John Lowenstein

 ( 1947 Births ) 

Although he never played in a major league game for them, Lowenstein was briefly a member of the expansion Toronto Blue Jays between the and seasons. He was traded by the Indians to the Blue Jays for designated hitter Rico Carty, and reacquired in the same off-season for utility infielder Héctor Torres.

Lowenstein is known for being part of a left-field Platoon system during the late 1970s and early 1980s with Gary Roenicke for the Baltimore Orioles. He had been claimed off waivers by the Orioles from the Rangers on November 27, 1978. Baltimore Orioles 25th Anniversary: 1979 Information Guide (Lowenstein's profile on pages 96–97). Retrieved October 23, 2020

Lowenstein hit an extra inning walk-off home run for the Baltimore Orioles to win Game 1 of the 1979 American League playoffs against the California Angels. He also made a spectacular, off-the-wall catch to rob the Phillies' Bo Diaz of a home-run in Game One of the 1983 World Series and hit a home run for the Orioles in Game 2. Lowenstein and the Orioles won the World Series that year, four games to one.

Lowenstein was taken off the field on a stretcher in the seventh inning of a 4–3 Orioles win over the Oakland Athletics at Memorial Stadium on June 19, 1980. While sliding into second base in an attempt to extend a game-tying single, he was accidentally hit on the back of his head by a ball thrown by first baseman Jeff Newman who was the cut-off man on the play. As he reached the dugout, the seemingly unconscious Lowenstein abruptly sat up and pumped his fists in a victory salute to the crowd. He explained, "It was simply an opportunity I could not pass up."

In 1986, Lowenstein served as a backup color commentator (behind Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek) on NBC's Game of the Week broadcasts alongside play-by-play man Ted Robinson; Lowenstein and Robinson called the May 17 game between Kansas City and the Chicago White Sox.