Larry Brown Sports

If Dusty Baker and Derek Lowe didn’t hate each other prior to Wednesday, they do now. During the Indians 5-2 loss to the Reds, Lowe took exception to a Mat Latos fastball that was thrown close to him and he felt was intentional. He was right. Lowe ripped Baker on Wednesday night and Dusty was asked to respond to Lowe’s comments on Thursday morning. He fired back incredibly hard.

“He had some words for me,” Baker said according to Cincinnati.com’s Reds blog. “I really didn’t want to make a public thing or a public spectacle … No. 1, you’ve got to ask him why he hit Joey Votto in the back two years ago. Yesterday, he took exception to a ball inside that didn’t hit him, then hit Brandon Phillips after that.

“I’m not denying nothing. I didn’t order anyone to hit him. I told (Mat Latos) to buzz him and make him uncomfortable. That’s what happened. Nobody hit him. Then he hit our guy.”

So Baker says he told Latos to throw at Lowe, but not into him. As for the history between Baker and Lowe, the Reds manager really started coming at Lowe when he was asked if it bothers him that Lowe said he has no respect for him.

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According to Derek Lowe, Dusty Baker has been ordering pitchers to throw at him for the past five years. Due to various situations when he comes to bat, Baker has not had much success. During Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Reds, Lowe was brushed off the plate by a 96-mph fastball from Mat Latos at the start of the fifth inning. He instantly motioned toward the Reds manager and started to say something.

“Dusty will deny it,” Lowe explained after the game according to MLB.com’s Major League Bastain. “It has everything to do with him. They’ve been trying to do this (stuff) for years. I’d always come up with men on base. To say it didn’t come from Dusty, Mat Latos was with the San Diego Padres the last four years. He has no idea what’s going on. This goes back to my last year with the Dodgers. He made up some (bogus) story. A lot of people got involved. People almost got fired over it. There were a lot of people involved. I mean, by no means am I going to sit here and get into it.”

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Unfortunately, we have heard this story one too many times. Like several other athletes before him, Derek Lowe recently fell victim to a home burglary. The most troubling part of the break in is that one of the valuables that was stolen cannot easily be replaced. According to the News-Press, $90,000 worth of possessions were stolen from Lowe’s home in Florida, one of which was his 2004 Red Sox World Series ring.

And you thought it was bad when Matt Garza lost his AL Championship ring. You never want to see someone lose something that is important to them, but at least that ring was for a second-place finish. The property Lowe had stolen represents the shattering of an 86-year curse and several generations of pain and suffering for Red Sox fans. That year, Lowe started and won the clinching games in the ALDS, ALCS, and World Series, so he was a massive part of what Boston was able to accomplish.

With all the money these athletes have sitting around their houses in tiny valuables that can easily be pocketed, I’m surprised more safes aren’t used. If I won a championship ring with any team — let alone one of the most historic in sports history — that piece of hardware would be under lock, combination, key, and fireproof material at all times.

H/T Big League Stew

Derek Lowe pitched an admirable Game 4 for the Braves in the NLDS against the Giants. Coming back on short rest, the veteran went six and a third innings of two-hit ball, leaving with a 2-1 lead. Manager Bobby Cox came out for a visit after two men reached in the 7th, but Lowe pleaded his case to stay in the game and got to face another batter. He walked Pat Burrell to load the bases and Cox came out with the official hook. Lowe was every bit as pissed as you could imagine, dropping a visible and audible f-bomb:

The Giants scored two runs the rest of the inning to take the lead and both were charged to Lowe (though one was unearned). Atlanta could only manage two runs in the game and lost 3-2, dropping the series. It’s unfortunate they couldn’t extend it to a Game 5 because that would have been a fun contest to watch. Every single game in the series was low-scoring, and they were all decided by just one run. Thanks to my man Lon Buckler for sharing the tip.

I guess there are two sides to this issue and I should wait to see what the new members of the Dodgers’ pitching staff do before I say they miss him, but it’s hard to see a two-hit shutout over eight innings and say a team couldn’t use it. Derek Lowe was brilliant in his Braves debut, shutting down the defending World Series champion Phillies for eight innings. He allowed just two base runners all game, both reaching on ground ball singles. Lowe also got four runs of support in the first two innings — something he hardly ever saw with the Dodgers. A big part of Lowe leaving the Dodgers was him sensing that the team didn’t appreciate him enough. I completely agree.

It was only last week that an article in the LA Daily News praised Colletti for his off-season moves, including letting Derek Lowe walk as a free agent to sign an “exorbitant” four-year $60 million contract with the Braves. I had an email exchange with the writer who later admitted she should have elaborated and said that the contract was pricey given Lowe’s age (he’ll be 40 by the time the deal runs out). That further gave me the sense that the guy is nowhere near as appreciated as he should be. Lowe is and has been one of the top pitchers in the NL the past four seasons and is as consistent as they come. Without him the Dodgers wouldn’t have sniffed the postseason last year and they would have been bounced by the Cubs.

Too many people are overlooking Lowe’s departure when envisioning success for the Dodgers this year. I think Lowe’s on a mission to prove how valuable he is because the people in LA don’t seem to see it. I said it from the start that I’d rather have Lowe over someone like A.J. Burnett any day. He’s part of the reason the Braves need to be taken every bit as seriously as the Phillies and Mets are as a contender to reach the World Series. Believe me. Oh yeah, and Garret Anderson’s the other reason. (Just kidding).