed by the Phillies in , he played in the minors until 1955-the year of his major league debut. His first game came on April 19 at the age of 21. His first two years in the majors were fairly poor-his record was 0 and 6 with an ERA of 7.51.
He did not play in the majors in 1957, but in 1958 he appeared in one game, pitching seven strong innings for the win. His ERA in that game was 2.57. He was in the military during most of this time. His best season was —to complement a solid ERA of 3.21, Owens went 12 and 12 with 11 complete games and 135 strikeouts in 221.1 innings of work. He was apparently a one year wonder—in , he went 4 and 14 and in his record was 5 and 10. After his poor season-2 and 4 record, 6.33 ERA-the Phillies traded him to the Reds for Cookie Rojas
Cookie Rojas
Octavio Victor Rojas Rivas , better known as Cookie Rojas, is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and outfielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals. After retiring as a player he went on to both coach and manage in the...
.
He was used almost entirely as a reliever in his one year with the Reds, . On April 21 of that year, he set a National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
record by balk
Balk
In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded...
ing three times in one inning. Bob Shaw
Bob Shaw (baseball)
Robert John Shaw was a Major League Baseball pitcher.His career lasted a decade, and he pitched for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs. He won 18 games with the American League pennant-winning White...
broke that record less than one month later when he balked five times in one inning. Overall, Owens posted an ERA of 5.31 in 19 games that year, three of them started. In December of that year, the Astros took him in the Rule V Draft.
He spent the final four seasons of his career with the Astros. He was used almost entirely as a reliever for them, pitching in a total of 148 games with them and starting only 11 (all in 1964). He even led the team in relief appearances in with 50. He played his final big league game on June 20, . After his playing days, was the Houston Astros pitching coach from 1967 to 1972.
Overall, his record was 42 and 68 with a 4.31 ERA. Of the 286 games he appeared in, he started 103 of them, completing 21 of the starts and tossing one shutout. In 885.1 innings, he gave up 84 home runs, walked 340 batters and struck out 516.
He was a poor hitter throughout his career. In 218 at-bats, he collected only 22 hits for a .101 batting average. He struck out 102 times. He had a .954 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
.