Turnin 2 SS 2b
07-28-2002, 08:27 PM
MONTREAL -- Making history came at the expense of a sore hand for Marlins All-Star third baseman Mike Lowell. But a little pain was worth being part of the first converted triple play in franchise history.
In the third inning of Florida's 4-1 loss to the Expos Sunday, Lowell lurked into the team's record book by snaring a rocket line drive by Vladimir Guerrero.
On a full count, the Expos had Brad Wilkerson and Jose Vidro running on the pitch.
As Wilkerson broke, Lowell took a few steps toward the bag when suddenly Guerrero turned on slider and blistered a shot that remarkably found the All-Star's glove.
"It was part good reaction, part self-defense," Lowell said of the catch.
When Lowell looked up, Wilkerson was upon him at third and Vidro was standing on second. After the initial daze wore off, Lowell easily tagged out Wilkerson while staring in Vidro's direction.
Unsure if Lowell knew how many outs there were, shortstop Andy Fox screamed, 'throw to first!"
"I didn't realize he knew how many outs there were," Fox said. "It happened so fast."
Pitcher Julian Tavarez also was pointing to first.
"I've never seen something like that," said Tavarez (7-8), who has lost four straight starts and has a 7.58 ERA over that span. "It's was like, 'Bam! Like you swallowed a piece of gum."
Playing it safe, Lowell lobbed a one-hopper that first baseman Derrek Lee easily fielded for the third out.
"I actually knew what I was doing," said Lowell, who paused a few seconds before tossing to Lee. "But Foxy was yelling like a madman. Mikey! Mikey! Mikey! When I tagged (Wilkerson). I looked at him for a second, and he said, 'throw to first.' I said, 'I am.' "
One reason for hesitation was Lowell considered running to first to complete an unassisted triple play. There have been just 12 in Major League history.
I did think for a second to run over to first, but that would have been a little ridiculous," Lowell said. "The problem is Vidro probably would have beaten me back."
"It's cool," Lowell said of the first triple play the Marlins ever registered. "In the back of your mind, you always think you're ready for it. But that was a missile. It hurt my hand for about 10 minutes."
The sting was still in Lowell's left hand when he batted in the top of the fourth. On Saturday, the third baseman was hit on the right hand by a pitch.
When he stepped into the batter's box, Lowell turned to catcher Brian Schneider and said, "I told him, 'Great, now both my hands hurt.' "
Lowell said gloving Guerrero's missile was the second hardest line drive he has ever fielded. In Spring Training, while guessing bunt, Lowell charged but had to react quickly to a scorched, short-range bullet off the bat of Detroit's Damion Easley.
In Florida's 10-year history, the only previous triple play the franchise was involved with came on May 11, 2000. Ironically, Lowell was the batter, tapping into the triple play against the Braves. He bounced a hopper to Chipper Jones, who tagged third and tossed to Quilvio Veras at second, who then threw to Andres Galarraga at first.
Sunday's triple play was the third in the Major Leagues this season. Seattle was involved in one against Texas on April 14, and San Diego was victimized by the Mets on May 17.
It was the second triple play ever against the Expos.
The other was on Sept. 27, 1983 at St. Louis. Andre Dawson was the batter, and shortstop Ozzie Smith was involved in a putout at second base.
Call it a coincidence, but Dawson was at Olympic Stadium Sunday as part of a bobble-head promotion in his honor.
As Lowell was converting the play for the Marlins, Dawson wondered: "I might be the only one [in Montreal history] to hit into a triple play, because I knew I did it."
Smith, on Sunday, was in the process of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"It is just coincidence," Dawson said. "It's got to be. I'm not reading into it."
A possible future Hall of Famer, Dawson questions sending the runners with a slugger like Guerrero at the plate.
"When you're a hitter in the middle of the lineup, you don't want the guys running anyway," Dawson said. "When you got somebody like Guerrero up, you let him swing the bat. You don't want anything to go wrong."
