Al Cowens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Al Cowens |
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: October 25, 1951 Los Angeles, California |
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| Died: March 11, 2002 (aged 50) Downey, California |
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| debut | |||
| April 6, 1974, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 8, 1986, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .270 | ||
| Home runs | 108 | ||
| Runs batted in | 717 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Alfred Edward Cowens, Jr. (born October 25, 1951 – died March 11, 2002) was a talented right fielder in Major League Baseball. He played for several teams from 1974 to 1986. These teams included the Kansas City Royals, California Angels, Detroit Tigers, and Seattle Mariners. Al Cowens was known for his strong hitting and great defense. He batted and threw with his right hand.
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Al Cowens' Baseball Career
Al Cowens was born in Los Angeles, California. The Kansas City Royals picked him in the 1969 MLB draft. He started playing for the Royals in 1974. He stayed with them until 1979.
Best Season and Awards
His best year was 1977. That season, he hit for a .312 average. He also hit 23 home runs and had 112 RBI. For his excellent defense, he won a Gold Glove Award. He also finished second for the American League MVP Award. This showed how important he was to his team.
Playing for Different Teams
After his time with the Royals, Cowens moved to other teams. In 1980, he played for the California Angels. Later that same year, he joined the Detroit Tigers. He played for the Tigers until the end of the 1981 season. In 1982, he moved to the Seattle Mariners. He played there until 1986, when he finished his career.
Overall Stats and Postseason Play
During his 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, Al Cowens played in 1584 games. He had a career batting average of .270. He hit 108 home runs and had 717 RBIs. He also played in the postseason three times with the Royals. These were in the American League Championship Series from 1976 to 1978. His team lost to the New York Yankees in each of those series.
Rivalry with Ed Farmer
Al Cowens had a notable rivalry with pitcher Ed Farmer. In 1979, while Cowens was with the Royals, Farmer hit him with a pitch. This caused Cowens to miss several games. The next season, in 1980, they faced each other again. Farmer was now with the Chicago White Sox, and Cowens was with the Tigers. During a game, Cowens ran towards Farmer on the mound. A brief physical confrontation happened between them.
The league suspended Cowens for seven games. Later, Farmer and Cowens decided to resolve their disagreement. They shook hands before a game in Detroit. This ended their rivalry.
Al Cowens' Death
Al Cowens passed away on March 11, 2002. He was 50 years old. He died in Downey, California, from a heart attack. At the time of his death, he was working for the Kansas City Royals. He was helping them find new players. He is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a right fielder leaders
