Though I never met him, the death of former major league pitcher Steve Howe last week hit me hard and low.
Though I never met him, the death of former major league pitcher Steve Howe, 48, in an early morning, single vehicle, freeway accident in Southern California last week hit me hard and low. I always thought of Howe — whose career as a left-handed closer began so promisingly as Rookie of the Year for the Dodgers in 1980 before stuttering then stalling out after SEVEN suspensions for drugs and alcohol — as sort of my vastly more talented doppelganger.…
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26 - Eric Olsen
thanks Dawn, I am too but still feel bad about the whole thing
27 - Bob Maus
Steve Howe was insane, he battled an addiction that was stronger than reason.
No sane man would give up every boy's dream to snort cocain, unless they were insane.
I shared this same insanity, but was given a miracle and have been sober and clean for almost 20 years.
I was always a fan of Steve Howe, and continue to be. My prayers are with his family.
28 - Eric Olsen
thanks Bob, it's terribly sad for Steve - I'm glad you were able to come out on the other end - best wishes!
29 - Diane
When someone has a drinking problem there is no such thing as tapering back or cutting down on the drinking. Alcoholism is a desease! There are only 3 ways around this...Soboriety, insanity or death. Steve Howe paid the ultimate price for his drinking with his life. He may have been drinking. I wonder if he ever thought about going to AA or did his wife ever consider Al-Anon or the kids going to Alateen? It's a family desease. It is a shame that he's gone. He was a great pitcher.
30 - Dawn Funck
Thank you for taking the time to mention the death of Steve Howe. I was a classmate of his through junior high and high school and knew him to be an great guy. Through the past 30 years his cocky and good natured attitude never wavered in spite of the bad press. Those of us who had known him at any point always knew that he had it in him to pull out of his problems and we never doubted that he would do so. It never occurred to any of us that he wouldn't have time to go on. I believe that it hit all of us below the belt when we got the news of his death. It is an amazing thing to me now to find that even people who hadn't known him were affected the same way. I thank you for writing about it.
The most important thing that needs to be said about Steve is that he never stopped. He never lost sight of where he wanted to be and never stopped working toward it. The addiction that kept getting in his way surely kept knocking his life around, but he never stopped working and he never gave up. His pitching was a talent and he utilized it astoundingly because he knew that he was born to PLAY BASEBALL. His record stands on its own. But on a personal note, please know that he was a warm and outgoing, good natured, cocky guy who took time out to often talk to people... even one of the class nerds...