Thomas Howard (baseball) facts for kids

Thomas Sylvester Howard (born December 11, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder, which means he played in the part of the baseball field farthest from home plate. Thomas Howard played for 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1990 to 2000. He played for several teams, including the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals. A cool moment in his career happened on April 11, 2000, when he hit the very first grand slam at Minute Maid Park, a famous baseball stadium.

Thomas Howard's Early Life and College Sports

Thomas Howard grew up in Germantown, Ohio. He was a talented athlete from a young age. When he was in high school at Valley View High School, he played three different sports!

After high school, he went to Ball State University. There, he continued to play two sports: college baseball and college football. In football, he played as a backup quarterback.

Baseball Star in College

Thomas Howard was especially good at baseball in college. In 1986, he was named the first-ever Mid-American Conference Baseball Player of the Year. This award recognized him as the best baseball player in his college conference. That year, he led the conference with an amazing .448 batting average and hit 23 home runs.

His success in college baseball led to a big achievement. In 1996, he was honored by being added to the Ball State athletics hall of fame. This means he is recognized as one of the best athletes in the university's history.

Drafted into Major League Baseball

Because he was so good, Thomas Howard became the first athlete from Ball State University to be picked in the first round of a major sports draft. The San Diego Padres chose him with the 11th overall pick in the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft. This was a huge step towards his dream of playing professional baseball.

Thomas Howard's MLB Career Highlights

Thomas Howard played in 1015 Major League games over his 11 seasons. He had a career batting average of .264. This means he got a hit about 26.4% of the times he tried to hit the ball.

During his career, he scored 297 runs for his teams. He also hit 123 doubles (when the batter reaches second base) and 22 triples (when the batter reaches third base). He hit 44 home runs and had 264 RBI (runs batted in), which means he helped his teammates score runs. He was also fast, stealing 66 stolen bases.

Playing in the Outfield

Thomas Howard was a very good fielder. He played in all three outfield positions: left field, center field, and right field. His fielding percentage was .986, which is very high. This shows he made very few errors when catching or throwing the ball.

Postseason Games

He also played in nine postseason games, which are the important games after the regular season that lead to the World Series. In these games, he had 3 hits and 1 RBI.

Life After Baseball

As of 2014, Thomas Howard lived in Atlanta. He has five children. After his baseball career, he started working in the health and fitness industry, helping people stay healthy and active.