Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Mike Howard

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Memories of
Mike Howard

Mike Howard
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 486 of 1233 players

Michael Frederic Howard
Born: April 2, 1958 at Seattle, Wash.
Throws: Right Bats: Both
Height: 6.02 Weight: 185

Mike Howard was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on April 2, 2015.

First Mets game: September 12, 1981
Last Mets game: April 5, 1983

Share your memories of Mike Howard

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Mr. Sparkle
December 15, 2000
HE was the last guy to start an opening day in right field before Darryl Strawberry. It was his only start of the year and then he was gone.

Mike
December 15, 2000
This is one of my all-time Mets mysteries. It baffles me that he started Opening Day, then disappeared. Strawberry did not come up until May 12th or so, so what happened to Mike Howard? What could he possibly have done to get the hook so quick? Let me know anyone has a clue about this mystery. . . Thanks

flushing flash
March 8, 2001
What happened to Mike Howard? Gary Rajsich is what happened, man! He totally outplayed Howard in April 1983. Stop and consider how mediocre Rajsich was and that sure as heck doesn't say much for Howard.

flushing flash
June 22, 2001
The 1982 yearbook has this to say about Howard: after getting his first major league hit in 1981, he realized that he wasn't wearing his galsses!

Mike
November 29, 2001
I'm totally freaked that anyone remembers he started opening day 1983 before being banished forever. But then again, why should I ever be amazed at the knowledge of a N.Y. baseball fan? There was a photo on the back page of the N.Y. Daily News of George Bamberger patting him on the rear on the last day of Spring Training after telling him he would get the Opening Day start. At least, that's how the photo caption was written.

Andy from Rego Park.
December 10, 2002
Think of Mike Howard as kind of the anti-Moonlight Graham. How many ballplayers can say that their last major league action was as an opening-day right fielder? (Behind the returning Tom Seaver, no less!)

Frankie B
February 2, 2003
The funny thing about his mystery hit in 1983 is that it was off of HOF Steve Carlton and it drove in one of the two runs in a Mets victory. They started him because he batted righty. Then he dropped off the planet.

henry saenz
September 8, 2006
Mike Howard was an outstanding athlete who if he could have gotten the right breaks would have enjoyed a successful carreer. I had the pleasure of playing high school baseball with him and he truly was amazing. In my opinion he was the purest outfielder to ever come out of the Sacramento area. And there have been a lot of good ones from this wonderful baseball town.

Alan Maciel
February 22, 2007
Mike was a friend of mine back when I lived in Sacramento. He was a great athlete. Why he gets the start opening day and then done! He gave me the glove he was using that year. I still have it!
If any one knows where he is living these days I would love to hear from you.

Steve J. Rogers
May 28, 2007
Actually Danny Heep happened. Looks like Heep got most of the starts pre-Strawberry.

pete hamner
August 28, 2007
I played with Mike in Jackson (AA) in 79. The Mets had got him out of the Dodger organization. He was just a superb athlete, switch hitter, could pretty much play anywhere. A funny guy with a great attitude. I remember he shaved his head in Shreveport just for the hell of it. He fit right in with Wally Backman, Hubie Brooks and Jodie Davis that year. The one thing I saw Mike do 5 or 6 times that year is steal second base before the pitcher got on the rubber. He'd be on first and would just watch the ss and 2b and would catch them signaling to the outfield with their backs to him and he would just take off.....and beat them to the bag with that patended pop up slide of his. I got released the next year and lost track of Mike. Didn't have a whole lot of power if I remember right....but a gamer..came to play every night.

Witz
July 19, 2008
If I remember correctly he drove in the winning run on opening day in 1983. I was at that game cheering on Seaver in his return, wondering why Strawberry was not with the club and starting in RF, loving it when Rose struck out to start the game and bemoaning the fact that Doug Sisk got the win instead of Seaver!

Bob P
July 22, 2008
Witz, you are correct! Howard's seventh inning single off Steve Carlton drove in Dave Kingman with the first run of the game and the 1983 season.
And ironically, that game-winning RBI single was Mike Howard's final major league at bat.

Doctor Worm
October 11, 2009
How many guys have ever gone in one year from the opening day lineup to Rookie League?
So it was with Mike Howard. Opening day in the bigs, then down to Triple A where he hit .194, then Double A, then Rookie League where they tried to make him a catcher. Then Sayonara.

Mark Simon
March 31, 2011
"Mystery solved...Thanks for the inspiration.
Remember when we Met: Mike Howard