Terrell Lowery was an outfielder for three major league
teams from 1997 to 2000.
Quenton Terrell Lowery was born October 25, 1970, in
Oakland. He earned three varsity letters in baseball at Oakland Tech High
School, and four in basketball, where he was the Oakland Athletic League’s
player of the year his senior season, 1988. His older brother Josh also starred
in both, and played shortstop in the Phillies’ organization. Terrell was
heavily recruited by college basketball programs as a 6-3 guard, but chose
Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles because they were willing to let him play
baseball as well—and also because of basketball coach Paul Westhead’s unusual
high-speed run-and-gun system.
As a freshman in 1988-89, Terrell made the varsity
basketball team. They advanced to the NCAA tournament, which didn’t leave
enough time for him to play baseball afterward. The next season he averaged
14.5 points and 6.3 assists in 20 minutes a game coming off the bench, and was
on the court when teammate, close friend and mentor Hank Gathers collapsed
during a conference tournament game due to a heart condition and later died.
After the tragedy the team rallied together and advanced to the Elite Eight
round of the NCAA tournament, with seemingly most of the country rooting for
them, before losing to UNLV. Again, there was not enough time left in the
baseball season for Terrell to make the team, though he worked out with them.
In 1990-91, Terrell’s junior year, the LMU basketball team
fell off to a 16-15 record, but he blossomed as a star, becoming the first
player in NCAA history to finish in the top ten in both scoring (28.5 PPG, 5th
in the nation) and assists (9.1 APG, 3rd in the nation). This year
he was able to join the baseball team, and he became the starting right fielder,
hitting .407 with 25 RBI in 31 games. This attracted the attention of major
league baseball, as recounted in a 1996 article in the Newport News Daily
Press:
In late May that year, [baseball coach Chris] Smith called Lowery into his office and told him to brace himself for some stunning information. Scouts from major-league teams has suddenly begun flooding the office with phone calls asking Smith if he thought Lowery would be “signable” if he were drafted.
“He told me I might go in the first or second round,” Lowery said. “He told me they would be offering more money than I could even imagine, coming from where I had come from. And I just looked at him and went, ‘Huh?’”
On June 6, 1991, Terrell, whom Baseball America had
called the best athlete in the draft, was chosen in the second round by the
Texas Rangers. He signed for a six-figure bonus and was sent to the Butte
Copper Kings of the Rookie class Pioneer League. He hit .299/.382/.453 and
scored 38 runs in 54 games before leaving the team to go back to school. On
January 4, 1992, the AP’s Jim O’Connell did a story on Terrell:
Loyola’s Lowery: Hoops or baseball?
Terrell Lowery is facing the decision most kids have during the summer—play basketball or baseball?
The difference is his decision will involve a career move, not how an afternoon is spent.
The 6-foot-3 senior guard is back among the nation’s leading scorers for Loyola Marymount and that comes after he came back from a summer of professional baseball where he earned accolades which have left him an option for a future in the NBA or the major leagues.
“I can’t make a decision on that because all the cards aren’t on the table, just one card is,” Lowery said Thursday night after leading Loyola Marymount to an 84-80 victory over Marist. “I was drafted by the Texas Rangers and have a chance to go back and play for the Texas Rangers, but the NBA hasn’t made a move on me. I would very much like to play in the NBA, or I would like to play in the major leagues. That hasn’t been decided yet. I just hope I’m in that position to make the decision.”
By all accounts Lowery will be in that position.
NBA scouts indicate the Oakland native is among the top point guards in the upcoming draft despite the fact he is playing as the Lions’ 2 guard this season.
His baseball stock rose this summer as it should have with a .299 average, three home runs, 33 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 54 games with the Butte Copper Kings of the Pioneer League.
