Indeed, in the days before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline he was told to sit tight in the event a move could be made with a team that could use his services.
But when Lowell survived that tense period and promptly homered on the first pitch he saw days later upon coming off the disabled list, that frustration washed away. Likely knowing all along that this would be his final year in the majors, Lowell was elated to be spending his final few months in a Red Sox uniform.
Lowell's unofficial announcement that he will retire at the end of the 2010 season came in the days before the Red Sox enshrine their newest Hall of Fame class, a ceremony which takes place Friday at Fenway Park. While Lowell's fine playing career will leave him short of Cooperstown, has he done enough to someday join the likes of 2010 Red Sox HOF inductees Tommy Harper, Jimmy Piersall, John Valentin and Don Zimmer?
It's a legitimate question that may one day beg for some increased analysis on the part of the 15-member selection committee.
Entering play Friday, and these numbers won't change much in the final 16 games, especially with Lowell currently hampered by a rib fracture, he has a .289 average with 79 homers and 369 RBIs in five seasons with the Sox. In a franchise sprinkled with great offensive performers over the years, those numbers do not place him high on very many lists.
However, the average, which was higher before his painful 2010 season rolled around, is still better than nearly half of the 37 position players in the team HOF.
Among third basemen in team history, only Wade Boggs had more than Lowell's 47 doubles in 2006. None had more than Lowell's 120 RBIs in 2007. Few played third base as well as Lowell, until his hip injury in the 2008 season. And he is one of just eight to represent the Sox at that position in an All-Star game.
Finally, when the votes are cast in some room at least three years from now (to be eligible a person must be out of uniform for at least three years), those backing Lowell can point to that 2007 season, one of the finest in a Boston uniform at any position, a campaign which saw him hit .324 with the aforementioned 120 RBIs and cap it with a World Series MVP award.
No other Red Sox third baseman can say that. In fact, just one other player, Manny Ramirez, can make the same boast, and it's safe to say that Lowell's appeal to fans and followers is significantly greater that that of Ramirez — Lowell has been a fan favorite since soon after his arrival in a trade with Florida before the 2006 season.
That cannot hurt his cause in gaining lifetime enshrinement, especially if the sheer numbers are not enough.
Lowell has expressed nothing but pleasure in his decision to hang 'em up, seemingly content on not only getting an opportunity to spend more time with his family in Florida but also to finish his playing career in Boston and head for the sunset a member of the Red Sox. If the committee appreciates what he did in his somewhat limited time in a Boston uniform, he may be smiling for eternity, firmly embedded in team lore.
