Arthur Edward Howe Jr. was an American professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball. As a player, he was a third baseman and spent his entire MLB career with the Houston Astros from 1973 to 1980. After retiring as a player, Howe went on to manage four different MLB teams over 17 seasons. Due to his long career both as a player and manager, Howe has been featured on several baseball cards over the years.
Howe made his MLB debut with the Astros in 1973 at the age of 24. That season, he appeared in 71 games and had a .218 batting average. Howe’s rookie card is from the 1973 Topps set, card #497. The photo shows him in an Astros uniform from his rookie season. It features the standard design of Topps cards from that era with statistics and career highlights on the back. Howe’s rookie card is fairly common and in low demand from collectors since he was never a big star player. Still, it remains the earliest card depicting Howe in his MLB career.
Over the next several seasons from 1974-1980, Howe established himself as the Astros’ everyday third baseman. His best statistical season came in 1977 when he hit .278 with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. That performance led to Howe receiving several baseball cards in 1978 sets. His main card is from the 1978 Topps set, card #473. The photo shows him in an Astros batting stance. On the back, it lists his 1977 stats and notes he was an All-Star that season as well. Howe also had cards in the 1978 Kellogg’s (#86), 1978 SSPC (#215), and 1978 Donruss (#54) sets that year.
After the 1980 season, Howe’s playing career came to an end after accumulating a .260 batting average with 63 home runs and 358 RBI over 8 MLB seasons, all with Houston. He then transitioned to managing and was hired by the Athletics for the 1984 season. Howe’s managerial career led to him being featured on several manager or managerial debut cards in the mid-1980s. This includes his 1984 Donruss manager card (#M11) and 1984 Fleer Update card (#U-67). Both highlight his first season at the helm in Oakland.
Howe went on to manage the Athletics from 1984-1995, leading them to the AL West title in 1988 and 1990. His success with Oakland made him one of the game’s top managers in the late 80s/early 90s. This period of Howe’s career is captured well on his 1989 Topps Traded card (#T74). The photo shows him in the dugout giving instructions to his players. Text on the back outlines his career managing record up to that point. Howe also received cards in 1989 Fleer (#404), 1989 Score (#704), and 1989 Upper Deck (#326) sets as he continued finding success with the A’s.
After leaving Oakland, Howe managed the Mets from 1996-2002. He led them to the NL East title in 1999 but was fired midway through the 2002 season. Howe’s time with the Mets is highlighted on several 1990s/2000s cards. This includes 1996 Leaf Limited (#46), 1999 Upper Deck (#244), 2000 Fleer Tradition (#FT-AH), and 2001 Donruss Heritage (#93). The photos show him both in the dugout and occasionally in uniform, reflecting his years as the Mets skipper. Howe then had brief stints managing the Rockies in 2003 and Nationals in 2004, ending his managerial career.
In summary, Art Howe had a playing career with the Astros from 1973-1980 that was highlighted on several 1970s cards produced by Topps, Kellogg’s, and others. His transition to managing led to numerous 1980s and 1990s cards issued during his tenures with the Athletics and Mets. Howe’s 17-year managerial career made him a mainstay in baseball card sets of that era. While he was never a superstar player, Howe’s longevity both on the field and in the dugout resulted in his baseball card history spanning from the 1970s all the way through the early 2000s. He remains a memorable figure represented across multiple decades of baseball card productions.
