Henry Owens

Infobox MLB player
name = Henry Owens


width = 190
caption = Owens, with the Marlins in June 2007
team = Florida Marlins
number = 77
position = Relief pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1979|4|23
birthplace = city-state|Miami|Florida
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = July 7
debutyear = 2006
debutteam = New York Mets
statyear = April 22, 2008
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value = 2-0
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 3.00
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 18
teams =
*New York Mets (by|2006)
*Florida Marlins (by|2007)

Henry Jay Owens (born April 23, 1979, in Miami, Florida) 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.

Professional career

Owens was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an undrafted free agent in June by|2001. In by|2004, 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 by|2006, after four years in the class A leagues, Owens was promoted to the AA Binghamton Mets where he was outstanding as a closer. He compiled 51 strikeouts 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, by|2006 for the New York Mets. He pitched a perfect ninth inning in a 7-3 Mets loss to the Florida Marlins. [cite news
author = Chris Girandola
title = Lima roughed up by Willis, Marlins
url = http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060707&content_id=1545263&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym
publisher = MLB.com
date = July 7, 2006
accessdate = ]

On November 20, 2006 The Mets traded Owens, along with Matt Lindstrom to the Florida Marlins for lefties Jason Vargas and Adam Bostick. [cite news
author =
title = Marlins acquire pitchers Matt Lindstrom, Henry Owens from Mets in exchange for pitchers Adam Bostick, Jason Vargas
url = http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20061120&content_id=1744240&vkey=pr_fla&fext=.jsp&c_id=fla
publisher = MLB.com
date = November 11, 2006
accessdate = ]

2007 season

Owens started the season as a late-inning reliever, but was looked at as a closing option during spring training. 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. [cite news
author = Joe Frisaro
title = Julio placed on disabled list
url = http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070418&content_id=1916819&vkey=news_fla&fext=.jsp&c_id=fla
publisher = MLB.com
date = April 14, 2007
accessdate = ]

On May 11, Owens was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis. [cite news
author =
title = Owens placed on disabled list. Owens was activated from the disabled list on June 1, 2007.
url = http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070511&content_id=1958465&vkey=news_fla&fext=.jsp&c_id=fla
publisher = MLB.com
date = May 11, 2006
accessdate = ] Later in the season, Owens was shut down, and ultimately underwent shoulder surgery.

References

External links

* [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/060105winterwonder.html Winter Wonders] by Chris Kline, Baseball America, January 5, 2005