Friday, January 3, 2014

1983 NL Champions: Paul Owens 1984 Topps #229

This AM we took at the Phillies first manager Pat Corrales, now we move on to the teams 2nd 1983 manager, The Pope - Paul Owens.


1984 Topps #229 Paul Owens

When I was a kid, Paul Owens was a fixture in the Phillies organization. He filled various roles including replacing Pat Corrales as Manager in 1983. I am sure leading the Phillies Wheeze Kids to the World Series would rank near the top of Paul Owens career highlights in Baseball. 

Paul Owens was definitely not a career manager. Prior to the '83 campaign Owens had taken over the Phillies mid-season one other time, when Frank Lucchesi was fired in 1972. Owens only remained with the Phillies through the end of the '72 season. Following 1983 Owens did return to manage the club for the 1984 season but that would be his last stint as skipper.     


Paul Owens passed away the day after Christmas in 2003 at the age of 79. He had remained with the Phillies as a scout and adviser until his death.



Sources & Links

1983 Wheeze Kids Index  
Phillies WoF Index: Paul Owens
Baseball-ref.com

wikipedia

2 comments:

Jim from Downingtown said...

Owens only managed the last half of 1972 so he could see up close "who could play and who couldn't". He was the GM before, during, and after that '72 managing stint.

Jim from Downingtown said...

Owwns was the architect of those late-70's Phillies teams.

Only in the late 80's and 1990s did he fade into the nebulous "adviser to the president" role that most younger people know him for.

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2008 World Champions