Aside from the triple play, the Marlins had very little to celebrate Sunday as they were two-hit by Bartolo Colon. Lee went 0-for-3 and had his 12-game hitting streak -- longest active in the league -- snapped
In the third inning of Florida's 4-1 loss to the Expos Sunday, Lowell lurked into the team's record book by snaring a rocket line drive by Vladimir Guerrero.
On a full count, the Expos had Brad Wilkerson and Jose Vidro running on the pitch.
As Wilkerson broke, Lowell took a few steps toward the bag when suddenly Guerrero turned on slider and blistered a shot that remarkably found the All-Star's glove.
"It was part good reaction, part self-defense," Lowell said of the catch.
When Lowell looked up, Wilkerson was upon him at third and Vidro was standing on second. After the initial daze wore off, Lowell easily tagged out Wilkerson while staring in Vidro's direction.
Unsure if Lowell knew how many outs there were, shortstop Andy Fox screamed, 'throw to first!"
"I didn't realize he knew how many outs there were," Fox said. "It happened so fast."
Pitcher Julian Tavarez also was pointing to first.
"I've never seen something like that," said Tavarez (7-8), who has lost four straight starts and has a 7.58 ERA over that span. "It's was like, 'Bam! Like you swallowed a piece of gum."
Playing it safe, Lowell lobbed a one-hopper that first baseman Derrek Lee easily fielded for the third out.
"I actually knew what I was doing," said Lowell, who paused a few seconds before tossing to Lee. "But Foxy was yelling like a madman. Mikey! Mikey! Mikey! When I tagged (Wilkerson). I looked at him for a second, and he said, 'throw to first.' I said, 'I am.' "
One reason for hesitation was Lowell considered running to first to complete an unassisted triple play. There have been just 12 in Major League history.
I did think for a second to run over to first, but that would have been a little ridiculous," Lowell said. "The problem is Vidro probably would have beaten me back."
"It's cool," Lowell said of the first triple play the Marlins ever registered. "In the back of your mind, you always think you're ready for it. But that was a missile. It hurt my hand for about 10 minutes."
The sting was still in Lowell's left hand when he batted in the top of the fourth. On Saturday, the third baseman was hit on the right hand by a pitch.
When he stepped into the batter's box, Lowell turned to catcher Brian Schneider and said, "I told him, 'Great, now both my hands hurt.' "
Lowell said gloving Guerrero's missile was the second hardest line drive he has ever fielded. In Spring Training, while guessing bunt, Lowell charged but had to react quickly to a scorched, short-range bullet off the bat of Detroit's Damion Easley.
In Florida's 10-year history, the only previous triple play the franchise was involved with came on May 11, 2000. Ironically, Lowell was the batter, tapping into the triple play against the Braves. He bounced a hopper to Chipper Jones, who tagged third and tossed to Quilvio Veras at second, who then threw to Andres Galarraga at first.
Sunday's triple play was the third in the Major Leagues this season. Seattle was involved in one against Texas on April 14, and San Diego was victimized by the Mets on May 17.
It was the second triple play ever against the Expos.
The other was on Sept. 27, 1983 at St. Louis. Andre Dawson was the batter, and shortstop Ozzie Smith was involved in a putout at second base.
Call it a coincidence, but Dawson was at Olympic Stadium Sunday as part of a bobble-head promotion in his honor.
As Lowell was converting the play for the Marlins, Dawson wondered: "I might be the only one [in Montreal history] to hit into a triple play, because I knew I did it."
Smith, on Sunday, was in the process of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"It is just coincidence," Dawson said. "It's got to be. I'm not reading into it."
A possible future Hall of Famer, Dawson questions sending the runners with a slugger like Guerrero at the plate.
"When you're a hitter in the middle of the lineup, you don't want the guys running anyway," Dawson said. "When you got somebody like Guerrero up, you let him swing the bat. You don't want anything to go wrong."
Aside from the triple play, the Marlins had very little to celebrate Sunday as they were two-hit by Bartolo Colon. Lee went 0-for-3 and had his 12-game hitting streak -- longest active in the league -- snapped