When the Red Sox made the trade for Josh Beckett around 2 years ago, RSN was apoplectic about the guy they HAD to take in order to get him.
Coming off one of his worst offensive years in '05, Mike Lowell was looked upon at being on the downhill slide of a big league career. Well, last year he showed some flashy leather, a good stick, respectable numbers, and some of the best facial hair you'll ever see on a professional athlete.
This year? He's been better than anyone could have imagined: 20 HR's, a career best 116 RBI's, and a .326 batting average. With Manny on the shelf for the better part of the last month, what Sr. Doubles has done this year just gets magnified a bit more.
Not only that, but playing on a team with a 106 year history, guess who now owns the single season record for most RBI by a Red Sox 3rd baseman? Mike Freaking Lowell. Beating the former record of Butch "That's not MY cocaine" Hobson, Lowell has made history. Think about that for a minute: a franchise this storied and WE are watching the best ever run producer at his position for this team.
It boggles the mind: what is even more puzzling is that Theo hasn't run down to the dugout mid-game with a sparkling 3 year contract extension at some point this year. Is it as hard for you to remember the hot corner being manned by anyone else other than Lowell as it is for me? And I'm as big of a Bill Mueller fan as you'll find.
This guy just brings so many intangibles to this club that it's hard to imagine life without him: a GREAT glove, the aforementioned 116 RBI's, and the leadership role he has embraced. Fluent in English and Spanish, he is a natural bridge for the melting pot that is the Red Sox clubhouse.
Tonight, he only had 3 hits and 5 RBI's in the Red Sox 11-6 win over the A's. 4 games left in the season, and the boys have a 3 game lead in the division. And for the first time since 1995, the Boston Red Sox will be able to say they are the American League Eastern Division Champions.
Without Mike Lowell, I'm not sure they can say that.
Hopefully, Theo is watching and taking notes: 'cause a Red Sox team without Mike Lowell would be a sad thing to see.
13 comments:
I hope you meant apoplectic, Ted!
You know how I feel about Lowell; cute and a great player to boot! :)
Theo best get that contract extension printed, and it should have lots of zeros. Mikey has more than earned his spot at 3rd.
Just my humble (biased) opinion.
LOL Horsham: I did, and I'm glad you caught that: I changed it.
Hey Stacy: don't know about cute, but a great player.
Theo is nuts if he doesn't re-sign Mikey Doubles. That's a no-brainer.
And I hate I missed whatever it was you wrote instead of "apoplectic!"
Mattie, everthing I've read is Mikey wants at least 3 years, Theo wants 2: hopefully they can come to something.
And I wrote "epileptic": yes, I'm an idiot.
You're not an idiot...you're just working on expanding your knowledge base. If you perused the dictionary in the "reading room" you could find a new word and add it to your blog post each day. :)
Hi Sis: how goes the school life?
And respectfully, I AM an idiot: I was trying to find a word other than freaking out to describe having a fit. I then described someone with epilepsy!
Hmmm...I'm going to have treat blogdom like Rakes' soccer games...no score keeping.
Because as I see it, just today, you're up 2 in the big sis column.
Not that I'm keeping score, mind you.
I maintain that even if three years is a bit more than Theo thinks he wants to swallow for a third baseman in his mid-thirties, I think Lowell has earned the appreciation of a three-year deal, which he says he wants to lead into his retirement. I think he has shown he's *not* declining, but rather blossoming in Boston. Not to mention how he takes the pressure cooker atmosphere with such ease -- and without the drama of a Slappy McBlue Lips (who I would be happy to acquite at SS but not 3B). Worst case scenario, I think we can certainly bank on two more strong seasons of Mike Lowell, and that final year, what better veteran third baseman to have platoon with & teach some incoming rookie? After all, we just paid Matt Clement for two years of (understandable) DL benchwarming. Can't we just apply that money to a new Mike Lowell contract, now that's it's being freed up? Surely the returns will be better than where it is presently invested.
Sincerely,
President of the Give Mike Lowell a New Contract Coalition
If there's a hat being passed to contribute to Mikey's contract, count me in!
Mattie,
My younger little brother: would you like some cheese with that whine?
Dawn, I'm with you on everything you said, except on Arod: Yes, he's a great player, but his whole act just grinds on me. Lugo will be much improved next year, and fits in well in the clubhouse it appears. I like the title! May not all fit on a business card though. ;)
::passes collection plate to becks::
Only if it's sharp...that goes good with a tasty merlot.
Just make sure you get here on time tomorrow Mattie: the bus leaves at 8. And I'll have your sharp whine ready and waiting.
Tough loss tonight: 5-4 and they had the bases loaded with 1 out in the ninth.
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