Aaron Ryan Rowand (born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
. He played for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
, and the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
and won two
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
championships. During his playing days, Rowand stood tall and weighed . He batted and threw right-handed.
Born in
Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, Rowand was raised in
Glendora, California
Glendora is a city in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, California, east of Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, the population of Glendora was 52,558. World-famous Route 66 runs through the city.
Known as the "Pride of the Footh ...
. He attended
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public research university in Fullerton, California, United States. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the California State ...
, where he was named an
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n in 1998.
Drafted by the White Sox in the first round that year, he debuted with the team in 2001. By 2004, he was the team's everyday center fielder. He hit 24
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s in 2004,
batting .310. In 2005, he was part of the White Sox team that defeated the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
for their first championship since 1917. After the season, he was traded to the Phillies as part of a trade that sent
Jim Thome to Chicago. During his time with Chicago, Rowand was extremely popular with White Sox fans, owing to his all-out style of play.
On May 11, 2006, Rowand made a spectacular catch, smashing face-first into the wall to rob
Xavier Nady of a hit. He had his best season in 2007, playing in his only
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
, hitting a career-high 27 home runs, winning a
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
, and finishing 22nd in
Most Valuable Player Award voting. A
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
after that season, he signed a five-year, $60 million contract with the Giants. Though he led NL outfielders in
range factor in 2008, his statistics were not as good as they had been earlier in his career. By 2010, he was no longer the team's regular center fielder, having lost the job to
Andrés Torres. However, Rowand became a World Series champion for the second time when the Giants defeated the
Texas Rangers in
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. In August 2011, he was
designated for assignment and released. Following his playing career, he served as a backup broadcaster and minor league coach in the White Sox organization.
Early life
Aaron Ryan Rowand was born on August 29, 1977, in
Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, and grew up in
Glendora, California
Glendora is a city in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, California, east of Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, the population of Glendora was 52,558. World-famous Route 66 runs through the city.
Known as the "Pride of the Footh ...
.
His father, Bob, was employed in the air conditioning business. When Rowand was about 10 years old, he frequently played
slow-pitch softball in an adult league with his dad.
He graduated from
Glendora High School in 1995.
Rowand was the only Glendora player to have his
number retired until
Adam Plutko in 2020. According to his high school coach, Rowand
hit over .650 during his time at Glendora. He was drafted by the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
in the 40th round of the
1995 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, but chose to go to college instead of signing with the team.
College career
Rowand attended
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public research university in Fullerton, California, United States. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the California State ...
, playing for their baseball team (the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( ; ) were the pre-Twelve Olympians, Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). The six male ...
) from 1996 through 1998.
During his senior season, Rowand set a Cal State Fullerton record with 27
doubles. Rowand earned
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
honors in 1998 as the Titans won the
Big West South Division title. Over his three years with the college team, he batted .345 with 126
runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted bal ...
, 180
hits, 39 doubles, six
triples, 23
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s, and 121
runs batted in
A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBI). He
stole 32 bases.
After graduating, Rowand would return to Cal State Fullerton for its annual Alumni Game. In 1996 and 1997, he played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Brewster Whitecaps
The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Bro ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...
, where he was named a league all-star both seasons.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
In 1998, Rowand was selected by the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
in the first round (35th pick) of the
draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
.
He started his professional career that season with the
Single-A
Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...
Hickory Crawdads of the
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...
. Playing 61 games for the club, he batted .342, hitting five home runs and recording 32 RBI. The following year, he played his first full professional season with the
Single-A advanced Winston-Salem Warthogs of the
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
, batting .279 in 133 games. He led the team in doubles (37), home runs (24), and RBI (88).
In 2000, Rowand played for the
Double-A Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The Baron ...
of the
Southern League. He hit 20 home runs and recorded 98 RBI while playing in 139 games. According to Brittany Ghiroli of
MLB.com, "By spring 2001, the future
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
looked primed to break through to the big leagues."
Rowand began the year with the
Triple-A Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...
of the
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
, where through the middle of June he had 16 home runs and 48 RBI in 62 games.
