Topps “Vintage” Mike Lowells

Not satisfied with the old-time designed covered by the Topps and Bowman brand names, Topps went really old-school to steal designs for other sets. The Allen & Ginter and 206 brands were around the turn of last century. Naturally, they had paintings, not pictures on them. As such, they can add even more variety to a collection. Both sets have turned out to be very popular with collectors. My main problem with the Allen & Ginter card is that Lowell takes up a very small part of the card. He gets lost in all the white canvas behind him. The 206 version is a nicer composition. The painting fills the card, and captures the feeling of the older set. Well done.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Topps Mike Lowells

As with Upper Deck, Topps has many brands of cards to keep the variety flowing. Again, I’m showing two more cards, and Mike isn’t at the plate in either of them. Since Lowell’s first season with Boston was in 2006, Topps had to be quick and creative for his 2006 Topps cards. Hence the Spring Training garb. Lots of times topps would just airbrush a new uniform on. But, I doubt they’d bother airbrushing a Spring Training jacket, so I’m guessing this is the real thing. Since Mike was well know to be a throw in, or even anchor, to the deal to get Josh Beckett, I like seeing this picture. You know he’s at practice determined to show he can actually play. The Ticket to stardom card in a nice enough card. Topps went a little gimmicky with the whole “ticket” theme. But, again, I like the effort.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Upper Deck Mike Lowells

Upper Deck went crazy for a while with their designs. They used their many different brands to really add some variety to their productions. Some of them worked. Some of them, not so much. But, I guess I can’t fault them for trying. Naturally, my favorite of the group I’ve showed here is the World Series MVP one. It shows Lowell holding his MVP trophy and dusting off a rare smile. I guess being a champion will do that to a guy. It’s interesting that none of the cards I’ve selected show Lowell at the plate. That’s a very common picture for a hitter, but UD went the other way with all of these. The Sweet Spot version has a great follow through on a throw. Again, it’s nicely cropped. You can see Lowell’s eyes following the flight of the ball to first got get the out. The UD base card has a great picture of him making another throw. This throw was made on the move, and catches Mike in midair. The ball is still in his hand, but he has his eyes on the prize as he gets ready to let it go. As I’m looking at the picture on his Red Sox World Championships card, I notice something. Do you see it? Yup. It’s from the same play as the picture on his Sweet Spots card. He’s nicely set, ready to make the throw. The play continues on the SweetSpot card. Interesting. The First Edition card is another nice shot. Mike is celebrating, probably a home run, with a coach as he runs by. No celebration in his eyes. Simply a job well done. The Spectrum card? Too much sizzle with not enough steak. But, at least they tried something new.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

List of 36: Facts about Mike Lowell

1. Wears uniform number 25

2. Is a career .252 hitter in the postseason

3. Hit grand slam vs. Baltimore on 8/13/2006

4. Was elected to the all-star game in 2007

5. Was 2007 World Series MVP

6. Graduated in 1991 from Coral Gables High School (Florida)

7. Had 6 RBI vs. NY Yankees on 4/25/2009

8. Received 1991 Tony Conigliaro Award

9. Had 40 2-out RBI in 2009

10. Played in 3 games for Pawtucket in 2008

11. Scored 3 runs vs. Detroit on 8/11/2009

12. Collected 1,500^th career hit on 6/3/2009

13. Committed 9 errors in 2009

14. Was first Red Sox 3^rd baseman with back-to-back 20-homer seasons

15. Recorded 143 putouts in 2006

16. Finished 5^th in 2007 MVP voting

17. Had 5 hits vs. Tampa Bay on 7/5/2007

18. Had 16-game hit streak in 2007

19. Had 463 total chances in the field in 2006

20. Hit 200^th career homer on 9/9/2008

21. Batted .324 in 2007

22. Played in 119 games in 2009

23. Hit third of four consecutive Red Sox homers vs. NYY on 4/22/2007

24. Walked 38 times in 2008

25. Was a guest at a White House dinner in January 2008

26. Struck out 61 times in 2006

27. Struck out 61 times in 2008

28. Struck out 61 times in 2009

29. Was hit by 5 pitches in 2008

30. Stole 3 bases in 2007

31. Had 36 doubles in 2005

32. Had 3 doubles vs. Anaheim on 8/8/2007

33. Had 314 assists in 2006

34. Turned 39 double plays in 2006

35. Has never hit an inside-the-park home run

36. Was caught stealing twice in 2008

Happy “Thanks Mike Lowell Day”!

