Love Him or Hate Him, but respect Mike Lowell
October 30, 2007
So Mike Lowell wins the 2007 World Series MVP and people around here just bash him.
Some people around here feel the only reason that Josh Beckett is a member of the Boston Red Sox is cause of Lowell.
The fact that Lowell gave the Florida Marlins a “hometown” discount when he was a free agent following the 2003 season. Lowell signed a four-year, 32-million dollar contract in December 2003 following a season in which he hit .276 with 24 home runs and 92 RBI along with 44 doubles.
The contract that was signed was contingent on the Marlins getting a stadium deal locked up (which of course we know still hasn’t happened).
So after the 2005 season which saw Lowell struggle hitting .236 with eight home runs, everyone that was a Marlins fan wanted to run him out of town.
So around Thanksgiving 2005, the Marlins and the Red Sox agreed on a trade that would send Lowell, Beckett and Guillermo Mota to Boston in exchange for Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Harvey Garcia and Jesus Delgado.
Lowell, a Miami native, should not be bashed one second.
He is a great human being and a great story. Having battled back from testicular cancer to get to the levels that he has achieved is a wonderful story in it’s own right.
In his time as a Marlin, Lowell was a multiple-time All-Star, Silver Slugger winner, Gold Glove winner and World Series champion.
What more can be asked of a player?
So he had a bad year and our cheap ownership needed to ship him out. Unfortunately the only way the Red Sox would take on Lowell’s contract would be with Josh Beckett, but that deal looks pretty good for both teams right now.
I think the Marlins are pretty happy to have Ramirez, Sanchez, Garcia and Delgado, just as the Red Sox are happy to have Lowell and Beckett.
And heading in to free agency this year, the nine-million Lowell earned this past season will be peanuts to what he will get in the open market as possibly the second best third baseman available (only behind Alex Rodriguez).
I hope that some people on this board will grow up and root on the local kid that went from playing at Tamiami Park to Coral Gables High to Florida International University to the highest point in baseball with another World Series Championship.
In my eyes, Mike Lowell is a beloved Miami native and I personally will always be a BIG fan of Mike Lowell.
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