His nickname came from his grandfather, who described him as "no bigger than a peanut." He was also a child actor, playing bit parts in silent films. Supposedly, actress Thelma Todd got him to perform with promises to buy him peanuts.
Peanuts played with the Cubs from 1942-1949, and was a starter on the last Cubs World Series team, but he never totally lost the acting bug. He also had a speaking part in "The Winning Team," which starred Ronald Reagan as Grover Cleveland Alexander. (He plays a pitcher that beans Ronald Reagan.)
While the public and press called him Peanuts, that nickname was only used some of the time by his teammates, who gave him another one...they also called him "Goober."
Lowrey's Cubs career ended in 1949 when he was traded to the Reds for Hank Sauer; one of the best trades in Cubs history.
