Live from the ballyard: The Lowe-down on a big-game pitcher
Derek Lowe started Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS in the old Yankee Stadium. No pressure there. Only 85 years of Red Sox angst bottled into one night in the Bronx.
He won the game. Went on two days’ rest. Pitched six innings, yielded one hit and one earned run.
One week later, Derek Lowe started Game 4 of the World Series in the old Busch Stadium. No pressure there. Only the Curse of the Bambino and all that other sad New England history to put to rest.
He won the game. Pitched seven innings, yielded three hits and no runs.
Yeah, 2004 was a while ago — but not so long as 1918 was to Red Sox Nation — and we in Atlanta haven’t seen much of that D-Lowe in his two seasons here. But the Braves signed him for $15 million per annum for two reasons: First, Lowe never misses a start, and second, he’s a big-game pitcher.
Lowe missed one start this season. It came early this month after he received a cortisone shot for the bone chip in his elbow. He’s 4-0 since. He has yielded three earned runs in 25 September innings. He’s the reason the Braves lead the wild card chase by 1 1/2 games with four to play. He has done what even Tim Hudson couldn’t do — won big games by the bunch.
A lot of people wanted rid of Lowe after last season, Frank Wren chief among them. But the GM couldn’t find anybody willing to take that salary, and you know what? Sometimes the best trades (all together now) …
Are the ones you don’t make. The Braves would have been long gone without D-Lowe, and today they dispatch him to the hill again. He’s pitching on three days’ rest. Doesn’t matter. He’s Derek Lowe. He’s a gamer.
And with that, the floor is open for questions, comments and postseason projections. (I think the Braves will play the Giants in Round 1.) I’ll be here until the end of this strangely timed — game time is 4:35 p.m. — tilt, and I’d be obliged if you’d ride along. And I offer my thanks in advance.
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673 comments Add your comment
Jack
September 29th, 2010
5:44 pm
It would be interesting to see what Brooks would do with a full year of starting.
Wreckmaniac
September 29th, 2010
5:44 pm
What ? A four run lead ? what happened ? was it roids ? Viagra in the coffee ?
Aaron
September 29th, 2010
5:44 pm
Wouldn’t it be great if its the patchwork players and not the homegrown ones(heyward, hanson, mccann, etc) who win this for us?
SG10
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
If Conrad continues to hit, he should bat higher..
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
That’d be OK with yours truly, ER Steve.
Aaron
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
Lol @ Wreckmaniac. When was the last time we were winning before the 5th inning?
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
Seven K’s.
Heath
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
They always score for Lowe! Pitch him on 1 day rest, they’ll score enough to make up for it!
Josh
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
I wonder if Cox will consider pulling Lowe early, seeing as how he’s pitching on 3-days rest.
Wreckmaniac
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
Brooks Conrad for Governor !!
Jack
September 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
What that heck has Lowe been taking????
champ
September 29th, 2010
5:46 pm
keep playing-marlins will score a few- we need more runs.
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:46 pm
OK, now I need to ask y’all: Why is Brooks Conrad called Raw Dog?
SG10
September 29th, 2010
5:46 pm
I hope Lowe pitches deeper into this ballgame and gives some rest to the bullpen with the off-day tomorrow…
Jack
September 29th, 2010
5:46 pm
Derek pitches much better in cool weather….anyone else notice?
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 29th, 2010
5:47 pm
The ace money isn’t taking the shine off this D. Lowe gem!
Jesse Stone
September 29th, 2010
5:47 pm
No batting gloves
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
September 29th, 2010
5:47 pm
Wreckmaniac, think it would be obvious if it was “viagra in the coffee” as there would be lots of cup adjusting going on.
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 29th, 2010
5:47 pm
Mark, he’s got a bad chaeffing problem.
Alex Tetzner
September 29th, 2010
5:48 pm
Game is on ESPN here in Venezuela!
U guys can imagine who we are rooting for!
Lets go Bravos!
Jack
September 29th, 2010
5:48 pm
Right Jesse…..Raw Dog just uses a little dirt on his hands and wails hell out of the ball!
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:49 pm
I don’t think Cox will pull Lowe until the seventh, if then. Can’t let this one get away
Alex Tetzner
September 29th, 2010
5:50 pm
Rember last years Heartbreaker with Diaz getting picked off at 3rd by the Marlins!?
Not happening this year! Braves are getting in!
Christopher Chance
September 29th, 2010
5:50 pm
Back-ups today really shining. Conrad and Ross putting the wood to the ball and DRIVING it.
If Lowe continues to pitch this way, then the Braves will have options concerning Lowe this off season. Suddenly 2 years/$30 mil doesnt look like such a big flop. A team with starting pitching needs could make us a good offer for Lowe.
