Dwight Lowry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dwight Lowry |
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Lowry with the Nashville Sounds in 1985
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: October 23, 1957 Lumberton, North Carolina |
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| Died: July 10, 1997 (aged 39) Jamestown, New York |
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| debut | |||
| April 3, 1984, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 23, 1988, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .273 | ||
| Home runs | 5 | ||
| Runs batted in | 26 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Dwight Lowry (born October 23, 1957 – died July 10, 1997) was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins. A big highlight of his career was winning the World Series championship with the Detroit Tigers in 1984.
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Early Life and Education
Dwight Lowry was born in Lumberton, North Carolina, in 1957. He went to Pembroke High School in Pembroke, North Carolina. After high school, he attended the University of North Carolina. There, he earned a degree in industrial relations, which is about how people work together in businesses. He also played baseball for the university team, known as the Tar Heels, in 1977, 1979, and 1980.
Playing Professional Baseball
Lowry was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in the 11th round of the 1980 Major League Baseball draft. This means the Tigers picked him to join their team from a list of many talented players.
Making His MLB Debut
He played his first Major League Baseball game with the Detroit Tigers in 1984. That year, the Tigers had an amazing start, winning 35 out of their first 40 games! They went on to win 104 games in total and beat the San Diego Padres in the World Series.
Key Moments as a Catcher
Dwight Lowry was a backup catcher for the Tigers. This meant he played when the main catcher, Lance Parrish, needed a rest. In 1984, Lowry played in 32 games. He hit 2 home runs and helped score 7 runs for his team.
On May 20, 1984, Lowry hit his first major league home run. It helped the Tigers win 4–3 against the Oakland Athletics. This win extended the Tigers' incredible start to the season. On September 29, he hit his second home run in a game where the Tigers won 11–3 against the New York Yankees. This game was special because it was the team's 104th win, setting a new record for them that season.
Moving Through the Leagues
In 1985, Lowry played for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Triple-A is one step below the Major Leagues. On July 17, 1985, he was the catcher for a no-hitter game thrown by his teammate Bryan Kelly. A no-hitter is when a pitcher plays an entire game without any opposing player getting a hit.
Lowry returned to the Tigers in 1986 and played in 56 games. He had a good batting average of .307, which was one of the best on the team. In 1987, he played in 13 games as the Tigers won their division again.
Later Career and Retirement
The Tigers released Lowry in October 1987. He then signed with the Minnesota Twins as a free agent. He played only seven times for the Twins in 1988, and his last major league game was on April 23, 1988. After that, the Twins sent him to their Triple-A team, the Portland Beavers.
Lowry also played baseball in other leagues. He played in Venezuela during the winter of 1985-1986. Later, he won a championship with the St. Petersburg Pelicans in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.
Becoming a Baseball Manager
After his playing career, Dwight Lowry became a manager for teams in the Tigers' minor league system. A manager is like a coach who leads the team and makes decisions during games.
Leading Minor League Teams
He managed the Class A Fayetteville Generals for three seasons, from 1994 to 1996. In 1995, he led them to a great season, finishing first with 86 wins and 55 losses. In 1996, the team still did well, winning their division in the second half of the season. For his excellent work with the Generals, Lowry was named the Detroit Tigers Player Development Man of the Year. In 1997, Lowry was assigned to manage the Jamestown Jammers.
Family and Special Honors
On July 10, 1997, Dwight Lowry passed away suddenly at the age of 39. He had a wife named Pamela and three children: two daughters, Sesilie and Amanda, and a son, Zachary.
To honor him, the Detroit Tigers renamed their Player Development Man of the Year Award as the Dwight Lowry Award in 1997. This was a special tribute, especially since Lowry himself had won the award in 1996. In 1998, he was also honored by being inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame.
