# Mike Howard Michael Frederic Howard (born April 2, 1958) is a former Major League Baseball player whose major league career was spent with the New York Mets.[^1] The sources assembled for this article cover only his baseball career. They record no Minnesota public office, filing, proceeding or other Minnesota record involving him.[^1] ## Career The Los Angeles Dodgers chose Howard in the sixth round of the 1976 MLB draft. The Mets took him from the Dodgers two years later in the 1978 Rule 5 draft.[^1] He reached the major leagues at age 23, debuting on September 12, 1981.[^1] His last major league appearance came on opening day, April 5, 1983. With the bases loaded and no runs yet scored, he singled off Steve Carlton, a future Hall of Famer, and drove in the game-winning run.[^1] Howard made no further appearance before he was sent back to the minor leagues later that month, and he never returned to the major leagues.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Mike Howard* (revision 1335130063, retrieved 2026-10-26), CC BY-SA 4.0 — full name, birth date, draft selections, major league debut, final game and the Carlton at-bat, and return to the minors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Howard