After five days in hospital, Art Howe is back at home and continuing to recover from a COVID-19 diagnosis. The longtime former manager and player told ESPN.com and other media outlets that he is “finally feeling a little bit better” following a harrowing week that included time in the intensive care unit. While Howe is “still not able to eat real good, taste buds are giving me a hard time,” the 73-year-old said “it’s just nice to be back home and hopefully continue to progress.” On behalf of the MLBTR staff, it’s great to see Howe on the mend, and we wish him all the best in his recovery.
More from around baseball…
- Former Rockies right-hander DJ Johnson signed with the Hiroshima Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball over the offseason, and Johnson tells the Denver Post’s Kyle Newman that he also received interest from Japanese teams in each of the previous two winters. The decision to play ball overseas didn’t come lightly to Johnson, though “it came down to, I had realized my dream of making the major leagues after all those years of grinding and sacrifice. Now, it’s time to start taking care of my family.” Johnson will earn close to $1MM for the 2020 season, considerably more than he was slated to make even if he had spent the whole year on Colorado’s Major League roster (even before player salaries were reduced as part of the league shutdown). Similar seven-figure paydays could also be in the offing for Johnson, as Hiroshima holds a club option on his services for the 2021 season and the two sides have a mutual option for 2022. Johnson posted a 4.88 ERA over 35 games and 31 1/3 innings with the Rockies in 2018-19, which represents the extent of his MLB experience over a nine-year career. It’s a pretty solid resume for a player who wasn’t even drafted coming out of Western Oregon University, and Johnson is now looking forward to “embracing the culture change” of playing in Japan and helping the Carp win some games.
- While Scott Boras is a household name in the baseball world, many fans may not be familiar with Boras’ early days as a ballplayer. Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein looks back at Boras’ time as a member of the Cardinals’ and Cubs’ farm systems, as the future agent played four seasons (1974-77) before recurring knee problems ended his playing career. Boras made it as far as the Double-A level, and a look at his Baseball Reference page reveals some impressive averages and on-base numbers for the future agent.
- The Mets drafted David Wright with the 38th pick of the 2001 draft, beginning the long association between the Amazins and their future captain. More indirectly, however, the Mets got Wright because they….drafted Jon Matlack fourth overall in 1967? MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo takes an entertaining deep dive through the transactional path that began with the Matlack pick and ended with Mike Hampton leaving the Mets to sign with the Rockies in the 2000-01 offseason, thus netting New York the compensatory pick that resulted in Wright’s selection.
Art Howe; the man that was degraded by the movie Money Ball.
I hope he gets healthy!
Degraded? How? Because he didn’t believe in the ideas of his boss? That goes on every day in every business.
Howe was not happy with his portrayal in the movie, “…all these people across the country are going to go in and get this perception of me that’s totally unfair and untruthful.” Dozens of people who know Howe have stated the portrayal was inaccurate and villanized Howe in a manner he did not deserve.
I thought it was a great performance by PSH as Howe. He hated sabermetrics just like I do. The movie was about Billy Beane. It’s Hollywood, which is never real.
Certainly good wishes to Howe and others suffering.
As to David Wright, it’s so many years with trades, injuries and luck involved to try to relate Matlack, a great pitcher back then to Wright. Sort of like kidding your parents after doing something wrong that you wouldn’t be here to discuss this if they weren’t in the mood nine months before you were born. Yes, I had a great mom with a sense of humor and as she aged, those discussions put small issues in perspective. Two weeks late but Happy Mother’s Day in heaven mom.
Boras minor league exploits must read SI becoming irrelevant
because they have a lot of other stuff to talk about right now…
Pointing out that Boras actually played this game at a high level is interesting. Particularly because many consider him to be baseball’s super villain.
Interesting read about David Wright. The MLB.com article failed to mention that Wright’s manager when he was a rookie was Art Howe. Art Howe was also manager for Ben Grieve when he was a rookie. Ben Grieve’s father, Tom Grieve, was part of the second transaction that eventually ended up with the Mets getting Wright. Grieve and Howe were also playing for teams located in Texas in 1977.
I am seriously considering transferring to Western Oregon University. I didn’t know they had a baseball team. It’s a small college. It’s either that or Oregon Tech.
Just asking a question…
Did David Wright not want the Mets managerial job? Or was it just year another Mets blunder not offering it or considering him for the job?
Wright expressed no interest in the job. Fan favorites end up as criticized and raked over the coals as any other manager.
He’s never been a coach in any capacity and was never offered the job. He’s still getting paid this year.
I would hope one day Wright would choose to coach. I think having him as a minor roving instructor would be an incredible benefit to the team.
Not many players worked as hard as he did to recover. His work ethic, attitude and demeanor are second to none. The man NEVER gave less than 100% while displaying unending class and sportsmanship.
What minor leaguer at EVERY level couldn’t learn something positive from David Wright?
Yet*
Wright was a good/great player for 6 years. They should do a transaction tree for after David Wright started to get hurt and decline. All the players they could have signed, seasons that might have been successful but weren’t because of his roster spot and albatross contract.
Had no idea Boras was a former ballplayer.
He’s still a schmuck.
Oof you could do that with every team bcuz every team has pretty much had a terrible contract or two in the last decade or so
@Scottn69c, Are you of the origin of that word, correct?
Aware* of