Dixie Howell (pitcher)
Encyclopedia
- For the catcher, see Dixie HowellDixie Howell (catcher)Homer Elliott Howell was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played from 1947-1956 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers.-External links:...
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Millard Filmore "Dixie" Howell (January 7, 1920 — March 18, 1960) was a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
who played in six Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
seasons between and as well 19 years in the minors
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. Listed at 6' 2", 210 lb., Howell batted left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and threw right-handed. A native of Bowman (or Harold), Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, he grew up in Dehue, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
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Career
Howell spent three years in the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
minor league system (1937–39) before joining the big team in 1940. While in the minors, he set a record in the Eastern League by striking out
Strike Out
Strike Out, , North American Harness racing championStrike Out was born in 1969 at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and is by Bret Hanover out of the mare Golden Miss....
20 batters in a single game (1939). In three relief appearances for the Indians, he posted a 1.80 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in five innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
and did not have a decision. Despite being regarded as one of the finest prospects in the Cleveland organization, recurring illness and sore arm problems kept him from reaching his full potential.
In 1943, Howell was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and assigned to the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. He helped the Syracuse Chiefs clinch the league pennant with a 13-9 mark and was promoted to the major league roster for the next season. But in November 1943, he entered military service with the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He served in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was taken prisoner by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
troops in September 1944, being liberated by advancing Allied forces six months later. He returned to the United States and was discharged from military service late in 1945.
Howell went to spring training with Cincinnati in 1946, playing for Syracuse for the next four years. He had a 17-12 record with the Chiefs in 1948, and appeared in five games with the Reds in 1949.
In 1950, Howell was purchased by the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and assigned to the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
. He enjoyed a fine season with the Millers, going 14-2 during the regular season and pitching a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against Columbus on August 10. Recurring arm problems made him consider retiring before returning to Minneapolis in 1952, but he decided to stay playing. Nevertheless, he was sold to Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on January 20, returned to the Giants on May 15, purchased by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
a week later, and assigned to the Memphis Chicks of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
, where his timely relief pitching led Memphis to the Dixie Series title.
Howell remained with the Chicks in 1953 and 1954, before returning to major league action in 1955 with the White Sox, now as an experimented relief specialist, and for the next four years. His most productive season came in 1955, when he recorded career-highs in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
(8), ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(2.93), saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
(9), games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
(25) and innings (73⅔ ).
In a six-season career, Howell posted a 19-15 record with a 3.78 ERA and 19 saves in 115 appearances, including 99 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, 103 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, two starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
, 68 games finished and 226⅓ innings of work. He also helped himself with the bat, hitting a .243 average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(18-for-74) with five home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and nine RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 124 games, including two doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, one triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, eight runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, and a solid .500 slugging percentage.
After that, Howell pitched for the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association in 1958 and 1959. Unfortunately, he died at age 40 after suffering a heart attack while running at the Indians’ 1960 spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp in Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
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Major league teams
| Year(s) | Team | League |
| 1940 | Cleveland Indians | American League |
| 1949 | Cincinnati Reds | National League |
| 1955-58 | Chicago White Sox | American League |
Minor league teams
| Year(s) | Teams | League | MLB organization |
| 1937 | Logan Indians | Mountain State League | Cleveland Indians |
| 1938 | Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | BiState League | Cleveland Indians |
| 1939 | Wilkes-Barre Barons | Eastern League | Cleveland Indians |
| 1941-42 | missing info | missing info | missing info |
| 1943 | Syracuse Chiefs | International League | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1946-49 | Syracuse Chiefs | International League | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1950-51 | Minneapolis Millers | American Association | New York Giants |
| 1952-54 | Memphis Chicks | Southern Association | Chicago White Sox |
| 1958-59 | Indianapolis Indians | American Association | Cleveland Indians |
Fact
- Interestingly, Howell holds two of the weirdest records in major league history: (1) the longest time (16 years) between when he first pitched in the majors (1940) and when he got his first win (1955), and (2) the all-time regular-season record (1957) for most hits (5) without collecting a singleSingle (baseball)In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
(3 home runs, double, triple in 27 at-bats).