Chicago White Sox (2001–2005)
2001

In June 2001, Rowand was called up to the White Sox for the first time.
He made his major league debut for them the next day as a
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...
against the
St. Louis Cardinals.
He collected his first major league hit on June 19, 2001, in the first game of a
doubleheader. The hit came against
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
' pitcher
Tony Cogan in Chicago's 5–3 victory.
On July 7, he hit his first major league home run against
Jason Schmidt in a 4–1 win over the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
.
Although he was initially used sparingly, in the middle of July Rowand began splitting time with
Chris Singleton in center field.
In 63 games (123
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...
s), he batted .293 with 21 runs scored, 36 hits, five doubles, four home runs, and 20 RBI.
2002
Rowand was part of the
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
roster for the White Sox in 2002, but he spent much of the season as a reserve outfielder.
Following the trade of
Kenny Lofton to the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
on July 28, Rowand became the everyday center fielder for much of the rest of the year.
Only batting .204 through July 28, Rowand batted .291 for the remainder of the season.
On August 13, he four hits and scored three runs in a 12–3 victory over the
Texas Rangers. He had four RBI on September 11, including a two-run home run against
Darrell May, in a 9–6 loss to Kansas City. In 126 games (302 at bats), he batted .258 with 41 runs scored, 78 hits, 16 doubles, seven home runs, and 29 RBI.
2003
Rowand suffered a broken left shoulder blade and rib in a
dirt bike
In the market, there is a wide variety of types of motorcycles, each with unique characteristics and features. Models vary according to the specific needs of each user, such as ''standard'', ''cruiser'', ''touring'', ''sports'', ''off-road'', '' ...
accident in the 2002–03 offseason and spent part of 2003
spring training
Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
recovering.
He was ready in time for Opening Day and began 2003 as the regular center fielder.
After hitting .133 in his first 28 games, Rowand was sent to Charlotte in early May. In 32 games with the Knights, he batted .242 with three home runs and 13 RBI before getting recalled to rejoin the White Sox around June 10.
Though mostly a backup outfielder for the rest of the year, he hit .381 for the rest of the season.
In 93 games (170 at bats), he batted .287 with 22 runs scored, 45 hits, eight doubles, six home runs, and 24 RBI.
2004
In 2004, Rowand held the centerfield job for the entire season.
On May 23, he scored four runs, recorded four hits, and hit a three-run home run against
Terry Mulholland as the White Sox beat the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
by a score of 17–7. He had four hits and scored three runs on July 19 in a 12–6 win over the Rangers. Facing the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
on August 13, he hit two home runs in a game for the first time, both coming against
Tim Wakefield
Timothy Stephen Wakefield (August 2, 1966 – October 1, 2023) was an American professional baseball knuckleball pitcher. Wakefield began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year ...
, as the White Sox won 8–7. Five days later, he had another two-home-run game, hitting his first ever
grand slam against
Jeremy Bonderman in a 9–2 victory over the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
.
José Contreras, the
starting pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
for the White Sox in both of Rowand's two-home-run games, said, "I owe him something a little bigger than dinner." In 140 games (487 at bats), Rowand batted .310 with 94 runs scored, 151 hits, 38 doubles, 24 home runs, and 69 RBI. He set a career high with 17 stolen bases.
His 5.7
Wins Above Replacement (WAR) figure was seventh in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
(AL) and fourth among AL position players (trailing only
Ichiro Suzuki's 9.2,
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, third baseman and designated hitter and current businessman. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (ML ...
's 7.6, and
Miguel Tejada
Miguel Odalis Tejada ( Tejeda; born May 25, 1974) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for six teams, most notably the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles, before ...
's 7.4).
