Sunday, April 21, 2002
Down on the farm
Owens finding niche managing Stockton
By John Fay jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jayhawk Owens admits he didn't expect it to go this well. Owens is managing the Stockton club that headed into the weekend 11-4 and leading the Single-A California League by three games.
“We've got a good pitching staff,” he said. “We've been in some close games. We always seem to come out on the high end.”
This is Owens' first gig as a manager. Owens, 33, coached for two years in the Houston Astros organization before joining the Reds in the offseason.
“Houston wanted me to manage,” he said. “I wanted to coach first to see all that went into it. That experience told me I wanted to manage.”
Owens was the hitting coach for Single-A Michigan in 2000. Last year, he held the same position with the Single-A Lexington Legends. He got a taste of managing with Lexington last year when he filled in for 22 games as manager while J.J. Cannon was ill.
Owens ended up with the Reds after his agent, Joe Bick, recommended him to director of player development Tim Naehring. Naehring considers the “high-A” league critical to the success of the farm system, so that says a lot about what he thinks of Owens.
Owens, a 1987 Glen Este High graduate, played 10 years of professional baseball. He made it to the big leagues for 130 games with the Colorado Rockies.
He said his career — he was a grinder — helps him as a manager.
“I can relate a lot to the players,” he said. “I had to work hard as a player. I wasn't greatly gifted. For players like me, you get out of the game what you put into it. I stress that to them.”
STOCKTON STOCKED: Owens sees at least three prospects among his position players at Stockton. Shortstop-turned-second baseman David Espinosa, the Reds' No.1 pick in 2000, is the obvious one. Owens also has been impressed with Jeff Bannon, a shortstop, and left fielder Steve Smitherman.
Bannon, 22, was picked in the 18th round last year. He was hitting .375 going into the weekend.
Smitherman, 23, was the 23rd-round pick in 2000. He was hitting .237 with two homers and 13 RBI. Last year, he hit .280 with 20 HRs and 73 RBI at Single-A Dayton.
BAD BREAKS: Noah Hall, an outfielder with Double-A Chattanooga, suffered broken bones in three different fingers when he was hit by a pitch last week.
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Down on the farm 
