Steve Howe (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Steve Howe
width=
position=Pitcher
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date|1958|3|10
Pontiac, Michigan
deathdate=death date and age|2006|4|28|1958|3|10
Coachella, California
debutdate=April 11
debutyear=by|1980
debutteam=Los Angeles Dodgers
finaldate=June 21
finalyear=by|1996
finalteam=New York Yankees
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=47-41
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.03
stat3label=Saves
stat3value=91
teams=
* Los Angeles Dodgers (by|1980-by|1983, by|1985)
* Minnesota Twins (by|1985)
* Texas Rangers (by|1987)
* New York Yankees (by|1991-by|1996)
highlights=
* All-Star selection (1982)
* World Series champion (1981)
* 1980 NL Rookie of the Year

Steven Roy Howe (March 10 1958 – April 28 2006) was an American left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.

Baseball career

Born in Pontiac, Michigan, Howe was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at the University of Michigan. He made his Major League debut at the age of 22 in by|1980 and would eventually become the National League Rookie of the Year that year, the second in a string of four Dodger rookies of the year (Rick Sutcliffe, Fernando Valenzuela, and Steve Sax were the others). He saved 17 games during his ROY season, establishing a new rookie record. The following year, Howe helped the Dodgers win the World Series against the New York Yankees. A hard-throwing left-hander, Howe's career was plagued by alcohol and cocaine abuse; he first checked himself into a substance abuse clinic in by|1983, but a relapse resulted in him being suspended for the entire by|1984 season. Over the course of his 17-year career, Howe would be suspended seven times.

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 by|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 suspension and re-signed with the Yankees, where he had one final great season in by|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 by|1996 after posting an 0-1 record with a 6.35 ERA.

Howe retired in 1996 with a career record of 47 wins, 41 losses, 91 saves, and a 3.03 ERA in 497 games.

After baseball

Howe published a 1989 autobiography, "Between the Lines: One Athlete's Struggle to Escape the Nightmare of Addiction", which described his chemical dependency and hope for recovery based upon his newfound commitment to evangelical Christianity. The memoir was co-written with Jim Greenfield.

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. The toxicology reports following his autopsy indicated he had methamphetamine in his system, but the exact amount is unknown [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2503090] .

References

* Steve Howe with Jim Greenfield. "Between the Lines: One Athlete's Struggle to Escape the Nightmare of Addiction". Grand Rapids, MI: Masters Press, 1989.

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=h/howest01 |fangraphs=1006107 |cube=H/steve-howe
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12536811/ MSNBC.com: Ex-MLB pitcher Howe dies in truck crash]