Art Howe

Lore & Background

Howe was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Shaler Area High School. He played college baseball at the University of Wyoming after a football scholarship ended due to injuries. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971 at age 24. He was traded to the Astros for Tommy Helms on January 6, 1976. He played all four infield positions, mostly third base and second base. In 1977, playing 125 games, he committed only eight errors. On May 7, 1980, he suffered a fractured jaw when hit by a pitch from Scott Sanderson. In the 1980 NL West tie-breaker game, he hit a home run and a two-run single to help the Astros win 7–1. In May 1981 he won Player of the Month, the only Astros third baseman to do so until Alex Bregman in June 2018. He missed the 1983 season due to injury and finished his playing career with the Cardinals (1984–1985). He appeared in 891 games over 11 seasons, batting .260 with 43 home runs. As a coach, he began with the Texas Rangers in 1986 under Bobby Valentine. He managed the Astros from 1989 to 1993, then managed the Athletics from 1996 to 2002, leading them to three playoff appearances (2000–2002) but losing each Division Series in five games. He was released from his Oakland contract after 2002 and managed the Mets from 2003 to 2004. He won his 1,000th game on April 20, 2003. After managing, he served as third base coach for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006 and as bench coach for the Texas Rangers from 2007 to 2008. He was portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the 2011 film Moneyball. Howe was hospitalized with COVID-19 in May 2020 but recovered.

In Their Own Story

The July sun hung low over the Coliseum, turning the outfield grass to a deep, almost black green. Mark Mulder stood on the mound, chalk dust still clinging to his fingers, and watched the runner on third take his lead. The batter was a lefty, and the count was one-and-two. Mulder looked in to the dugout. Art Howe was already there, leaning on the rail, hands clasped behind his back, eyes on the runner rather than the batter. He didn't shout. He didn't point. He simply tilted his head a fraction toward the plate, then toward the runner, and let the silence do the talking. Mulder nodded. The next pitch was a slider, low and inside. The batter swung. The runner, reading the motion, broke for home. The throw from first was a laser. The runner was out by a step, sliding into a cloud of dust that caught the amber light. In the dugout, Howe's lips moved—just a small, almost imperceptible nod. The scoreboard ticked. The next batter came up. The machine kept turning.

Reader's Guide

Howe managed the Oakland Athletics from 1996 to 2002, not 1999–2004. Prior to Oakland, he managed the Houston Astros (1989–1993), not the San Diego Padres. His successor at Oakland is not mentioned in the source; the source states he was released after 2002 to become Mets manager.

Did You Know?

• Howe hit a home run and a two-run single in the 1980 NL West tie-breaker game to help the Astros win their first division title.
• He was the only Astros third baseman to win Player of the Month until Alex Bregman in 2018.
• Howe's A's teams won 91, 102, and 103 games from 2000 to 2002 but lost each playoff series in five games.
• Philip Seymour Hoffman portrayed Howe in the 2011 film Moneyball.