"Steve Howe would just as soon forget last season and all its bad memories. One month into the season his ERA hovered near the 20.00 mark. Fighting to get his pitching troubles in order, the lefty reliever was forced on the disabled list for a month after injuring his ankle in a freak accident at Tiger Stadium on May 6.
The fourth-year Yankee became mired in a season-long slump as he finished with a 3-5 record and 4.97 ERA in a team high 51 appearances.
'I've still got as good a fastball as anyone in baseball,' Howe says. 'I feel really blessed because my arm is still resilient. It was nothing physical. I got caught in some mental lapses and that is not usually me. I've always been able to block out anything that's been contrary to the task at hand.'
The former National League Rookie of the Year yearns for the opportunity to share in another World Championship as he did with the Dodgers in 1981. His competitive fire and bulldog temperament are the perfect combination as the left-handed closer, and the Yankees need his presence to contend in the AL East.
'I have a goal to win one more championship before I'm done,' Howe says. 'I know what it's like and I know what it feels like.' "
-The New York Yankees Official 1994 Yearbook
"Howe went 3-5 with a 4.97 ERA with four saves while pitching in a team high 51 games in 1993. He was 4-for-8 in save situations, stranded 46 of 59 baserunners (78%) and retired the first batter he faced 38 of 51 times (75%).
He began the season very slowly, did not retire a batter in two of his first three appearances and had an ERA of 81.00 (1.0 IP, 9 ER). In his first game of the season, a 15-5 loss at Cleveland on April 8, Howe allowed five hits and six earned runs while failing to retire a batter. Two appearances later, a 5-4 loss to Kansas City on April 15, he allowed three hits and three earned without retiring a batter. Steve earned his first win of the season in his fifth game, a 1-0 victory at Seattle on April 24. His first loss of the season was a 3-1 defeat against California on May 6. Steve was on the disabled list from May 7-June 5 with an ankle injury suffered while walking down the steps leading from the clubhouse to the dugout. He made a pair of starts on injury rehab assignment and went 0-1, 10-13 (2.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 51 pitches thrown) for the Clippers before he was activated in New York on June 5.
Howe pitched better after coming off the disabled list, going 1-2 with two saves and a 3.65 ERA in June, 1-1 with two saves and a 2.45 ERA in July, and a 2.70 ERA in August with no decisions and no saves. After the injury until the All-Star break Howe went 1-2 with three saves and a 2.84 ERA. He did not allow an earned run in seven games from June 27-July 8 (7.2 IP, 6 H).
In his first three appearances after the break, he allowed three runs in 1.2 innings to raise his ERA from 6.57 to 7.18 and did not retire a batter in two of those three games. Beginning with his next appearance on July 24 against California, Steve did not allow a run in seven games through August 7 (7 IP, 6 H). From July 24-September 3 he posted a 1.56 ERA in 15 games, dropping his ERA from 7.18 to a season low 4.95. In his last 10 appearances beginning on September 8, Steve went 0-1 with a save and a 5.06 ERA (10.2 IP, 6 ER).
In 1993 the Yankees went 22-29 in the 51 games he pitched. In seven appearances, he failed to retire a batter (13 ER). Howe led Yankee relievers in losses (5), was second among New York relievers in innings pitched (50.2) behind Rich Monteleone (85.2) and tied with John Habyan for second on the team in saves (4) behind Steve Farr (25). For the season, he allowed a career high seven home runs.
Steve was 1-1 with no saves and a 19.06 ERA when he went on the disabled list on May 7, and went 2-4 with four saves and a 3.20 ERA after he came off the DL.
In the Yankees' 10-9 loss at Seattle on April 25, he allowed a solo homer to Tino Martinez. It was the first home run by a left-handed batter off Howe since the one hit by Jose Cruz on July 4, 1983. The circuit clout by Martinez is the only one by a left-handed batter off Steve in his last 192 appearances covering 234.0 innings pitched.
In 1993 American League batters hit .297 in 195 at-bats off Steve with seven home runs, including .242 with one home run by left-handed hitters and .323 with six homers by right-handed hitters. As a Yankee, opponents have hit .238 against with eight home runs, with left-handed hitters hitting .194 with one home run.
Howe was signed by the Yankees as a free agent to a two-year contract in December of 1992. The contract extends through the 1994 season.
In 1992, Howe was placed on the Commissioner's suspended list on June 8. At the time, he had posted a 3-0 record with six saves and a 2.45 ERA in 20 games.
Through May 4 (9 G) Steve was 3-0 with three saves and a 0.00 ERA (9.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 K). The only home run he allowed was on May 19 against California (Bobby Rose). In his final four appearances, Steve pitched five consecutive 1-2-3 innings.
In 1992, opponents batted just .122 (9-for-74) against Steve, including .093 (5-for-54) by right-handed hitters and .200 (4-for-20, 0 BB) by left-handed hitters. He retired the first batter upon entering a game 16 of 20 times. He stranded his first 10 inherited runners through April 27 and 20 of 25 overall.
