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SAN DIEGO — John Lowe, who created the quality start statistic while covering baseball for the Detroit Free Press and other newspapers for more than three decades, has won the BBWAA Career Excellence Award. The honor was announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Lowe got 137 votes from BBWAA members. The late Gerry Fraley was second with 135 and Bruce Jenkins drew 106. Lowe will be honored during Hall of Fame induction weekend next July in Cooperstown, New York. In 1985, Lowe created the quality start stat, which has since become part of the baseball landscape — six innings pitched, no more than three earned runs allowed. Lowe retired in 2014 after 29 years with the Free Press following previous stints with the Los Angeles Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer.