Art Howe Positions: Third Baseman, Second Baseman and First BasemanBats: Right • Throws: Right6-2, 190lb (188cm, 86kg)Born: December 15, 1946 (Age: 74-000d, Happy Birthday!) in Pittsburgh, PAHigh 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 SBLast Game: April 19, 1985 (Age 38-125d)vs. PIT 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SBFull Name: Arthur Henry…
The New York Mets, after being unable to get permission to talk to manager Lou Piniella from Seattle, and deciding not to wait ten days after the World Series for the availability of San Francisco skipper Dusty Baker, give Art Howe a four-year, $9.4 million deal to manage the team. Howe managed the Oakland Athletics to two AL West titles in 2000 and 2002 with his teams winning 383 games during the last four seasons, matching Joe Torre’s total for the Yankees. A day later, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will name Piniella as their team’s new skipper, signing him to a four-year contract. As compensation to sign Piniella away from Seattle, Tampa Bay will send All-Star outfielder Randy Winn, who hit .298 with 14 home runs and 75 RBI, to Seattle for minor leaguer Antonio Perez.
1988 – Former player Art Howe is named as manager of the Astros. He’s the third Astro skipper in a row to make Houston their first big league managerial spot. Howe indicates he’ll be able to lead in spite of players on the roster who were his teammates in days gone by.
Art Howe, who played for the Houston Astros from 1976 through 1983, is named Houston manager.
1981 – Art Howe triples off Vida Blue to set a club-record 23-game hitting streak. San Francisco wins, however, 2-1. The only Houston run is on a solo shot by Luis Pujols.
1981 – Don Sutton twirls a five-hit shutout to blank St. Louis, 3-0. Art Howe adds a two-run homer. Off the field, Mike Ivie is hospitalized for mental exhaustion less than a month after he was traded to Houston for Jeff Leonard and Dave Bergman. Expected to be the cleanup hitter, Ivie bats .237 with no homers in 19 games. He will miss the rest of the season.
In the 163rd game of the season, 35 year-old knuckleballer Joe Niekro earns his 20th victory, going the distance to defeat the Dodgers, 7-1, in the winner-take-all contest for the NL West. With the win, the Astros hold on to capture their first title in the 19-year history of the franchise after losing a season-ending three game series to LA, (3-2, 2-1, and 4-3) that forced the one-game playoff.
1980 – J.R. Richard notches his 100th victory, toppling the Mets, 7-4. Art Howe contributes three hits and Jeff Leonard homers in the win.
1977 – Bob Watson drills a three-run blast in the top of the ninth to tie the Reds at 3-3, then Art Howe scorches a two-run double in the eleventh for a 6-4 victory. Watson has four hits on the night.
The Astros obtain Art Howe from the Pittsburgh Pirates to complete a deal the previous month for infielder Tommy Helms. The versatile Howe is instrumental in Houston’s first division title and later manages the team for five seasons.
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