Mike Lowell

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Mike Lowell

Boston Red Sox — No. 25
Third base
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
September 13, 1998 for the New York Yankees
Selected MLB statistics
(through 2006)
Batting average     .273
Runs batted in     658
Home runs     163
Teams

    Mike Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, of Cuban parents)[1]is a Major League Baseball third baseman and right-handed batter who is now a member of the Boston Red Sox. The Florida Marlins traded him to Boston in a deal that was officially completed on November 21, 2005 in which the Red Sox received Lowell, Josh Beckett and Guillermo Mota in exchange for Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Jesús Delgado and Harvey García.


    Contents

    [edit] FIU

    While attending Florida International University on an athletic scholarship Lowell was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1995 amateur draft. Lowell graduated in 1997 and made his professional debut in the 1998 season.


    [edit] Florida Marlins career

    He was traded to the Marlins on February 1, 1999. While waiting for spring training, he had testicular cancer and surgery was performed on February 21. He returned to the lineup on May 29, and finished his rookie season with a .253 BA, 12 home runs and 47 runs batted in.

    Lowell had a lot of successful years in Florida and established himself as one of the most elite third baseman in the league. In 2001 he finished with 18 Homers and 100 RBI.

    Lowell was on pace to have a great season in 2003, but in late August, he suffered a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch by the Expos' Hector Almonte, forcing him to miss 32 games, and he ended with 32 homers and 105 RBI. In 2004 he hit a career high .293 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI. Despite a disappointing 2005 season in which he hit .236 with only 8 homers and a .298 on-base percentage, Lowell earned his first Gold Glove Award.

    [edit] Red Sox

    Although the Red Sox took on Lowell and his contract only because the Marlins would not trade Beckett without relieving themselves of Lowell's salary, Lowell has fared better than expected as a member of the 2006 Red Sox, for a time leading the league in doubles and providing solid defense. Lowell finished with 20 HR and 80 RBI and was tied for best fielding percentage at his his position in the MLB with Eric Chavez.

    [edit] Trivia

    Lowell is also known as a practitioner of the hidden ball trick, and, as of 2005, had recorded Major League Baseball's two most recent successful outs with the maneuver, on Arizona's Luis Terrero in 2005 and Montreal's Brian Schneider in 2004.

    Mike Lowell was one of the Puerto Rican players invited to play for Puerto Rico in the 2006 MLB World Baseball Classic, joining catchers Ivan Rodriguez and Sandy Alomar, Jr., 1st baseman Carlos Delgado, 2nd baseman Jose Vidro, outfielders Bernie Williams, Carlos Beltran and Jose Cruz, Jr. and Pitchers Javier Vazquez, Joel Pineiro, J.C. Romero and Kiko Calero amongst others representing the island in a team managed by Saint Louis Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo.

    In the August 2, 2006, edition of the Boston Herald, Lowell was reported as saying he hoped Fidel Castro was in fact dead, being that Castro has killed so many over the years, including some of his Cuban relatives.[2]

    [edit] Highlights

    [edit] See also

    [edit] External links

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