Herb Crehan

                                                                                                 

Mike Lowell was gratified by Red Sox fans’ warm response when he stepped on the field for the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park a dozen years ago on April 20, 2012.  But his lasting memory will be of the fans’ reaction to Red Sox legends Bobby Doerr and Johnny Pesky.

“When the fans welcomed Bobby and Johnny it hit home how fortunate I am to be a part of the history of this great franchise,” Mike emphasized in a recent interview.  “Here you have two players who have been associated with the team for over 70 years.   They haven’t played for the team in years but the crowd responded as if they had never left.  It was very moving.”

Mike Lowell will always have a special place in his heart for Johnny Pesky.  “My first spring training with the Red Sox was in 2006, and I was going through the adjustment to a new team,” he remembers.  “Johnny Pesky came over to me after a couple of weeks and said, ‘You know, Ted Williams would have liked the way you play the game.’”

“All I could think was that Johnny Pesky, who has been with this team forever, just told me that one of the greatest players to play the game would have liked the way I play.  All of a sudden I felt like I belonged.”

A PASSION FOR BASEBALL

Michael Averett Lowell was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on February 24, 1974.  He moved with his family at age four to Miami, Florida, and he has made his home in the area since then.  His father and mother were both born in Cuba, and Mike is very proud of his Cuban heritage.

For as long as he can remember, baseball has been a passion for Mike Lowell.  “I can still remember my Little League games when I was my son Anthony’s age [seven].  I was small as a youngster, but I played baseball every chance I got.  What I remember best is working with my father, who had been a very good baseball player, and learning from him.  And my mother always made sure I got to my games and practices.”

Mike Lowell got his first look at Fenway Park as a teenager.  “I think I was about 16,” he recalls, “and my family took a trip to Boston.  It was winter but my father drove us to Fenway and convinced a security guard to let us take a quick look inside.”  And what did Mike Lowell think of the Green Monster?  “I believe I said, ‘Wow, look at that!’” he laughs.

Mike Lowell was named All-State in baseball in his senior year at Coral Gables High School and All-Conference during his three years Florida International University.  Following his junior year of college he was selected by the New York Yankees in the 20th round of the 1995 MLB amateur draft.

BASEBALL PROFESSIONAL

Lowell made his professional debut with Oneonta in the New York-Penn League, and over four seasons he progressed through the Yankees’ minor league system.  In 1998, he was a September call-up with the Yankees and he appeared in eight late-season games.

In February 1999, he was traded to the Florida Marlins by the Yankees for three minor league prospects.  “I was disappointed to be traded,” he says, “but I was thrilled to be traded to my home town team where I would play in front of family and friends.”

 

But Mike’s joy was short-lived.  A routine physical in February 2000, disclosed a suspicious lump that led to a diagnosis of testicular cancer.  Following surgery, radiation therapy and after-care, he played his first game with the Marlins on May 29.  Looking back Mike says, “That experience really put life and baseball into perspective.”

Mike Lowell played in 97 games that season and he established himself as the Marlins’ regular third baseman.  Following his remarkable comeback season, he was selected for the Tony Conigliaro Award, which recognizes MLB players who overcome obstacles and thrive through adversity.  Fittingly, Mike Lowell wore Tony C’s former uniform number “25” throughout his Red Sox career.

During his seven seasons with the Marlins, Mike Lowell made a number of trips to Fenway Park for interleague play.  The Red Sox-Marlins game of June 28, 2003, stands out for him.  “The night before the Red Sox had beaten us 25-8.  I remember Trot Nixon was on third base, and I said to him, ‘If Johnny Damon gets another hit I’m going to walk off the field.’  Sure enough Damon gets his third hit in the first inning!

“The next night I came up in the ninth inning and we were trailing by two runs with two men on.  I hit a ball over the Green Monster to give us a 10-9 lead and we held on to win,” he recalls fondly.  “We went from a low to a high in one day!  I look back at that as a key moment in what turned out to be a great Marlins season.”

After leaving Boston the Marlins played better than .600 baseball for three months, winning the National League Wild Card.  In postseason play the surprising Marlins won the NLCS and upset the New York Yankees in the World Series.  “Beating the Yankees in 2003, when nobody expected us to win, defeating the team that signed and then traded me, was just a great thrill.”

WELCOME TO BOSTON

Mike Lowell was traded to the Boston Red Sox in a seven-player trade that included Josh Beckett, before the 2006 season.  He remembers that playing in Fenway before a packed house every game was quite an adjustment.  “In Miami, the Marlins drew a lot of small crowds.  In the middle of the game you could hear cell phones ringing in the stands” he recalls, chuckling.  “When I got to Boston I couldn’t believe the sellout crowds and the intensity of the fans.

