1986 Topps, Spike Owen

#248 Spike Owen

Here is another card that I got signed in Omaha last month. This one is signed by the Round Rock Express (I mistakenly called them the Oklahoma Redhawks yesterday) third base coach, Spike Owen. At least I think he is their third base coach. The Express website lists Spike as the interim manager. But since the actual Express manager was at that game, I doubt that the interim manager tag has much truth left in it. Spike may have been the interim manager at some point this season, but that is no longer the case. Maybe he was the hitting coach until Bobby Jones was needed by the Texas Rangers. In any case, the Express are now operating with four coaches and that is a bit unusual in the minors.

I will always remember Spike Owen from my youth. His cards were worthless and I knew nothing about him, but I'll be damned if he did not have the coolest name in baseball in the '80s. Being all grown up now, I just figured that Spike was his nickname. Luckily, that is not the case. His given name is Spike Dee Owen and I am not making that up. If he had been born in the late '80s/early '90s, one would think that he was named after Spike Lee. The funny thing is that Spike's older brother, Dave, was born three years before him. So, in a three year stint, their parents went from giving the kids ordinary names to naming one Spike Dee. It doesn't get any better than that. It should therefore come as no surprise that Dave went to Texas-Arlington while Spike attended Texas-Austin. That just goes to show a far a name can take you.

Before Spike signed this card, he informed everyone that he was in a hurry and couldn't sign everything. But, he still signed two of the three cards that I had of him and I could not have been happier. Thanks Spike Dee!