| Adam Loewen | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Loewen pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in 2006 | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher /Outfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1984-04-09)April 9, 1984 (age 41) Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| May 23, 2006, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | |||||||||||||||
| August 14, 2016, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 10–8 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 5.85 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 159 | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .189 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 4 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Adam Alexander Loewen (born April 9, 1984) is a Canadian former professionalbaseballpitcher andoutfielder. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theBaltimore Orioles,Toronto Blue Jays,Philadelphia Phillies, andArizona Diamondbacks.
Loewen pitched in the major leagues for the Orioles from 2006 to 2008, before converting to a position player. He played with the Blue Jays as an outfielder in 2011. After spending the next two seasons in the minor leagues as a position player, Loewen converted back to a pitcher, and was called up to the Phillies in August 2015. He pitched for the Diamondbacks in 2016.
Though there have been full-time pitchers who have converted to full-time position players, and vice versa, Loewen's three-stage career (converting from full-time pitcher to full-time position player and back to full-time pitcher) is unique in major league history.
Loewen grew up in Surrey, British Columbia, and was both a startingpitcher andfirst baseman for Kennedy-Surrey Little League, the team that representedCanada at the1996 Little League World Series inWilliamsport, Pennsylvania.[1] He would go on to attend Fraser Valley Christian High School and play baseball for the Whalley Chiefs of theBritish Columbia Premier Baseball League. He committed to playcollege baseball atArizona State. While still in high school, he pitched ano-hitter against theDominican Summer League Pirates for theCanadian national baseball team.[2]
TheBaltimore Orioles selected Loewen in the first round, with the fourth overall pick, of the2002 Major League Baseball draft.[3] This was the highest a Canadian player had ever been drafted until righthanderJameson Taillon was drafted second overall by thePittsburgh Pirates (though he remains the highest Canadian-born player ever picked, as Taillon was born the child of Canadian nationals in Florida). Loewen went on to play one season withChipola College, but signed aMajor League Baseball contract with Baltimore worth $4.02 million shortly thereafter. In 2004, he was named their top prospect byBaseball America. However, by early 2006, he had been downgraded to the team's second best prospect.[citation needed]
Loewen garnered international attention on March 8, 2006, when he started forCanada against theUnited States team in the first round of the2006 World Baseball Classic. Loewen pitched3+2⁄3 scoreless innings and earned thewin.[4]
During the2006 season, Loewen was called up by the Orioles. In his first four major leaguestarts, he faced three formerCy Young Award winners:Randy Johnson,Tom Glavine andRoy Halladay, whom he faced twice. This made Loewen the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to face Cy Young winners in his first four starts.[5] He was injured early in the2007 season, suffering a stress fracture to his pitching elbow, and was later placed on the 60-daydisabled list in May.[6]
Loewen began to develop control problems duringspring training, where he led the Majors inwalks, with 19 in just over 16 innings.[7] His lack of control did not cease during the early stages of theregular season, and after experiencing soreness in his left arm throughout April, Loewen was placed on the disabled list and missed the next two months of the season.[8] Although he was subsequently converted into arelief pitcher when he returned in July, he experienced a sharp pain in his surgically repaired elbow. This injury, diagnosed as astress fracture, eventually caused him to prematurely end his season.[9] Loewen announced on July 19 that he would no longer be a pitcher due to his chronic injuries, and that he would convert to anoutfielder/first baseman.[10] He temporarily ended his pitching career with a lifetime 8–8 record, with an earned run average of 5.38 and 134 strikeouts; he would return to pitching in 2014, as recounted below.
