ShareThisFORT MYERS, Fla. - Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell on Monday became first baseman Mike Lowell, moving across the diamond for the first time in his major-league career. It also marked the first time Lowell has played in a game of any type since the Red Sox were knocked out of the playoffs last October.
There were plenty of reasons to anticipate this debut.
First, Lowell was nearly tossed aside this winter, when the Red Sox tried to trade him to Texas for a minor-league catcher (while eating three-quarters of his $12-million salary). Lowell's own body got in the way of that deal, as a thumb problem caused him to fail his physical and eventually led to surgery.
An appreciative crowd gave Lowell a huge ovation each he came to the plate on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles. He whacked a single to right in his first at-bat and flied to right his second time up.
He didn't field a ball at first base, but appeared comfortable taking relay and pickoff throws, and moved naturally around the bag.
"I told him, man, it looks like you've been playing here forever. But that's what happens when you're a really good defensive player," said teammate David Ortiz. Manager Terry Francona said this was an important step for Lowell.
"He got to run the bases, he got to play a little first base, he hasn't been in a game in a little while," Francona said. "We'll try to do the same thing (Tuesday) night, as long as he wakes up and feels OK. We'll kind of do the same thing. Get him a couple of more at-bats and get him back going in there."
The 36-year-old Lowell, MVP of the 2007 World Series when Boston swept Colorado, hit .290 with 17 HRs and 75 RBIs in 119 games last year. He has missed 92 games the past two seasons with various injuries.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit The Providence Journal
