Marvin "Marv" Owen (March 22, 1906 – July 26, 1991) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers (1931–1937), Chicago White Sox (1938), and Boston Red Sox (1938).
Early Life and Career Owen was born in San Francisco, California. He began his professional baseball career in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut.
Major League Baseball Career Owen spent the majority of his MLB career with the Detroit Tigers, where he was a steady presence at third base during the 1930s. He was known for his solid defensive play and consistent, though not power-hitting, offensive contributions.
His most prominent season was 1934, when he was an integral part of the Tigers team that won the American League pennant. In the ensuing 1934 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Owen was involved in a highly publicized incident in Game 7. In the seventh inning, after Owen slid hard into third base, Cardinals outfielder Joe Medwick slid into him with his spikes high, leading to a heated exchange of words between the two players. This confrontation escalated into a near-brawl involving both teams and caused a significant delay. When Medwick returned to his position in left field in the bottom of the inning, irate Cardinals fans began pelting him with debris, leading Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to remove Medwick from the game for his own safety. This event remains one of the most infamous and controversial moments in World Series history.
Owen continued to play for the Tigers through the 1937 season. He was then traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1938 and briefly played for the Boston Red Sox later that same year before concluding his Major League playing career.
Post-Playing Career Following his retirement as a player, Owen remained involved in baseball, primarily serving as a scout for various MLB organizations, including the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Legacy Marv Owen is remembered as a reliable infielder of his era and, perhaps most notably, for his role in the contentious incident during the 1934 World Series, which showcased the intense rivalries and physical nature of baseball during the Great Depression era. He passed away in 1991 at the age of 85.