Due to the nature of his injury and his inability to remain as a pitcher, Loewen had the Orioles' support when he made the decision to transition to a position player. His contract stipulated that he was required to remain with the big league club on its active roster at this stage in his career. As Loewen would need time in the minors to learn a new position and pick up batting experience, both sides agreed on October 20, 2008, that Loewen would be released from his contract. Both sides had talked about re-signing him to a minor league contract though no formal agreement was ever reached. The Orioles had hoped to develop Loewen to play at first base but were also actively in the market to sign free agent first basemen. Loewen reportedly received several offers from other teams, and signed a minor-league contract with theToronto Blue Jays.[11][12] After attending minor-league spring training with the Jays, Loewen was assigned to theDunedin Blue Jays on April 9, 2009.[13]
During 2011 with Triple-A Las Vegas, Loewen batted .306 with 17 home runs and 85 RBI in 134 games, which also saw him play all three outfield positions as well as first base.[14]
Loewen was called up to the Blue Jays on September 6, 2011, marking his first trip back to the majors since becoming a position player.[15][16] Loewen made his position player debut on September 7, against theBoston Red Sox. He recorded his first career hit in the eighth inning, against relieverDaniel Bard.[17]In a game against his former team, the Baltimore Orioles, on September 11, Loewen hit his first career home run, a solo shot over the centre field wall off starterTommy Hunter.[18]
On November 22, 2011, Loewen signed a minor league contract with theNew York Mets.[19] He spent most of the 2012 season with the Triple-ABuffalo Bisons, batting .227 with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 63 games.[14]
TheToronto Blue Jays announced on January 12, 2013, that Loewen had been signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.[20] Initially, Loewen was to start the 2013 season with the Double-ANew Hampshire Fisher Cats; however, on April 2, Loewen was promoted to the Triple-ABuffalo Bisons, where he played during 2012 in the Mets farm system.[21] On April 11, Loewen was sent down to Double-A New Hampshire.[22] In 115 games with New Hampshire, he hit .269 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI.[14]
On April 16, 2014, Loewen signed a two-year minor league contract with thePhiladelphia Phillies as a pitcher. The team sent him to extended spring training.[23] He made two starts in May for the High-AClearwater Threshers before being promoted to the Double-AReading Fightin Phils.[24]
On August 7, 2015, Loewen was called up by the Phillies from the Triple–ALehigh Valley IronPigs.[25] In 20 appearances for the Phillies, he struggled to a 6.98 ERA with 22 strikeouts across19+1⁄3 innings of work. On October 7, Loewen was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Lehigh Valley.[26] He elected free agency on October 12.
On October 30, 2015, Loewen signed a minor league contract with theArizona Diamondbacks.[27] On July 30, 2016, the Diamondbacks brought Loewen up from the Triple-AReno Aces as a pitcher.[28] In 8 appearances for the Diamondbacks, he struggled to a 15.00 ERA with 3 strikeouts over 6 innings of work. Loewen was designated for assignment by Arizona on August 15.[29] He cleared waivers and was outright to Triple-A Reno on August 18.[30] Loewen elected free agency on October 5.
On February 13, 2017, Loewen signed a minor league contract with theTexas Rangers.[31] In 50 appearances out of thebullpen split between the Double–AFrisco RoughRiders and Triple–ARound Rock Express, he accumulated a 6–1 record and 3.81 ERA with 67 strikeouts across 52 innings pitched. Loewen elected free agency following the season on November 6.[32]
On January 12, 2018, Loewen re-signed with the Rangers.[33] On May 31, Loewen was released by the Rangers after spending the beginning of the year with Triple-A Round Rock.[34]
On June 26, 2018, Loewen signed with theNew Britain Bees of theAtlantic League of Professional Baseball.[35] In 26 appearances for the Bees, he registered a 3–0 record and 1.64 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 22 innings of relief. Loewen became a free agent following the 2018 season.
Loewen played for theCanadian national baseball team at the2006 World Baseball Classic,2009 Baseball World Cup2013 World Baseball Classic,2019 Pan American Games Qualifier[36] and2019 WBSC Premier12.[37] He came out of retirement to pitch in the2023 World Baseball Classic.[38]
Loewen and his wife, Lynda, had two children. She died from breast cancer in 2021 at the age of 37.[38]
