Adam Loewen | |||
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Loewen pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in 2006
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Texas Rangers | |||
Pitcher / Outfielder | |||
Born: Surrey, British Columbia |
April 9, 1984 |||
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MLB debut | |||
May 23, 2006, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
MLB statistics (through August 15, 2016) |
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Win–loss record | 10–8 | ||
Earned run average | 5.85 | ||
Strikeouts | 159 | ||
Batting average | .189 | ||
Home runs | 1 | ||
Runs batted in | 4 | ||
Teams | |||
Medal record | ||
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Men's Baseball | ||
Representing Canada | ||
Baseball World Cup | ||
2009 Nettuno | National team |
Adam Alexander Loewen (born April 9, 1984) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. He previously pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles from 2006 to 2008, before converting to a position player and playing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. After spending the next two seasons in the minors as a position player, Loewen then converted back to being a pitcher, and was called up to the Philadelphia Phillies in August 2015.
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 starting pitcher and first baseman for the team that represented Canada at the 1996 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He would go on to attend Fraser Valley Christian High School and play baseball for the Whalley Chiefs of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League. While playing for the Chiefs, Loewen was selected as the fourth pick in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the Baltimore Orioles. This was the highest a Canadian player had ever been drafted until righthander Jameson Taillon was drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh 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 with Chipola College, but signed a Major League Baseball contract with Baltimore worth $4.02 million shortly thereafter. In 2004, he was named their top prospect by Baseball America. However, by early 2006, he had been downgraded to the team's second best prospect.