Dixie Howell – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Homer Elliott “Dixie” Howell put together a solid eight-season run in Major League Baseball before retiring in 1956. Born in Louisville, this catcher spent almost twenty years in pro baseball, grinding through the minors and eventually suiting up for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Dodgers.

Howell’s baseball story goes way beyond his .246 career batting average and 93 RBIs. He witnessed one of baseball’s most pivotal moments when he played alongside Jackie Robinson in Montreal. In 1946, he joined the Montreal Royals and found himself right in the middle of baseball’s integration, watching up close as Robinson broke barriers and faced relentless challenges.

From his pro debut in 1938 to his last big league game in 1956, Howell’s career spanned the war years and huge changes in baseball. His journey included military service during World War II, some key seasons as a starting catcher, and the rare thrill of earning a World Series ring with the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.

Early Life and Background

Homer Elliott “Dixie” Howell was born on April 24, 1920, in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up in a working-class family that shaped his grit and determination.

He started his baseball journey in Louisville’s neighborhoods, where he found his calling as a catcher.

Family and Birthplace

Howell came into the world in Louisville on April 24, 1920. His family lived in the busy river city at a time when baseball was quickly becoming America’s favorite sport.

Louisville offered a rich baseball culture for young Howell. The city had a knack for producing great players, and his family encouraged his love for the game early on.

The Howell family believed in hard work and dedication. Those values stuck with him when he turned pro. His parents supported his baseball dreams but made sure he understood the value of commitment and perseverance.

Education and Upbringing

Howell attended Louisville Male High School, where he kept honing his baseball skills. The school was known for turning out top athletes.

He graduated in 1938, ready to chase his professional baseball dreams.

Those high school years were crucial for Howell as a catcher. He picked up proper technique and learned the game’s strategy.

His teachers and coaches saw his potential from the start. The education and experience he got at Louisville Male prepared him for what was coming.

He played against tough competition and gained confidence. Graduating in 1938 closed the chapter on his amateur days.

First Steps in Baseball

Right after high school in 1938, Howell jumped into pro baseball. He signed his first pro contract that year.

Scouts noticed his natural talent as a catcher. Early years in the minors helped him sharpen his skills.

He bounced through different levels of pro ball, learning the mental side of the game. By 1941, he’d impressed enough people that a major league organization picked him up.

Howell’s steady climb through the minors showed how much he wanted to get better. Those first seasons set the stage for his shot at the majors.

Military Service During World War II

Howell’s military service interrupted his baseball career when World War II broke out. He served as an Army infantryman in Europe and spent five months as a prisoner of war in Germany.

Service in the United States Army

Howell joined the U.S. Army on November 23, 1943. He trained with an infantry unit at Camp Wolters, Texas, then moved to Camp Shanks, New York.

The Army sent him to Europe with the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. His unit pushed through Belgium in September 1944 as the Allies advanced.

On September 6, 1944, Howell and his fellow soldiers had to cross the River Meuse in boats. German troops destroyed all the bridges as they retreated.

Enemy soldiers surprised the Americans on the far side of the river. The Germans captured 150 Americans, including Howell. They took him to Stalag VIIA, a prison camp near Moosburg, Germany.

Prison life was rough. Howell said they got only bad coffee in the morning, soup at noon, and minced ham with potatoes and bread for dinner.

“The Red Cross would give us chocolate bars and other things hard to get and some of us would trade these things for bread,” Howell remembered. Prisoners who worked on farms or railroads got better rations.

Allied forces finally liberated Howell in April 1945. He had lost 75 pounds from his usual 210-pound frame during captivity.

Impact on Baseball Career

Military service cost Howell almost three of his best baseball years. He left the Army on November 8, 1945, at age 26.

The Cincinnati Reds wanted to promote him to the big leagues for 1944. Instead, he missed two seasons because of military duty and being a POW.

Howell had a tough time getting back into baseball shape. He went to spring training with the Reds in 1946 but landed back in the minors with Syracuse.

That long break from competition hurt his skills and conditioning. He spent four more years in the minors before getting another shot with the Reds in 1949.

Howell’s story shows the sacrifices so many pro athletes made during the war. He lost years that might’ve been his prime.

Professional Baseball Career Overview

Homer Elliott “Dixie” Howell built his career as a dependable catcher, playing eight big league seasons between 1947 and 1956. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Dodgers, and took home a World Series ring with Brooklyn in 1955.

