Derek Lowe

Derek Lowe is a professional athlete in Major League Baseball. He is currently a starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Lowe also pitched for the Seattle Mariners, the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angles Dodgers.

On April 26, 1997, Lowe was called up to make his MLB debut with the Mariners. He played only 12 games with the Mariners before he was traded to the Boston Red Sox on July 31, 1997.

He split the remainder of the 1997 season between the Red Sox and their minor league team. Lowe's trade to the Red Sox along with Jason Varitek and Heathcliff Slocumb, may have occurred because of an incident that happened between Lowe and his girlfriend while he was with the Mariners. Lowe was accused of fourth degree assualt because the girlfriend accused him of striking her. http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/08-97/08-23-97/c01sp114.htm

Lowe would eventually earned a full roster spot with the Red Sox starting in the 1998 season, where he played 63 major league games. He also made his first post season appearance the same year, when the Red Sox lost the American League Divisional Series to the Cleveland Indians. As a Red Sox, Lowe had his biggest accomplishment when on April 27, 2002 he threw a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays. He also helped the Red Sox's win the World Series in 2004.

Lowe continued with the Red Sox through the 2004 season, earning his first of two MLB All-Star Game selections and winning the World Series with the Red Sox in 2004. He was granted free agency in November of 2004.

On January 11, 2005, Lowe signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a reported four year, $36 million contract. He had averaged 35 games each year, since signing with the Dodgers. But after three years as the number one starter for the Dodgers, Lowe would be regulate to second starter behind Brad Penny, atlhough that did not effect Lowe's pitching.

On January 13, 2009, after three years with the Dodgers, news agencies reported that Derek Lowe had reached an agreement on a four year contract with the Atlanta Braves. The deal was believed to be worth $60 million dollars. Other teams that were in the running for Lowe included the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers.ESPN.com: [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3829521

Throwing a no-hitter is a rare occurence in baseball, so when Derek Lowe throw a no-no in April 2002, quite frankly it was a surprise. Lowe's first year with the Red Sox he had a combine record of 5-15 which sent him into the Red Sox bullpen. There he became the Red Sox's closer with 15 saves and a 2.63 ERA in 1999. He would stay as the closer where he would thrive there (he had 42 saves in 2000 and 24 in 2001) until the Red Sox decided to move him back to a starter's role in 2002.

Lowe would finish with a 21-8 record that season and a 2.58 ERA which put him third in the American League Cy Young Voting behind Barry Zito and Red Sox teammate Pedro Martinez. The topper though that season, was Lowe throwing a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park which hadn't been done since Dave Morehead did it in 1965.