Today would have been the 56th birthday for former Tigers and Twins catcher Dwight Lowry. Lowry died on July 10, 1997 of a heart attack just hours after managing a game for a Detroit Tigers farm team. While Lowry's playing career never stood out, he had established himself as a solid manager. Over time, odds are he would have gotten strong consideration for a managerial job in the big leagues.
As a player, he made his debut for the Tigers in 1984, the year they last won the World Series. He shared the duty as back up catcher to Lance Parrish, backing him up to start the season and for the month of September. Marty Castillo was the other catcher, who backed up Parrish for the months of June through August and then again in the postseason. Castillo would hit a HR in one of the World Series games. He spent the entire 1985 season in the minors, but returned to be Parrish's primary backup for the 1986 season. However, with the development of Matt Nokes, Lowry saw little MLB time during the 1987 season. The Tigers once again returned to the postseason and this time it was veteran Mike Heath who was the backup. Lowry would get 7 at bats for the 1988 Minnesota Twins and after playing in AAA in the Montreal Expos organization, Lowry hung up his spikes.
Lowry was a very knowledgeable player, which allowed for him to be a successful minor league coach. In 1994, he was named manager of the Fayetteville Generals, where he remained through the 1996 season. The team finished 1st place in the division in 1995 and won the second half South Athletic League Division Title. He was named Detroit Tigers Player Development Man of the Year. For the 1997 season, Lowry was named to manage the Jamestown Jammers of the NY Penn League. Just three weeks into the season, he suffered a heart attack, where he died, leaving behind a wife and three children. Reports say he suffered the heart attack within an hour of a game won by the Jammers.
Lowry was inducted into the South Athletic League Hall of Fame in 1998, posthumously. The Tigers Player Development Man of the Year Award has been named the Dwight Lowry Award, an honor for a man who was certain to be in the mix to be a MLB manager.
As a player, he made his debut for the Tigers in 1984, the year they last won the World Series. He shared the duty as back up catcher to Lance Parrish, backing him up to start the season and for the month of September. Marty Castillo was the other catcher, who backed up Parrish for the months of June through August and then again in the postseason. Castillo would hit a HR in one of the World Series games. He spent the entire 1985 season in the minors, but returned to be Parrish's primary backup for the 1986 season. However, with the development of Matt Nokes, Lowry saw little MLB time during the 1987 season. The Tigers once again returned to the postseason and this time it was veteran Mike Heath who was the backup. Lowry would get 7 at bats for the 1988 Minnesota Twins and after playing in AAA in the Montreal Expos organization, Lowry hung up his spikes.
Lowry was a very knowledgeable player, which allowed for him to be a successful minor league coach. In 1994, he was named manager of the Fayetteville Generals, where he remained through the 1996 season. The team finished 1st place in the division in 1995 and won the second half South Athletic League Division Title. He was named Detroit Tigers Player Development Man of the Year. For the 1997 season, Lowry was named to manage the Jamestown Jammers of the NY Penn League. Just three weeks into the season, he suffered a heart attack, where he died, leaving behind a wife and three children. Reports say he suffered the heart attack within an hour of a game won by the Jammers.
Lowry was inducted into the South Athletic League Hall of Fame in 1998, posthumously. The Tigers Player Development Man of the Year Award has been named the Dwight Lowry Award, an honor for a man who was certain to be in the mix to be a MLB manager.
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