The Forgiving of Steve Howe
FORMER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR DIES IN CAR CRASH
The story of Steve Howe is one told without the glory of fame and fortune throughout America.
Steve Howe died yesterday. Prognosticators a decade or more ago would have set high odds that the cause of death would have been cocaine or alcohol instead of the fatal car crash that took his life.
The tragedy of Steve Howe's life is that he wasn't famous for his dazzling fastball that should of led him to being one of the top relievers of the 80's and 90's. Instead, Howe will forever be known as the man whose addiction to drugs and alcohol ruined his shot at immortality not just once, but seven times.
According to the New York Times' Murray Chass, most of Howe's rehab during those seven banishments from baseball did little to help him. In fact, Howe's final reinstatement was won by his lawyer's successful claim that his client suffered from attention deficit disorder.
Today, it seems completely confounding that a man with God-given ability playing a child's game be forgiven a mere one times instead of seven, but maybe we should be more forgiving as a society.
People make mistakes, some huge, some minor. That Steve Howe was one of the chosen and miniscule talented enough to play professional baseball or whether he squandered away a good union job on the docks; it's immaterial.
Howe had a substance abuse problem that where he submitted himself a known seven times to cure. There was an attempt to rid himself of the demons. Can that be said of other baseball players who, by society's account, may not be suffering ofaddicitons of priority, but abuse of drugs like steroids and performance-enhancing drugs that like cocaine and alcohol can kill.
Would Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa be forgiven if they came clean? Would people give Barry Bonds some compassion if he came clean? Would he be given a second chance? Of course.
Undoubtedly, Steve Howe is a metaphor for a wasted gift; a wasted life of fame and fortune, maybe, instead it should be a story about a society willing to forgive not just once, but seven times.
The story of Steve Howe is one told without the glory of fame and fortune throughout America.
Steve Howe died yesterday. Prognosticators a decade or more ago would have set high odds that the cause of death would have been cocaine or alcohol instead of the fatal car crash that took his life.
The tragedy of Steve Howe's life is that he wasn't famous for his dazzling fastball that should of led him to being one of the top relievers of the 80's and 90's. Instead, Howe will forever be known as the man whose addiction to drugs and alcohol ruined his shot at immortality not just once, but seven times.
According to the New York Times' Murray Chass, most of Howe's rehab during those seven banishments from baseball did little to help him. In fact, Howe's final reinstatement was won by his lawyer's successful claim that his client suffered from attention deficit disorder.
Today, it seems completely confounding that a man with God-given ability playing a child's game be forgiven a mere one times instead of seven, but maybe we should be more forgiving as a society.
People make mistakes, some huge, some minor. That Steve Howe was one of the chosen and miniscule talented enough to play professional baseball or whether he squandered away a good union job on the docks; it's immaterial.
Howe had a substance abuse problem that where he submitted himself a known seven times to cure. There was an attempt to rid himself of the demons. Can that be said of other baseball players who, by society's account, may not be suffering ofaddicitons of priority, but abuse of drugs like steroids and performance-enhancing drugs that like cocaine and alcohol can kill.
Would Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa be forgiven if they came clean? Would people give Barry Bonds some compassion if he came clean? Would he be given a second chance? Of course.
Undoubtedly, Steve Howe is a metaphor for a wasted gift; a wasted life of fame and fortune, maybe, instead it should be a story about a society willing to forgive not just once, but seven times.
That was nicely said, man. Good article.
Posted by
Nick |
Sunday, April 30, 2006 9:11:00 PM
well said, i had know Steve through his little league coaching of his son in Montana, sadly he wasn't able to defeat his addictions, My heart goes out to his faimly, hopeflly he is in a more peaceful place now,
Posted by
Anonymous |
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 12:41:00 PM