Back with White Sox, Owens has matured
Back in the spring, Jerry Owens packed plenty of bravado and reported to the White Sox' training camp.
One of the few bright spots in the Sox' disappointing 2007 season (72-90), Owens got a shot to play when Darin Erstad couldn't stay healthy, and he responded with a .267 average and 32 stolen bases in 93 games.
Looking to build on the promising debut, Owens trained with Derek Jeter, Ryan Howard and other major-league stars in Florida during the off-season and headed to the training complex in Tucson, Ariz., fully expecting to retain his starting job in center field.
With key additions like Carlos Quentin, Orlando Cabrera, Scott Linebrink and Alexei Ramirez, Owens was projecting big things from the Sox and himself.
He was half-right.
The Sox have been wildly inconsistent this season, but they are still clinging to first place as they head into Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels at U.S. Cellular Field.
Owens will be in uniform, but he is likely to be seated on the bench next to Chris Getz, Paul Phillips and a handful of other players recently called up from Class AAA Charlotte.
"It's nice to be able to come up here and contribute," Owens said. "Just to be here is an honor in itself. Anything I can help the team do, whether that's getting in there once and a while and pinch running or whatever, I'm up for it."
Owens figured to be down - way down - after suffering an injury (groin) in the White Sox' first intrasquad game of spring training.
When the Sox broke camp a month later, Owens was still trying to get healthy.
The 27-year-old outfielder wound up spending the entire season with Charlotte, batting .276 with 30 stolen bases in 89 games. Owens also spent five weeks on the disabled list with a sprained big toe.
When he finally joined up with the White Sox in Cleveland on Monday, Owens didn't lash out about being overlooked this season. Instead, he beamed about his spiritual awakening.
"This season has been a blessing, to be honest with you," Owens said. "I look back on the year and I'm very grateful for everything I've been through. It's made me grow as a person, and I've become closer to God. My relationship with Him has grown and that's the most important thing to me.
"So to me, being at Charlotte was a blessing. I got to develop a lot of good relationships down there. Obviously, I would have liked to play up here, but at the same time, everything happens for a reason. I've learned from it and I think I've become a better player from it. And I'm here now. I can try to take what I can get from being here now and move forward."
With Ken Griffey Jr. (back) unavailable the last three games, Owens did get a start in center field on Tuesday. He was 0-for-4. On Wednesday, he was used as a pinch runner.
It's not quite what he had in mind in February, but Owens is dealing with it.
"I just try to take the positives out of everything," Owens said. "Like I said, I've grown closer to the Lord this past baseball season and I think I've become a better person and a better player. I've been able to learn the game in different aspects, see the game from a different point of view, having gone through adversity and things like that. I think it's made me a better player, and like I said, just try to move forward and not worry about the past."
As for his future, Owens has the same attitude.
"That's not up to me," he said. "If I'm here or whatever next year, that's great. If I'm not, everything happens for a reason. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and kind of let the pieces fall where they may."