LOS ANGELES -- A day after participating in Boston's World Series celebration, Derek Lowe expressed surprise at the fuss he caused by wearing a Red Sox jersey.
"The jersey was made for that ceremony," Lowe said Tuesday before the Dodgers played their home opener against the San Francisco Giants. "It was just part of it."
His sartorial choice was a subject of debate on sports talk
radio and television. Lowe was handed the jersey shortly before the
celebration began, and gets to keep it or give it to charity.
Lowe, who won the last game of all three postseason series, flew to Boston to be part of the ceremony honoring the franchise's first World Series champion since 1918, as did outfielder Dave Roberts, a former Dodger who plays for the San Diego Padres but is on the disabled list. Lowe signed a four-year, $36 million contract with Los Angeles during the offseason, and the Dodgers were off Monday.
Lowe said he believes the 34-minute ceremony offered closure for him and the Red Sox.
"Absolutely, 100 percent, and it's good," he said. "The guys
on the 2005 team, they don't want to see us around. I'm happy it's
over with. The main thing is, no one on our team, they didn't care.
"It was good, a first-class deal," he said of the ceremony.
"It wasn't too long. From my standpoint, it was good to see a lot
of the guys."
Manager Jim Tracy and pitchers Odalis Perez and Scott Erickson supported that notion.
"Absolutely not," Tracy said when asked if Lowe's wearing the
Red Sox jersey bothered him. "There are people who have played
this game a long time who never had an opportunity to experience
what he did yesterday."
Perez said much the same thing.
"The way they did it was good," he said. "I believe it was
nice for him. It was 86 years, man. Roberts and Lowe -- well done.
If that happened to me, I would (wear the jersey), too. The goal is
to win."
Said Erickson: "Eighty-six years or six years, what's the big
deal? That was last year."
Lowe spoke after completing a bullpen session. He was hit just
above his right elbow by Craig Counsell's liner in the fifth inning
of a 5-4 loss at Arizona on Sunday.
"That was an inch and a half away from complete disaster,"
Tracy said, expressing the opinion that Lowe's elbow was that close
to being broken. "That ball was really smoked. When he fell down
at first base is when I took a deep breath when I left the
dugout."
Lowe said that while he has a bruise where the ball hit him, he
expects to take his regular turn Friday night against the Padres.
"It's good," he said of his arm. "I look forward to getting
back out there -- my first game pitching at home."