Larry Howard
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1970-1973)
Larry Howard was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1973 for the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves, a span of 4 seasons. In 133 career games, he hit .236 with 86 hits, 6 home runs, and 47 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 200 lb
- Died
- 5/11/2019 in Kingman, AZ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1970-08-09
- Last Game
- 1973-07-02
Full name: Lawrence Rayford Howard
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | 365 | 36 | 86 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 47 | 0 | 37 | 85 | .236 | .305 | .337 | .642 | -275 |
Career AVG .236 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.
Career OBP .305 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .337 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.
Career OPS .642 vs. league average .691 across their career seasons — 7.0% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | HOU | NL | 31 | 88 | 11 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 23 | .307 | .253 (+21%) | .325 (+16%) | .385 (+15%) | .711 (+15%) | 240.4 |
| 1971 | HOU | NL | 24 | 64 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 | .234 | .249 (-6%) | .316 (-16%) | .365 (+3%) | .682 (-6%) | -86.6 |
| 1972 | HOU | NL | 54 | 157 | 16 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 30 | .223 | .243 (-9%) | .310 (-4%) | .353 (-14%) | .664 (-9%) | -185.9 |
| 1973 | HOU | NL | 20 | 48 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 12 | .167 | — | — | — | — | -243.2 |
| 1973 | ATL | NL | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .125 | — | — | — | — | -243.2 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 133 | 365 | 36 | 86 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 47 | 0 | 37 | 85 | .236 | — | — | — | — | -519 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (133 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 60 | 156 | 15 | 32 | 2 | 12 | .205 |
| Away | 73 | 209 | 21 | 54 | 4 | 35 | .258 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-07-02 | ATL | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-06-23 | ATL | SDP | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1973-06-19 | ATL | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-05-29 | ATL | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1973-05-21 | HOU | SFG | L | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-05-20 | HOU | SFG | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-05-17 | HOU | ATL | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1973-05-16 | HOU | ATL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1973-05-13 | HOU | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-05-12 | HOU | CIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 123 |
| First Base | 2 |
| Left Field | 2 |
Larry Howard: the record in brief
Larry Howard's major league career runs from a debut on August 9, 1970 to a final game on July 2, 1973. Howard played for the Houston Astros (1970 to 1973) and the Atlanta Braves (1973). Howard, a catcher by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 6'3" and 200 pounds. Howard was born on June 6, 1945, in Columbus, OH, USA. The bio records the death on May 11, 2019, in Kingman, AZ, USA. The given name on file is Lawrence Rayford Howard.
Across 133 games at the plate, Howard's career line reads 86 hits in 365 at bats for a .236 average; the totals also include 6 home runs and 47 runs batted in. Howard's career OPS of .642 combines a .305 on-base mark with .337 slugging. Howard's .236 average ran 6.2% below the .251 that the league posted over the same seasons. In OPS terms, Howard's .642 stands 7.0% below the league's .691. No season topped the 35 hits of 1972. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .223 in 1972, did not top the league's .243.
Frequently Asked Questions about Larry Howard
- What years did Larry Howard play?
- Larry Howard played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1973.
- Was Larry Howard a pitcher?
- No. Larry Howard was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Larry Howard hit?
- Larry Howard hit 6 career home runs with 86 hits.
- What was Larry Howard's career batting average?
- Larry Howard batted .236 over his career, with 86 hits in 365 at bats.
- How many RBI did Larry Howard have?
- Larry Howard drove in 47 runs in his career.
- Is Larry Howard in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Larry Howard has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.