2005

On June 10, 2005, with the White Sox leading the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
by two runs in the seventh inning, Rowand made two run-saving plays. First, he threw out
Phil Nevin in a close play at third base. Next, with runners on second and third and two outs, he made a diving catch to rob
Khalil Greene of a hit and end the inning. The White Sox won 4–2. Two days later, after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, Rowand hit a go-ahead, three-run, 10th-inning home run against
Trevor Hoffman, helping the White Sox beat the Padres 8–5. Rowand had three hits and scored three runs on July 16 in a 7–5 victory over the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. On September 13, he had four hits and a career-high three doubles in a 6–4 win over the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
. White Sox manager
Ozzie Guillén said, "Rowand had a big night. From now on somebody needs to step up and be a hero every game. Tonight
it was Rowand." In 2005, he had a .270 batting average with 77 runs and 30 doubles. Rowand also hit 13 home runs and stole 16 bases.
He walked 32 times and struck out 116.
He had a .329
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
(OBP) and a .407
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
(SLG). He also collected 235
total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hit (baseball), hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single (baseball), single, 2 for a double (baseball), double, 3 for a triple (baseball), triple and 4 ...
.
Defensively, he collected 388 putouts and committed only three
errors, for a .978
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
.
His defensive WAR of 1.9 was the seventh-best in the AL.
The White Sox won the
AL Central title, advancing to the playoffs for the first time in Rowand's career. In the first game of the
AL Division Series (ALDS) against the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
, he slammed into the wall chasing after a ball even though the White Sox were up by 14 runs.
He batted .400 with two RBI in the ALDS, which Chicago swept in three games.
In the
AL Championship Series (ALCS), he batted .167 with three hits (all doubles), three runs scored, and one RBI as the White Sox defeated the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
in five games.
Against the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
, he batted .294. Though he had no RBI, he scored two runs and had five hits as the White Sox swept the Astros, earning their first World Series championship since
1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...
.
During his time in Chicago, Rowand was a favorite of the fans because of his style of play. He would run hard after balls hit to center field, not afraid to crash into the outfield wall if it was necessary to make a catch.
"White Sox fans have always reserved a special place for Aaron because of his all-out style of play and love for the game," observed Director of Player Development
Nick Capra in 2015.
Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2007)
2006
After the 2005 season, on November 23, Rowand was traded with minor league pitchers
Gio González and Daniel Haigwood to the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
for
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Jim Thome.
Chicago wanted Thome for his skill at hitting home runs, and Philadelphia needed a new center fielder because it was not planning to re-sign Lofton.
Rowand's bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning against
Matt Herges of the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park.
The ...
on May 2, 2006, brought the Phillies from a one-run deficit to a 7–5 lead, which they would hold for the rest of the game. On May 11, in the first inning against the Mets, Rowand made a spectacular play by smashing into the center field fence of
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Home to Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies, the stadium opened April 3, 2004. It is named after Citizens Financi ...
face first at full speed in order to run down a deep fly ball off the bat of
Xavier Nady with the bases loaded. Had the ball fallen for a hit, three runs likely would have scored. "It might be the best catch I've ever seen," said manager
Charlie Manuel, praising Rowand's "effort and determination".
Robert Knapel of ''
Bleacher Report
''Bleacher Report'' (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sports and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. ''Bleacher Report'' was acquired by Time Warner's Turner B ...
'' named it the 12th-best catch in baseball history in 2012, and, in 2019, Thomas Harrigan of ''MLB.com'' listed the catch as among the best ever. Rain shortened the game to five innings, and the Phillies won 2–0.
Rowand suffered a broken nose and severe lacerations to his face as a result of running into the wall.
He underwent seven hours of surgery to repair the nose, and was placed on the 15-day
disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
.
He returned to the starting lineup on May 27.

After batting .301 through June 5, Rowand hit .236 for the remainder of the season.
On August 20, he had four hits and scored three runs in a 12–10 victory over the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. The next day, against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
, Rowand collided with Philadelphia second baseman
Chase Utley and broke his ankle. He was on the disabled list for the remainder of the regular season.
In 109 games (445 at bats), Rowand batted .262 with 59 runs scored, 106 hits, 24 doubles, 12 home runs, and 47 RBI. He recorded 10 stolen bases, the last time in his career he would steal more than six.