“Baseball America” has projected Lowery in Texas’ starting outfield in 1995 along with Ruben Sierra and Juan Gonzalez…
Terrell led the WCC in scoring in 1991-92 with 26 points per
game, as the team finished 15-13 and lost in the first round of the WCC
tournament. He was named an honorable mention on the AP All-America team. He
missed spring training and the beginning of the baseball season, staying in
school and graduating in June with a communications degree. He then held off on
reporting to the minor leagues, waiting for the NBA draft on June 24. He was
projected as a second round pick (the draft was, as now, just two rounds) but
was not chosen, apparently because teams expected him to play baseball. He was
not ready to give up on basketball, though. From the August 9 Los Angeles
Times:
Lowery is Still Considering Options
…When Lowery signed a professional contract in 1991 with the Rangers, he received a six-figure reporting bonus and played rookie ball in Butte, Mont. The contract was structured so that Lowery could remain eligible to play basketball during his senior season at Loyola. Since leaving Loyola in the spring, he has not played baseball.
Lowery, however, needs to report to the instructional league Sept. 15 to collect his remaining bonus. A source familiar with Lowery’s contract said he received an initial bonus of $100,000 and will earn an additional $75,000 when he reports to the instructional league.
But Lowery also has ambitions to play in the NBA. Although he was not drafted, Lowery was invited to audition for a spot on summer league teams with the Nuggets, the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Lowery’s agent, former Laker and Clipper guard Norm Nixon, advised Lowery to pursue an opportunity with the Nuggets. Last month, Lowery played in the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City and averaged 7.6 points and three assists a game.
The Nuggets’ training camp begins Oct. 9 at the Air Force Academy.
“We would like to invite him to training camp,” [Nuggets GM Bernie] Bickerstaff said. “We’re in the process of talking to his people.
“But there are no guarantees that he will make the team.”
So Lowery may be forced to make a decision. Does he attend the instructional league and collect the $75,000 bonus or hope for a shot with the Nuggets? The NBA minimum salary is $140,000 a season.
“It’s a hard question,” Lowery said. “I like both sports. I’m not ready to give up either one.”
Lowery, 21, ruled out the idea of playing in the Continental Basketball Assn. if he fails to make an NBA squad.
“Play in the CBA and quit baseball,” Lowery said. “No, I wouldn’t do that.”
One thing is certain: The Rangers are willing to wait for Lowery to make his decision. They own his baseball rights for the next six years.
“When we signed Terrell Lowery, we knew he had a passion to play basketball and that we might have to wait,” Rangers West Coast scout Len Strelitz said. “It could take two or three years, but he would still be only 23 or 24.
“The worst-case scenario is that he exhausts his opportunities in basketball before he returns to play baseball. The bottom line is (that) when basketball is out of his system, he’ll be an even better baseball player.”
…[In 1991 Lowery] was selected to the Pioneer League all-star team and was voted the league’s second-best major league prospect.
Baseball America selected Lowery the 40th-best prospect in the minor leagues and said: “Great speed. But will he run to the National Basketball Assn.”
…“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to be done. I’m undecided. I need to get down to do some serious thinking.”
On August 14 Terrell was taken in the 6th round
of the CBA draft by Quad City. In September, though, he decided to report to Port
Charlotte for the Florida Instructional League. There was a report in October
that he would play for Quad City in the CBA in between the instructional league
and spring training, but I’m not sure if that happened—I didn’t find any other
reference to that.
Terrell was invited to major league spring training 1993 by
the Rangers, then on March 22 he was sent to their minor league camp for
reassignment. He began the season with the Port Charlotte Rangers of the
Florida State League, class Advanced A. On June 18, after hitting
.300/.408/.432 with nine triples and 14 stolen bases (and 15 times caught
stealing) in 257 at-bats, he was promoted to the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA
Texas League. His season was split almost perfectly in two, as he had one more
at-bat in one more game with Tulsa than with Port Charlotte, but he didn’t do
nearly as well, hitting .240/.316/.302 with ten stolen bases (and 12 caught
stealing). After the season his contract was purchased by Texas from Tulsa for
the purpose of protecting him from the minor league draft.
