Wilbur Howard

Infobox MLB retired
name=Wilbur Howard
position=Outfielder


bats=Switch
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1949|1|8
city-state|Lowell|North Carolina
debutdate=September 4
debutyear=by|1973
debutteam=Milwaukee Brewers
finaldate=September 30
finalyear=by|1978
finalteam=Houston Astros
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.250
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=6
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=71
teams=
*Milwaukee Brewers (1973)
*Houston Astros (1974-78)

Wilbur Leon Howard is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors from by|1973 until by|1978.

Howard was selected in the 19th round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Pilots, who would move to Milwaukee and become the Brewers after the season. Howard played in the Brewers organization for the next four seasons, getting a September call-up in 1973, when he batted .205 in 39 at bats. The following spring, he was traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for the star-crossed Larry Yount and another minor leaguer.

Howard started the by|1974 season in the minor leagues, but was called up in mid-June, spending the rest of the season as the Astros' fourth outfielder. In by|1975, he remained in that role, although the Astros rotated their other outfielders (Greg Gross, César Cedeño, and José Cruz) out of the lineup often enough that Howard played in 121 games, batting .283 with 32 stolen bases, which was eighth in the league and second on the team to Cedeño's 50.

In by|1976, however, manager Bill Virdon moved Howard back into a more traditional fourth outfielder role, and he continued to serve in that capacity for three seasons. His final game was on September 30, 1978.

Sources