Eric Owens (baseball)

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Eric Blake Owens (born February 3, 1971, in Danville, Virginia) is a former Major League Baseball utility player. He is an alumnus of Ferrum College where he played alongside New York Mets closer Billy Wagner.

Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 4th round of the 1992 MLB amateur draft, Owens would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Cincinnati Reds on June 6, 1995. The Reds traded Owens to the Florida Marlins in March of 1998 for a player to be named later (Jesus Martinez).

In 1998, Owens' contract was purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers.

After one year with the Brewers, Owens was granted free agency. He signed a contract with the San Diego Padres on December 10, 1998.

Owens shared a locker with country music legend Garth Brooks during Spring Training in 1999, and the two have remained friends to this day.

On July 15, 1999, while playing for the Padres, Owens became the first player to collect a hit at Seattle's Safeco Field, lining the sixth pitch of the game from Mariners' starter Jamie Moyer into shallow right field during an interleague game.

The Padres traded Owens to the Florida Marlins prior to the 2001 season in a five-player deal that saw San Diego send Omar Ortiz and Matt Clement to the Marlins for Cesar Crespo and Mark Kotsay.

Owens retired as an active player following the 2004 season, which he spent playing for the Toledo Mud Hens in the Detroit Tigers organization. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hired Owens as the hitting coach for the Single-A Midwest League affiliate the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2006. He returned to Cedar Rapids in 2007 and will serve in the same capacity with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers in 2008.

He currently resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.