2008 Topps Mike Lowells

Topps chose an interesting picture for these cards. Mike appears to be either glaring at his bat, or at the pitcher. I’m going to assume that he wasn’t happy with a pitch that was just thrown. Either it was high and tight, or so nasty that it upset Mike. Either way, it’s a different shot. Or is it…?

Let’s take another look at the 2007 Topps card from the Red Sox highlights set. Look familiar? Yup. It’s the same picture. They at least took my advice and cropped it a little bit. It actually took me a minute to realize that it was the exact same picture. So, one picture on three cards. Lazy once again Topps. Thankfully the white regular card contrasts nicely with the red Opening Day version. So, at least they all look like their own card in a display.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Deep Drive, by Mike Lowell

I would be remiss if I celebrated Mike Lowell day without mentioning his wonderful autobiography.

I’ve already mentioned what I thought of the book here so I won’t bore you with it again. Did anyone else read the book? What did you think?

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Bowman Mike Lowells

In a twist of the old “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” line, Topps Company bought one of the companies that it did beat. It bought out the Bowman company, giving them the rights to market a brand of cards under the Bowman name. It was a nice idea. They were able to use the classic sounding name, and add some variety to the cards they offer.

These cards are typical designs as of late. Not much flash or flare. Simply the basics, with a picture. They didn’t a great job on the 2009 version, since they got a picture of Lowell smiling. They also add the facsimile signature to the cards, which can add a nice touch. I don’t like the way the make a space for the signature though. They do this for the cards that actually come with the player’s autograph on it. But, I think it takes away from the look of the regular cards.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Bowman Heritage Mike Lowell

Along with the classic Topps designs, when the Topps Company bought out the old Bowman card company they had access to all the old Bowman designs as well. Naturally, a Bowman heritage set was born. While, the idea is the same as the Topps Heritage, I give Topps some credit with the Bowmans. Once they ran out of “old” designs, they stopped the set. They didn’t create designs in the style of the Bowmans, or anything like that. They just said, enough is enough. Although, I’m assuming the Bowman Heritage set using the 1992 designs isn’t far off.

Once again, Mike Lowell isn’t smiling in his picture. I wonder what the deal is?

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

More 2007 Topps Mike Lowells

Topps did produce a few Mike Lowell cards in 2007 that weren’t exactly like the base version. In the special set they produced for the World Championship, they included two Mike Lowell “highlights” cards. One card celebrates his selection to the 2007 All-Star team. While the picture does show Lowell in front of an NL catcher, I don’t think it was taken at the all-star game. Close though. The other card from that set stated he was the Red Sox team leader in doubles in 2006. That’s not exactly a prestigious honor, but it will do. The other card looks a lot like the regular Lowell card. You may have noticed, though, that it’s white. For the Opening Day brand of cards, Topps likes to take their base version and tweak them a bit. I’m not really sure the point. But, at least it looks different than the other three versions with the same picture. That has to count for something, right?

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

List of 36: Words You can Make with the Letters in “MICHAEL LOWELL”

1. ache

2. call

3. came

4. cell

5. chew

6. chill

7. chime

8. clam

9. claw

10. come

11. each

12. hail

13. hall

14. heel

15. hell

16. hill

17. hole

18. lame

19. leach

20. leech

21. lice

22. lime

23. local

24. low

25. mail

26. male

27. mall

28. mile

29. mill

30. mole

31. wail

32. wall

33. well

34. wheel

35. whim

36. will

Can anyone else think of any others?

Happy “Thanks Mike Lowell Day”!

