Mike Lowell, The Bigger Man

The Yankees and Red Sox played 8 hours of baseball yesterday, but in the end, it was all put into perspective for the people of Boston.

Mike Lowell retired from the game of baseball, fittingly ending his career with a wall-ball single.

It wasn't his play that spoke the loudest yesterday, it was his continued class. ITM wrote a while back that Mikey Lowell owes Boston and it management nothing. He had every right to throw around some four letter words and walk off the field to Stone Cold Steve Austin music while sinking beers and giving everyone the finger.

Of course, he didn't. With his kids by his side he threw out the first pitch and spoke with true passion and emotion about a game, and a city he loved:

“First of all, I’d like to thank the Red Sox organization for this great ceremony and a very generous check, I really appreciate it, that’s really unbelievable. I’d also like to thank my family, friends, teammates, ex-teammates, my minor league coaches, believe it or not over there , and hopefully the silver place winners today for the game. They’ve come a long way, a lot of people and you guys have meant so much to me over my career. I really don’t know where to go from there. I just want to say thank you for that. You know, I’m kind of at a loss for words to kind of explain the emotions I’ve felt over the last five years with respect to the support and the positive responses I’ve gotten from Red Sox fans. I think it’s your passion and your knowledge for baseball that I’ll truly miss, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget. So I just want to thank God for allowing me the privilege and the opportunity to wear this jersey, to play in this ballpark, to represent the city of boston and to share so many memories with all of you. Thanks you very much.”


Of course, Papelpon managed to blow it for Mikey's farewell....par for the course this season.

PS: I gotta give the Yankees props for their actions during the Lowell ceremony, nothing but attention, respect and class (granted, he was drafted by the Yanks). If that were the old days of Damon and Manny, most of the Sox would have been playing tag in dugout.

Sox to Honor Mikey Lowell: After Treating Him Like Dirt

On October 2nd, the Red Sox will honor the retiring Mike Lowell at Fenway.

Maybe this is their attempt at an apology for consistently trying to trade him, admitting they had no confidence in his ability to return from injury, and effectively benching the 2007 World Series MVP.

Mike Lowell is all class, I don't know how he put up with the crap that he did.... Surely, at some point I would have snapped and let it all hang out. Which would have been followed by me being run out of town and picked up by a Pirates minor league affiliate.

It's too bad that the 36 year old third basemen is being remembered most for his internal struggle with injuries and the organization, because what he did for this team in was epic.

Considered a "toss in" and an already washed up cash cow in the Beckett deal, Mike Lowell turned his career around.

And good for him, he's had to go through injuries, two battles against cancer, and constant contract scrutiny. All the while he's kept his head up, had an amazing glove on the hot corner, and battled back to find his stroke at the plate.

Not to mention his ability to be the clubhouse bridge for the Latin and American players.

Good for you Mikey, and while I know you would never do it, I won't be offended if you flip the owner's box the bird after accepting your honor on the 2nd. Maybe just give them the Roger Clemens stare down?

If you haven't read the book "Deep Drive". Read it. It's absolutely worth it.