2007
Set to become a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
for the first time after the 2007 season, Rowand made the year his best offensively.
Against the White Sox on June 13, 2007, Rowand had a pinch-hit RBI groundout in the sixth inning, then hit a grand slam against
Matt Thornton in the seventh inning, helping the Phillies win 8–4. For the first time in his career in 2007, Rowand was selected to the
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
.
He came to bat in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, two outs, and the National League (NL) trailing 5–4. However, Rowand flew out to
Alex Ríos in right field to end the game.
He had a season-high five hits on July 17 against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, also scoring three times and hitting back-to-back home runs with
Pat Burrell against
Rudy Seánez in Philadelphia's 15–3 triumph.
Rowand also had four-hit games on April 27, July 14, and September 22, all Philadelphia victories.
With the Phillies thick in the hunt for the playoffs late in the season, on September 17, Rowand hit two home runs against the
St. Louis Cardinals. Then, in the eighth inning, he fell to the ground on the
warning track as he robbed
Ryan Ludwick of a hit that would have driven in the runs to put the Cardinals ahead. Philadelphia won 13–11. He finished the season with a batting average of .309, 105 runs scored (10th in the NL), 189 hits (eighth in the NL), 45 doubles (sixth in the NL), 27 home runs, 89 RBI, and six stolen bases.
He earned his first
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
for his outfield play that year, leading the NL with 11 outfield
assists. Committing only two errors all season, Rowand led NL outfielders with a .995 fielding percentage. He finished 22nd in NL
Most Valuable Player Award voting.
Winners of the
NL East in 2007, the Phillies faced the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
in the
NLDS. Rowand and Burrell hit back-to-back home runs against
Jeff Francis to start the fifth inning of Game 1, which Philadelphia would lose 4–2. That was his only hit of the series, which Philadelphia lost in three games.
San Francisco Giants (2008–2011)
2008
Rowand signed a five-year, $60 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on December 12, 2007, becoming the team's primary offseason free agent signing.
In the face of dismal expectations for the team's 2008 season, Rowand proposed in January that the Giants could win the
NL West "if guys have some good years".
He had three RBIs apiece in back-to-back games against the Marlins on May 23 and 25, the first an 8–2 victory and the second an 8–6 loss in the first game of a doubleheader.
In the latter game, he hit his 100th career home run, against
Mark Hendrickson.
Rowand had one other three-RBI game, which came on August 6 in a 3–2 win over the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
.
He batted .342 in his first 54 games (through June 2), but his average was only .233 from June 3 through the rest of the season.
On August 13, he had a season-high four hits and scored a run in a 5–4 victory over the Dodgers.
The Giants did not win the division, struggling to a 72–90 finish.
Rowand himself did not come close to his 2007 numbers with Philadelphia, as his
on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
percentage dropped from .889 in 2007 to .749. In 152 games (549 at bats), he batted .271 with 57 runs scored, 149 hits, 37 doubles, 13 home runs, and 70 RBI. Defensively, he had the highest
range factor among NL outfielders per game (2.81) and per nine innings (2.95).
2009
After only hitting .214 through May 8, 2009, Rowand batted .340 over his next 50 games to raise his batting average to .302 through July 4. However, he would only hit .208 for the rest of the season.
On July 10, with one out in the ninth inning, Rowand made a leaping catch at the center field wall to rob
Edgar Gonzalez of a hit and preserve
Jonathan Sánchez's no hitter. He missed a few games after getting
hit by a pitch from
Tommy Hanson on July 20, though the resulting contusion was not severe enough to require him to go on the disabled list.
On July 31, Rowand collected his 1,000th career hit at home against his former team, the Phillies, when he doubled against
Cliff Lee in San Francisco's 5–1 loss.
He had four hits and two RBI, including a solo home run against
Livan Hernandez, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets on August 17, which the Giants won 10–1. Six times during the year, he had a season-high three RBI.
In 144 games (499 at bats), he batted .261 with 61 runs scored, 130 hits, 30 doubles, 15 home runs, and 64 RBI.
