Steve Howe

I used to be a HUGE Los Angeles Dodgers fan. One of the pitchers that I admired was Steve Howe. Unfortunately for Steve, he got himself into a bit of trouble which effectively ruined his career and most likely caused his death.

Steve was born March 10, 1958 in Pontiac Michigan. He played for the University of Michigan and was a two-time All Big Ten selection. He made his major league debut with the Dodgers at age 22 and had 17 saves and was named Rookie of the Year. In 1981 he helped the Dodgers win the World Series against the Yankees (that was sooooo sweet!).

In 1983, he checked into a substance abuse center. In 1984, he was suspended for the whole season for substance abuse. During his 17 year career, he was suspended from baseball seven times. Howe pitched for the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers and ended his career with the New York Yankees. In 1992, he was banned for life from baseball but appealed the decision and pitched in 1994 with a great season. He was released from the Yankees in 1996.

Howe claimed in his 1989 autobiography, “Between the Lines: One Athlete’s Struggle to Escape the Nightmare of Addiction,” that he was recovering because of his commitment to evangelical Christianity. However, on April 28, 2006, Howe was killed when his pickup truck rolled over. The toxicology report showed he had methamphetamine in his system (exact amounts unknown).

Howe was only 48 when he died and left behind two children.