THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607070294
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 70 lines
If you thought you'd heard of outfielder Terrell Lowery before he was called up to Triple-A this summer by the Norfolk Tides, you're probably a college basketball junkie.
Lowery played point guard for the high-powered Loyola Marymount University teams five years ago, and was among the nation's leading scorers as a junior and a senior, averaging 28.5 points and 26 points per game.
His 2,201 career points leave him second all-time in scoring at Loyola Marymount behind the late Hank Gathers. Lowery was a sophomore during Gathers' senior season, in which Gathers led the nation in scoring and rebounding before dying on court during their conference tournament.
Lowery ended up playing professional baseball after the Texas Rangers selected him in the second round of the 1991 free agent draft. He still had a year of college basketball remaining, but played that summer for the Rangers' rookie team in Butte, batting .299 and making the Pioneer League All-Star team.
Lowery did not play baseball in 1992, opting to give pro basketball a try even though he was not selected in the NBA draft. He played briefly for the Denver Nuggets summer league team with such NBA players as Tony Massenburg, Mark Macon and Kevin Brooks.
``What did I learn?'' Lowery, 25, said. ``I learned that I was good enough to play in the NBA if given a fair chance.''
Lowery returned to the Rangers organization in 1993. Heading into the 1995 season, he figured he'd be playing for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. But he tore an achilles tendon during offseason workouts and much of 1995 was spent rehabilitating.
``I'd always thought it would be a knee if I seriously hurt anything,'' Lowery said. ``I'd seen so many knee injuries playing basketball.''
Prior to this season, Lowery was swapped to the New York Mets organization for outfielder Damon Buford.
Lowery was called up from Double-A Binghamton after both Jay Payton (elbow surgery) and Kevin Flora (wrist surgery) went on the Tides' disabled list.
``Knowing things could be worse, I never complained about being hurt,'' said Lowery, explaining how Gathers' death still affects him. ``I was hurt, it was a fact, case closed. When you're 19 and a friend of yours dies like that, you grow up real fast and it really puts a perspective on life and what it means to you.
``In 1995, somebody else got a chance because I was hurt. Now I'm getting a chance because somebody else is hurt. I feel the chance is just coming a year later for me.''
DOUBLE HEAD(ER)ACHES: The Norfolk Tides have cruised through the first half of the season on the strength of a pitching staff unmatched in the International League. But that staff will be stretched beyond its normal limits beginning July 22.
Starting with a doubleheader at home that night against the Toledo Mud Hens and stretching to Aug. 2-3 when they must play back-to-back doubleheaders in Ottawa, the Tides will play 16 games in 13 days. If rainouts don't create any other doubleheader possibilities.
Pitching coach Bob Apodaca says he will suggest using Bob MacDonald, who was recently outrighted to the Tides by the New York Mets, as a spot starter. If another spot starter is needed, Jason Bullard is Apodaca's second pick.
``I'll have to huddle with (Tides manager Bobby Valentine) and see what he thinks, but MacDonald can change speeds and has three or four good pitches on a given night,'' Apodaca said. ``Hopefully we can get four or five innings out of him.
``Subsequent to how our starters perform around those games will determine how we make it through those doubleheaders and what we have after that. The good thing for us is Ottawa will be in the same situation and they have other doubleheaders prior to ours.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Terrell Lowery says Hank Gathers' death still affects him. ``I was
hurt. ... you grow up real fast.'' by CNB