2010

Rowand had four hits and two RBI against the Astros on April 7 in a 10–4 victory. On April 16, Rowand was hit in the face by a pitch from
Vicente Padilla of the Dodgers. He suffered a mild concussion and was on the disabled list until May 2.
He had three RBI on May 4, including a two-run home run against
Juan Carlos Oviedo, in a 9–6 victory over the Marlins. In June, he began losing playing time to
Andrés Torres in center field; by August, his starts were infrequent.
He played in 105 games (331 at bats), his fewest appearances since 2003. Batting .230, he had 42 runs scored, 76 hits, 12 doubles, 11 home runs, and 34 RBI.
The Giants won the
NL West, and Rowand was part of their roster for the playoffs. He was limited to two pinch-hit appearances in the
NLDS, which the Giants won in four games over the Braves.
After Torres batted .120 in the first six games of the playoffs, Rowand started in center field in Games 3 and 4 of the
NLCS
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Major League Baseball po ...
against the Phillies, both Giant victories.
He also replaced Torres in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6, which the Giants won 3–2 to clinch a trip to the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
against the Rangers. In Game 2 of the World Series, Rowand hit a two-RBI
triple against
Michael Kirkman in the bottom of the eighth inning. He then scored on an RBI double by Torres to extend the Giants lead to 9–0, the final score. He also started Game 5 of the series in center field. The Giants won the series, their first World Series victory since
1954
Events
January
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
, and Rowand earned his second World Series championship.
2011
Rowand began 2011 as a reserve player but was able to get starts in center field and left field from April 10 to May 10 while Torres was on the disabled list with an Achilles injury.
He had a season-high three RBI on April 28 (in a 5–2 victory over the Pirates) and on June 28 (in the first game of a doubleheader, a 13–7 win over the Cubs).
Rowand was
designated for assignment on August 31, 2011, after batting .233 with four home runs and 21 RBI in 108 games during the 2011 season.
Brian Sabean, the
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the Giants did not elaborate on Rowand's poor performance with the Giants, saying, "It didn't turn out. Nothing more to be said. He's been given opportunities, and it just didn't turn out." Rowand was released on September 8, 2011.
On December 12, 2011, Rowand signed a minor league deal with the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
with an invite to spring training. He was released on March 29, 2012, after batting just .128 in spring training.
Personal life
Rowand and his ex-wife Marianne have two children: Tatum and McKay.
The family had residences in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
and California.
In 2020, Rowand sold his Las Vegas mansion, purchasing a house overlooking the ocean in
San Clemente, California
San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement" ) is a coastal city in southern Orange County, California, United States. It was named in 1925 after the Spanish colonial island (which was named after a Pope from the first century). Located in the ...
, for $4.833 million.
Rowand's cousin
James Shields also played MLB baseball.
Since his retirement, Rowand has occasionally filled in as a TV or radio broadcaster for the White Sox.
In 2015, Rowand served as a guest instructor for the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
and
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
in spring training.
In November 2015, the White Sox hired him as an outfielding and base running instructor for the minor league players. The role required him to work with the prospects sporadically throughout the season, then teach them in a month-long instructional camp after the final game of the year.
He managed the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...
's
Glendale Desert Dogs in 2016. By 2020, he had been replaced as the outfielding and base running instructor by
Doug Sisson.
During Season 3 of ''
American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior'' in 2012, Paul Junior Designs built "The Aaron Rowand Bike" for the ballplayer. The black and red motorcycle featured a similar color scheme as the "Black Widow," one of Rowand's favorite designs.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowand, Aaron
1977 births
Living people
Baseball players from Portland, Oregon
Birmingham Barons players
Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players
Charlotte Knights players
Chicago White Sox players
Hickory Crawdads players
Major League Baseball center fielders
Baseball players from Los Angeles County, California
Philadelphia Phillies players
San Francisco Giants players
Winston-Salem Warthogs players
Gold Glove Award winners
Major League Baseball broadcasters
Brewster Whitecaps players