2007 Fleer Mike Lowell

I like this card an awful lot. It’s a nice action shot of a follow trhough. It’s nicely cropped sothat there isn’t any extra clutter in the way/ The design on the bottom, in team colors, doesn’t distract you. It actually adds a crispness to everything. It’s well put together.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Topps Heritage Mike Lowells

The Topps Heritage brand is a nice idea. Since the Topps Company has been making cards for sixty years, they have a lot of old-time designs that were pretty cool. So, they’ve been recycling them. It makes a nice look to see newer players in old designs. Rather than the flashiness of some newer brands, they offer a crisper card with more focus on the players. Topps even did a good job with the pictures, keeping them with the style of the older versions. No wild action shots in those days, so Topps stayed true to form. I do wonder, though, if there’s a reason Lowell never looks happy in these posed shots. At least Kevin Youkilis was able to crack a smile. Oh well.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

I Scored: May 12, 2007

In honor of Mike Lowell day, I searched through my stack looking for the best Mike Lowell game I ever scored. It was a tough call, but this is the one I selected.

Looking it over, I see it’s from the start of Mike’s best year with the Sox. Mike was in the #6 spot in the order as the Sox faced the Baltimore Orioles. Lowell was a big part of the offensive outburst by the Sox. He contributed two hits. He scored two runs, and drove in two others. So, the four runs he was responsible for in some way equaled the total by the Orioles. In fact, I would say that Lowell was the player of the Game for the Red Sox that day.

How about the other players on the scorecard? I see that the starting pitcher was Curt Schilling. He didn’t have a particularly good game. He was spotted a three run lead, and couldn’t hold it. I also see Hideki Okajima pitched in this game. This early in his rookie season, we had no idea that Oki would be a key member of a championship club. The same could probably be said for Dustin Pedroia. See him down there in the ninth spot? Even worse, see him being pinch-hit for by Alex Cora? Does that look like the future rookie of the year? My how times change. The spot right above Pedroia is manned by Coco Crisp. He’s doing his best to keep the centerfield position warm waiting for Jacoby Ellsbury to strip it away from him in the playoffs. Going 0 for 4 isn’t the best way to earn a job. In fact, Crisp is the “one” who brings up the rear in a blowout. Although, he was just barely worse that the ROY. Other stars helping Lowell? Manny had another good day. Ortiz was his usual self as well. Heck, even Julio Lugo had four hits.

So, it was a nice early look into the team that would finish with the best record in the league. Some of the pieces weren’t quite there yet, but they’d get there. It’s also a great look at Mike Lowell as he struts his stuff right off the bat. He’d join the Sox in having a great season.

And the scorecard shows how it happened.

I also scored two other Mike Lowell games that I’ve talked about before. Feel free to check out the October 20, 2007 game, as well as the April 8, 2008 game.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

2007 Topps Mike Lowell

In 2007, Topps got a little lazy.

They produced three baseball sets that year featuring Red Sox players, all using the same design. They released their flagship base set, like they do every year. They produced special “team sets” like they have been for several years now. They also produced a special Red Sox set, celebrating their 2007 World Championship. With Mike Lowell, they got a little lazy. They didn’t change the front of the card one bit. It’s the same picture for all three sets. They didn’t do much for the backs either. The only difference they had there was the number. Topps must have thousands of pictures of Mike Lowell, right? Can’t they pick out a different one? Or, at least crop this one differently?

So, while it looks like there are three of the same 2007 Topps Mike Lowell cards, they’re actually different. Or are they?

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

Here we are at the Day the Red Sox have decided to celebrate the Red Sox career of Mike Lowell. Since Lowell will be retiring after this season, the Sox are taking this chance to give him a fitting good-bye. Never one to shy away from stealing a good idea, I have decided to do the same here at Section 36. So, come back often as I spend the whole day with posts involving Mike Lowell and his Red Sox career.

Happy Mike Lowell Day!

The End is Near!

OK. So, maybe there’s a chance Jon Lester won’t win 20 games. There’s probably also a chance he won’t win the Cy Young Award. So, there’s no reason to even watch the last three games this weekend, right?

Wrong! After all, you never know when you’ll see something you’ve never seen before. This will be your last chance to see Mike Lowell in a Red Sox uniform. It might be the last chance for Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre. Or Hideki Okajima. Or Dice-K. Or any number of people. Plus, it’s the Yankees. As they say, you can throw out the records when these teams play.