Remember, we need offense……and given that we have $42 mil tired up in Lowe, Chipper, McLousy and Kawacrappy in 2011…..and that Jurrjens and Prado are dude substantial raises in salary arbitration……..the only way I see the Braves having enough money to improve the offense….is to free up some payroll (like trading Lowe and his $15 mil a year contract).
If Chipper was will to retire (meaning that he’d be leaving $13 mil a year in 2011 and 2012), then maybe the Braves could keep Lowe and still improve the offense. However, I dont see Chipper walking away from that kind of money.
ER Steve
September 29th, 2010
5:50 pm
haha tim! that cracked me up
Aaron
September 29th, 2010
5:50 pm
He eats hot dogs raw…
Come on guys…
bobbycoxcountdown: 4
September 29th, 2010
5:51 pm
exactly Jesse.
Raw hands… raw dog.
david s
September 29th, 2010
5:51 pm
No disrespect to Prado but he just wasn’t producing as of late which makes you wonder if his getting hurt helps the team. Now Bobby is forced to shake up the line up and we get some fresh spark plugs in there. Don’t get me wrong though, if Martin is healthy you don’t pull him, you just don’t do that to the men who got you there.
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:51 pm
New Fish hurler.
Naboo the Enigma
September 29th, 2010
5:52 pm
OMG look at this dude pitching for Fla. 6ft4 275… SHEEEEZUS
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:53 pm
Prado was hurting before he got really hurt, david s. If that makes sense.
Jack
September 29th, 2010
5:54 pm
Ceda’s a BIG boy!
Alex Tetzner
September 29th, 2010
5:54 pm
Incredible how the tide has turned on D Lowe!
From being shopped around to being a key figure in this run and absolutely dealing!
Andy
September 29th, 2010
5:54 pm
I missed Brooksy’s homer as I was commuting home. Hopefully they will replay it.
Hey Brad
September 29th, 2010
5:54 pm
What’s up with the turn around on posts here Brad? Ya’ll screening these?
Hey Brad
September 29th, 2010
5:55 pm
I’m ready to see Heyward jack one into the tunnel in RCF
Josh
September 29th, 2010
5:55 pm
Prado should not have been playing anyways. He should have been resting. A hurt player does you no good. Why the Braves medical staff lets guys play hurt is beyond me. Of course they’re going to want to play, but look at Prado, Glaus and Heyward. When guys are hurt, they don’t play well. It’s simple. You have to bench them. Let them heal up.
Alex Tetzner
September 29th, 2010
5:55 pm
Its a young A. Benitez or Alfonseca on the mound
david s
September 29th, 2010
5:56 pm
Mark, all things considered it didn’t make sense but I’m trying to give Bobby the benefit of the doubt. Of course later when he does something I don’t like I’ll call him everything but a child of god.
Andy
September 29th, 2010
5:56 pm
I assume that this is a day game because the Marlins have to play in Pittsburgh tomorrow night. Too bad, it cost the Braves about 10K in attendance.
Alex
September 29th, 2010
5:57 pm
Cox looks more and more disfunctional as a manager the more conrad plays. Sad that it took martin getting a season injury to show how inept he is.
Dickson Bainbridge
September 29th, 2010
5:57 pm
Nice stab out there in right
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:57 pm
No, this was always scheduled as a 4:35 p.m. start. It’s that way on the pocket sked I’ve kept since spring.
Josh
September 29th, 2010
5:58 pm
Bobby relies on his medical staff, david s. Clearly they aren’t giving him good information. We let players try to fight through injuries on the field. Remember, we let Jordan Schafer play for 2 months with a BROKEN WRIST. No way Bobby knew about that. That’s up to the medical staff to pull guys aside and be more involved. You can’t just trust players to know. They’re going to want to play, and they are going to tell you things are fine, even if they are not.
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:58 pm
That’s true. We should note that a Marlin made a nice catch. Mike Stanton to deny Jason Heyward.
Headley Lamar
September 29th, 2010
5:59 pm
Derek pitches much better in cool weather….anyone else notice?
I did notice that. Guy has been a big post season guy his whole career when its a little cooler too.
Mark Bradley
September 29th, 2010
5:59 pm
Balk. Jose Ceda did something irregular, though I know not what.
Dickson Bainbridge
September 29th, 2010
5:59 pm
Dohhhhhh, that guy holding a baseball is like me holding a peanut.
Jack
September 29th, 2010
6:00 pm
Never knew dropping the ball was a balk
bobbycoxcountdown: 4
September 29th, 2010
6:00 pm
There’s something you don’t see everyday…
a dropped ball balk. we’ll take it.