Now, people were asking, would Mike Lowell, the new Red Sox third baseman, represent Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and, perhaps, have history repeat itself with another win over Cuba, assuming the United States government decides to lift its ban preventing Cuba's participation?
''It would have been very unique, two generations representing their country in the same sport," Mike Lowell said. ''I haven't decided officially, but I'm leaning against not doing so. It's not in the best interests of the Red Sox or my career right now."
Not when it means missing three weeks of spring training with his new team. ''Five days, maybe," he said, ''but not three weeks. I want to use that time to get in the flow, get ready for April. My dad understands. I think even before I talked to him he was on my side."
It is not in his best interests when Lowell is looking to reestablish his reputation after batting just .236 with eight home runs and 58 RBIs last season with the Marlins, an enormous drop-off for a guy who has hit more home runs (143) and knocked in more runs (578) than anyone in the Marlins' short (12-year) history.
Toughest year of his career? Sure, if you go strictly by the numbers. Not even close, compared to 1999, when he walked into his first Marlins camp after being traded by the Yankees, where he'd been stuck behind Scott Brosius, took what was supposed to be a routine physical, and was told that he had testicular cancer, just five days before his 25th birthday.
''Scariest thing I've ever gone through," said Lowell, speaking at his home in Pinecrest, a Miami neighborhood about 3 miles from where he grew up in Coral Gables. He played volleyball on the middle school team coached by his father and gravitated to baseball in a town whose biggest star at the time was another Cuban-American, Jose Canseco.
''He was my favorite player," Lowell said. ''He was totally hyped up in Miami, the local boy who made good. They named 16th Street, Jose Canseco Street."
