All-Time MLB Players From Lafayette: Carlton Loewer

There have been a number of individuals from Lafayette, and the Acadiana area, that have played in Major League Baseball over the years.

Obviously, the entire state of Louisiana has produced even more.

As a matter of fact, 246 people born in the state of Louisiana have appeared in a Major League Baseball game, beginning in 1874, with John Peters of New Orleans, who played 11 years, with the likes of the Chicago White Stockings, Milwaukee Grays, Providence Grays, Buffalo Bisons, and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

All summer, we’ll preview a player from the state of Louisiana that appeared in Major League baseball, starting with players from Lafayette, before spotlighting players from the Acadiana area, and then a few from the state itself.

Yesterday, we spotlighted Joe Fontenot.

Today, we feature Carlton Loewer.

Born in Lafayette in 1973, Loewer, a right-handed pitcher, played four seasons in Major League Baseball, with the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1998-1999, and the San Diego Padres, in 2001, and then again in 2003.

After playing his high school baseball at St. Edmund in Eunice, La., and then his college baseball at Mississippi St., Loewer was drafted by the Phillies in the first round, with the 23rd-overall pick, of the 1994 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Loewer played for the Phillies' minor league affiliates in Clearwater, Florida and Reading, Pennsylvania in 1995, going a combined 11-6 with a 2.95 ERA.

After spending 2-and-a-half more season in the minor leagues, including time at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Lower was called up to the big leagues by the Phillies in late May of 1998, making him the ninth person born in the Lafayette area to ever play in Major League Baseball.

An what a big league debut Loewer had! He allowed two earned runs on five hits in a 5-2, complete-game victory over the Cubs June 14, 1998.

Loewer appeared in 21 games, all as a starter, going 7-8 with a 6.09 ERA. In 122.2 innings, he allowed 154 hits, and 83 earned runs, while striking out 58 hitters.

In 1999, spent most of the year with the Phillies, appearing in 20 games, including 13 as a starter. He went 2-6 with a 5.12 ERA, allowing 100 hits and 1 runs, while striking out 48 batters.

In the offseason, the Phillies traded Loewer, along with Adam Eaton and Steve Montgomery, to the San Diego Padres, in exchange for pitcher Andy Ashby.

Things didn't go all that well for Loewer after that. His 2000 season was limited to only two minor league games, after he broke his left leg, after falling out of a tree-stand, while hunting in the offseason.

That injury, along with some arm ailments, curtailed Loewer's career, as his appeared in only 7 more big league games, including two in 2001, and five in 2003, before retiring.

In 8 seasons in the minor leagues, Loewer went 42-47 with a 4.20 ERA.

In parts of 4 seasons in Major League Baseball, Loewer compiled an overall record of 10-18 with a 6.12 ERA.

Loewer made his MLB debut on June 14 of 1998, while making his final appearance on June 7 of 2003.