Jerry Owens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jerry Owens |
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Owens with the Chicago White Sox
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: February 16, 1981 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 11, 2006, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 29, 2009, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .262 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 18 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Jerry Lee Owens was born on February 16, 1981. He is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played for the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2006 to 2009.
Jerry Owens decided to retire from baseball in November 2016. At that time, he was playing for a team called the Naranjeros de Hermosillo in Mexico.
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Early Baseball Days
Jerry Owens went to Hart High School in California. He was a great athlete there. He played wide receiver on the school's championship football team. A famous NFL quarterback, Kyle Boller, was also on that team.
Owens was considered a top player in high school. Many teams wanted him to play for them. He first went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Later, he moved to The Master's College in California. This happened after he had some injuries. In 2003, he was named the best small college outfielder.
Starting His Pro Career
Drafted by the Expos
The Montreal Expos picked Jerry Owens in the 2003 MLB draft. He was the 57th player chosen overall. Owens started playing Single-A baseball for the Vermont Expos in 2003. He only played two games there.
In 2004, Owens moved up to the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats. He started to show how good he was. He hit for a .292 average. He also stole 30 bases in 108 games.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
On February 13, 2005, Owens was traded to the Chicago White Sox. He spent 2005 with the Double-A Birmingham Barons. He had an amazing season there. He hit .331 with two home runs. He also had 52 RBI and stole 38 bases. Owens was named an All-Star outfielder for the Southern League. He also had the best batting average in the league.
In 2006, Owens tried to earn a spot on the White Sox team. He was competing for the center field job. However, he had a shoulder injury from a few years before. This made it harder for him to get the job.
Owens was sent to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. He hit .262 with four home runs. He also had 48 RBI in 112 games. He got much better at stealing bases. He stole 40 bases and was caught only 12 times.
Jerry Owens made his MLB debut on September 11, 2006. He entered the game as a pinch runner. His first start was on September 27. In that game, he got his first hit and stole his first base in the major leagues.
At the start of the 2008 season, Owens was on the disabled list. He had a small tear in a muscle in his leg.
Time with Other Teams
Seattle Mariners
In 2009, Owens was considered for the center field job with the White Sox. But the team released him on May 2. He then signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners.
He played for the Mariners' Triple-A team, the Tacoma Rainiers. He led the Rainiers with a .323 batting average. He also hit three home runs and had 37 RBI. Owens stole 23 bases in 100 games.
Washington Nationals
On December 8, 2009, the Washington Nationals signed Owens. He got a minor league contract and an invitation to Spring Training. He did not play during the 2010 season.
Lancaster Barnstormers
After three years away from baseball, Owens returned in 2013. He signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers. He finished the season hitting .341. He also had two home runs and 48 RBI in 117 games.
Mexican Baseball League
Owens also played in the Mexican Baseball League (LMB). He first signed with the Piratas de Campeche in May 2013. He played seven games for them.
Later, he played for the Tigres de Quintana Roo. He played for them in 2014 and 2016.
Mexican Pacific League
Owens played for the Naranjeros de Hermosillo in the Mexican Pacific League. This is a winter league. He played there for four seasons, starting in 2013-14. His team won the league championship that year. Owens was a very important player for them.
He won the league's batting title in his first year. He hit an amazing .361 average. He had 90 hits, 10 doubles, and four triples. He also hit one home run and had 29 RBI in 61 games.
Jerry Owens announced his retirement on November 14, 2016. He was in the middle of his fourth season with the team. He said he was not physically able to play at the level he needed to anymore.