Terrell went to spring training with Texas again in 1994; on
February 28 the Sporting News said “Terrell Lowery is a budding star in
center field, although he’s still probably 1,000 minor league at-bats away.” On
March 19 he was sent to the minor league camp for reassignment, and he ended up
back with Tulsa, where he spent the year. He hit .286/.365/.435 with 34
doubles, eight triples and eight homers in 496 at-bats and improved his
base-stealing considerably, with 33 steals in 48 attempts. On October 9 the Baltimore
Sun reported:
The Texas Rangers, extremely high on center field prospect Terrell Lowery, were disappointed he will not be able to play in the Arizona Fall League. Lowery’s injured left wrist is not fully recovered and the league does not allow late starts. Lowery has played only two full seasons since ending his basketball career. He had 50 extra-base hits in 1994. The Rangers are attempting to place him in a winter league.
Terrell did play winter ball, hitting .317 for Santurce in
the Puerto Rican League. 1995 was the spring that the major league players were
on strike and the teams brought in replacement players. In late February, while
working out at home, Terrell ruptured his right Achilles tendon. He underwent
surgery, then began rehab. At some point before the end of the season he got
into 11 games for Port Charlotte and ten games for the Rangers’ Gulf Coast
League Rookie team; between the two he hit .261/.378/.551 in 69 at-bats. He
then played in the Arizona Fall League, and on November 20 the Sporting News
named him one of the Rangers’ top three prospects.
On January 18, 1996, Terrell signed a new one-year contract
with the Rangers, and one week later he was traded to the New York Mets for Damon
Buford, also a 25-year-old outfielder. Buford, who already had some major
league experience, was regarded by the Rangers to be of more help to them in
the short term, while the Mets felt that Terrell had greater potential. Terrell
reported to the Mets’ spring training early, with the pitchers and catchers, to
continue his rehab. On February 26 he got a write-up in Newsday:
A Leg Up for Lowery
By Jason Molinet
PORT ST. LUCIE—Terrell Lowery felt the pain shoot up his right leg as he collapsed. In that instant, Lowery’s future with the Rangers, for whom he was a top prospect, shredded like his ruptured Achilles.
Exactly one year later, Lowery sat by his locker in the Mets clubhouse—prepared for his day under the unforgiving Florida sun, and another shot at regaining his status as an outfield talent. The scar he bears is a daily reminder of the livelihood he nearly lost.
The 6-3, 180-pound Californian is hoping to re-establish himself as the centerfielder of the future, one month after being shipped to the Mets in exchange for Damon Buford, who fills the Rangers’ immediate need in center.
“I feel myself getting stronger every day especially with all the running we’re doing here,” said Lowery, who is nearly 100 percent. “I like the running because it’s helping me build up my leg. I think my leg is very, very strong. And I have no complaints. A lot of people haven’t been able to come back to this point. But I’m very close to where I should be.”
Mets’ GM Joe McIlvaine, impressed with Lowery’s speed and his performance in the 1994 [1995?] Arizona Fall League, eagerly dealt Buford in exchange for a player he felt possessed greater potential. Lowery is seen as a future leadoff man who will likely open the season in Triple-A Norfolk…
“I know I’ve become a better base stealer,” Lowery said. “I think that is going to be a very important part of my game. I’m still searching as a hitter because I think I can be a better hitter. Even though I have a career average above .280, I’m pushing myself to be a .300 hitter. I still have a lot to learn as a hitter.”
Paul Gomez, a minor-league catcher, hit a rocket to deep right-center yesterday. Lowery, joking with Alex Ochoa in rightfield one minute, tore away to pursue Gomez’ shot the next. He covered ground by moving both laterally and backpedaling in similar fashion to the way his Achilles popped one year earlier.
Alongside the batting cage, infielder Tim Bogar was incredulous and asked,”How’d he catch that?”
Speed,” Gomez replied.
