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

Baseball fans usually remember the stars who grabbed the headlines, but honestly, the sport’s history is shaped just as much by dedicated players who fought their way through long journeys to the major leagues. Millard “Dixie” Howell stands out as one of those guys—a left-handed hitter, right-handed pitcher who spent almost two decades grinding through professional baseball.

Howell wrapped up his Major League Baseball career in 1958 after six seasons in the majors and 19 years in the minors. His career stretched from 1940 to 1958. Born in Harold, Kentucky, on January 7, 1920, he stood 6’2″ and weighed 210 pounds. He looked pretty intimidating out there, especially as a relief specialist.

He played for three major league teams: the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox. Over his career, he racked up 99 strikeouts and a 19-15 win-loss record. From his Kentucky roots to his military service, his playing style, and the mark he left on baseball, Howell’s story shows just how much determination it took to make it in the 1940s and 1950s.

Early Life and Background

Millard “Dixie” Howell started his baseball journey in the coal mining towns of Kentucky and West Virginia. His family didn’t have much, but they taught him the value of hard work and grit.

He first picked up baseball with local town teams, learning the game alongside older men. Those early games set him up for a 19-year run in professional baseball.

Hometown and Family Origins

Millard Howell was born in Harold, Kentucky, way out in the eastern part of the state near the West Virginia border. His dad, William Howell, worked both as a farmer and a coal miner, while his mom was Almeda Ratliff Howell.

The Howell family was pretty big. Millard had an older sister named Naoma, plus two younger sisters, Polly and Edith. His parents named him after Millard Fillmore, the 13th U.S. president.

When Millard was about nine, the family moved to Dehue, West Virginia. That put them deeper into coal country, and his dad kept working in the mines. They lived pretty modestly, just like most working-class families in that area during the ’20s and ’30s.

Early Baseball Influences

Howell stopped going to school after eighth grade. He dropped out, but honestly, he found what he loved on the baseball field with the local team in Dehue.

He played with grown men and showed off some serious versatility. Howell played all over—infield, outfield, and pitcher. “Anywhere just so I could get on the team,” he once said, remembering how badly he wanted to play.

A mine foreman noticed Howell’s natural talent and decided to step in. That guy ended up recommending Howell to professional scouts, which changed everything.

Path to Professional Baseball

That foreman’s recommendation opened a door for Howell with a professional club just a few miles away in Logan, West Virginia.

Logan was part of the Cleveland Indians organization and played in the Class D Mountain State League. The league had just started up in 1937, giving young players in the area a shot.

Howell first signed as a left-handed hitting outfielder who threw right-handed, but the team quickly saw his pitching potential. At 17, the Logan team switched him to pitcher, drawn by his strong right arm. That move pretty much set the course for the rest of his career.

Major League Baseball Career Overview

Dixie Howell’s MLB career lasted 18 years, but he only played six seasons in the majors between 1940 and 1958. His path was anything but straightforward, with long breaks between appearances.

He had short runs with Cleveland and Cincinnati before really finding his place as a relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox in his mid-30s.

MLB Debut with Cleveland Indians

Howell made his big league debut on September 14, 1940, with the Cleveland Indians when he was just 20. He pitched in three games during that first call-up, logging just an inning in his first game against Boston.

Cleveland signed Howell from their Logan affiliate in the Mountain State League. Back in Logan, he led the league in innings pitched with 233 and finished second in wins with 13.

Early Career Stats with Cleveland:

• Games: 3
• Innings Pitched: Not many
• ERA: Solid in limited chances

After those three games in 1940, Howell didn’t return to the majors for almost nine years. World War II got in the way, and he spent time as a prisoner of war in Germany from 1944-1945.

Stint with Cincinnati Reds

Howell came back to the majors in 1949 with the Cincinnati Reds after Cleveland sold his contract in 1943. Unfortunately, arm problems popped up during spring training.

He only made five appearances for Cincinnati in late April and early May 1949. His first major league start came on May 1 at Crosley Field against Pittsburgh.

Manager Bucky Walters pulled Howell in the third inning, and the Pirates won 10-4. That was one of just two career starts Howell made in the big leagues.

Those arm troubles stuck with him. After a rough stretch with the Reds, the team sent him back to Syracuse, where he pitched just 39 innings for the rest of the year.

Key Years with Chicago White Sox

Howell finally found his groove with the Chicago White Sox from 1955 through 1958. The White Sox called him up in June 1955, after he’d already been playing pro ball for 19 years.

His breakthrough happened on June 25, 1955, when he picked up his first major league win at Fenway Park. That win came almost 15 years after his MLB debut, which set a record for the longest gap between debut and first win.

