OT Retire 21

ooo-ribay · #1 05-01-2018, 09:40 PM

Mike is the man! I�m proud to count him as a friend.

71buc · #2 05-02-2018, 02:22 AM

Thanks for the kind comments everyone. I had a great time at the game with my friend Howard. Cutch had a couple of hits to include a triple. It pains me to see him in those colors (no offense Rob) but life is often hard for a Bucs fan.

Howard and I met through baseball. He was a career minor league player and when we met he was the NW scout for the Cincinnati Reds. We became friends through baseball. I never played beyond High School despite this he would occasionally reach out to me as I knew most of the local players. He would ask my opinions regarding players and was always sincere as he listened to my thoughts. One day he asked me if I wanted to serve as an associate scout and work with the Cincinnati Reds. I was floored that he would value my assessment of players. He made certain I signed an actual contract with the Reds and that I was given a radar gun and Reds credentials. He ensured that I was treated as a baseball peer. I will never forget when he called me at work from the 2005 draft. I was sitting in my cubicle when the phone rang. He said, “Mike this is Howard hold on a minute I’m putting you on speaker phone”. I then got to listen as the Reds drafted my first player. He said, “You are a real scout now” and then hung up. It was an amazing experience and I was also touched that he thought of me.

Howard played against Griffey Jr. and faced both Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. He makes me laugh when he talks about Tommy Lasorda’s talent with profanity. Howard never “big Leagued” me. He would always introduce me to other scouts and baseball executives. He even went out of his way to introduce me to Jim Bowden who looked at me like I was from another planet as he shook my hand.

After five years Howard left and moved to California where he worked for the MLB Scouting bureau. When he left he told me I had an eye for talent offered to recommend me to Scout school in the Dominican Republic. I lacked the courage to roll the dice such a career change would have required. Sometimes I wish I had. I worked in the same capacity for the Indians and then spent a final disheartening year with the Nationals. It was never the same as it was scouting with Howard. He is a class act and a true gentleman. No one else in baseball ever treated me with the dignity and respect he extended to me. Nor has anyone extended the true friendship he has offered me. It was an honor to donate a kidney to Howard. In the past five years he has watched his son play football for UCLA and welcomed two grandchildren to the world. I am thrilled to have contributed to his well being and happiness. A kidney was a small price to pay.

Bpm0014 · #3 05-02-2018, 07:44 AM

As a fellow Bucco fan, this was one of the best threads ever here on Net54. A true inspiration!

ooo-ribay · #4 05-02-2018, 06:16 PM

Your follow-up post was amazing, Mike!

Or should I say �MLB scout Mike�?

71buc · #5 06-25-2022, 03:09 PM

Howard called me on April 30th to give his annual list of things he did and saw this past year. He welcomed two grandchildren into the world. Two months ago he moved to Atlanta to be close to his kids and family. We made plans for him to come spend time with my family last weekend. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. He had a cardiac arrest last Wednesday day and was hospitalized. Thankfully I was able to fly and be with him for the last five days. This morning his body finally failed him. He was an amazing friend until the end my world was a better place because he was part of it. I’ll close this thread with a story he told me. I recall it went something like this.

Howard and I were watching the Dodgers game on television one day. Vin Scully Scully was crooning about the improbability of Gene Baker’s performance against Sandy Koufax. I asked Howard, “ Was there a pitcher you owned during your playing days?” He laughed and said, Yes, there was this guy in the Cubs organization that couldn’t seem to get me out. I counted the days until I was able to face him because I knew I was going to get fat. I couldn’t wait to get to the park on those days. I knew he knew it too. The second half of the season I saw him on road trip. My first at bat I stepped in the box and dug in. I looked out at him and something wasn’t right. He just looked different. He looked way too confident. He threw me the first pitch. It was in on my hands. I took the pitch and suddenly it disappeared moving down and away catching the outside corner for a strike. I was shocked. I had never seen a pitch do that before. I looked at the catcher. He was grinning. I looked out him and he was smiling too. I think he rung me up three times that day. He only threw me that same pitch over and over and over again. I knew it was coming and I still couldn’t do anything with it.” He laughed and said, “I don’t think I ever got a hit off of Greg Maddux ever again.”

This picture how I will remember Howard, young, full of life, and chasing his dream. For the life of me I can’t figure out why Mike Piazza was allowed to wear my friend Howard’s number.

Scott Garner · #6 06-25-2022, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 71buc

Howard called me on April 30th to give his annual list of things he did and saw this past year. He welcomed two grandchildren into the world. Two months ago he moved to Atlanta to be close to his kids and family. We made plans for him to come spend time with my family last weekend. Unfortunately that didn�t happen. He had a cardiac arrest last Wednesday day and was hospitalized. Thankfully I was able to fly and be with him for the last five days. This morning his body finally failed him. He was an amazing friend until the end my world was a better place because he was part of it. I�ll close this thread with a story he told me. I recall it went something like this.

Howard and I were watching the Dodgers game on television one day. Vin Scully Scully was crooning about the improbability of Gene Baker�s performance against Sandy Koufax. I asked Howard, � Was there a pitcher you owned during your playing days?� He laughed and said, Yes, there was this guy in the Cubs organization that couldn�t seem to get me out. I counted the days until I was able to face him because I knew I was going to get fat. I couldn�t wait to get to the park on those days. I knew he knew it too. The second half of the season I saw him on road trip. My first at bat I stepped in the box and dug in. I looked out at him and something wasn�t right. He just looked different. He looked way too confident. He threw me the first pitch. It was in on my hands. I took the pitch and suddenly it disappeared moving down and away catching the outside corner for a strike. I was shocked. I had never seen a pitch do that before. I looked at the catcher. He was grinning. I looked out him and he was smiling too. I think he rung me up three times that day. He only threw me that same pitch over and over and over again. I knew it was coming and I still couldn�t do anything with it.� He laughed and said, �I don�t think I ever got a hit off of Greg Maddux ever again.�

This picture how I will remember Howard, young, full of life, and chasing his dream. For the life of me I can�t figure out why Mike Piazza was allowed to wear my friend Howard�s number.

Great story, Mike!
I'm sorry to hear your friend Howard has passed...

It sounds like an amazing friendship that you shared.

guy3050 · #7 06-25-2022, 04:08 PM

My deepest sympathies Mike

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