The Hall of Fame Case: Mike Lowell
Sure, there will be plenty who vote for the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell on their National Baseball Hall of Fame player ballots, but there are players on the ballot that require a little more voter-cajoling. Players that may not have the on-field resume, but deserve an impassioned Hall of Fame case nonetheless. Players like …
Michael Averett Lowell. Although he played only 13 seasons in MLB, Lowell lived a full baseball life. All-Star appearances? He's got four. Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards? Lowell checked those boxes off. Play for the Yankees? Yup. Play for the Red Sox, too? Obviously. Win a World Series? Of course. Win a second, and be named World Series MVP in the process? Come on.
If that resume isn't enough, here are a few more reasons the third baseman deserves your support:
How many Hall of Fame candidates can say they were one of the best four players in the history of an MLB team? Spoiler alert: Not many. Lowell, however, can.
For the 2015 All-Star Game, MLB put together the Franchise Four, a fan vote designed to determine which four players were each team's best. Lowell made an appearance for the Marlins, joining Jeff Conine, Gary Sheffield and Giancarlo Stanton.
In his seven seasons in Florida, Lowell hit 143 home runs with 578 RBIs, was named to three All-Star teams and was a key part of the team that won the franchise its second World Series championship.
There are ways of making history, however, that don't involve ability or talent. Baseball is a quirky game, and there are events that happen in a game or career that are forever remembered -- often, even more than the result.
Lowell saw his fair share of these moments. For example, he was involved in the first triple play in Marlins history, recorded on July 28, 2002, against the Expos:
He was one of four Red Sox to homer in consecutive at-bats on April 22, 2007, against the Yankees:
Lowell even made history while striking out -- on Sept. 10, 2000, he whiffed against the D-backs and their pitcher, Randy Johnson. That punch-out just so happened to be the Big Unit's 3,000th:
And, coincidentally, Johnson is the last World Series MVP to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. It'd be fitting for Lowell to get in the following year, right?
Mike Lowell probably isn't a wizard, because if he were, he wouldn't need my help to get into the Hall of Fame. So, rather than assume he has inherent magical powers, I'd like to humbly suggest that Mr. Lowell is actually a magician in addition to a former ballplayer.
Look no further than this moment of mystery from a 2005 matchup with the D-backs, in which Lowell conjurs an out from thin air:
You may think this would be harder to prove than the whole wizard thing, but in reality, it's quite simple.
Here's a photo of Lowell from 2002, wearing a sweet teal Marlins jersey:
And here he is, eight years later, in 2010:
And here he is today:
Sure, there's a bit of grey in there, but I'd argue that's just Lowell doing his best to keep this fact under wraps. Here's the thing: Other players might have a stronger statistical case for entry into the Hall of Fame, but clearly, Lowell would be able to enjoy it for much longer. That's the benefit of immortality.
