The third baseman had subpar stats last year with the Marlins, but the Sox are eager to see what he can do in Boston. So is Lowell.

01:00 AM EST on Saturday, November 26, 2005

BY ART MARTONE
Journal Sports Editor

As excited as people have been about the acquisition of Josh Beckett, they've been that lukewarm about Mike Lowell.

And it's understandable. Owed $18 million over the remaining two years of his contract, and coming off a season in which he hit .236 with 8 home runs and 58 RBI, he was viewed as a throw-in at best and a you-have-to-take-him appendage at worst.

But the Sox, in need of a third baseman now thatsBill Muellershas filed for free agency, insisted they wanted him nearly as much as they wanted Beckett.

"People said we had to take him," said Bill Lajoie, special assistant to the GM. "Fact is, we wanted Mike. We look for him to bounce back extremely well. At 31, he has many good years ahead of him."

Special advisor Jeremy Kapstein was even more emphatic.

"Mike Lowell, to me, is the best defensive third baseman in baseball," he said. "He'll be a positive influence in our clubhouse, and he's perfect for Fenway Park. He has a perfect stroke for our ballpark."

Craig Shipley, special assistant to the GM, agreed.

"Mike's swing is conducive to Fenway," Shipley said. "Hitters, pitchers, fielders, they can get in a funk. Everybody we talked to seemed to think Mike got into a funk and it carried on longer than they hoped. We expect him to bounce back. As Bill said, he's a major part of this deal."

Lowell says he's not offended by the talk that he was forced on the Sox -- "I understand the business a little bit better than some guys" -- and he, too, sees a bounceback in 2005.

"I can't believe the six years prior to last year" -- years in which he averaged 22 home runs and 87 RBI a season with a .277 batting average -- "were a fluke, and that last year was what I am."

As for last year, Lowell thinks he has an explanation.

"I'm usually the type of person who uses spring training to get my swing down," he said. "For whatever reason, I didn't find that this year. I never found that rhythm. I was trying to make too many adjustments, do too many different things.

"I intend to come into spring training [next year and use] the games to fine-tune myself to get ready for the season."

And while he understands the Boston fans aren't nearly as patient, or forgiving, as the small, dispassionate crowds of south Florida, he still can't wait to get here.

"The first day I got called up with the Yankees in '98 it was at Fenway, Pedro [Martinez] against El Duque [Orlando Hernandez], and it was a playoff football atmosphere," he marveled.

"I've spoken tosKevin Millars[who played three seasons for the Sox] and Todd Jones [who was with Boston in 2003] and Jose Cruz Jr., who was here for about 48 hours [last season], and they told me it's electric. And it's electric every single night.

"As a competitor, you have to look forward to that."

He's also looking forward to hitting in Fenway Park.

"I like the stadium; I think it's something that may cater to my swing," he said "I'm a pull hitter and I think the dimensions of the park favor [me]. Pro Player [Stadium in Miami] wasn't much of a hitter's park. A lot of those balls going to the track [at Pro Player] could be off or over the wall [at Fenway]."

As excited as Boston is about getting Josh Beckett, Lowell is just as excited about coming here with him.

"I've never been more excited for a season to start than this one," said Lowell. "Everything's pointing in the right direction."