Since joining the Yankees, Howe has allowed a .149 batting average (10-for-67, 1 BB, 13 K) to left-handed hitters, with Dave Bergman drawing the only walk (8/4/91), has allowed a .208 average (38-for-103, 9 BB, 33 K) to right-handed hitters and a .192 average (48-for-250) overall. He has walked one out of every 25 batters (10 BB, 250 AB).
He has given up two home runs in 250 at-bats, both to Bobby Rose. He has retired 46 of 57 (81%) first batters faced when entering a game and stranded 41 of 51 (80%) inherited baserunners.
Steve was placed on the Commissioner's permanent suspension list on June 24. He was reinstated by arbitrator George Nicolau on November 12 and was credited with a full year of service.
1991 was Howe's first uninterrupted season in the majors since 1982. He walked into spring training camp in Ft. Lauderdale on February 19 and then again on the 20th, impressing Yankee brass with the 90-plus MPH fastball he threw on the sidelines. Howe was invited to spring training by the Yankees on February 21.
He started the season with Columbus and had his contract purchased on May 9. At the time of his promotion, he was 2-1 with a 0.00 ERA (18.0 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 0 ER) and was tied for the International League lead in saves (5). The Clippers were 10-2 in the 12 games he pitched.
Steve made his Yankee debut on May 11 against Oakland, pitching a scoreless inning. It was his first game in the majors since October 4, 1987, when he was with the Texas Rangers.It was his first appearance at Yankee Stadium since October 28, 1981, when Steve saved the sixth (and clinching) game of the World Series as a Dodger.
He was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his first eight appearances. Steve earned his first win on May 19 against Seattle, his first win since September 20, 1987. His finest month was June, going 0-0 with two saves in as many opportunities and with a minuscule 0.47 ERA over 19.0 innings (2 BB, 17 K). Steve earned his first save on June 19 at Toronto in a 3-0 Yankee win. It was his first save since September 12, 1987. He ended the month by not allowing an earned run over his final nine appearances (12.1 IP), lowering his ERA from 1.45 to 0.87.
The only home run he allowed all year came on July 27 against California (Bobby Rose), the first he had allowed since 1987. He made four appearances in August (4.2 IP, 0 ER), from August 2-10, before landing on the disabled list on August 11.
Steve was activated on September 2 after missing 22 games. Steve made his two final appearances in September, then missed the final 29 games of the season with with the tender elbow.
Opponents hit .222 against Howe in 1991. Left-handed batters hit a club-low .128 (6-for-47) with only one walk and 13 strikeouts. Right-handed hitters batted .256. He had a 2.28 ERA at home and a 1.09 ERA on the road. He averaged 4.9 strikeouts for every walk. He retired the first hitter he faced upon entering a game 30 of 37 times. He stranded his first 11 inherited base runners through June 12 and 21 of 26 overall.
In 1979, Howe was the number one selection of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the June draft and the 16th player taken overall. The pick was originally Pittsburgh's but was obtained by the Dodgers when the Pirates signed free agent Lee Lacy. Howe spent the second half of the year with San Antonio in the Texas League, going 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA.
He was invited to the Dodger camp in 1980 as a non-roster player. He won a job out of spring training with a 94 MPH fastball. He established himself as the Dodgers' bullpen ace in earning National League's Rookie of the Year honors. Steve would be the second of four consecutive Dodgers to win the award, joining Rick Sutcliffe (1979), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Steve Sax (1982).
Steve was 3-1 with a 0.00 ERA in July. For the season, he set a Dodger rookie record with 17 saves, breaking the club record set by Joe Black (1952). His save total was ninth in the National League. Steve allowed only one home run over 85.0 innings, to Houston's Joe Morgan on June 24.
In 1981, Steve led the Dodgers in saves (8) and appearances (41). He appeared in seven postseason games and had a 2.45 ERA. He won Game 4 of the World Series on October 24 and pitched the final 3.2 innings to earn the save in the sixth and deciding game on October 28 at Yankee Stadium.
Steve led the Dodgers in games (66) and saves (13) in 1982 while posting the lowest ERA (2.08) on the staff. He matched his career best with seven wins and was the only Dodger pitcher to be involved in 20 of the club's victories.
He was selected to the National League All-Star team after going 5-1 with a 1.69 ERA in the first half. He had a 1.84 ERA over 11 games in September. After the 1982 season, Steve spent five weeks at the Meadows, a drug rehabilitation facility in Wickenburg, Arizona.
Steve began 1983 going 2-0 with seven saves and not allowing an earned run through May 17. At that time he entered the CareUnit in Orange, CA, for further treatment. He returned to the active list on June 29 and was placed on a probationary program.
He was suspended by the Dodgers for the first time on July 16 after reporting three hours late for a game the previous day but was reinstated on July 17 after tests failed to show any prohibited substances. He was suspended for a second time on September 23 and missed the remainder of the season.
