I want to be careful about reading too much into this. I certainly don’t think D-Lowe was trying to rip his old skipper. But it does suggest that Derek’s brief stint as a rookie with the Seattle Mariners in 1997 weren’t the happiest days of his career.

“My name was `son’ in Seattle. That’s all he ever called me. You know, I have heard him speak over the years. I think he has changed a little bit. He was extremely tough, I think, on young guys. I was no different. He demanded a lot, and at that part of my career, I couldn’t really give what he was demanding.
“I think he is great for veterans. He kind of lets you do your thing. But he is a tremendous manager. You look at what he has done here in the two years, I believe, that he has been here, and … I think he knows how to push people’s buttons. He knows how to get the best out of everybody.
“I wasn’t there long enough in Seattle for him to get the best out of me, and ultimately, he traded me. But he is a great manager.”