Speaking of Mike Lowell, the Sox have decided that Saturday will be Mike Lowell Day at Fenway. I figured, if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me. So, check in tomorrow to this very site for a whole day dedicated to the 2007 World Series MVP. It should be fun.

Go Sox!

Deep Drive By: Mike Lowell, with Rob Bradford

Deep Drive covers the life and career of World Series MVP Mike

Lowell. It follows him through the lows of cancer, to the high of World Series Championships. On every step of the journey, it displayed how Lowell battled through it all to become the player and person he is now.

This book had a different feel to it. It didn’t feel like I was reading a sports autobiography. It felt as if I was reading a self-help book. It was a nice change of pace, though it sometimes affected the flow of the story. The book didn’t follow his life from childhood to World Series. It did a lot of jumping around as life lessons were learned and relearned over time. It was interesting to see how a challenge he faced once, often came up to face him again.

It’s also strange reading this book now. The book concludes with the off-season following the 2007 Championship. The copy I read included an update for the 2008 season. Reading the book now, with Lowell on the DL, wishing he were traded somewhere else, and the Sox practically begging other teams to make that happen made me wonder. What would a new update look like? Would the tone of the book be any different? I also notice that the front cover includes a quote from Manny Ramirez, complimenting Mike on how hard he plays the game. The back cover has another quote from many, saying what a great teammate Mike was. So, there are five quotes on the covers of the book. Two of them are from a guy Mike helped run out of town the following season. Things change.

This stands as a great read. After the mountains of books published covering the 2004 championship, it’s nice to read some talking about 2007. It’s definitely something to pick up. Even in 2010.

Rating: 3 bases

Happy 36th Mike Lowell!

Today we wish a very Happy 36^th Birthday to Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell!

Mike is certainly no stranger to Red Sox fans. While most fans considered him a throw in, or anchor, to the deal that brought Josh Beckett to Boston, he has become a valuable member to the team. In fact, he was the most valuable member of the 2007 World Series. How’s that for a turnaround. Mike’s swing seems perfect for Fenway Park, and he has filled a key spot in the Red Sox line-up.

My favorite Mike Lowell moment came during Game 2 of the 2007 World Series. In the fourth inning of a game the Sox were trailing 1-0, Lowell drew a walk. Drew followed with a single to right. Lowell’s wheels might not be what they used to be, but he knew he had to try to get to third base. He lumbered in, and just beat the throw with a headfirst flop. With him now at third, he was driven in with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. The Sox ended up winning the game 2-1, so that was a key run. It was a clear example of a savvy baserunner using whatever skills he had left to make all the difference. This season, injuries have left Lowell without a position, and that’s too bad. Hopefully he’ll be able to help the team. I’m sure if there’s a way, he’ll find it.

Happy 36^th Birthday Mike Lowell!

I Don’t Know is on Third

It looks like Mike Lowell will be a Red Sox for the coming season. I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.

The way rumors fly during the hot stove season; it’s best to not get caught up on stories. I’ve often said it doesn’t happen until someone’s holding up a jersey at a press conference. In this case, you always had the feeling it wasn’t a normal transaction. Usually, when “reports” of a deal come out, it’s a matter of hours before everyone has it all buttoned up. This time, right off the bat they were wondering if it would really go through. That’s not a good sign for any trade.

The proposed deal would have sent Mike Lowell and $9 million to Texas for catcher Max Ramirez. That would have left a gaping hole at third base. The rumor mill went crazy with possible replacements. Would it be Adrian Beltre? Would the Sox shift Kevin Youkilis to third and trade for Adrian Gonzalez? Prince Fielder? As the trade wore one, though, none of the second shoes were falling. The Sox backed out of the Beltre pursuit, claiming he was too expensive. The Gonzalez deal was sounding like a pipe dream, even if it was a perfectly logical one. The Sox actually claimed to be OK with Casey Kotchman at first and Youkilis at third. That led to the obvious question. Why, then, trade Lowell?

After all, you were paying for him anyway. Was he that much of a hole in the roster that it was worth not having him? Even if he gives you 50 games, isn’t that better than 50 games of Kotchman? How about a DH platoon with Ortiz? If you’re not going to fill his hole with a superior player, aren’t the Sox better off with his production? I’d certainly think so.