Despite his problems, Steve set career bests with 18 saves and a 1.44 ERA. He allowed just five bases on balls in 68.2 innings, giving up only two home runs.
He sat out the 1984 season, serving a one-year suspension for substance abuse imposed in December of 1983 by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Howe filed a grievance out of court and it was agreed that he would sit out the remainder of the season to concentrate on his rehabilitation. As part of the agreement, the suspension was lifted.
Howe spent one month in the Arizona Instructional League that fall and was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA over five games (8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K). On October 22 he signed a contract to play in the Dominican Winter League. He was pitching for Licey when after three appearances, he experienced a sore left elbow. On January 9 Steve underwent surgery to reroute the ulnar nerve in his left elbow.
He started the 1985 season with the Dodgers. On June 23 Steve did not arrive until the 7th inning of a game and was fined by the club. On June 29, he failed to appear at a charity dinner for which he was the chairman and did not appear for the Dodgers the following day. He was placed on the restricted list by the Dodgers on July 1 and released on July 3.
Steve was signed by the Minnesota Twins as a free agent on August 12. He made his American League debut that night and picked up the win, pitching 3.2 scoreless relief innings against Oakland. He pitched 5.0 scoreless innings in his first two appearances for the Twins. Steve's other win came with 3.2 scoreless innings against Milwaukee on September 3.
With the club's approval, he missed a team flight from Chicago to Cleveland on September 12 so he could appear on ABC's Nightline. He missed the team's five-game series in Cleveland before contacting club officials and admitting a relapse. Steve was released by the Twins on September 17.
Prior to the 1986 season, Steve signed with the Class-A San Jose Bees, an independent team in the California League. He was sidelined on May 1 when a drug test administered by the Commissioner's Office proved positive. Howe contested the results of that test and pitched without permission on May 14 resulting in a suspension by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. He was reinstated on June 24 after undergoing additional therapy.
Howe was suspended again three weeks later when another test proved positive. A second test taken later that day showed no trace of drugs. Overall in '86, he was 3-2 with two saves and a 1.47 ERA for San Jose.
In 1987 Steve pitched briefly in June for Tabasco in the Class-AAA Mexican League, allowing four hits and no runs over 23.0 innings. He left when his wife Cindy was expecting the couple's second child. He was signed by the Texas Rangers to a Triple-A Oklahoma City contract on July 12.
He had his contract purchased by Texas on August 6 after not allowing a run in his final three appearances (7.1 P). He appeared in 24 games (all relief) for the Rangers and posted a 4.31 ERA. Steve ended the season by not allowing a run over his final six games (8.1 IP). He was released on January 17, 1988, following the violation of his After-Care Program for substance abuse.
After sitting out the 1988 and 1989 seasons, Steve spent 1990 at Class-A Salinas, an independent team in the California League. He had minor surgery on June 9 at the Antelope Valley Hospital Medical Center in Lancaster, CA. Steve was expected to be out for a short period of time but developed a near-fatal blood clot in his lung as a result of the surgery and did not return until August 8.
Prior to the surgery, he pitched nine scoreless innings. He was appointed player-pitching coach a month into the season when the Salinas pitching coach left.
Steve played winter ball for Mazatlan in the Mexican League. He appeared in 11 regular-season games and had a 1.23 ERA over 14.2 innings (15 H, 3 BB, 9 K). He had two saves and finished six games. Steve appeared in seven postseason games and was 0-0 with a save and a 4.26 ERA over 12.2 innings. Combined for the season, he was 0-1 with three saves and a 2.63 ERA (27.1 IP, 27 H).
Steve is the all-time winningest pitcher at the University of Michigan despite playing just three years for the Wolverines. He was 27-8 with a 1.79 ERA (265.2 IP, 53 ER) over 41 games. He also fanned 196 batters.
He was 9-3, 1.87 as a freshman (1977); 11-3, 1.78 as a sophomore (1978) and 7-2, 1.76 as a junior (1979). As a sophomore, he shared the Ray L. Fisher Most Valuable Player award with teammate Rick Leach. Steve pitched a 1-hit shutout over Baylor in a 4-0 win to open the 1978 College World Series. He was an All-Big Ten selection in his last two seasons.
Steve graduated from Clarkson High School (Pontiac, MI) in 1976. He enjoys carpentry and hunting."
-1994 New York Yankees Information Guide
Named left-handed pitcher on The Sporting News College Baseball All-America Team, 1979.
Named National League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America, 1980.
-1994 New York Yankees Information Guide
Steven Roy Howe "Steve" (P) #57
Born March 10, 1958, in Pontiac, Michigan, resides in Whitefish, Montana. Height: 6-1, weight: 180. Bats left, throws left.
Married, Cindy (6/16/79), and father of Chelsea (10) and Brian (6). Attended University of Michigan.
Major League Service: 8 years, 161 days. Opening Day Age: 36.
-1994 New York Yankees Information Guide
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