But you still need to activate your account.
BOSTON – They haven’t held a parade for him yet and his number retirement ceremony is a long way off, but Mike Lowell is making a name for himself with Boston Red Sox fans.
Heck, they’re even naming a team after him.
The Red Sox third baseman is being honored by the Lowell (Mass.) Spinners in a very unique way.
Boston’s Class A minor league affiliate is changing its name to the Mike Lowell Spinners for a July 28 game against Vermont.
“I’m definitely flattered,” Lowell said with a huge smile as he sat in front of his locker Tuesday. “They first told me about a month ago and I thought it was joke, to be honest with you, because I didn’t think they’d go out and buy jerseys just to do that since jerseys are expensive.”
It’s no joke, and all the Spinners players will be outfitted with special jerseys that read “Mike Lowell” across the front and feature a “Mike Lowell Night” patch. The jerseys then will be auctioned off during the game to benefit Spinners’ charities.
“It’s something different, but I take it as a compliment. I think it’s good,” he said. “That’s one thing I’ve always liked about the minor leagues is the wholesome environment and creative promotions. I get a kick out of it.”
Lowell came to Boston as part of an offseason trade that brought starting pitcher Josh Beckett to the Red Sox with Lowell as a big-salary “throw-in” player for Hanley Ramirez and other prospects.
“The throw-in thing? I realize this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately industry and I understand it’s a business, but having a back-loaded, four-year contract made me a trade candidate only for a big-market team who’d be willing to take the gamble,” said Lowell. ” Plus I think the relationship I had with [Red Sox owner] John Henry from when he owned the Marlins had something to do with it, too.”
The Sox knew at worst they’d have a Gold Glove fielder at third, but with his offensive production this season, it’s a gamble that has paid off so far for the Red Sox.
“When the Red Sox traded for Josh Beckett, we were more excited about Mike Lowell coming to Boston,” said Spinners general manager Tim Bawmann. “We knew we had to do something, and we thought this was the biggest honor we could give to someone with the last name.”
It’s an honor, to be sure, but after hitting .300 with 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and a major league-leading 33 doubles in his first 88 games, it’s an honor Lowell has earned.
Lowell admits the off-season trade that sent him from the Florida Marlins to the Red Sox couldn’t have worked out much better.
“When they told me the trade went through, I was very excited only because I stayed in touch with [former Marlins teammate] Kevin Millar and got a taste through him of the type of guys on this team and I thought it would be a good fit for me,” he said. “But this has worked out really well for me.”
Lowell, a native Floridian who grew up a Philadelphia Phillies fan after winning a contest promotion by Burger King that included a trip to a Phillies game 26 years ago, has long been a fan of baseball’s tradition.
“I appreciated things like that growing up,” he said. “When I was 6, I got a Mike Schmidt card at Burger King and a trip to Philadelphia, and they won the World Series that year.”
As far as his propensity for hitting doubles, many of which have ricocheted off the famous Green Monster in left field, Lowell said it’s not a result of any conscious effort on his part to use the wall.
“I’ve heard so many things about guys getting caught up on that wall that I made a conscious effort of not focusing on it,” he explained. “I’m not a guy who can pull an outside pitch and hit it out of the park, so I have to stay with my approach and not let the field dimensions affect my swing.”
Fan-friendly Fenway
It’s even hot in the shade outside Fenway Park. The heavy, humid air feels thick enough to swat with your hand, and it only magnifies the occasional smell of stale beer, cooking hot dogs, and hot dogs that didn’t sit so well with some people.
The Kansas City Royals, owners of the second-worst record in the majors at 32-60, are visiting Fenway for the first time this season. This is far from a marquee matchup and wouldn’t generate a sellout crowd in years past, but the Red Sox are as golden as the gloves manning Boston’s infield this season.
That’s evident from the throngs milling into and around Fenway as scalpers on every corner are looking for tickets rather than people to sell them to.
Further evidence came Monday night as the Boston Red Sox passed the 1.5-million mark for fan attendance, setting a franchise record for the earliest point in a season in which that many fans have come to Fenway.
Funny to see you here
Comedian and actor Will Ferrell used to play President George W. Bush on “Saturday Night Live.” Red Sox right fielder Trot Nixon has the same last name as a former United States president.
Other than that, the two men have little in common. They did manage to find something common in their conversation in the Red Sox locker room before Monday night’s game, however.
“We talked about where his family’s from and just some other chit-chat and small talk, but I guess he’s familiar with North Carolina, where I’m from, in some fashion and he was great to talk to,” said Nixon.
“He’s great. It’s a lot of fun to meet some of these guys who you enjoy watching their movies,” Nixon added. “All of his movies and his ‘Saturday Night Live’ stuff is extremely comical and I’ve always enjoyed watching him.”
Nixon said his favorite Ferrell movie is “Anchorman,” in which Ferrell plays an arrogant, over-the-top television news anchor.
“That killed me. That’s one of the movies we’ve quoted from the most and one I’ve quoted quite a bit,” Nixon said. “It’s a great opportunity to meet someone like that. Rene Russo was another one like that I’ve had an opportunity to meet earlier this year.
“Playing here, as great as our ownership is, we’re fortunate to have opportunities to meet people like that.”
Comments
comments for this post are closed