The scar may indicate otherwise but Lowery still has his speed to go along with a second chance.
There were various references in the papers that spring to
Terrell being expected to be part of the AAA Norfolk outfield, but as it turned
out he started the season with the AA Binghamton Mets of the Eastern League. At
the end of May he was moved up to Norfolk but went back down to Binghamton
after about a week, then went back up to Norfolk to stay in late June. He ended
up playing 62 games for each team, hitting .275/.400/.474 while with Binghamton
and .233/.312/.352 with Norfolk. On November 19, the Mets assigned his contract
outright to Binghamton, removing him from the 40-man major league roster and
leaving him unprotected for the minor league draft. On December 9 the Cubs
selected him in the draft and assigned him to their AAA affiliate, the Iowa
Cubs of the American Association.
Terrell came back with his best season so far with Iowa in
1997, hitting .301/.401/.521 with 17 home runs in 386 at-bats in 110 games. On
August 10 he was ranked the best defensive outfielder in AAA by Baseball
America, and on September 12 his teammates voted him co-team-MVP, one day after
the Cubs purchased his contract from Iowa and summoned him to the major
leagues.
On September 13 Terrell made his major league debut,
striking out against Jeff Wallace as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of a
game in Pittsburgh. The next day, still in Pittsburgh, he started in left
field, batting third in the order, between Ryne Sandberg and Sammy Sosa. He
singled off Steve Cooke in the sixth for his first major league hit. In all he
got into nine games for the Cubs that September, getting four hits, all
singles, in 14 at-bats. In November the expansion draft to stock the new
Arizona and Tampa Bay teams was held; it had been predicted that the Cubs might
lose Terrell, but he was not chosen.
In spring training 1998 Terrell competed for a spot on the
Cubs’ roster, but ultimately he was optioned to Iowa. He got off to a good
start, including a 20-game hit streak, and on May 20 he was called up to
Chicago. He played in 24 games with the Cubs, all but two of them coming off the
bench as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement, and had three hits in 15
at-bats. On July 6 he was sent back to Iowa when the Cubs claimed Glenallen
Hill off waivers; he finished the season there hitting .297/.368/.508 with 12
homers in 246 at-bats. After the season ended he became a free agent, and in
November he signed a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
From the St. Petersburg Times, March 18, 1999:
…Terrell Lowery has emerged as one of the early surprises of the spring.
Lowery has impressed at the plate, where he looks to be a line-drive hitter and has a .290 spring average, and in the outfield, where his speed and versatility allow him to play all three positions.
“He’s certainly worked his way into at least opening our eyes because we really didn’t know him,” manager Larry Rothschild said. “Some of our people really liked what they saw, especially his athletic ability. He played well.”
Lowery came to the Rays knowing it would be tough to earn a spot on the big-league roster. He just figured it wouldn’t be as difficult as it was in Chicago, where he felt blocked by the Cubs’ veteran outfield crew and spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Iowa…
“You’re looking for a slight opportunity, and that’s all you hope for,” Lowery said. “With the organization being fairly young, I thought it would be a better opportunity for me. There’s not a lot of established guys, not a lot of 10-year veterans like I had last year with the Cubs.”
Lowery quickly chose the Rays from the potential suitors, then came to camp ready to play. “In my situation I knew anywhere I signed would be an uphill battle,” he said. “I know they have a lot of good outfielders here and all I can do is show what I can do and let them judge that.”
He’s 28 and knows time is running short. Seven years with the Rangers, Mets and Cubs has netted him 69 days—and 29 at-bats—in the big leagues.
“I do have a sense of urgency as far as trying to establish myself as a major-league player. Anyone in my shoes would,” Lowery said. “I’ve got some time, but I’ve never really had a chance to play. I’ve always sat behind some good players. Whose fault is that? Nobody’s. There’s certain situations that you’re in, you’re dealt certain cards and you’ve got to play them.”
