Former Miners in the Majors

PALMER — During the average summer, Randy and Tammy Bovy, a pair of Minnesota transplants, are normally keeping track of the Minnesota Twins.

But this year, the Palmer couple and their two children are paying close attention to the Boston Red Sox, routing for one player in particular — Jed Lowrie.

The former Mat-Su Miner infielder and guest of the Bovy home was recalled from the minor leagues earlier this month. And since Lowrie’s promotion to the Major League level, the Bovys have been glued to their computer screen, eager to watch the young player they once housed turn into a young star in the Major Leagues.

“Oh ya. We watch him on MLB.com every day,” Tammy Bovy said. “It’s almost like watching one of your kids play.”

The Bovys, who still keep in touch with the Lowrie family, have followed the former Stanford standout since his summer with the Miners in 2003.

The Palmer family kept track of Lowrie as he hit .399 with 17 home runs as a Stanford All-American in 2004 and was named to Team USA following his sophomore campaign, and celebrated when he was selected by Boston in the first round of the 2005 MLB draft.

Now the Bovys are thrilled to see their old house guest reach the big show.

“It’s exciting. We’ve kind of been instant Red Sox fans,” Randy Bovy said.

The Bovys have provided summer housing for nine Mat-Su Miners over the years, and Lowrie is the first of that group to advance to the Major Leagues. After his promotion from AAA Pawtucket, Lowrie joined by eight other former Mat-Su Miners who are also playing at the Major League level. Lowrie also became the first player recruited by Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher to reach the Major Leagues.

Although Lowrie spent less than two months with the Bovys, he made an impact on the Bovy family.

Randy Bovy said he remembers Lowrie as a polite and quiet kid, who — when it came to baseball — was all business.

What still strikes Tammy Bovy is the attention Lowrie paid to her two boys — Kyle, now 18, and Brandon, now 16 — a pair of avid baseball fans.

“Every day, he was out doing something with the boys,” Tammy Bovy said. “It’s a real positive influence to see these guys come up here and have time for them.”

The Bovys and Alaska also made an impact on Lowrie.

“My host family was outstanding to me,” Lowrie said on Thursday while en route to Tampa, Fla., where the Red Sox began a three-game series against the Rays on Friday. “The whole experience was awesome, everything I expected from a wood bat league; one of the better baseball experiences of my life.”

Since Boston selected Lowrie with the 45th pick in 2005, the infielder has been one of the more highly regarded prospects in the Red Sox system.

Lowrie blazed through the minor leagues. In 2007, he was named the MVP for AA Portland and voted the Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year.

He also played in 40 games for AAA Pawtucket that season, hitting .300 for Boston’s top farm team.

On April 11, following an injury to Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, Boston purchased Lowrie’s contract from Pawtucket. Since arriving in the Big Leagues, Lowrie has done much more than just occupy a spot on the roster.

He’s contributing.

Lowrie has appeared in 11 games, and is hitting .370 with five RBI. In his MLB debut on April 15, Lowrie collected his first Major League hit and drove in three runs. According to the Boston Globe, Lowrie became the first Boston rookie since 1947 to drive in three runs in his debut.

Lowrie said stepping up to the plate for the first time in the Majors was certainly an exciting experience.

“There’s obviously nerves, but I always get nervous before games,” Lowrie said. “I was more excited than anything else.

“It’s really exciting playing for the Red Sox,” Lowrie added. “There’s such history behind it.”

In 11 games, Lowrie has hit safely in seven of those contests. He’s recorded two hits twice, and had hits in three straight, as of Friday.

Lowrie said he does not know how long his first stint at the Major League level will last, but is doing all he can to take advantage of the opportunity.

“I’m taking it day by day,” Lowrie said. “I’m here to help us win. I’ve got to be ready to do whatever [Boston manager Terry Francona] asks me to do. I’ve got to be ready to play.”

Lowrie said his time in the Mat-Su Valley playing in the Alaska Baseball League certainly helped him get to the Major League level.

“It was my first opportunity to play for an extended time with a wood bat,” Lowrie said. “It really got me ready for pro baseball.”

While Lowrie is taking advantage of the opportunity to play baseball at the highest level, the Bovys will take time to check up on their old house guest every chance they get.

The Bovys joked that they basically have the first unofficial Jed Lowrie fan club in Alaska, and even though they’re Twins fans, they’re now routing for the Sox.

“We’re from Minnesota. We’re Twins fans. I kind of feel bad. We’re watching Boston,” Randy Bovy joked. “But we’ve got to watch Jed’s games.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.