Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
But then 6-year-old Anthony Lowell, around the same age his own father had been those many years ago, watched the video tribute playing on the scoreboard and had a question.
"Dad,'' the little boy asked, "were you really the greatest baseball player in the whole world?''
"I wanted to look at him with a straight face and say, 'Yes I am,' but since I was miked up, I said, 'No, I'm just a baseball player,'" Mike Lowell said. "He said, 'But everybody's acting like you're the greatest in the whole world.'
"I said, 'Keep that thought.'"
Aside from his clutch hitting and slick fielding, Mike Lowell was a geniunely nice guy.
Interesting note about who was and wasn't present for the ceremony:
The Sox owners were there -- John Henry with his wife, Linda (who recently gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, Sienna), Tom Werner and CEO Larry Lucchino. General manager Theo Epstein was missing, perhaps wearied by Lowell's pleas to trade or release him, but manager Terry Francona had a place in line. The club gave Lowell a $100,000 check to his foundation devoted to fighting cancer, and Francona presented him with a watch box.
Can Mike really hate Theo for the trade talk? He did hand him a $37 million dollar contract in 2007.
The rest of the links:
Globe - Lowell Day Photo Gallery | Lowell deserves highest regard | Herald - Wakefield not thru yet | Scutaro done for season | Buchholz era just starting | CSNNE - Sox split marathon doubleheader |
