Major League Athletic Trainers

Washington Nationals

Lee Kuntz
Position: Head Athletic Trainer
College Attended: Lock Haven Univ of PA (BS), Tennessee Tech Univ. (MA)
Years in MLB: 6
Lee enters his second year with the Washington Nationals as Head Athletic Trainer. He attended Lock Haven University of PA, majored in Health and Physical Education with a specialization in Athletic Training. He received his Masters degree from Tennessee Tech. Upon graduation he took a job as Head Athletic Trainer at the Glen Mills School in Concordville, PA. He entered professional baseball in June 1985 when he accepted a position as a minor league athletic trainer for the Cleveland Indians. He worked his way up through their minor league system starting in Batavia, NY in 1985, Waterloo, IA 1986, Kinston, NC 1987, and Williamsport, PA 1988. Following the 1988 season he left baseball and took a clinical athletic training position with the Sports Medicine Center of Macon, GA. He eventually took charge of their athletic training outreach program to 7 local high schools in middle Georgia. In 1990 he returned to baseball again in Cleveland’s minor league system at the AA level. He remained at Canton-Akron 1990-92. He moved up to AAA Charlotte 1993-94. The Indians relocated their AAA franchise to Buffalo in 1995, and he was athletic trainer there from 1995-98. He was named Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Kansas City Royals in December 1998 and remained in that capacity during the 1999-2002 seasons. Following the 2002 season he returned again to the Cleveland Indians as Minor League Rehabilitation Coordinator and Medical Point person. He held that position from Nov 2002 until he was named Head Athletic Trainer for the Nationals. He has a wife, Leslie and two children, Leah and Emily.

Mike McGowan
Position: Assistant Athletic Trainer
College Attended: Loras College (BA); Illinois State University (M.S.)
Years in MLB: 5
Mike McGowan, 49, enters his fifth major league season as Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Washington Nationals. Before being elevated to his current position, he served the Nationals in a dual role as minor league Athletic Training and Rehabilitation Coordinator in 2005. Mike held that same position with the Montreal Expos in 2003 and 2004 after serving as the Rehabilitation Coordinator solely in 2002. A native of Chicago, IL, Mike started his professional baseball career in 1993 with the Florida Marlins, serving as athletic trainer for Class A-High Desert (1993), A-Kane County (1994) and AA-Portland (1995). From 1996-2001 he served as either athletic trainer to Class A-Brevard County or minor league Rehabilitation Coordinator, tackling both roles simultaneously from 1996-1999. Mike also enjoyed working winter leagues in Mexico (Hermasillo-1993), Puerto Rico (Ponce-1995,1996,1998-2000, 2003), and the Arizona Fall League (1997). He makes his home in Melbourne, FL with his wife, Heather, and children Brittany, Jacob and Michael. Mike is also an avid Star Wars book series reader.