View source for Thomas Howard (baseball)

{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1964)}}
{{other people|Thomas Howard}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Thomas Howard
|position=[[Outfielder]]
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1964|12|11}}
|birth_place=[[Middletown, Ohio]], U.S.
|bats=Switch
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 3
|debutyear=1990
|debutteam=San Diego Padres
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 1
|finalyear=2000
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.264
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=44
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=264
|teams=
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|1990}}–{{mlby|1992}})
* [[Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|1993}})
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1993}}–{{mlby|1996}})
* [[Houston Astros]] ({{mlby|1997}})
* [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{mlby|1998}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1999}}–{{mlby|2000}})
 }}
'''Thomas Sylvester Howard''' (born December 11, 1964) is an American former professional [[baseball]] [[outfielder]]. He played 11 seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) from 1990 to 2000 for the [[San Diego Padres]], [[Cleveland Indians]], [[Cincinnati Reds]], [[Houston Astros]], [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], and [[St. Louis Cardinals]]. On April 11, 2000, he hit the first [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] at [[Minute Maid Park]].<ref name="statistics">[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/howarth01.shtml "Thomas Howard Statistics and History"]. "baseball-reference.com. Retrieved June 8, 2017.</ref>

==Career==
Howard played three sports at [[Valley View High School (Ohio)|Valley View High School]] in [[Germantown, Ohio]]. After high school, he played [[Ball State Cardinals baseball|college baseball]] and [[Ball State Cardinals football|college football]] as a backup [[quarterback]] for [[Ball State Cardinals|Ball State]]. He was named the inaugural [[Mid-American Conference Baseball Player of the Year]] in 1986 after leading the conference with a .448 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and 23 [[home run]]s.<ref name="local boys">{{cite book |last1=Heffron |first1=Joe |last2=Heffron |first2=Jack |title=The Local Boys: Hometown Players for the Cincinnati Reds |date=2014 |publisher=Clerisy Press |isbn=978-1-57860-553-8 |pages=96–97 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FCRUCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA96 |accessdate=7 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref> He would go on to be inducted into the Ball State athletics hall of fame in 1996. He became the first Ball State athlete ever selected in the first round of a major sports draft when the Padres took him with the 11th overall pick in the [[1986 Major League Baseball Draft]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Thomas Howard (1996) - Hall of Fame |url=https://ballstatesports.com/hof.aspx?hof=80 |publisher=[[Ball State Cardinals|Ball State University Athletics]] |accessdate=7 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1015 Major League games over 11 seasons, Howard posted a .264 batting average (655-for-2483) with 297 [[run (baseball)|runs]], 123 [[double (baseball)|doubles]], 22 [[triple (baseball)|triples]], 44 home runs, 264 [[Run batted in|RBI]], 66 [[stolen bases]], 165 [[bases on balls]], .311 [[on-base percentage]] and .384 [[slugging percentage]]. He finished his career with a .986 [[fielding percentage]] playing at all three outfield positions. In nine postseason games, he hit .158 (3-for-19) with one RBI.

{{Asof|2014}}, Howard lived in [[Atlanta]], had five children and worked in the health and fitness industry.<ref name="local boys" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=h/howarth01|brm=howard003tho}}

{{1986 College Baseball All-Americans}}
{{1986 MLB Draft}}
{{San Diego Padres first-round draft picks}}
{{Mid-American Conference Baseball Player of the Year navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Thomas}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball outfielders]]
[[Category:African-American baseball players]]
[[Category:Ball State Cardinals baseball players]]
[[Category:Ball State Cardinals football players]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Houston Astros players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball left fielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]]
[[Category:Reno Padres players]]
[[Category:Spokane Indians players]]
[[Category:Wichita Pilots players]]
[[Category:Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Indians players]]
[[Category:Memphis Redbirds players]]
[[Category:Nashville Sounds players]]
[[Category:Camden Riversharks players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Butler County, Ohio]]
[[Category:All-American college baseball players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Middletown, Ohio]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]