Mike Lowell
|
|
Mike Lowell (born February 24, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball third baseman and right-handed batter who plays for the Florida Marlins.
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. He was traded to the Marlins on February 1, 1999. Waiting for the 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 was on pace to have a great season in 2003, but a groin injury prevented him from playing in 32 games, ending with 32 homers and 105 RBI. In 2004 he hit a career high .293 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI.
A pronounced flyball hitter, Lowell stands on top of the plate in a tighly closed stance looking for pitches high in the zone to drive. He has good strike-zone judgement, but he won't wait forever for a pitch that he can drive to right-center. He has never contributed much as a basestealer. He attempted only 18 in his career and was retired six times. As a fielder, Lowell has a strong and accurate arm, charges the ball barehanded, and make impressive plays with diving stops. He rarely fumbling the ball or making a bad throw.
In an eight-year career, Lowell is a .274 hitter with 137 home runs and 538 RBI in 879 games.
Highlights
- 3-time All-Star (2002-04)
- Tony Conigliaro Award winner (1999)
See also
External links
- Mike Lowell at:
- ESPN (profile and daily update) (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6133)
- Baseball Reference (statistics) (http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/lowelmi01.shtml)