Chicago White Sox Performance:

• 1955: 8-3 record, 2.93 ERA in 35 games
• 1956: 4-7 record, 4.62 ERA in 34 games
• 1957: 6-4 record, 3.29 ERA in 43 games
• 1958: Last game on April 26

Now working out of the bullpen, Howell became one of Chicago’s most dependable relievers. Manager Marty Marion called him “the salvation of our bullpen” during the 1955 season.

His sinker really set him apart. In 1955, Howell allowed only one home run in 73⅔ innings, and he gave up just 10 homers in his entire 213-inning MLB career.

The quiet Kentucky native pitched his final major league game on April 26, 1958, at age 38. His career totals: 19 wins, 15 losses, 124 games.

Career Highlights and Achievements

Millard “Dixie” Howell played almost 20 years of professional baseball. He showed real endurance and even set a few records along the way.

His most impressive achievement? A historic strikeout performance in 1940, plus his big breakthrough with the Chicago White Sox in 1955.

Record-Setting Performances

Howell made a name for himself with one of the best single-game pitching performances in minor league history. On August 15, 1940, he struck out 20 Binghamton Triplets in a nine-inning game for Wilkes-Barre in the Eastern League.

That set a league record and really showed off his powerful right arm. The 3-1 win proved he could dominate hitters.

In 1957, Howell set a couple of odd major league batting records. He collected five hits that season, but none of them were singles—they were three home runs and one double.

He wasn’t just about strikeouts. Howell won 194 games in the minors over 19 seasons, nearly hitting the 200-win mark before his career ended.

Notable Season: 1955

The 1955 season was Howell’s breakout year with the Chicago White Sox at age 35. After almost 15 years since his first big league game, he finally notched his first win on June 25, 1955, against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

That win set a record for the longest wait between a debut and a first win in MLB history. The White Sox brought him up from Memphis in June to help out their bullpen during a pennant chase.

Howell quickly became one of the team’s go-to relievers, working alongside Sandy Consuegra. He posted an 8-3 record and led the White Sox in saves and games finished.

He had the third-best ERA on the team and allowed just one home run in 73⅔ innings. Manager Marty Marion called him “the salvation of our bullpen” as the team pushed for the pennant.

Final Season and Retirement in 1958

Howell finished his major league career in 1958 after a handful of games. His career totals: 19 wins, 15 losses in 124 games with Cleveland, Cincinnati, and the White Sox.

He struck out 99 batters in his MLB career and built a reputation as a ground ball pitcher. His sinker was his bread and butter, keeping hitters off balance.

Howell’s career ended tragically during spring training in 1960 when he died at age 40. His final stats showed just how durable he was, with a career that ran from 1940 to 1958—even with a military service break.

Playing Style and Statistics

Dixie Howell made his mark as a relief pitcher who relied on control and durability. His stats tell the story of a journeyman, with most of his major league success coming in Chicago.

Pitching Techniques and Approach

Howell worked as a right-handed pitcher even though he batted left. At 6’2″ and 210 pounds, he had the build you’d expect from a pitcher in that era.

His best year came in 1955 with the White Sox. Howell went 8-3 with a 2.93 ERA across 35 games, saving nine of them and tossing 73.2 innings.

He didn’t overpower hitters. Howell relied on command, and his career strikeout-to-walk ratio of 0.96 shows he pitched to contact. He averaged 3.9 strikeouts and 4.1 walks per nine innings.

He mostly worked out of the bullpen. Howell started just 2 games in 115 MLB appearances. All 18 of his career saves came with Chicago.

Batting Performance in MLB

Howell didn’t get many chances to hit in the majors, since he was a reliever. He only appeared in one game as a hitter during the 1958 season, at least based on the records.

His main job was pitching, though he did play outfield in the minors. That kind of versatility was pretty normal for players back then, since teams wanted guys who could do a little of everything.

You won’t find much hitting data for him, which makes sense—relievers didn’t get many at-bats in the ’50s.

Minor League Statistics

Howell played 19 years in the minors, way more than his six-year MLB career. All that time in the minors helped him develop the skills that eventually paid off in the majors.

He started his minor league career before his 1940 MLB debut with Cleveland. Howell kept playing in the minors between big league stints and even after his last MLB game in 1958.

That kind of long minor league career was pretty common for players of his generation. Plenty of talented guys spent years in the minors before finally making it to the majors.

Howell’s persistence eventually paid off, especially with his best years coming in his mid-30s with the White Sox. That kind of late-career success was rare, but it showed just how much he loved the game.

Military Service and Personal Life

Dixie Howell’s baseball career got interrupted by World War II. He served as an infantryman and even became a prisoner of war.

