Lowell could become a Cub

Florida's firstbaseman leads the National League in total bases.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
CHICAGO -- Mike Lowell's going somewhere soon.
Could be the Cubs. Could be the Dodgers. Could be a mystery team lurking out there in the weeds, like the Braves, Yankees or Red Sox.
In a perfect world, the Cubs would go after reinforcements in late July, when the price falls because there are more teams looking to move players than teams able to increase their payroll.
But if they want to get Lowell from the Florida Marlins, the Cubs will have to move faster than that.
More and more, June 10 is becoming the unofficial start of trading season. That's about when Cleveland moved Bartolo Colon to Montreal for a rich package of prospects last season.
There's not much question that Lowell is the best available player. He went into the weekend hitting .300 with 18 homers and 49 runs batted in. He was leading the National League in total bases, with four more than St. Louis' Albert Pujols.
Because he plays third base, Lowell perfectly fits the needs of the Cubs as well as the Dodgers, who are trying to find a taker for the disappointing Adrian Beltre.
When the Cubs shipped Juan Cruz to Triple-A Iowa last week, it was at least partly in the hopes that he will rebuild his value quickly for a potential trade. The Marlins are expected to scout his starts for the I-Cubs.
Potential package
According to major-league sources, the Cubs are willing to include Cruz and second baseman Bobby Hill--a big name in South Florida because he led the Miami to the College World Series title--in a package for Lowell.
But the Marlins are asking about some other young pitchers, including 6-foot-9-inch left-hander Andy Sisco and Angel Guzman, who pitched like a front-of-the-rotation starter this spring.
You can understand why the Cubs are proceeding cautiously. They have to look no further than 21-year-old Dontrelle Willis and 24-year-old Kyle Lohse to understand the risks that come with trading young pitchers.
Willis shot through Florida's minor-league system after being included in the 2002 deal for Antonio Alfonseca and Matt Clement. Lohse, who was included in a dubious trade for Rick Aguilera in 1999, has blossomed into the best starting pitcher for the first-place Twins.
Then there's Jon Garland, who continues to tease the White Sox with his potential.
But with Sammy Sosa facing another extended absence and questions arising about Moises Alou's health, now looks like the best time if you're going to pay the high price to add an All-Star caliber hitter. It's possible the Cubs will give up the players necessary to get Lowell only if he agrees to a contract extension as a condition of the trade.
Current rate
Lowell, 29, earns $3.7 million this season. He could jump beyond $7 million for 2004 through salary arbitration and then can become a free agent.
His coming to the Cubs could turn on whether he's willing to sacrifice maximum earning power for security with a team that looks like it's on the verge of some fascinating seasons.
There's another way to go too. The Cubs could trade for Florida second baseman Luis Castillo and move Mark Grudzielanek to third base, where he last played in 1995. But that's only half a solution, really.
Los Angeles reportedly is offering the Marlins 23-year-old second baseman Joe Thurston and a package of young pitchers, possibly including right-handers Joel Hanrahan and Edwin Jackson and hard-throwing left-hander Steve Colyer. The Dodgers seem unlikely to add Lowell unless they also have found a landing spot for Beltre.
If the Cubs or Dodgers do land Lowell, he'll give them a major step in the direction of the playoffs. But he'll come at a very high price. These trades generally favor the teams giving up high-priced talent, not the ones taking it on.
Dressed to sell
There has been no official announcement but a Major League Baseball source confirms the rumor players will not be allowed to wear their team's uniforms during the upcoming All-Star Game.
Instead, the July 15 game at U.S. Cellular Field will mark the unveiling of official National and American League jerseys, such as the ones that have been worn for the home run-hitting contest in recent years. Caps will be the way to tell which teams they represent.
"I don't understand why they would want to change that," said Angels third baseman Troy Glaus, a probable All-Star. "It's not really relevant to the game. We're proud of the teams we play for, and we're proud of the uniforms we wear."
