RealGM

Unlike third baseman Brett Lawrie and pitcher Dustin McGowan, Adam Loewen didn't receive a standing ovation when he made his first appearance with the Toronto Blue Jays this season.

But when you consider the overwhelming odds he conquered to make the transition from professional pitcher to professional hitter, he should have.

The 27-year-old B.C. native's transformation - which culminated in a seventh-inning, game-tying home run on Sept. 11 in an eventual 6-5 win over Baltimore - has been overshadowed by McGowan's feel-good comeback and Lawrie's hitting heroics.

But if you really think about it, Loewen's arduous road back to the big leagues is the most remarkable story of the Jays' season.

While much has been made about McGowan's return from two shoulder surgeries and another on his elbow that prevented him from pitching in the big leagues since July 8, 2008, Loewen was absent for an even longer period. His last major league appearance was with the Orioles on July 6, 2008.

Loewen's story boasts all the components of an inspirational movie. Think about it, the quiet Canuck is an athlete who loves his sport so much that in the wake of a devastating injury, he was willing to start all over again and reinvent himself. It's a tale of determination and resilience in the face of adversity, and best of all, it has a happy ending.

It's a script that not even Loewen could've predicted after his last start in 2008 when the then-24-year-old Baltimore Orioles left-hander discovered he had fractured his left elbow for the second time in two seasons. To most, he had two options: to rehab his elbow - a process that would take 18 months - or to retire and live off of the $3.2 million US signing bonus he collected as the Orioles' first pick (fourth overall) in 2002 draft.

Rare transformation

But those who watched the six-foot-six hurler swing a bat during his three years with the Canadian national junior team knew that there was another option, and so did Loewen.

So, to the surprise of many, the laid-back lefty embarked on a comeback as a position player - a rare transformation that the legendary Babe Ruth made in 1919 and only Rick Ankiel has succeeded at in the modern era.

Loewen's chances of resurrecting his big-league career were much greater as a pitcher. Left-handed hurlers are always in demand. So it's a testament to his determination and love of the game that Loewen, already a millionaire who had tasted the spoils of major league life for parts of three seasons, was willing to start his career again in the lower minors.

After being released by the Orioles in October 2008, Loewen was signed to a minor league deal by the Jays. The Jays assigned him to Class-A Dunedin of the Florida State League in 2009, where Loewen struggled, hitting only .236 with four homers, while striking out 114 times in 103 games.

But the Jays stuck with him and he was promoted to AA New Hampshire in 2010, where his batting average would improve to .246 and he would belt 13 homers, but he still struck out 142 times in 129 contests.

Loewen says it wasn't until after the 2010 campaign when he went to the Arizona Fall League that something clicked and he found his swing. In 14 games with the AFL's Peoria Javelinas, Loewen hit .333 and belted five homers against some of the top pitching prospects in baseball. He would also bat .355 in nine games in the Dominican Winter League.

Still, his performance wasn't good enough to convince Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos to protect him in the Rule 5 draft and any big league team could've selected Loewen and paid the Jays $50,000 for him this off-season.