Three days later the Rays sent Terrell to their minor league
camp, and he started the season with the AAA Durham Bulls of the International
League. He was named the league’s batter of the week for the week ending May
30, during which he hit .484. On June 4 he was called up to Tampa Bay. He spent
ten days there, during which he played in seven games, starting one in left field,
and had two hits in ten at-bats. Back in Durham, he was named batter of the
week two straight weeks, then on July 16 the Rays called him up again. An
injury to Randy Winn made Terrell the regular center fielder, and he took
advantage of the opportunity. From the August 13 St. Petersburg Times:
Lowery gets chance to prove, improve himself
To hear OF Terrell Lowery tell it, the secret of his success is simple:
“Comfortability.”
Lowery says he has gotten more comfortable, which has allowed him to be more confident, which has resulted in considerable success in what amounts to his first-time opportunity for consistent playing time at the big-league level.
Since rejoining the Rays from Triple-A Durham on July 16 Lowery has been one of their most productive hitters, taking a .354 average into play Thursday…
Lowery, 28, had a brief stay with the Rays in June, then went on a tear at Durham, hitting .438 with nine homers and 30 RBI during a 19-game stretch. Overall, he was hitting .335 with 15 homers…
“He came back here and picked up where he left off in Durham,” manager Larry Rothschild said. “We put him out there right away and he made his way into playing a lot.”
Lowery has hit well and has been impressive defensively, especially covering the vast centerfield at Tropicana Field. Having spent most of seven years in the minors, he is intent on continuing to get better…
On August 18 Terrell hit an opposite-field grand slam to drive
in all the runs in a 4-0 victory. His hitting fell off some after that, and
with some players returning from injury he finished the season starting about
half of the games in September and October. The St. Petersburg Times
reported on September 18:
LOOKING AHEAD: He will be 29 next month, so Terrell Lowery probably is beyond the prospect stage. But he has played well enough the last few months to warrant serious consideration as Tampa Bay’s fourth outfielder next season.
Lowery has hit around .300 since being recalled from Triple-A Durham on July 16, although he has not been as successful in the field. He has been tentative on artificial turf and has not shown the greatest arm.
“Offensively he’s played his way into consideration,” Rothschild said. “For that position, I need someone who can play defense and play it well. I think he has that ability, but I’m going to need to see it.”
Terrell ended up hitting .259/.330/.384 in 185 at-bats for
the year with Tampa Bay; with Durham he was .335/.424/.607 with 15 homers and
57 RBI in 275 at-bats. But after the season the Rays demoted him back to
Durham, and he opted to refuse the assignment and become a free agent.
In December there was speculation that the Indians would
sign Terrell to compete for their center field job during an injury to Kenny
Lofton, but that didn’t happen, and he went to spring training 2000 as a non-roster
invitee with the Giants, to compete for their fifth outfielder spot. From the
March 12 Chicago Tribune:
Former Cub’s Quest Won’t Die
Lowery Intent on Majors Slot
Terrell Lowery, a Veteran of Nine Minor-League Seasons, Refuses to Give Up His Dream of the Big Time
By Scott Merkin
Dusty Baker was addressing reporters from behind his desk at Scottsdale Stadium, as he does every morning, when a visitor poked his head into the office.
He was a well-dressed young man with a slender, sturdy build that suggested he was not there for the San Francisco manager’s news briefing.
“Just wanted to tell you I’m still here,” he said.
The mystery man was Terrell Lowery, a non-roster outfielder with Baker’s Giants. Lowery wasn’t supposed to be in camp this day, having informed the team the night before he was leaving for Oakland to join his wife, Denise, for the birth of their second child.
Her labor turned out to be a false alarm, so Lowery was back in camp. His choice of words to Baker—“I’m still here”—was symbolic of his baseball career…
Yet every spring he’s back in places like Scottsdale, Mesa or St. Petersburg, Fla., trying to earn a spot on some team’s roster.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I don’t want to put a number on it,” Lowery said when asked how many teams and/or camps he has experienced. “You hope that someone will eventually give you a chance to show what you can do on a regular basis. A lot of times those chances don’t come about. So I just keep plugging away and see what happens.”
