FORT MYERS, Fla. -- For many veterans, Spring Training is the perfect time to try new looks. The time couldn't be better for Mike Lowell.

Not only has he changed the name on the front of the uniform, but he also changed the number on the back. All in hopes of changing his fortunes from a very difficult 2005.

"I even told Josh [Beckett] he could have No. 19 because I wanted to change everything," said Lowell, who will wear No. 25 this season. "That's good. I'm very happy where I am right now."

And for good reason. Lowell should benefit from hitting behind one of baseball's most potent 3-4 combinations, and that should help him rebound from a season in which he hit just .236 with eight homers and 58 RBIs in 150 games.

"There was no outside force or pressure," he said. "I felt like I was prepared, but it was just something where a lot of things didn't work out. I don't think anyone's had perfect years their whole career, so I chalk it up as a bad year and I'm very, very, very excited for this year."

Coincidentally, Lowell was talking about bouncing back seven years ago to the day he had surgery for testicular cancer. Following an offseason trade from the Yankees to the Marlins, he had the procedure in February 1999, just prior to his rookie season.

Lowell quickly established himself as one of the National League's most consistent and dangerous threats at third base. So then, what exactly caused Lowell to finish last season 36 points below his career .272 mark?

"I'm usually not the type of guy who hits that well in Spring [Training], but the last 10 to 12 days, when you're getting your three or four at-bats, you get into a flow," Lowell said. "I usually have pretty good Aprils, and I felt like I was never able to get into any type of flow and I started tinkering with my swing.

"Before you know it, I was trying too many things, it snowballed and my mechanics broke down."

Lowell was the other half of the package acquired in the trade for Beckett on Nov. 25. But the Red Sox are expecting the 31-year-old third baseman to be much more than a throw-in.

"He doesn't have to hit cleanup for us," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "If he drives in 100 runs for us, we'd be thrilled, but he's probably going to hit a little lower in the order for us, because our 3-4 hitters are set and ready to go. I think that takes a little bit away from the responsibility where he feels he has to carry the load, which I think will make for an easier adjustment."

Francona believes Lowell showed up in Fort Myers more than ready to put his worst season behind him.

"I also know he showed up in great shape," Francona said. "I think he's going to be, not a surprise to me and the staff but, maybe [a surprise] to some other people who feel he's on the down side or something. I think he's going to do well."

Another positive Lowell brings is a reputation as a solid clubhouse leader. Handling Boston, he says, should not be a problem.

"I see it as part of playing in a big market," Lowell said. "I know this is bad to say, but I was with the Yankees in the Minor Leagues, so I got kind of a taste when I went to Minor League camp there. You understand it.

"I went from a crazy media situation in New York to very little media with the Marlins, and now I'm back in a big market. I just think it's part of it. I understand it, and I think it's a good thing. There's a lot of people interested in what the team is doing; I think that's [because] of a great fan base. I think the thing I'm most excited about is playing in front of that crowd every day. That's something I'm not going to be used to playing day in and day out."

While he struggled at the plate, Lowell excelled in the field, winning his first career Gold Glove Award at third base.

"The only silver lining of last year," Lowell said of the honor. "I think I at least proved to myself I could be a professional when I wasn't doing what I was capable of doing or supposed to be doing offensively. I figured it was my responsibility to at least do what I could defensively. If I'm not driving in runs, at least stop a few from coming in. Winning the Gold Glove was a very satisfying part of '05. It was tough year on me, but that was something I was very proud of. I feel like I was able to separate the two, which is not always that easy."

Lowell will also be reunited in camp with Alex Gonzalez, who, along with Lowell, teamed to make one of the best defensive infields in the game.

"There are a lot of tough plays made to look easy by Alex Gonzalez," Lowell said. "He's special. From a comfort standpoint, I got to know him very well, how much range he has to his left and right. There's a lot of times it allows me to cheat down the line because I know he can get that ball in the hole."

Another factor in Lowell's potential rebound season could be his new home field. Fenway Park will be different from Dolphins Stadium.

"We'd get big crowds with the Marlins every once in a while, and I don't care what player you are -- you don't play better or prepare differently -- I think that energy just makes you feel better," he said. "There's a different type of energy, and it's a positive energy."

For now, Lowell has no plans to change his hair, which sports streaks of gray.

"This jumped on me about four years ago, and it really hasn't wanted to go away. But if I'm going to color, it's going to be purple or something because I'm not going with 'Just For Men' unless 'Just For Men' wants to give me a three-year deal," Lowell joked.

Anything for a new look.