ROYALTON — It was late in the summer of 2013 the last time that Derek Owen stepped into a baseball batter's box.
Owen was 33 years old and still playing amateur baseball for the Brainerd Braves. Owen, who played at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and in 2001 and 2002, admitted his skills at that time weren't what they used to be. He and his wife, Jolene, had two kids under the age of 10.
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"Life was getting busy and we had a younger family," Owen said. "To be honest, I wasn't playing up to my standards anymore. I had played college baseball and always held myself to a high standard. The game was getting frustrating. I couldn't show up and just go 4-for-4 anymore. I felt like the time was right to walk away and spend weekends with my family.
"I know (Jolene) was super excited about it. Plus, we had a cabin up north. You can't get to the cabin very often when you're playing amateur baseball every weekend."
Owen was a heck of a player in his day. He helped lead the Brainerd Braves to the and was part of the Central Lakes College team that reached the Junior College Division III World Series earlier that spring.
On Sunday, May 5, during a Victory League amateur baseball game at Royalton, the 43-year-old Owen found himself back in the batter's box, this time for the St. Mathias Devils. It was his first game after taking a decade off.
Why did he do it? Simple: He wanted to play with his son, Eli, who just finished up his freshman season playing for Central Lakes.
"We moved to St. Mathias recently and I thought there might be a good chance for us to join," Owen said. "I asked if they had room for a 43-year-old DH (designated hitter) and, sure enough, they did. I thought it would be fun to suit up with Eli and be on the same field together. I didn't have any expectations going into this, but baseball is in my blood.
"When Eli and our daughter (Ruthie) were really little, I knew it would be tough for them to remember me playing."
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Owen definitely gave his family something to remember in his first at-bat Sunday against Royalton. With Ruthie recording a video, and Jolene providing commentary in the background, Owen took the first two pitches he saw for balls.
On Ruthie's video, someone says "I can see him biffing it running to first." Someone else says "don't swing and miss."
The best part is when Ruthie puts her phone on her mom and Jolene mutters, "I never thought I'd be watching amateur ball again."
Then, Owen got one to hit. He sent the third pitch he saw over the left field wall for a home run.
Eli, sitting in the dugout, put his hands above his head and looked at Jolene in disbelief. Jolene got up and started cheering on her husband from behind the plate.
On the video, you can hear Jolene say "did he just ----ing hit a home run?" Ruthie starts laughing and saying "no he did not!" and then says "of course he did — why wouldn't he?"
What made it all the more amazing is that Owen hardly prepared at all for the amateur season. He hit some balls off a tee in his garage, and that was it. Despite that, the Devils put him in the No. 3 hole in the lineup to put even more pressure on him.
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"Trotting around the bases after a home run is something you never forget," Owen said. "It was such a great feeling, but very surreal. I didn't know if I still had the power to get it out. My kids have heard all the stories about me playing college and amateur baseball. There was some pressure to show them that I wasn't just blowing smoke.
"I still can't believe I was hitting third. I definitely was ready to be in the eighth or ninth spot in the lineup."
Owen finished 3-for-3 on the day with two singles and two walks in his next four plate appearances. For Eli, it was quite the feeling to see his old man hit one deep in his first at-bat in a decade.
"It was amazing. I gave him a big hug when he got back to the dugout. I think everyone was surprised," Eli said. "I didn't expect much out of him, but he ends up going 3-for-3. That's unreal. I'm just excited to play with my dad. We share a love for baseball and it's going to be amazing to play with him all summer.
"I can't wait for the next game."
Owen, who coaches the during the summer, admitted he missed playing baseball. He played some slowpitch softball, but being on a baseball diamond again is something he's going to cherish this summer. He's also going to coach Ruthie's summer softball traveling team.
"I still thought I could do this and be a pretty decent hitter. It wasn't awkward in the box for me. It felt like I was home again. I saw the pitch great and put a hard swing on it. I know I'm 43, but I don't feel old," Owen said. "I do feel a little sore (on Monday morning). But what made it even better is that we won 3-2. Hopefully I gave the guys at the St. Mathias bar something to talk about.
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"But to me, this is all about having fun with Eli. This might be the only year we get to do it. I can't be more thankful for this chance."
And, Owen proved to his son that all of his baseball stories had some validity to them.
"Our entire family was freaking out," Eli said with a laugh. "He definitely looked like he had been there before."
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