Steve Howe (baseball)
| Steve Howe | |
|---|---|
 Howe in 1981 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 10, 1958 Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. | |
| Died: April 28, 2006 (aged 48) Coachella, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1980, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 21, 1996, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 47–41 |
| Earned run average | 3.03 |
| Strikeouts | 328 |
| Saves | 91 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Steven Roy Howe (March 10, 1958 – April 28, 2006) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees, spanning 1980 to 1996. His baseball career ended in 1997 after a stint with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent Northern League.
A hard-throwing left-hander, Howe was the
Baseball career
Born in
Howe's career was plagued by alcohol and cocaine abuse;[2] he first checked himself into a substance abuse clinic in 1983,[3] but a relapse resulted in his suspension for the entire 1984 season.[1][4] Over the course of his 17-year career, Howe was suspended seven times.[5]
After briefly pitching for the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers and being out of the major leagues for four years, Howe signed with the Yankees, where he once again pitched effectively. However, in 1992, Howe became the second player to be banned from baseball for life because of substance abuse (the first was Ferguson Jenkins, who was also reinstated). He successfully appealed the ban and re-signed with the Yankees, where he had one final great season in 1994, recording 15 saves and a 1.80 earned run average as the Yankees' closer. He failed to repeat the performance the following year and was relegated to a setup role, and was released in June 1996 after posting an 0–1 record with a 6.35 ERA. Howe finished his career in 1997 playing with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent Northern League.
For his career, Howe posted a record of 47 wins, 41 losses, 91 saves, and a 3.03 ERA in 497 games.
Autobiography
Howe published an autobiography in 1989, the middle of his baseball career. The book, Between the Lines: One Athlete's Struggle to Escape the Nightmare of Addiction (
After baseball
Following his retirement from baseball, Howe worked in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, as a self-employed framing contractor. His company's name was All Star Framing.
On April 28, 2006, Howe's pickup truck rolled over in Coachella, California, and he was killed. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.[5] The toxicology reports following his autopsy indicated he had methamphetamine in his system.[5]
See also
Published works
- Howe, Steve (1989). Between the Lines: One Athlete's Struggle to Escape the Nightmare of Addiction. With Jim Greenfield. Grand Rapids, MI: Masters Press. ISBN 9780940279254.
References
- ^ a b "Cocaine, fame led to tragedy of Steve Howe". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 12, 1985. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Athletes Who Damaged Their Careers With Drug Abuse,[dead link] Gunaxin.
- ^ "Howe again suspended by Dodgers". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). wire services. September 26, 1983. p. 21.
- ^ "A timeline of Steve Howe's off-field problems". ESPN. Associated Press. April 28, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Autopsy: Howe had meth in system at time of crash". ESPN. Associated Press. June 28, 2006. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Ex-MLB pitcher Howe dies in truck crash,[dead link] MSNBC.com
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