Derek Lowe
Despite a great sinker, Derek Lowe struggled early in his career to harness his ability and become the pitcher the Red Sox hoped he would be. At the age of 27, the tall right-hander developed into an effective closer, saving 42 games. But by the middle of the next season, a series of blown saves and an inflated ERA, relegated Lowe to a setup role. In 2002 he was inserted into the Red Sox rotation and promptly won 21 games and tossed a no-hitter at Fenway Park in April. His next few seasons were spent trying to live up to that performance, and after struggling in 2004 he was not expected to help much in the post-season. But Lowe rose to the occasion and won the clinching game in the LDS, LCS and World Series, allowing just four earned runs in his four post-season starts.
Played For
Seattle Mariners (1997)
Boston Red Sox (1997-2004)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2005)
Best Season: 2002
As a sign of what was to come, Lowe tossed a no-hitter in April, before rolling to 21 wins and a 2.58 ERA (placing him second in the league to teammate Pedro Martinez). He finished third in Cy Young voting, behind Barry Zito and Pedro.
Factoids
In 2002, Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez became the Red Sox' first pair of twenty-game winners since 1949.
Born
Derek Christopher Lowe was born on June 1, 1973, in Dearborn, MI.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: BOS
Major League Debut
April 26, 1997
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1997
Todd Helton
Miguel Tejada
Derrek Lee
Magglio Ordonez
Jason Varitek
Kevin Millwood
Matt Morris
Derek Lowe
Keith Foulke
Similar Players
John Smoltz, Doug Bird, Don Aase
Related Players
Jason Varitek, Pedro Martinez
No-Hitter
4/27/2002: For BOS (A) vs. TB (A), 10-0 at BOS. 9 innings pitched.
Post-Season Appearances
1998 American League Divisional Series
2004 World Series
The Pitches He Threw
Sinker, slider, fastball, curve, change. His sinker was one of the best in baseball during his prime.
Feats
On April 27, 2002, Lowe pitched a 10-0 no-hit game against the Devil Rays. It was the first no-hitter pitched in Fenway Park since Dave Morehead's in 1965... On August 31, 2005, at Chicago's Wrigley Field, Lowe allowed a leadoff single to Jerry Hairston Jr. and did not allow any more hits the rest of the way, as he recorded a 7-0, one-hit victory.
Transactions
June 3, 1991: Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 8th round of the 1991 amateur draft; July 31, 1997: Traded by the Seattle Mariners with Jason Varitek to the Boston Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb; November 1, 2004: Granted Free Agency; January 11, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
All-Star Selections
2000 AL
2002 AL
Learn More about Derek Lowe
Search Amazon.com for Books about Derek Lowe ⇒
Search for Derek Lowe at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
