Wilbur Howard

Wilbur Leon Howard

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 175 lb.
• High School Holbrook High School (Lowell)
• Debut September 4, 1973
• Final Game September 30, 1978
• Born January 8, 1949 in Lowell, NC USA
• Died December 17, 2022 in Houston, TX USA

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Biographical Information

Wilbur Howard played six seasons in the majors. He had little power, but hit .250. In his best season, with the Houston Astros in 1975, he hit .283 with 32 stolen bases. It was the only year that he had more than 300 plate appearances.

Defensively, he played all the outfield positions, appearing in left field more than elsewhere. He also did a lot of pinch-hitting and pinch-running, and once in a while played in the infield. He was even used as a catcher a few times in his final season, 1978.

Wilbur played nine years in the minors, and also four years in Mexico.

There have been only a few major leaguers with the first name Wilbur, of which the two most recent ones (through 2019) both ended their big league careers in 1978 - Wilbur Howard and Wilbur Wood.