“I remember one home game, probably in late April, when it was damp and drizzling, just not pleasant at all.  I looked into the stands and every seat was filled.  I remember thinking to myself, ‘These fans are really special.’”

It was a game in early August that seemed to spark the love affair between Mike Lowell and Red Sox fans.  Lowell was struck in the helmet by a fastball thrown by Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher Adam Loewen in the first inning.  He shook off the beaning and two innings later he dove into the stands and held on to a Nick Markakis’ foul.  On his next trip to the plate the Fenway fans gave him a standing ovation.

“I remember that I was taken aback by the fans’ response.  All I could think was, these fans really understand the game and playing it right.  I felt appreciated and I was touched by the ovation.  I think that was when I really bonded with Boston fans.”

The 2006 Red Sox finished third in the American League East, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.  But Mike Lowell had a solid season with his new team, finishing third in the American League in doubles (47), and first in putouts for third basemen.

  WORLD CHAMPIONS

Mike Lowell remembers the 2007 Red Sox training camp as a very positive place.  “Spring training in Fort Myers was always upbeat,” he says.  “We knew we had a good club and when camp opened we would have a couple of thousand fans watching us stretch and following our very move.  As a player you feed off the fans’ enthusiasm and Red Sox fans are the most passionate in baseball.”

That positive energy carried over to the regular season for the Red Sox and Mike Lowell.  At the All-Star break the team led the AL East and Lowell was named to his fourth major league All-Star team.  The 2007 Boston Red Sox ended the season in first place in the East Division with 96 wins and prepared for face the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS.  Mike Lowell finished with a career-high .324 batting average and a team-leading 120 RBI.

Mike remembers how it felt going into the playoffs as the favorite. “In 2003 with the Marlins nobody expected anything and we were relaxed right through our World Series win.  But in 2007, there were great expectations for the Red Sox.  It was a different experience,” he says.

The Red Sox swept the Angels to win the ALDS, but after four ALCS games, the Red Sox were down three-games-to-one.  “We all talked before Game Five in Cleveland,” he remembers, “and we focused on winning one inning at a time.  But we were all sure that if we won Game Five, we would go back to Boston and win both games.  That’s how confident we were in ourselves and in our fans.”

That is exactly how it turned out and it led to Mike’s happiest moment at Fenway Park.  “Josh [Beckett] shut down the Indians in Game Five, we won the next two games fairly easily (12-2, 11-2), and we got to celebrate at home with our fans.  That is my favorite Fenway memory.”

Mike Lowell batted .400 in the 2007 World Series as the Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies in four games for their second World Championship in four years.  Mike’s clutch hitting throughout the Series, including a game-winning double in Game Two, and a key home run in Game Four, together with his steady fielding earned him the World Series MVP Award.  “Winning the World Series MVP Award, has to be my greatest honor in baseball,” he says.

WE LIKE MIKE

On October 2, 2010, the Boston Red Sox saluted Lowell with a pre-game “Thanks, Mike Night,” in recognition of his five seasons with the team and his contributions to the community.  Mike Lowell was showered with gifts and affection by his teammates and the fans.  His father, Carl Lowell, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Mike told the crowd, “I just want to thank God for allowing me the privilege and the opportunity to wear this jersey, to play in this ballpark, to represent the city of Boston, and to share so many memories with all of you. Thank you very much.”

In addition to his on-field heroics, Mike Lowell was one of the more active Red Sox players in the community.  In 2007 the Boston Baseball Writers Association honored him with their “Good Guy Award” and in 2009 the BoSox Club selected him as their “Man of the Year.”  When he retired following the 2010 season, his fielding average of .974 ranked tops in MLB history for third basemen with at least 1,000 games at the position.

Mike Lowell’s priority today is spending quality time with his family.  He and his wife Bertica live in the Miami, Florida, area with their two children Alexis and Anthony.  Mike is enjoying coaching Anthony’s Little League team.

“It is great to be able to spend time with my family,” Mike says.  “I also get to do a lot of fishing and after my last leg operation I am finally able to enjoy exercising.  It is a nice life.”

Mike is also ia veteran in-studio analyst for MLB TV.  “I’m on ‘MLB Tonight’ a couple of times each month during the baseball season,” he says.  “It’s enough to keep me current and involved in the game, but still leaves me plenty of time for my family and friends.”

Looking back on his relationship with Red Sox fans Mike says, “I can honestly say that I felt blessed to play in front of such exceptional fans.  If things weren’t going well, Red Sox fans let you know about it, and if things are going well they let you know even more so.  That’s fair.  And we always knew our fans had our backs.”

Long-time Red Sox fans agree with Johnny Pesky: Ted Williams would have liked the way Mike Lowell played the game.