Lowery believed that chance had come last year with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, his fourth organization. After hitting .335 with 15 home runs and 57 RBIs at Class AAA Durham, Lowery was recalled in June and started 22 of 28 games in center field at one stretch, including 14 straight. It was his first everyday opportunity, and he responded by hitting .302 in 121 at-bats as a leadoff man.
“I was getting my hits, getting on base,” he said. “I was doing well. At least I thought I was doing well.”
But the Devil Rays were looking for more, and Lowery’s playing time all but disappeared over the final month. He finished with a .259 average, two home runs and 17 RBI in 66 games. Tampa Bay invited him to spring training, but as a non-roster player with no guarantees. Lowery saw the writing on the wall after the team added outfielders Greg Vaughn, Gerald Williams and Jose Guillen.
“I felt it was in my best interest to see if there was another ball club out there interested,” Lowery said…
“Terrell did a good job for us during the two years we had him,” Cubs scouting director Jim Hendry said. “We felt the second year in Chicago he didn’t play quite as well defensively. At this point he pretty much is what he is—a guy you bring into camp who might fit as an extra outfielder and can be brought up from Triple A in an emergency.
“He’s been with four or five clubs now, and it’s not like we’re all missing on him. He’s not doing anything wrong, but neither are the teams.”
Terrell had an excellent exhibition season, hitting .407 and
finishing second on the team in RBI to Barry Bonds, but still he was the odd
man out as Armando Rios, who had played well for the Giants the year before,
and Calvin Murray, who had spent several years in the Giants’ minor-league
system, got the two backup outfielder slots. But on May 13 Ellis Burks was
placed on the disabled list and Terrell was called up to fill the roster spot.
He got a start the next day at Colorado, batting third and playing left field
in place of Bonds, who was suffering from a nagging injury. He went three-for-three
with a double, a three-run homer and a walk.
Two nights later he got another
start in Bonds’ spot, in Atlanta against Tom Glavine, and went two-for-five. In
Milwaukee on May 21, again in left field but now batting fifth, he went five-for-six
with three doubles. Still, once Burks and Bonds were back in the lineup there
was no room for him, and when the Giants needed to make room on the roster
for Joe Nathan to come off the DL, the decision was made to drop Terrell even
though he was hitting .556 (15 for 27). Since Terrell was out of options, he
had to pass through waivers before he could be sent to Fresno, and even then he
would have the choice of accepting the assignment or becoming a free agent. To
the Giants’ surprise, no other club claimed him on waivers, and then he decided
to accept the Fresno assignment.
Terrell didn’t do nearly as well in Fresno as he had been
doing in San Francisco, and when their season ended he was hitting .199/.289/.395,
with 16 home runs in 301 at-bats. The Giants then called him back to finish up
the season there; he appeared strictly as a pinch-hitter and defensive
replacement, and his final Giants’ numbers were .441/.548/.647 in 34 at-bats.
Still, the Giants released Terrell, and in January 2001 he
signed a minor-league contract with Cleveland and was invited to spring
training with the Indians. On March 19 he appeared in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s
“Quotable” column:
“I like it here. Of course, I’ve liked it at other places, too.”
Terrell Lowery, 30-year-old outfielder trying to make the Cleveland Indians, his sixth major-league organization.
The next day the Indians assigned him to their minor-league
camp. I don’t know what happened after that, until on April 17 he signed a
minor-league contract with Tampa Bay and was assigned to Durham, where he had
done so well two seasons previously. He played regularly for the Bulls, mostly
in right field, until he was released on July 13 to make room for a player coming
off the DL. He had hit .261/.335/.352 in 253 at-bats in 71 games, and his
professional career was over.
Terrell and his family settled in Sacramento. In 2020 he was
inducted into the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor as a basketball player.
