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12/16/2001 10:00 am ET
Where have you gone, Spike Owen?
By Jim Street
MLB.com
A Major League career that lasted 13 years began and ended in exactly the same place for the only team captain in Mariners history.
There was a sellout crowd of 52,356 at the Kingdome on its feet and screaming loudly on Oct. 2, 1995. The Mariners were hosting the California Angels in a one-game playoff, the winner of which would go to the playoffs. A pinch-hitter emerged from the visiting dugout and hit a relatively deep fly ball to left-center field. But the ball was caught for the final out, sending Seattle into the American League playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
It was also Spike Owen's final at-bat before heading into retirement.
The scene was far different scene on June 25, 1983. Owen made his MLB debut as a young shortstop with the Mariners by hitting a single off Blue Jays right-hander Jim Gott, beginning a career that would go through five big league cities and two countries.
Only four of those 13 seasons were spent in a Mariners uniform, but they remain etched in his brain.
The 40-year-old currently runs a baseball camp with his former college coach -- the legendary Cliff Gustafson -- and is the analyst on the home-game radio broadcasts of the Double-A (Texas League) Round Rock Express.
"Last year was my first in radio and I enjoyed it," he said.
When he isn't talking or coaching at the baseball clinics -- weeklong instruction for mostly 6-to-10-year-olds -- Spike is busy being a husband to wife Gail and a dad to Jacob (15), Preston (12), Hanna (8) and Trent (6).
"They definitely keep us busy," said Owen, whose oldest son already is taller (5-foot-11) than Spike and plays baseball, football and basketball. "Baseball is his favorite sport, but he enjoys all three."
The elder Owen had a busy and superb college career at the University of Texas, batting .324 during his three-year career and helping the Longhorns capture the College World Series championship in 1982. The Mariners really liked what they saw and selected him in the first round of the June '82 draft, the sixth player overall.
"I always felt I was lucky to be drafted by the Mariners because young players advanced quickly," he said. "I was sent to Double-A (Lynn, Mass.) and our infield was Jim Presley at third base, Harold Reynolds at second, me at shortstop and Alvin Davis at first base."
They had visions of becoming the Mariners' starting infield for many years, similar to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who perennially sported an infield of Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes and Steve Garvey.
"They were looking for youth at the time and I was one of the first ones to get called up," said Owen, who played fewer than two years in the minors. "We were young and took our lumps."
His big league debut came after only 150 Minor League games and 497 at-bats.
"I remember our (Salt Lake City) manager, Bobby Floyd, coming to my apartment and telling me that I was being called up," said Owen, who arrived in Seattle the following day, went to the Kingdome and discovered that he was in the starting lineup, replacing Todd Cruz.
First time he came to bat, Spike drilled a single to right field.
"I still have the ball," he said. "It's sitting on my desk."
He went on that season to tie a club record for triples in a game (two), hit his first Major League home run (off Doug Bird), and lead Mariners rookies in walks (24) and runs scored (36). The following year, he set a club record for fewest errors -- 17 -- by a shortstop in 725 total chances.
In an era when shortstops were small and defense was the most important aspect of a middle infielder's game, Owen fit in perfectly. He wasn't big (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) and didn't have much power (46 home runs in 4,930 career at-bats).
But Owen had a dependable glove, finishing his career with a .976 fielding average.
While Owen was the first of that Lynn infield to be promoted to the Mariners, he also was the first to go.
After spending the 1984 and '85 seasons as the undisputed starting shortstop, the '86 season started with a big surprise -- and ended with an even bigger one.
During the team's annual preseason luncheon in downtown Seattle, Manager Chuck Cottier shocked everyone -- including Spike -- by naming the then 25-year-old as the team captain.
His captaincy lasted about four rocky months. The Mariners started out well, but then had that memorable 20-strikeout game against Roger Clemens -- Owens' college teammate -- at Fenway Park, and Cottier was fired soon afterwards. Owen's role as captain ended in August when he and Dave Henderson were traded to the Red Sox for shortstop Rey Quinones.
The deal worked out well for Owen and Henderson. They played in the World Series that fall, falling in seven games to the New York Mets. Spike batted just .183 for the Sox that season and played two more years in Boston before heading to Montreal (1989-92), then the Yankees (1993) and finally the Angels (1994-95).
"I signed a minor league contract with the Rangers in '96, got hurt and then retired," he said.
Out of work and undecided what to do, Owen returned to college and completed work for his degree. "I got my degree in sports management and I'm very proud of that," he said. "That was nice."
The coaching clinics and radio work allows him to be around the game again.
"I'm a media guy now," he laughed. "I try to remember what it was like when I played, but the game is a lot easier when watching it (from the press box). I'm a rookie at this, but feel like I improved during the year. I am still trying to work my way up to the Niehaus and Rizzs level."
Jim Street covers the Mariners for MLB.com and can be reached at
mlbjstreet@aol.com.
Spike Owen finished his 13-year Major League career with two seasons in California.
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