TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

Steve Howe born on March 10, 1958 in Pontiac, MI was promising young reliever when he broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980. But although he had the presence and poise to become a star in the bigs, his quick success with the Dodgers was tempered by his even quicker spiral into the world of substance abuse. Howe ended up battling his inner demons as much as opposing batters, and at the end of his career, his most impressive statistic was his record-number of drug-related suspensions (seven).

A flame-throwing rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Howe tallied up 17 saves in 1980, breaking Joe Black’s club rookie record for saves. The first-year also notched seven wins with a 2.65 ERA, and was awarded Rookie of the Year honors at the close of the season, beating out Bill Gullickson of the Expos. He was part of a string of four consecutive Dodgers players to win the award, starting with Rick Sutcliffe in 1979, and continuing after him with Fernando Valenzuela and Steve Sax.

The reliever pitched considerably well with LA for the next two seasons, including 1981, the Dodgers won their first title since 1965 and Howe pitched very well and recorded the final out in game 6 of the 1981 Series.

In 1982, Howe was voted to his first All Star Game and posted career highs in games, ERA, games finished, IP, WHIP and ERA+.

1983 started on a high note, as Howe held his opponents scoreless through his first 14 games. But then on May 29, 1983 came another “high note” — Howe checked himself into a drug rehabilitation center to get treatment for cocaine addiction. In the winter before, the reliever had received help for substance abuse, and this relapse would be an omen of his inability to kick the habit. Howe was released from the center in late June, but was again suspended in late September after missing a club flight to Atlanta and refusing to take a urinalysis test. Howe actually finished with admirable stats, 18 saves and a 1.44 ERA, but despite his prowess on the mound, Howe was seen as trouble.

After Howe tested positive for cocaine three times in November, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him for the 1984 season to protect the “image of baseball.” Howe wasn’t the only player going to the sidelines for substance abuse, as Royals players Willie Wilson, Willie Aikens, and Jerry Martin all failed their own tests, setting off a trend in the 1980s that would see dozens of players enter clinics and absorb suspensions and fines.

Howe came back in 1985 with the Dodgers, appearing in 19 games before they released him in July. The reliever was picked up a month later, when the Minnesota Twins were searching for help in their bullpen. Howe floundered there, earning a 6.16 ERA over 13 games, and was released in September.

Howe’s next five years read like a page out of Kerouac’s On the Road. Howe jumped between two independent teams, a Mexican League team, the Texas Rangers, and unemployment, interspersing his organized baseball stints with collapses into drug dependency. In February 1991, Howe signed a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees, and as the tradition with donning the pinstripes, attempted to clean up his act.

But Howe was nailed again in June 1992, this time for purchasing a gram of cocaine in Montana. Commissioner Fay Vincent gave Howe a lifetime ban for violating a drug aftercare program, and the righty became the first player ever to be given a lifetime ban for substance abuse. That November, Howe was reinstated when an arbitrator argued that the pitcher depended on the cocaine for helping him with his Attention Deficit Disorder. The Bombers re-signed him, and after a brief stint in the minors, he was back at Yankee Stadium.

After the rest of the Yankee bullpen collapsed in 1994, Howe was given the job as full-time closer. He responded with aplomb, recording a 1.80 ERA and 15 saves. The next year he flopped, and his ERA rose three runs as he was relegated to set-up man. After going 0-1 with a save and a 6.35 ERA in 17 games in 1996, Howe was released.

Howe will pass away at a young age of 48.

Todays highlights and Historic Days!

March 10, 1904 -- New York Giants players leave Mobile, AL ahead of the law after a local judge issues a warrant for their arrest for beating a local umpire unconscious during an exhibition game. The players were goaded by manager John McGraw.

Bill Stern Sports Newsreel March 10, 1950 with Kirk Douglas - Kirk will eventually own minor league teams his son, a pretty famous actor will play on until his glasses due him in!

Jackie Robinson Show Episode 10 interviews former teammate Don Drysdale

March 10, 1963, a little known minor league infielder named Pete Rose plays in his first spring training game. The 21-year-old Rose, who goes 2-for-2 in his debut against the Chicago White Sox, will make the Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day roster. As the team’s starting second baseman, Rose will win the National League’s Rookie of the Year.

PETE ROSE Interviewed by Leo Cloutier in 1971, Manchester NH

March 10, 1966 -- The Orioles trade minor league outfielder Lou Piniella to the Indians for reserve catcher Camilo Carreon, who will play in only four games for his new team before retiring at the end of the season. The Tribe’s latest flycatcher will appear in more than 1,700 big league games, but only six games for Cleveland, all in 1968.

Passed away March 10, 1981 Bob Elson was a pioneering American sportscaster whose voice became synonymous with Chicago baseball. Known as “The ‘Ol Commander,” Elson called an estimated 5,000 Major League Baseball games, most notably as the voice of the Chicago White Sox for parts of four decades. His career began unexpectedly in 1928 when he was mistakenly ushered into a radio audition in St. Louis. A natural behind the microphone, he soon landed a job at WGN in Chicago, where he became the voice of both the Cubs and White Sox.

Elson’s smooth and steady broadcasting style made him a fixture in sports media. He covered multiple World Series and All-Star Games alongside legends like Red Barber. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy, earning his famous nickname. In 1979, his contributions to the industry were recognized with the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Beyond baseball, Elson’s talents extended to football, hockey, and celebrity interviews, making him one of the most versatile broadcasters of his era. Though overlooked for the 1959 White Sox World Series coverage, his legacy remained strong. He passed away in 1981 at the age of 76, leaving behind a lasting impact on sports broadcasting.

Listen to Elson’s highlights including those very first All Star Games, his personal highlight clip and much more.

March 10, 1982, shortstop Travis Jackson and former commissioner Happy Chandler are elected to the Hall of Fame. Jackson played 15 years for the New York Giants, batting .291 for his career. Chandler served as baseball’s leader for six years and oversaw the end of baseball’s color line in 1947, when Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

You can listen to Travis Jackson HOF Speech below!

March 10, 1983, the Veterans Committee announces the election of Walter Alston and George Kell to the Hall of Fame. Alston managed the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers to four World Series championships, while always working under one-year contracts. Kell, a standout third baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, batted over .300 nine times, was a 10-time All-Star, and topped American League third basemen in fielding percentage seven times during a 15-season career.

You can listen to George Kell’s HOF Speech below!

March 10, 1995 — Michael Jordan announced that he is leaving the Chicago White Sox organization and will return to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. Jordan struggled in his one season of minor league baseball.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: From 1946 - 1975 Bob Elson worked in Chicago for the Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks (hockey) except for one year. What year did he broadcasts games from another team in another city and what team was it?

IF you think you know the answer and bonus points for how many respond with details and if you are right I will give you a shut out! No Googling!

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A Couple of Birthday Boys!

 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA: Campy hit a homerun on the first pitch he ever saw in the big leagues off the Minnesota Twins in 1965. Who did he take deep?

Trivia Answer: In his big league debut on July 23rd, he hit a home run off Jim Kaat of the Minnesota Twins on the first pitch he saw. He added another homer off Kaat in the 7th inning to become the second player in history to hit two home runs in his first major league game.

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