Major League Debut and Early Years

Howell’s pro career started in 1938 right after high school. By 1941, the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him, and he played for their top farm club, the Montreal Royals of the International League.

World War II interrupted his career. He served in the Army in Europe and missed the 1944-45 seasons.

Howell returned to Montreal in 1946 and shared catching duties with Herman Franks. That 1946 Royals team made history as the first racially integrated club in organized baseball since the 1880s, with Jackie Robinson at second base.

Howell saw up close the ugly treatment Robinson endured. “I was with Jackie on Montreal,” Howell told Roger Kahn in 1953. “The way he was thrown at that year was unbelievable. Unbelievable and disgraceful.”

Teams Played For

Howell made his big league debut on May 6, 1947, but not with the Dodgers. On May 3, they traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a deal that also included pitcher Kirby Higbe.

Three days later, he played his first game against the Boston Braves. He went hitless in three at-bats against Johnny Sain.

Howell and Clyde Kluttz were the Pirates’ main catchers in 1947, with Howell hitting a career-high .276.

He spent 1948 in the Pacific Coast League. The Cincinnati Reds then picked him in the 1948 Rule 5 draft.

Howell caught for Cincinnati from 1949 to 1952, serving as their main catcher in 1950 and 1951.

In October 1952, the Brooklyn Dodgers got him back in a trade for pitcher Clyde King. He mostly played Triple-A in 1953 and 1954 but spent all of 1955 with Brooklyn, earning a World Series ring.

Catching Career and Playing Style

Howell batted and threw right-handed, stood 5’11”, and weighed about 190 pounds. He played solid defense, posting a .984 fielding percentage as a catcher.

Over eight MLB seasons, he appeared in 340 games and collected 224 hits in 910 at-bats. He hit .246, with 12 home runs and 93 RBIs.

In 1955, Howell played behind Roy Campanella and Rube Walker on the Dodgers. He got into just 16 games but hit .262 and was part of Brooklyn’s only World Series-winning team.

His last big league game was on September 8, 1956, with the Dodgers. After that, he played two more years in the minors before calling it quits.

Key Seasons and Notable Achievements

Homer Elliott “Dixie” Howell’s eight-season MLB career included big moments with three major league teams and plenty of success in the International League. His best year at the plate was his rookie season with Pittsburgh, hitting .276, and his biggest team achievement was the 1955 World Series win with Brooklyn.

Career Highlights with the Pittsburgh Pirates

Howell debuted in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 6, 1947, after they traded for him from Brooklyn. He arrived as part of a trade that included pitcher Kirby Higbe.

His first game was against the Boston Braves, where Johnny Sain held him hitless in three at-bats. Still, Howell quickly showed he could handle the job.

The 1947 season turned out to be his best offensively. He shared catching duties with Clyde Kluttz and finished with a .276 average, a career high.

After that season, the Pirates sent him to the Triple-A San Francisco Seals, so he spent 1948 back in the minors.

Cincinnati Reds Years

The Cincinnati Reds picked Howell in the 1948 Rule 5 draft and brought him back to the majors for four straight seasons, 1949 through 1952. That was the most stable stretch of his MLB career.

Howell was the Reds’ main catcher in 1950 and 1951. He handled most of the catching and played steady defense.

His offensive numbers during those years were steady, if not flashy. He picked up most of his career totals with Cincinnati, including 12 home runs and 93 RBIs over his MLB career.

In 1952, the Reds brought in veteran catcher Andy Seminick, which meant Howell only played 17 games. That October, Cincinnati traded him back to Brooklyn for pitcher Clyde King.

Brooklyn Dodgers Contributions

Howell’s second stint with the Dodgers in 1953 led to his biggest team accomplishment. He spent most of 1953 and 1954 in Triple-A but was on the Dodgers’ roster for all of 1955.

He played behind star catcher Roy Campanella and backup Rube Walker, appearing in 16 games and starting nine. He batted .262 in limited action.

The 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers finally won their only World Series, beating the Yankees in seven games. Howell didn’t play in the Series itself, but he was part of that historic team.

He saw his last MLB action in 1956 when the Dodgers called him up from Montreal in August. He played seven games, started four behind the plate, and picked up three hits.

International League Success

Howell’s minor league career, especially with the Montreal Royals, was just as meaningful. In 1946, he returned from the war and rejoined Montreal after missing two seasons.

The 1946 Montreal Royals made history as the first racially integrated team in organized baseball since the 1880s. Howell shared catching duties with Herman Franks while Jackie Robinson played second base.

