KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- So, now that retirement apparently is on the agenda, just how does Mike Lowell envision spending his?

 

“Mike Redmond and I always had this plan,’’ Lowell said, referring to his best friend and former teammate on the Florida Marlins. “He was going to toil in the minor leagues and I’d be his bench coach because he wanted me to be able to talk to the Latin guys.’’

 

Lowell, who was born in Puerto Rico and whose father is Cuban, is bilingual.

 

“But I honestly think if you’re going to be a coach and be a good one, you’re actually away from your family more [than as a player],’’ he said. “You absolutely are.’’

 

OK, so coaching, at least in the short term, is out of the question. There will be more time with his wife, Bertica, and his kids, Alexis and Anthony.

 

“I honestly think I’ll take a year or two off,’’ he said. “I told Pagey [David Page, the weight coach], I’m going to be in better shape when I’m retired than when I was playing. When you’re playing, it’s a race to see how strong you can get in four months of the offseason. Retired, I can take all year.

 

“I actually enjoy it," Lowell said of working out. "The thing that really bothered me about the hip is I loved jogging 45 minutes every morning. I’d put my music on, gather my thoughts. I don’t enjoy it the first time. The first time it’s hard to go 20 minutes. But when 45 minutes comes easy, you feel like you did something. You’re starting the day off good.

 

“But I haven’t been able to do that for two years. That’s why I bought an elliptical machine, but that’s not a trade-off. I like jogging outside.’’

 

All right, so we can expect Lowell -- who, after all, is just 36 -- will not let himself go physically after he quits. And then ...

 

“I know I can’t just sit in the house,’’ he said. “I’d be too bored. I’d like to play golf more, I’d like to fish more. Yeah, all those great things. But how many times can you play golf or can you fish before you say, ‘I want to do something.’’’

 

So a life of uninterrupted leisure is out. Which leaves him where?

 

“I enjoy baseball,’’ he said. “I like to talk baseball. You know what I thought about is doing about five Marlins games, see if I enjoy it, see how good I am. Maybe I’ll suck, I don’t know. I feel like I can speak OK, but on camera it’s different.’’

 

Lowell, a Miami native, said he was encouraged to try broadcasting by Jon Sciambi when he was playing with the Marlins and Sciambi was one of the team’s broadcasters. Sciambi is now with ESPN.

 

“He said I’d be good,’’ Lowell said, “but I was pretty nervous in speech class.’’

 

Lowell earned a degree in finance from Florida International University, where he was drafted in the 20th round by the Yankees in 1995.

 

“I still remember my three speeches in speech class,’’ he said. “We had to make an informative speech, an argumentative, and a third one, I don’t know, whatever topic.

 

“I did my informative on how to treat a sprained ankle. It was easy because I had sprained my ankle so many times. My argumentative was why Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. And my last one was why the NBA is so great. I put a video of Michael Jordan in, and it was like, ‘Oh, wow, you got an A.’’’

 

So there may one day be a mike for Mike.

 

"I think I know baseball, so it would be easy to talk about something you’re knowledgeable about,’’ he said. “Put me in front of people to talk about foreign policy, and I’d be very nervous. Not so much nervous, but afraid I wouldn’t be informed. Somebody would say, ‘What about this, back in 1989?’ I’d say, ‘OK, you win.’’’

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/2139/not-the-retiring-kind

 

It would be amazing to have Lowell as a Marlins brodcaster!

Why should he do color for the Marlins? They already have Tommy Hutton who is damn good at his job. In fact, I hope that the Waltz-Hutton combo stays together for the forseeable future.

 

Maybe radio, I guess.

Why should he do color for the Marlins? They already have Tommy Hutton who is damn good at his job. In fact, I hope that the Waltz-Hutton combo stays together for the forseeable future.

 

Maybe radio, I guess.

 

I agree but I still would like to see him as a Marlins brodcaster. Maybe they can make a three man deal.

Lowell never seemed to have the outgoing personality to do broadcasting.

Why should he do color for the Marlins? They already have Tommy Hutton who is damn good at his job. In fact, I hope that the Waltz-Hutton combo stays together for the forseeable future.

 

Maybe radio, I guess.

 

 

I didn't see anything that implied he was trying to take Tommy's job. He was more saying that he'd love the opportunity to work on five Marlins games. I didn't see what that specified he'd be doing analysis in lieu of Tommy. He could just be an extra member of the broadcast team.

I would love to see a three-man broadcast team. Lowell would be an awesome addition IMO.

I liked his line about he and Redmond coaching.

I think 3 guys is too much for baseball. Baseball, play to play, is a pretty simple sport (not saying announcing is easy, but just that it's a less complex thing to analyze and explain on a play-by-play basis).

 

It can maybe work in football if you have a play-by-play guy, a color guy, and a guy who explains the finer points.

 

Lowell' got a face for TV, though. Maybe he could get a job for MLB or ESPN, and maybe then they will actually give the Marlins some more attention.

Why should he do color for the Marlins? They already have Tommy Hutton who is damn good at his job. In fact, I hope that the Waltz-Hutton combo stays together for the forseeable future.

 

Maybe radio, I guess.

 

 

I didn't see anything that implied he was trying to take Tommy's job. He was more saying that he'd love the opportunity to work on five Marlins games. I didn't see what that specified he'd be doing analysis in lieu of Tommy. He could just be an extra member of the broadcast team.

I was just responding to the original poster and not the article. I don't see how Lowell has a career with the Marlins unless some of the crew expects to quit. They already have three people now doing field side work (four if you count Niner).

 

Adding Mike Lowell seems extraneous and unnecessary. Lowell might have a broadcast career but I don't see where he fits right now.

