Mike Lowell

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Mike Lowell bigraphy, stories - Puerto Rican baseball player

Mike Lowell : biography

February 24, 1974 –

Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball third baseman in Major League Baseball. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006–2010). With the Red Sox, he was named World Series MVP of the World Series for batting .400 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 6 runs scored and a stolen base in the four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

Personal life

Lowell was born in Puerto Rico to Carl and Beatriz Lowell on February 24, 1974. His parents were born in Cuba, and are of Irish and Spanish ancestry. His family relocated to Miami, Florida when Lowell was four years old. He has always identified himself as a Puerto Rican. As a high school sophomore at Christopher Columbus High School, he was chosen to play for the varsity baseball team, but did not get playing time, so he transferred to Coral Gables High School for his junior year.MacMullan, Jackie. , The Boston Globe. Published October 3, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2009.Browne, Ian. , Boston Red Sox. Published June 13, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2009.

In 1992, Lowell graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables, Florida, where he had a 4.0 GPA and was a star player on the baseball team. There, he met future wife Bertica, a member of the school’s nationally recognized Gablettes dance team, of which she became coach years later. They have one daughter, Alexis Ileana Lowell, and one son named Anthony. at MLB.com.

Lowell’s autobiography, Deep Drive: A Long Journey to Finding the Champion Within, was published on May 6, 2008. On February 19, 1999, Lowell was diagnosed with testicular cancer, causing him to miss nearly two months of the 1999 season while he underwent treatment for the disease. However, he later recovered and went on to play baseball professionally. "Just Another Comeback Year", Boston Globe. "Lowell fighting cancer battle one day at a time", Discover Athens Magazine. The Lowell family currently resides in Pinecrest, Florida.

Post-career

Lowell works as an analyst on the MLB Network, appearing on "MLB Tonight."

Major League Baseball

New York Yankees

Lowell was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 20th round of the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his MLB debut as a September call-up for the Yankees in 1998, singling in his first at-batChuck, Bill. , The Boston Globe. Published April 2, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009. and playing eight games in the season.

During the postseason, Mike Lowell was listed as an alternative on the postseason roster. He got a World Series ring regardless that he debuted late in the season for the Yankees as the team won the 1998 World Series against the San Diego Padres in just 4 games.

Florida Marlins

Lowell was traded to the Florida Marlins on February 1, 1999. While waiting for spring training, he discovered that he had testicular cancer and underwent surgery on February 21 returning to the lineup on May 29. He finished his season with a .253 BA, 12 home runs, and 47 RBI.

Lowell had successful years in Florida and established himself as one of the elite third baseman in the league. In , he finished with 18 home runs and 100 RBI.

Lowell was on pace to have a great season in , but in late August, he suffered a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch by the Montreal Expos’ Héctor Almonte, forcing him to miss 32 games, and he finished the season with 32 home runs and 105 RBI. He was replaced by Miguel Cabrera. Lowell got his second World Series ring after the Marlins won the 2003 World Series against the Yankees in 6 games.

In , he hit a career high at the time .293 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI. Despite a disappointing 2005 season in which he hit .236 with only 8 homers and a .298 on-base percentage, Lowell earned his first Gold Glove Award. Lowell also finished third in doubles in the league, totaling 47 doubles in the 2005 season.