Red Howell

Murray Donald Howell (Porky)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 215 lb.

• Debut April 24, 1941
• Final Game May 26, 1941
• Born January 29, 1909 in Atlanta, GA USA
• Died October 1, 1950 in Travelers Rest, SC USA

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Biographical Information

Outfielder Red Howell spent seventeen active seasons in professional baseball from 1928 to 1944. He appeared in eleven games in the Major Leagues along with 2,120 games in the minor leagues. "Porky" as he was sometimes called, had one brief stay in the majors. After leading the International League in hitting in 1940 with a .359 average along with 29 home runs and 122 RBI in 152 games, Howell was drafted by the Cleveland Indians from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1940 Rule V Draft. He spent his Major League time with the 1941 Indians from April 24 to May 26. Howell hit .286 in eleven games for the Indians in 1941, then was returned to Baltimore.

In 1931 the Hartford Senators leading hitter was 22-year-old Murray (Red ) Howell with a .329 average, 13 homers and 87 RBI, who was fourth in the Eastern League in batting. The previous year he had been the South Atlantic Association’s top slugger, hitting .340 with 25 home runs and 147 RBI in 142 games. Howell was one of ten 1931 Senators who were on the Brooklyn Dodgers 1932 spring training roster, but he never appeared in a regular season game. He was an excellent hitter, but had a reputation for being hard to handle and often out of shape. Red had a 17-year .326 minor league career average, with 2,509 hits that included 229 home runs, in 2,120 games.

Howell stayed in the game through 1944 at the age of 35. He operated the Lonesome Pines Tourist Camp at Travelers Rest, SC. He died suddenly at the age of 41 at his home in Travelers Rest. He is buried in the Hollywood Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia.