Mike Lowell

From SoSH

Michael Averett (Mike) Lowell is the starting 3rd baseman for the Boston Red Sox. He was born on February 24, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was drafted in the 20th round of the 1995 Amateur draft by the New York Yankees. He joined the Sox from the Florida Marlins as part of the Josh Beckett deal, but unlike with Beckett, there was much concern in the Boston media and on SoSH that Lowell's career was done after a sub-par 2005 season.

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Moments in the Sun 3 Awards 4 Trivia 5 Transactions 6 External Links

Overall Career

Lowell was traded to the Marlins after one season in New York, and became a star with the South Florida ballclub. He was an All-Star for three consecutive seasons in Florida (2002, 2003, and 2004), and was the recipient of the 2003 NL Silver Slugger Award after batting .276 with 32 homers and 105 RBIs, and he was a member of the Marlins World Series winning team that same year.

The 2005 season was a nightmare for Lowell, as his average plummeted from .293 in 2004 to .236 and his home run totals dropped from 27 in 2004 to 9 in 2005. His defensive contributions made up for some of his struggles at the plate, though, and Lowell was awarded with the Gold Glove Award after making only six errors at third base.

Though he was seen as a "throw-in" with Beckett, his 2006 season didn't reflect that. Lowell bounced back with a .284 average, with 20 home runs and a career-high 47 doubles (3rd in the AL). When Beckett pitched badly, or Lowell had a particularly stellar night at the plate, or in the field, SoSH'ers mused that Beckett was the real "throw-in," not Lowell.

Additionally, his propensity for the two-bagger has given birth to the nickname, "Mr. Double," and SoSH members to use catch-phrases such as "make mine a double," when Lowell pays a visit to second base. Also, when Lowell goes deep, that is known as a "double-double."

2007 proved to be a career year for Lowell as he set new career highs in average (.324), OBP (.378), RBI (120), hits (191), and triples (2).

Moments in the Sun

• Mike hit a homerun in his first game as a member of the Red Sox in Boston's 7-3 win over Texas on opening day. In his first game at Fenway Park, he went 4-4 with three doubles against the Toronto Blue Jays in Boston's 5-3 win. He also had three doubles against Baltimore on May 5th and against his old Marlins club on July 1st.

• On June 30th, when the Red Sox visited the Marlins for the first time since Mike was traded, Mike was given a rousing standing ovation by the fans at Dolphins Stadium when he came to bat for the first time, in appreciation for his years of service to the club.

• Mike hit 3 home runs in three games against the Toronto Blue Jays in a series ending on 5/10/2007

• On August 15th, after being shutout for 8 innings by Scott Kazmir and the Devil Rays bullpen, Mike Lowell hit monster HR to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th off Tampa Bay CL Al Reyes. The Red Sox went on to win the game 2-1 after Coco Crisp singled in the winning run.

• Mike hit .400 during the 2007 World Series with a HR and 4 RBI, scoring six times, and earned the World Series Most Valuable Player award.

Awards

• 2007 World Series MVP
• 2007 American League All-Star
• 2003 National League Silver Slugger
• 2005 National League Gold Glove
• 3-time National League All-Star (2002-2004)

Trivia

• Mike had his #15 jersey retired by Florida International University in 2004.
• Mike is a testicular cancer survivor and founded the Mike Lowell Foundation to support cancer research. After coming back to the major leagues in 1999, he was awarded the Tony Conigliaro Award for Courage and Perseverance by the Boston sportswriters.
• His wife, Bertica, is a former member of the Miami Heat dance team.
• Declined to play in the World Baseball Classic to focus on preparing for the 2006 season.
• According to some, looks like a dentist.
• Mike has twice successfully pulled off the hidden ball trick.
• Mike, although only 33, is also known for his prematurely greying hair.

Transactions

• June 1, 1995: Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 20th round of the 1995 amateur draft. Player signed June 8, 1995.

• February 1, 1999: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Florida Marlins for Mark J. Johnson, Ed Yarnall, and Todd Noel (minors).

• November 24, 2005: Traded by the Florida Marlins with Josh Beckett & Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox for Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Harvey Garcia & Jesus Delgado.

External Links

• TheBaseballCube.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis