One thing is clear from Bill Plaschke's LAT column today where Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe finally talks about his personal turmoil last season: the beat writers at Dodger Stadium missed the story. It turns out that while Lowe was breaking up with his wife and getting hot and heavy with Fox reporter Carolyn Hughes, he would sometimes sleep at the stadium and felt lost on the mound. On July 2 he asked out of a game after the first inning, saying "I just didn't care anymore." When manager Jim Tracy refused, Lowe gave up home runs on his next two pitches. Before the Hughes news broke, owner Frank McCourt flew to New York to talk with Lowe about his problems and urged him to meet with Jamie McCourt, who apparently has some counseling experience. She wanted to trade Lowe, Plaschke reports.

Lowe now says he should have gone on the baseball disabled list for emotional distress:

"I've pitched in so many big games in my career, I always thought I could overcome anything," he said. "But last summer, what happened in my personal life, I couldn't overcome"...

Lowe has since filed for divorce and moved in with Hughes, and says he finally has a handle on his personal affairs. The Dodgers have agreed by naming him the opening-day starter. But last summer's situation cost Hughes her job and nearly cost Lowe his sanity.

"It was hard, it was hurtful, it was embarrassing," Lowe said Wednesday in Vero Beach. "You look at athletes, they say it shouldn't affect you, but you take your uniform off and you drive home and you're a person, and when things are bad, it's really tough."

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"Young kids looked at veteran guys for leadership, but I was horrible at it," he said. "I couldn't help the young kids. My mind wasn't in the right place...I talked about this 24-7, and the guys were great about listening to me, but eventually they got tired of it. I alienated myself from the team. People knew I was having a bad day and they didn't look at me, they didn't want to talk to me."

Lowe has since filed for divorce and has been named the Dodgers' opening day pitcher.

Previously:
Insert pitching joke here
The Lowe-down