Background and career
Derek Christopher Lowe (born June 1, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. During his career, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers. Lowe made his MLB debut in 1997 with Seattle. With the Red Sox, he was an All-Star in 2000 and 2002 and threw a no-hitter in 2002. In the 2004 postseason, he had a 3–0 win–loss record as he helped Boston win its first World Series championship in 86 years.
Lowe attended Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn, Michigan, where he was a four-sport letterman in baseball, golf, soccer, and basketball. He was an All-League honoree in all four sports and was a first-team All-State in basketball. Lowe committed to attend Eastern Michigan University on a basketball scholarship.
The Seattle Mariners drafted Lowe in the eighth round of the 1991 MLB draft. He signed with the Mariners on June 7, 1991, forgoing his college scholarship. The Mariners immediately assigned him to their rookie league team, where he went 5–3 with a 2.41 earned run average (ERA) in 12 starts. He spent the next several years advancing through the minor leagues, pitching for the Class A Short Season Bellingham Mariners in 1992, Single-A Riverside Pilots in 1993, then spending two years in Double-A, with the Jacksonville Suns in 1994 and Port City Roosters in 1995. He pitched for Port City the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in 1996. He was a starting pitcher in the minors. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League in 1993. Baseball America ranked him as a top 100 prospect in 1993 and 1994.
Lowe made his major league debut on April 26, 1997, working 3+2⁄3 innings in relief against the Toronto Blue Jays. He made his first major league start on May 27 against the Minnesota Twins, giving up four runs in five innings. His first career win came on June 6 against the Detroit Tigers, pitching 5+1⁄3 innings and giving up 3 runs in the Mariners' 6–3 victory. Seattle, however, was desperate for immediate bullpen help and traded Lowe and catcher Jason Varitek to the Boston Red Sox for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb. The trade on July 31, orchestrated by Mariners' general manager Woody Woodward, is considered one of the worst trades in franchise history.
Lowe compiled a 5–15 record over his first two seasons, during which he split time starting and relieving, but came into his own in 1999 after being transferred into the closer's role, finishing the season with 15 saves and a 2.63 ERA. Lowe had his best season as a closer in 2000 when he led the American League (AL) with 42 saves, to go along with a 2.56 ERA. Despite recording 24 saves early in the 2001 season, Lowe lost the closer's job soon after the trading deadline when the Red Sox acquired Ugueth Urbina. Lowe was left in limbo, demoted to various setup jobs in the bullpen. Instead he asked manager Joe Kerrigan to return him to the starting rotation; Kerrigan agreed, and Lowe pitched 16 innings as a starter before the end of the season. The following year, 2002, was Lowe's coming out party as a starter, as he posted a 21–8 record to go with a 2.58 ERA, finishing third in Cy Young Award voting behind Barry Zito and Lowe's teammate Pedro Martínez. Lowe no-hit the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park on April 27 that year, becoming the first pitcher to do so at Fenway Park since Dave Morehead in 1965. Lowe faced just one batter over the minimum in the game; only a third inning walk to Brent Abernathy separated Lowe from a perfect game. Additionally, Lowe was the starting pitcher for the AL in the All-Star Game that year.
Lowe posted a 17–7 record despite a 4.47 ERA in 2003. He recorded an improbable save in the deciding Game 5 of the 2003 AL Division Series (ALDS), entering the game with a one-run lead and Oakland Athletics runners on first and second base with none out. He ended the game with a sacrifice bunt and two strikeouts, allowing one walk. In 2004, Lowe finished 14–12 with a 5.42 ERA in 33 starts. During the postseason, he rebounded with a 3–0 record and 1.86 ERA in four games, three of them starts. He was the winner in the final game of all three postseason series—the ALDS against the Anaheim Angels (pitching in relief), the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees, and the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. In the World Series, he threw shutout ball for 7 innings in Game 4, to defeat Jason Marquis, as the Red Sox won their first championship in 86 years.