 

I agree with the posters who have said that three people in the booth is too much. I just listened to the SNY three-man crew for the Mets series and it was a bit too much. If Hutton weren't a top notch color guy, it might make more sense.

I think 3 guys is too much for baseball. Baseball, play to play, is a pretty simple sport (not saying announcing is easy, but just that it's a less complex thing to analyze and explain on a play-by-play basis).

 

It can maybe work in football if you have a play-by-play guy, a color guy, and a guy who explains the finer points.

 

Lowell' got a face for TV, though. Maybe he could get a job for MLB or ESPN, and maybe then they will actually give the Marlins some more attention.

 

I agree with this.

 

Tommy is excellent at doing color and explaining the fine details. There is no real need for improvement.

 

How many field side people does one team need for local broadcasts? They already have Frank, Craig, Niner, and this new girl. This isn't Monday Night Football.

 

Of course this is all just mindless speculation about Lowell having a broadcast career and it probably won't happen. I'm just stating my opinion that I think it's silly to think that there is a spot for Mike Lowell with the current broadcast crew.

Mike as a Clubhouse Broadcaster or as a special report broadcaster would be cool. In between that he can be a coach like Tony Perez or Andre Dawson. Involved with the team, but rarely travels with it.

I think 3 guys is too much for baseball. Baseball, play to play, is a pretty simple sport (not saying announcing is easy, but just that it's a less complex thing to analyze and explain on a play-by-play basis).

 

It can maybe work in football if you have a play-by-play guy, a color guy, and a guy who explains the finer points.

 

Lowell' got a face for TV, though. Maybe he could get a job for MLB or ESPN, and maybe then they will actually give the Marlins some more attention.

 

I agree with this.

 

Tommy is excellent at doing color and explaining the fine details. There is no real need for improvement.

 

How many field side people does one team need for local broadcasts? They already have Frank, Craig, Niner, and this new girl. This isn't Monday Night Football.

 

Of course this is all just mindless speculation about Lowell having a broadcast career and it probably won't happen. I'm just stating my opinion that I think it's silly to think that there is a spot for Mike Lowell with the current broadcast crew.

 

I have watched every game and not seen a new girl. I missed a good portion of the first game with the dodgers, did she work that game?

I saw her both Friday and Saturday nights (I missed today's game). Her first name is Allison I think. I don't know if she does road games. I don't think she has as big of a role as Frank and Craig do, but she sure doesn't seem to be irrelevant.

Weird I haven't seen her. Anyway if they were going to add a 3rd guy to the booth Id like it to be a former pitcher.

Yeah, she must be new, I didn't see her until the Friday game.

Anything Mikey does with the Marlins would just be a great classy touch. As for him not having the personality for it... we apparently made Conine a servicable part of the broadcast team and, as much as we love him, nobody ever accused him of having charisma.

 

I'm not too big on a 3-man booth... but if the third man is Mike Lowell, I'd take it. He's just the perfect guy for the job. Mike's just one of those iconic Marlins right behind Niner, Louie, and a couple others and he deserves a lot down here once he officially retires.

Niner is very charismatic. He just isn't quite as polished and articulate as most color guys are.

 

It just seems silly to me for people to be advocating giving Mike Lowell a broadcasting job with the Marlins just because it's Mike Lowell.

I saw her both Friday and Saturday nights (I missed today's game). Her first name is Allison I think. I don't know if she does road games. I don't think she has as big of a role as Frank and Craig do, but she sure doesn't seem to be irrelevant.

 

Her name is Allison Williams, she does Panthers games as the locker room reporter. I haven't caught any Marlins home games on TV yet so I haven't seen her.

Is this the girl? http://foxsportsflorida.com/pages/landing?Allison-Williams=1&blockID=98452&feedID=4320

I have my tapes of the games and she's surprisingly good. I was prepared to be underwhelmed by more fluff but she's assertive, has her sh*t down pretty well and came across as fully prepped on what she was doing. :thumbup

 

She's a lot like Summer Sanders which is in my book a real compliment.

I don't mind the 3 man teams on ESPN but, at least with the Sunday night 3 man team, thats because I've never really liked listening to Joe Morgan. Tonight he was ranting about how he needed a strict definition of what makes a small market team in regards to the Brewers/Fielder future contract and the recent Twins/Mauer contract. The guy just annoys me.

I don't mind the 3 man teams on ESPN but, at least with the Sunday night 3 man team, thats because I've never really liked listening to Joe Morgan. Tonight he was ranting about how he needed a strict definition of what makes a small market team in regards to the Brewers/Fielder future contract and the recent Twins/Mauer contract. The guy just annoys me.

 

 

On Baseball Tonight, Karl Ravich was asking Joe Morgan about ways to speed up the game (in reference to the Yankee/sRed Sox thing for last week) and Morgan suggested swinging at more pitches. Which is ridiculousness in any number of ways, but I will list two:

 

1. How could the MLB impose rules forcing hitters to swing more?

 

2. He said he isn't comfortable with umps not granting timeouts, but is comfortable suggesting players essentially increase their chances of striking out? Which has a more direct impact on the results of the game?

Why should he do color for the Marlins? They already have Tommy Hutton who is damn good at his job. In fact, I hope that the Waltz-Hutton combo stays together for the forseeable future.

 

Maybe radio, I guess.

 

 

+1,000 %

 

I really enjoy Tommy & Rich too.

I don't mind the 3 man teams on ESPN but, at least with the Sunday night 3 man team, thats because I've never really liked listening to Joe Morgan. Tonight he was ranting about how he needed a strict definition of what makes a small market team in regards to the Brewers/Fielder future contract and the recent Twins/Mauer contract. The guy just annoys me.

 

 

Yeah he went on about that forever. I wanted Miller or Oral to tell him to just shut it.