So, assuming that Lowell has surgery, and can make it back in time to play…what does this mean? How does Lowell feel? The Red Sox almost completed a deal involving Nomar once, but it too fell apart. Nomar, naturally, felt unwanted and angry after the team basically agreed to trade him away. In that case, the trade would have made room for a comparable, if not superior, player. At least the Nomar/Manny switch for ARod/Ordonez could be talked up. How do you spin the Lowell deal? How do you convince Lowell that you think he’s anything other than a washed up has been? Can Theo look him in the eye and say he’s glad he’s on the team? “Yeah, Mike, I know we bribed another team with $9 million dollars to take you off our hands, and only wanted a third string catcher in return. But, you understand, we had to make room for Casey Kotchman.” Really? I know Lowell’s a class act, and won’t make it a distraction for the team. But, can he stop it from being a distraction for him? He’s already been a “throw in.” Does that prepare him for being a “has been”?

The trade rejection also, probably, signals the end of any major moves by the Sox. With Lowell at third, there’s no space to put a major acquisition. Unless, I suppose, they go the platoon route.

I wonder if Jason Bay can play first.

The Teixeira Tease

The big free agent left on the market is, of course Mark Teixeira. (Although recent reports have him headed to NY) His signing has been the cause of endless speculation this off-season. Frankly, free agent speculation is my favorite reporting. In the effort to scoop everyone else, reporters…even otherwise reputable ones…will throw out any meaningless piece of information they can. Lead stories like, “so and so talking to this team” or “this team shows interest in so and so” are laughable. Frankly, doesn’t every team in the majors have interest in Mark Teixeira? Would a GM calling Boras to check in really be a story? How does one team “have the lead” in the process? Does the highest offer make them the leaders? If that was the case, why hasn’t the offer been accepted? It’s great.

In this particular case, my question involves why the Red Sox are so interested in Mark Teixeira. Like I said, every team could use a 30 home run gold glove first baseman. I just wonder why the Sox are so eager to get this one when they already have one. Kevin Youkilis is a former gold glove winner, and looks to be a player who can give you 30 home runs and 100 RBI. So, would Teixeira really be much of an upgrade? What if you move Youk to third? Then you have Lowell in the way. Didn’t everyone just practically beg Theo to sign Lowell for as long as he wanted? Suddenly, he’s an expendable part? There’s been talk of moving Ortiz to make room for Tex. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of getting “another” 30 home run guy if you get rid of one of the ones you already have? For the money the Sox would have to spend, I don’t really see the fit.

Which I guess is one of the problems I have with Theo. He doesn’t seem to look ahead very well when it comes to free agents. Did Theo not know that Tex would be on the market this winter? Sure you can’t depend on a guy not extending his contract. But, don’t we know that Boras doesn’t do contract extensions? Did he sign Lowell knowing he was going to push this hard just one year later? What about Lugo? He signed him to a huge contract. Did he not know that Lowrie was coming right behind him? What exactly is going on with the revolving door at shortstop? Or Coco? Was Ellsbury’s speed invisible to Theo to the point that he had to trade away Varitek’s replacement to get Coco? Where is the planning? I don’t get it.

I’m not going to sit here and say that Mark Teixeira wouldn’t improve the team. If you replaced Lowell or Youkilis with him, the team would be better in the long run. I’m just not convinced it would be that much better. Especially since you then have spare parts. Ortiz, Lowell, or Youk would be odd man out. Do you trade one? For what exactly? Youkilis probably has the most value. Which position do the Sox need a player equal in value to the second runner up to MVP? Unless you’re trading for Joe Mauer, everything else is taken. The Sox are set at second. There are no shortstops that good out there. Third is still plugged. The outfield is pretty set with bay, Ells, and Drew. The rotation? Even if there was a top of the rotation guy available…the Sox don’t really need it. Their current top three is just fine. The resultant moves would just make a mess. Signing Teixeira looks like one of those moves GMs make just to make a move, and look good in the papers.

I thought Theo was above all that.