Anaheim teammate Garret Anderson said, "It's cool to see all the different uniforms." He's right but distinctive jerseys, such as those from the homer contest, have proven popular with buyers. So once again tradition goes down for the count in a head-to-head battle with the chance to create revenue.
Suspicious minds
When the Atlanta Braves hit four first-inning home runs on May 30, Tom Glavine noticed Mets catcher Vance Wilson pick up and examine several bats before handing them to the batboy. Andruw Jones laughs about the possibility that the bats were corked, pointing instead to his former teammate Glavine.
"If you throw it 83 [m.p.h.] over the plate, we're going to hit it," Jones said.
If anyone should have had his bat checked last week, it was Angels outfielder Jeff DaVanon, who, while filling in for Darin Erstad, became the first major-leaguer in 34 years to hit multiple homers in three consecutive games.
DaVanon, who had nine career homers in 212 at-bats before June 1, homered twice in the series finale at Tampa Bay and then had two-homer games against Montreal at San Juan's Hiram Birthorn Stadium. The Angels hit 15 homers in the three games at that bandbox, outscoring the Expos 33-14.
Even hitters were apologizing for the assault. Anderson said the park is "too small, probably."
No appetite for humor
Minor-league baseball teams have some of the silliest names in sports. There's the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Winston-Salem Warthogs, the Lansing Lugnuts, the Cedar Rapids Kernals and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
But Alabama state representative Alvin Holmes believe the operators of Tampa Bay's Southern League team have gone too far.
In announcing plans to relocate the team from Orlando to Montgomery, Ala., officials with the franchise announced it would switch names from Rays to Biscuits.
That's right. The Montgomery Biscuits.
Holmes called the new name an "embarrassment" to the city, which is Alabama's state capital.
"We need a name that will brighten the city, not one that will make the city look country and backwards," Holmes said.
Feel free to e-mail suggestions.
Mismanagement
Because nobody else seems to have noticed it, we'll offer that Sox manager Jerry Manuel made a couple of terrible decisions with Garland recently. As a result, he missed a great chance to help Garland gain confidence and perhaps turn a corner in his career.
Manuel pulled Garland after eight shutout innings and only 95 pitches May 28 at Toronto, denying him the chance to nail down his second career shutout. That decision is debatable, as it allowed Billy Koch to get an inning of work he needed (although you could ask why he didn't use him in 11-5 and 5-1 losses the previous two days).
But there's no defending his decision to move Esteban Loaiza in front of Garland after a May 30 rainout jumbled the plans. He said he did it because Loaiza wanted to stay on four days' rest. That meant Garland had six days' rest before facing Arizona on Wednesday. It also meant that Garland, who grew up in the Granada Hills, Calif., will start Tuesday in Chicago rather than Sunday in Los Angeles.
So much for what might have been a once-in-a-career chance to pitch in his hometown. Was it really surprising he pitched badly against the Diamondbacks? And how sharp will he be when Barry Bonds digs in on Tuesday? Loaiza is pitching great but the development of young pitchers must remain the White Sox's priority.
Calling the cavalry
Jason Isringhausen has begun a rehab assignment and could join the Cardinals at some point during the upcoming trip to Boston, New York and Milwaukee. His return to form after shoulder surgery would be great news for manager Tony La Russa.
With a patchwork bullpen that features Cal Eldred as the save leader, St. Louis is 3-14 in one-run games and has suffered 17 losses by one or two runs. The bullpen entered the weekend having blown 14-of-27 save situations
"Look at the team around here," Cardinals right-hander Woody Williams said. "No way we should be .500. We need to step it up a little bit."
"Guys are always looking for edges. They tell you if you aren't cheating, you're not trying. You hear statements like that and you laugh them off, like it's not a big deal. But actually, some guys take that to heart."--Braves right fielder Gary Sheffield on the culture of deception that contributed to Sosa's use of a corked bat.