A Real Life Field of Dreams; 'Caps Choose Honorary Bench Coach for Comerica Game
August 18, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Cal Howe pitched exactly two innings in the major leagues for the Chicago Cubs and spent the rest of his career trying to get back to the show. Now, more than 50 years after he retired from professional baseball, Howe will be back in uniform at a major league ball park helping coach the next generation of players. 81-year-old Howe will be in the Whitecaps dugout during the team's game against the Fort Wayne Wizards on August 22 at Comerica Park, serving as the team's honorary bench coach. Howe won the opportunity through a contest run on the Whitecaps flagship station, WBBL 1340.
"I'm excited to be back in uniform and to get to cheer on the boys," said Howe. "It's been a while since I've been on a major league field and I can't wait to be in the dugout again."
Baseball has always been in Howe's blood. As a child growing up in Rock Falls, Illinois, Howe and his eight brothers and six sisters built their own ball park on the family farm. Most nights, the children would make their way to the baseball diamond with Cal Howe on the pitching mound.
Howe took the skills he learned in his backyard to the professional level in 1942 when he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. Following his first season with the Cardinals Kiddie League team, Howe was forced into a temporary retirement by World War II. When he returned to baseball in 1946, Howe was released by the Cardinals. The following season, he was picked up by the Chicago Cubs and assigned to the team's affiliate in Clinton, Iowa. During the 1947 season with Clinton, Howe went 18-4 as a starting pitcher.
For the next several years, Howe made his way through the Cubs minor league system making stops in Iowa, Georgia and Michigan where he played for the Grand Rapids Jets. During that time, Howe was converted from a starting pitcher into a closer.
In 1952, after more than five years of playing at the minor league level, Howe finally got the call he'd been waiting for. On a warm night in September, Howe stepped onto Wrigley Field and headed to the mound to face the St. Louis Cardinals. In two innings of work, Howe struck out two and did not allow a single hit. The final batter he faced that night was Stan Musial. The Hall of Fame outfielder hit a ground ball to second, ending the game. The pitch to Musial was the last one Howe would ever throw in the major leagues. He spent another five years playing in the Cubs minor league system before retiring from baseball.
Tickets are still available for Howe's bench coach debut at Comerica Park on Monday, August 22 when the Whitecaps take on the Fort Wayne Wizards. For more information, call the Whitecaps Ticket Office at 800-CAPS-WIN or (616) 784-4131.
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