| Oddibe McDowell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: (1962-08-25)August 25, 1962 (age 63) Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 19, 1985, for the Texas Rangers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 10, 1994, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .253 |
| Home runs | 74 |
| Runs batted in | 266 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Medals | |
Oddibe McDowell (born August 25, 1962) is an American formercenter fielder inMajor League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1985 to 1994 for theTexas Rangers,Cleveland Indians, andAtlanta Braves.
McDowell was a multi-sport athlete atMcArthur High School inHollywood, Florida and won theFlorida High School Activities Association Class 4A wrestling championship at 155 pounds in 1979.[1]
McDowell won theGolden Spikes Award, given annually to the best amateur baseball player, in 1984 while playingcollege baseball atArizona State University (ASU). He wore uniform number 0 at ASU; ASU inducted McDowell to the university's athletic hall of fame in 1991[2] and has retired his number.[3]
In 1981, McDowell won a gold medal as a member of theUnited States national team in theWorld Games andIntercontinental Cup.[4] He was also a member of the1984 Olympic Team that won a silver medal, hitting three home runs in the tournament.[3][5]
The Texas Rangers selected McDowell in the first round of the1984 Major League Baseball draft.[6] He stood out during his first stint with the Texas Rangers by wearing the very unusual uniform number 0. He wore the number 20 with the Indians, the number 1 with the Braves, and during his second time with the Rangers, he wore number 8.[7]
McDowell was the first player tohit for the cycle for the Rangers, doing so on July 23, 1985, in a Rangers' 8–4 victory over the Indians atArlington Stadium.[8] McDowell finished 4th in theAmerican League Rookie of the Year voting for 1985.
The Rangers traded McDowell to Cleveland after a disappointing 1988 season. In 1993, McDowell signed with the Rangers minor league affiliateTulsa Drillers and his play there earned him a spring training invitation from the Rangers.[9]
Through June 16, 2009, McDowell was tied for second of all Rangers players ever in careerleadoff home runs, one behind the nine leadoff homers byIan Kinsler.[10]
His first name is pronounced "owed a bee" or "oh-ta-bee."
McDowell was inducted to theNational College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.[11]
Between February 2011 and March 2012,Deadspin ran a series of 14 articles, which published McDowell's monthly water bill and the amount owed; until that time, water bills were publicly accessible on theBroward County Waste and Wastewater Services department's website.[12] Writing forNew Times Broward-Palm Beach, Michael J. Mooney described the series asDadaist and evidence of "the power of mass appeal and of interactive media."[13]
As of 2025[update], McDowell is in his 11th year as the head coach for theMcArthur High School varsity baseball team inHollywood, Florida.[14]
· Baseball Almanac, orRetrosheet| Achievements | ||
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| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle July 23, 1985 | Succeeded by |
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