Oddibe McDowell (born August 25, 1962 in Hollywood, Florida) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1985 to 1994 for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. McDowell was the first player to hit for the cycle for the Rangers when he accomplished that feat on July 23, 1985. Mark Teixeira, Gary Matthews, Jr.,and Ian Kinsler are the only other Rangers players to hit for the cycle.

His first name is pronounced "owed a bee" or "oh-ta-bee." Because it also sounds vaguely like a slurred rendition of "oh to be," ESPN personality and announcer Chris Berman dubbed him Oddibe "Young Again" McDowell.^[1]

[edit] Baseball career

He won the prestigious Golden Spikes Award, which is given annually to the best amateur baseball player, in 1984 while playing at Arizona State University. McDowell also finished 4th in the American League Rookie of the Year voting for 1985.

He was a member of the 1984 United States Olympic Team.

McDowell stood out during his first stint with the Texas Rangers by wearing the very unusual uniform number 0. He wore the number 20 with the Indians, the number 1 with the Braves, and during his second time with the Rangers, he wore number 8.^[2]

Through June 16, 2009, McDowell was tied for second of all Rangers players ever in career leadoff home runs, one behind the 9 by Ian Kinsler.[1]

Today , Oddibe is the Head Coach for the Everglades Highschool Varsity Baseball team. 2009-Present

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube

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