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It's been said that when Dan Duquette stole Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek from the Seattle Mariners for Heathcliff Slocumb, he thought that Lowe was left-handed. You can't really blame him -- Lowe exhibited many of the classic left-hander qualities while in Boston: Hard-throwing, good sinker, somewhat erratic, and prone to losing control both on and off the field.

Lowe nonetheless had a pretty good run in Boston as both a starter and reliever, including a no-hitter in 2002, and is best remembered for his 2004 postseason Renaissance in which he was the winning pitcher (twice as a starter, once as a reliever) in all three clinching games that October. Since leaving the Hub, he's gone 61-53. Not exactly Cooperstown stuff, but about what you'd expect by today's standards.

Lowe was back in Boston this weekend as an Atlanta Brave, re-opening the debate that maybe the Sox should have kept D-Lowe around, or at least brought him back when they had a shot at him via a trade or free agency. Well, maybe, but the opinion here is that it was best for him to leave as a hero than to return and, once the glory of 2004 faded, face again questions about his psychological makeup and mental toughness. Of the players they lost after 2004 (Lowe, Pedro, Roberts, Mientkiewicz, Leskanic and a few others), I would have rather seen the Sox keep Orlando Cabrera at SS. Edgar Renteria? Eeesh.