PORTLAND – Jeremy Owens is 26, a starting center fielder in the minor leagues, a Tennessee native, and four months away from becoming a father. Maine native Lenny Authier is 74, a ballpark usher, a father of four, and a grandfather of four.

Until events of the last few months conspired to give these men a strong common bond, the only things they had in common were a love for baseball and their employer: the Portland Sea Dogs of the Double-A Eastern League.

But now, both find their baseball interest somewhat tempered by thoughts of loved ones serving with the United States armed forces in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bill Owens is Jeremy’s 32-year-old brother and a U.S. Navy communications yeoman serving on the U.S.S. Anzio, a Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser on duty in the Persian Gulf. Jon Authier, 38, is a 14-year veteran and Marine corpsman who is on the ground somewhere in Iraq. He’s also Lenny’s son.

“I just got a letter from him four days ago,” said Lenny Authier, who said it was the first communication he’d had with his son since he was told Jon was being sent overseas from his home base at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Early this week, Bill Owens sent his younger brother some photos of himself from his ship via e-mail through the Sea Dogs Web address. The photos actually brought tears to Jeremy’s eyes when he saw them for the first time.

Jon Authier is one of four siblings. His brother Chris, 40, is the oldest. He also has two sisters Melanie, 33, and Maryellen, 31.

“He’s seen action and is on the ground, but that’s about all he could really say about it,” Lenny said with a voice that couldn’t quite mask the concern and pride he had for his son. “It’s like he said, even though the major battles are all done, it’s not over. They still have to be careful.”

Owens is equally concerned, but he deals with it by concentrating on baseball and avoiding non-stop television news accounts of battles in Iraq.

“I know he’s safe. I’m concerned, but I’m not worried,” Owens said. “I’m not against the war. I’m glad we’re over there, but I’m trying not to dwell on it.”

After not hearing from Bill for several weeks, Owens finally got an e-mail from him last week telling his little brother that he was OK and things were going well.

“I just visited him in Norfolk, Va., before the season. We had a good time just catching up and stuff,” Owens recalled.

Owens, who still lives in Johnson City where he was born and raised, is the youngest of three brothers. The oldest is Todd, 34.

“We’re all very close. My older brothers played football mostly,” Owens said. “My dad did a lot of work when I was younger and mom never really had the time to take them places, so they didn’t do a lot of sports even though they’re great athletes. They just didn’t stay with it because they had other interests they followed.”

One of those primary interests that has never waned with any of the Owens brothers is fishing, which Owens plans to do a lot of once he finds some good fishing spots in Maine.

Owens fell in love with baseball and stuck with it all through school. He met his second love, Wendy, who he’s been married to for three years, in high school when he was 16 and she was 18. They stayed together even through college as Owens attended Middle Tennessee State before signing as an eight-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres in 1998.

The Owens are expecting a baby boy in August.

“I wanted it to be a surprise and she wanted to know. She found out and it took me all of about two hours to beg it out of her,” he said. “I’m going to kind of groom him into being the best ballplayer he can be, if that what he wants to do. I hope he’s going to swing left-handed, though. It’ll help him out in the long run.”

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-handed speedster (54 steals in 2000, 65 in 1999, and 42.4 per season over five years) was selected by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Minor League Draft last December and is rated the best defensive outfielder in the Sox system by Baseball America.

“At first I was worried about it, but then I looked back and I figured being a Rule 5 pick is a good sign because it means they want you,” said Owens. “This is the first time I’ve been up north. It’s a great park to play in and a great atmosphere with huge fan support.”