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Steve Howe (baseball) facts for kids

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Steve Howe
Steve Howe 1981 Topps card photo.jpg
Howe in 1981
Pitcher
Born: (1958-03-10)March 10, 1958
Pontiac, Michigan, U.S.
Died: April 28, 2006(2006-04-28) (aged 48)
Coachella, California, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
April 11, 1980, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last 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 Rookie of the Year in 1980, saved the clinching game of the 1981 World Series, and was an All-Star in 1982. He was suspended seven times by MLB, and in 1992 he received a lifetime ban from baseball that he was able to overturn with an appeal. After each disciplinary action, he returned to show flashes of his former brilliance. He died in a single-vehicle accident in 2006.

Baseball career

Born in Pontiac, Michigan, Howe played college baseball at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. He made his major league debut at the age of 22 in 1980 and was 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). He saved 17 games during his ROY season, establishing a new rookie record. In the following strike-shortened season, Howe helped the Dodgers win the World Series over the New York Yankees.

Over the course of his 17-year career, Howe was 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 1992, Howe became the second player to be banned from baseball for life (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.

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.

See also

  • List of people banned from Major League Baseball
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