Steve Howe: Rest in Peace

I've been busy the last few days, so I haven't written as much as I'd have liked. The win against Tampa that Matsui and Rivera helped engineer put to bed my post from the day before, and the unfortunate but not unexpected loss to Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays today were on my radar.

Likewise, the playoffs in the Cuban league are off to the races and Sancti Spiritus has battled with La Habana in a gritty first round series. I'll get to that one in good time. What I want to do today is pay my respects to a man who saw more than his fair share of troubles during his life, Steve Howe.

The sad story of Steve Howe can be summed up rather easily. A talented pitcher that showcased his arm during Major League service with the Dodgers, Twins, Rangers, and Yankees fought substance abuse problems and was forced to endure some time in the independent leagues and even in Mexico. In and out of the Majors on 7 occasions, Howe was forced to ultimately give up baseball and try for a normal life with his family. It was something that eluded him in the end, as alcohol problems led to one near fatal car accident, and the ultimate accident that took his life today.

I like the picture at left because it says something about the man and his struggles. People in baseball were always willing to stand by him during challenging times, as Joe Girardi is in this shot, but the cold was too much to bear in the end and we are all saddened as the pitcher and the man take their last walk off the field into the arms of angels. I hope he finds peace in the next world.

Steve Howe, 48, is survived by his wife and two children. May he rest in peace.