Off the field, his life was full of family commitments. Sadly, a tragic early death cut short both his baseball career and his life at age 40.

World War II Experience

Howell joined military service with the Army on November 23, 1943, right as his baseball career was starting to take off.

He was supposed to join the Cincinnati Reds in spring 1944, but instead, he went for infantry training at Camp Wolters, Texas.

The Army assigned him to the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. Howell served as a Private First Class in the European Theater of Operations.

His unit pushed through Belgium in September 1944. They crossed the River Meuse in boats after German forces blew up all the bridges.

On September 6, 1944, enemy troops captured Howell and 150 other American soldiers in a surprise attack.

They took him to Stalag VIIA prisoner-of-war camp at Moosburg, Germany, about 40 miles northeast of Munich.

Camp life was rough. “In the morning, we got nothing except bad coffee,” Howell remembered.

“For lunch, it was usually some sort of soup, and in the evening we’d get minced ham—the fellows called it horse meat—potatoes and bread.”

Howell lost 75 pounds while he was imprisoned, dropping from his usual 210 pounds.

Allied forces liberated him in April 1945, and he made it back to the United States. He got his military discharge on November 8, 1945.

Life After Baseball

Howell was married and had two young daughters when he entered military service.

His family gave him motivation during his time as a prisoner of war and supported him when he returned to baseball.

After his discharge, Howell struggled to get back to his old form. He went to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds in 1946, but he ended up back in the minors with Syracuse.

Missing two years from baseball had really hurt his skills.

Still, Howell stuck with it through multiple team changes and kept playing professionally.

He stayed active in baseball for almost two decades, moving between different minor league teams before finally making it as a major league regular.

He faced some tough personal challenges, especially recurring arm problems that threatened to end his career more than once.

He even thought about retiring before the 1951 season, but he kept going and eventually found success as a relief specialist with the Chicago White Sox.

Legacy and Remembrance

Howell’s life ended suddenly on March 18, 1960, at the Indians’ spring training camp in Hollywood, Florida.

He complained of chest pains after running exercises and died from a heart attack just three hours later at age 40.

His death stunned the baseball community, cutting short both his life and his shot at a coaching career.

Howell had planned to stay involved in baseball after his playing days.

His family buried him at Oaklawn Cemetery and Mausoleum in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

His military service and baseball career really show the sacrifices professional athletes made during World War II.

Howell’s story highlights the challenges players faced when they lost prime years to military service.

He pushed through war, imprisonment, and career setbacks, showing the resilience of his generation of ballplayers.

His legacy lives on in baseball history records that document both his athletic achievements and his military service.

The combination of his prisoner-of-war experience and eventual major league success makes his story stand out among baseball players of that era.

Dixie Howell in Baseball Culture and Media

Dixie Howell’s legacy in baseball culture goes beyond just his stats.

People have documented and analyzed his unique career path and wartime service in various ways.

Representation in Baseball Literature

Dixie Howell shows up in several baseball history books, especially those about World War II era players.

The Society for American Baseball Research has put together detailed biographical work on Howell, focusing on his unusual 15-year gap between major league appearances.

His story really resonates in wartime baseball literature because of his time as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany.

Baseball’s Greatest Sacrifice, a big database of players who served in World War II, includes Howell’s full military service record and baseball career timeline.

The Baseball Cube keeps thorough stats on Howell’s career, covering both his major and minor league numbers.

These resources help keep his story alive for future baseball fans and researchers.

Mentions in Fantasy Baseball News

You don’t see Dixie Howell mentioned much in modern fantasy baseball analysis since his career came long before fantasy sports really existed.

Still, his stats show up in historical fantasy baseball simulations and vintage league recreations.

Baseball historians sometimes use Howell’s career as an example of perseverance when talking about player development.

His late-career success with the Chicago White Sox stands as a case study for patience in evaluating players.

Sometimes, contemporary fantasy analysts like Buster Olney mention similar career arcs when they talk about current players who spend years in the minors before finally making it big.

Historical Analyses and Retrosheet Data

Retrosheet stands out as the top source for historical baseball data. They keep complete game logs for Howell’s major league appearances from 1940 to 1958.

You can find detailed info about his pitching performances and situational stats in these records.

Howell holds a unique record for the longest gap between his first appearance and first win. Statisticians still dig into that, using his career data to explore player development and how wartime service might’ve affected athletic careers.

Modern analysts point out Howell’s strengths as a relief pitcher. He could really induce ground balls with his sinker.

His career 1.38 WHIP shows he had solid command, even though he didn’t get a ton of major league chances.