Larry Owen
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1981-1988)
Larry Owen was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1988 for the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Royals, a span of 8 seasons. In 171 career games, he hit .193 with 68 hits, 8 home runs, and 30 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 185 lb
- Died
- 6/6/2018 in Westerville, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1981-08-14
- Last Game
- 1988-09-25
Full name: Lawrence Thomas Owen
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 171 | 352 | 30 | 68 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 34 | 98 | .193 | .267 | .293 | .559 | -877 |
Career AVG .193 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 25.4% below league average.
Career OBP .267 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 17.6% below league average.
Career SLG .293 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 24.9% below league average.
Career OPS .559 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — 21.6% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 13 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | ATL | NL | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | ATL | NL | 17 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .118 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | ATL | NL | 26 | 71 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 17 | .239 | .257 (-7%) | .323 (-3%) | .390 (-6%) | .714 (-5%) | -54.4 |
| 1987 | KCA | AL | 76 | 164 | 17 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 51 | .189 | .262 (-28%) | .331 (-22%) | .415 (-24%) | .746 (-23%) | -625.4 |
| 1988 | KCA | AL | 37 | 81 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 23 | .210 | .254 (-17%) | .317 (-4%) | .377 (-31%) | .695 (-19%) | -197.2 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 171 | 352 | 30 | 68 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 34 | 98 | .193 | — | — | — | — | -877 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (171 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 81 | 159 | 15 | 34 | 4 | 18 | .214 |
| Away | 90 | 193 | 15 | 34 | 4 | 12 | .176 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-09-25 | KCR | CHW | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1988-09-23 | KCR | CHW | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-20 | KCR | SEA | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-09-18 | KCR | OAK | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-09-17 | KCR | OAK | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-09-15 | KCR | LAA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988-09-13 | KCR | LAA | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-09-10 | KCR | OAK | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988-09-08 | KCR | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-07 | KCR | LAA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 166 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | KCA | AL | $100,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $100,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green State University | Bowling Green | OH | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 |
Larry Owen: the record in brief
August 14, 1981 and September 25, 1988 bracket Larry Owen's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Owen played for the Atlanta Braves (1981 to 1985) and the Kansas City Royals (1987 to 1988). Owen, a catcher by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. The birth record reads May 31, 1955, in Cleveland, OH, USA. Owen died on June 6, 2018, in Westerville, OH, USA. The bio lists the given name Lawrence Thomas.
In 171 games and 352 at bats, Owen batted .193 with 68 hits, adding 8 homers and 30 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .267 and the slugging percentage .293, for an OPS of .559. Over the seasons Owen played, league hitters batted .259; the .193 career figure is 25.4% below that. The OPS comparison is .559 to a league .713, 21.6% below average. No season topped the 31 hits of 1987. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .189 in 1987, did not top the league's .262.
Frequently Asked Questions about Larry Owen
- What years did Larry Owen play?
- Larry Owen played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1988.
- Was Larry Owen a pitcher?
- No. Larry Owen was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Larry Owen hit?
- Larry Owen hit 8 career home runs with 68 hits.
- What was Larry Owen's career batting average?
- Larry Owen batted .193 over his career, with 68 hits in 352 at bats.
- How many RBI did Larry Owen have?
- Larry Owen drove in 30 runs in his career.
- Is Larry Owen in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Larry Owen has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.