Art Howe

Positions: Third Baseman, Second Baseman and First Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 190lb (188cm, 86kg)
Born: December 15, 1946 (Age: 74-000d, Happy Birthday!) in Pittsburgh, PA
High School: Shaler HS (Pittsburgh, PA)
School: University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY)
Debut: July 10, 1974 (Age 27-207d, 11,132nd in MLB history)
vs. ATL 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: April 19, 1985 (Age 38-125d)
vs. PIT 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Arthur Henry Howe

Arthur Henry Howe Jr. (born December 15, 1946) is a former Major League Baseball infielder, coach, scout and manager. He is an alumnus of the University of Wyoming.

Playing career
A Pittsburgh native, Art Howe broke into the majors with the Pirates as a backup for everyday third baseman Richie Hebner. After playing sporadically for Pittsburgh during two division-winning seasons Howe was sent to Houston after the 1975 season to complete a trade for Tommy Helms. In his first year with the club Howe managed only a .138 batting average in very limited action at third, but in 1977 saw significant time at second, replacing Rob Andrews (who had been traded to San Francisco for Willie Crawford and Rob Sperring.) Given the opportunity to play regularly Howe raised his average to .264 in ’77 and .293 in ’78. Slowed by a leg injury, Howe’s average dropped to .248 in 1979.

Howe had always been a versatile infielder, and the Astros’ signing of second baseman Joe Morgan as a free-agent in December of 1980 forced him to find playing time wherever he could. For the 1980 season, Houston manager Bill Virdon moved Cesar Cedeno to the outfield and used a combination of Howe, Denny Walling (another converted infielder) and Dave Bergman at first base — Howe also filled in at second, short, and third as needed.

In 1981, another Astros-Giants swap opened up a full-time job for Howe. This time, Howe inherited the third-base job from Enos Cabell, who was shipped to San Francisco for Bob Knepper and Chris Bourjos. Howe turned in his best season in a Houston uniform, including setting a team record with a 23-game hitting streak. His .432 average in May of that year earned him NL Player of the Month honors, and for the season he hit a career-high .296.

Howe’s tenure at the hot corner was short-lived. The Astros acquired the Reds’ Ray Knight in the offseason to replace Cesar Cedeno at first in 1982, but after Howe suffered an ankle injury Knight began to see time at third. Howe spent 1983 on the disabled list, and by 1984 the emergence of Bill Doran at second moved Phil Garner to third and left the declining Howe as the odd man out. After a mediocre 1984 with St. Louis, Howe was released in April 1985.

January 6, 1976