Wilbur Leon Howard (January 8, 1949 – December 17, 2022[1]) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1973) and the Houston Astros (1974–1978).
| Wilbur Howard | |
|---|---|
 Howard in 1976 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: January 8, 1949 Lowell, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Died: December 17, 2022 (aged 73) Humble, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Both Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 4, 1973, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1978, for the Houston Astros | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 6 |
| Runs batted in | 71 |
| Teams | |
Howard was selected in the 19th round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Pilots, who would move to Milwaukee and become the Brewers after the season. Howard played in the Brewers organization for the next four seasons, getting a September call-up in 1973, when he batted .205 in 39 at bats. The following spring, he was traded to the Astros in exchange for the star-crossed Larry Yount and another minor leaguer.
Howard started the 1974 season in the minor leagues, but was called up in mid-June, spending the rest of the season as the Astros' fourth outfielder. In 1975, he remained in that role, although the Astros rotated their other outfielders (Greg Gross, César Cedeño, and José Cruz) out of the lineup often enough that Howard played in 121 games, batting .283 with 32 stolen bases, which was eighth in the league and second on the team to Cedeño's 50.
In 1976, however, manager Bill Virdon moved Howard back into a more traditional fourth outfielder role, and he continued to serve in that capacity for three seasons. After spending 1979 in the minor leagues with the Charleston Charlies, Howard called it quits.
References edit
- ^ "Wilbur Howard Obituary". Echovita. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
Sources edit
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)