Montreal won both the International League championship and the Junior World Series that year. Howell saw firsthand the ugly side of Robinson’s experience, telling Roger Kahn, “The way he was thrown at that year was unbelievable.”

Robinson biographer Arnold Rampersad wrote that Howell was one of just two Southern-born Montreal players who personally wished Robinson well when he moved up to the Dodgers in 1947.

Career Statistics and Records

Dixie Howell played professional baseball from 1940 to 1958. Over those years, he put up a 19-15 record as a pitcher, with a 3.78 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 115 games.

He showed versatility, contributing both as a pitcher and a position player during his time in Major League Baseball.

Batting Performance

From 1947 to 1956, Howell posted a career batting average of .246 as a position player.

He hit 12 home runs and drove in 93 RBIs over 340 games.

Howell wasn’t really a main offensive threat, more of a utility guy filling in where needed. Most of his batting stats came when he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.

Twelve home runs might seem modest, but it was pretty standard for someone splitting time between pitching and the field back then. Those 93 RBIs show he could come through in the clutch when the team needed it.

Early in his career, managers leaned on his versatility, moving him around to different roles.

Fielding Percentages

As a pitcher, Howell put up a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in both the 1940 and 1949 seasons.

During his 1940 debut with Cleveland, he handled one chance cleanly in 5 innings pitched. His range factor was 1.80 per nine innings, just a bit below the league average of 1.98.

In 1949 with Cincinnati, he fielded three chances without an error over 13.1 innings. Managers trusted him for his defensive reliability.

As a position player, Howell held his own in the field too. His ability to cover multiple positions certainly boosted his value on any roster.

Postseason Appearances

Dixie Howell never played in a postseason game during his MLB career.

None of the teams he suited up for made the playoffs while he was with them. The White Sox, for example, won the World Series in 1959, just a year after Howell hung up his cleats.

Still, Howell gave steady contributions across several organizations. His longest run came with the Chicago White Sox from 1955 to 1958, where he had his best years as a relief pitcher.

Retirement and Later Life

Dixie Howell wrapped up his baseball career in 1956 after a rough final season with the Chicago White Sox. That marked the end of almost twenty years in pro baseball.

After retiring, he moved back to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania with his family. He worked different jobs and kept a low profile until his unexpected death in 1960.

Final Baseball Seasons and Retirement in 1956

Howell’s last big league season in 1956 was tough, especially compared to his breakout in 1955.

He struggled with control, giving up 79 hits and 26 walks in just over 64 innings.

His ERA shot up to 4.62, a far cry from his strong numbers the year before. He finished with only four saves, which felt like a letdown after his late-career comeback with the White Sox.

One bright spot came on August 23 at Yankee Stadium. Howell made his second and final major league start, going 5 and 2/3 innings against the Yankees. Even though he allowed 10 hits, he held New York to two runs and picked up the win.

After that season, he officially retired from pro baseball at 36. His career covered 19 years in the minors and parts of six seasons in the majors, not to mention the interruption for World War II service.

Life After Baseball

When he retired, Howell went back to his home in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he’d lived since meeting his wife Helen in 1939.

Family meant everything to him, and he settled into life as a father of four.

His son once called him a “country bumpkin” who loved working with his hands. During off-seasons, Howell worked in a scrapyard, which really shows his practical side and strong work ethic.

He liked tinkering, often taking apart TVs and electronics just to figure out how they worked. Howell even dug out a dirt basement by himself at home, showing the same grit he brought to baseball.

People around him called him “the original quiet man” in baseball, and that never really changed after he retired. He stayed shy and reserved, always preferring family time over the spotlight.

Legacy and Recognition

Howell’s baseball legacy really comes down to his grit and those odd, unforgettable major league records. No one else has ever gone 15 years between their first appearance and their first win. That’s just wild, isn’t it?

He fought through World War II as a prisoner and dealt with arm injuries, but still made it back to the big leagues at 35. That kind of determination is rare these days.

The Society for American Baseball Research wrote a lot about his career. They truly appreciated what he brought to the game.

Sadly, things didn’t go well for Howell after retirement. He died suddenly during spring training in 1960, only four years after he left professional baseball. He was just 40.

Howell kept things low-key, but his steady play with the White Sox in the mid-1950s made people respect him, both on his team and on the other side. Sure, his major league stats weren’t flashy, but when you think about his journey from Kentucky coal country all the way to the majors, it’s honestly hard not to feel inspired.