Lowe won't let thoughts of free agency sink in
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- If "The Five Free Agents of Boston" were a show on NESN, Derek Lowe would be its most identifiable character.
One moment he is rapping along with 50 Cent. Then he is telling you that Tom Brady "got hosed" while playing quarterback at the University of Michigan. Hang around long enough and he'll mention that Red Sox fans reacted so strongly to Grady Little that "it almost made it impossible for the team to bring him back, even if they wanted to. I can't imagine him being able to do anything in the city without `it' coming up."
A couple of weeks ago, Lowe analyzed the Boston five and concluded that this is somebody's -- probably his -- last year with the Sox. He might be right. You won't find a bigger sports fan in a major league clubhouse, and most of today's sports fans have an understanding of financial limits. They realize that everyone can't be signed.
So Lowe sees Jason Varitek, Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, David Ortiz, and himself at the end of contracts. He accepts the inevitable and promises to enjoy himself in the meantime.
"I'm definitely not going to sit here and feel sorry for myself," Lowe says. "Trying to get hitters out is hard enough. I'm not going to make it harder by worrying about negotiations. I know I'm not the only guy in baseball history who is heading into a free agent year."
He is such an interesting character because when something in his world changes, he isn't afraid to talk about it. Not many people will accuse him of withholding information. He has been candid about serious topics (such as his skin cancer) and topics that, in comparison, can be classified as trivial.
He says he loves the mania of Boston sports, although he has sworn off talk radio. He is always asking about the Celtics and Patriots. He finds the Brady story to be inspirational because "he had to put up with the whole Drew Henson thing at Michigan, and then he was a sixth-round pick. Now look at him. It's awesome."
Lowe also likes to walk around the city and absorb the comments, which are usually linked to how he and the Sox are doing.
"It took me a while to figure that out," he says. "I used to take it personally, but it's not personal. I think the fans of Boston, especially this year, should expect nothing less than a championship.
"I actually like that pressure. I like coming to the park and feeling that little extra push. I guess you always want to please your home fans, but it's different at Fenway. It's extra, and it's not for everybody. You have a lot of players who say, privately, that they don't want to play on the East Coast. New York, Philly, Boston. It's not for them."
The 30-year-old Lowe is technically a Michigan guy. But people in the Northeast can relate to how emotional he is. Watching him pitch can be exhausting. HDTV was made with athletes like Lowe in mind. You really do feel like you are there with him when he gets into a jam. He paces. He pulls on his cap. He grimaces. He emotes.
How many times have you heard someone say that Lowe has a fragile psyche? Fifty? One hundred? Ask him about that rap and, of course, he'll answer.
"I know some of the stuff I do on the mound comes across poorly," he says. "But I'm never scared out there. Never. I'll bet there are some pitchers who look calm and they're scared to death. Just judge me on my performance."
There is a good reason for the confidence. He is in a rotation that has Martinez and Curt Schilling at the top of it. The picture of all three of them in Wednesday's Globe should be framed, for several reasons. It's an excellent photo; it's a visual reminder of how the Yankees' -- and Orioles' and Blue Jays' and Angels' -- lineup can be neutralized; and it might be a valuable keepsake, considering that two of the three men pictured could be working elsewhere in 2005.
But that's '05.
Right now, Lowe is in a group of pitchers who will compete with each other weekly. Martinez has always studied hitters and used his photographic memory to his advantage. What will happen if he takes his preparation a notch higher and starts peeking at some of Schilling's computerized data? What happens if Martinez is able to brief Schilling on the tendencies of American League hitters?
It will be like two billionaires -- Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, perhaps -- collaborating on how to make more money. And Lowe will be in position to take advantage of the trickle-down economics. He says the intracompetition is natural. It will keep everyone focused and it will ultimately nip losing streaks.
"No one wants to be the weak link," he says. "You don't want to hear anyone say, `You know, they'd be pretty good if that Lowe could get his act together.' "
There's a lot of anticipation in the early days of baseball spring. New manager Terry Francona said he is looking forward to seeing the pitchers perform. New second baseman Pokey Reese (who went to the same high school as Richard Seymour and David Patten, by the way) said he couldn't wait to play behind this staff. Lowe said he's ready for someone to wink and describe him as a No. 3 starter -- who happens to be standing behind Martinez and Schilling.
This might be the final season that the unpredictable character named Lowe is regularly shown in the New England market. He might as well have fun with it.
Michael Holley is a Globe columnist. His e-mail address is holley@globe.com.
