| Inductee #11 (2007) | |
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4 Terry Howard | 2B Hometown: Shattuck, OK HS: Shattuck High School Played from 1969-72 College: Lamar JC and Southeastern Notes: One of just five players in the program's history to be a full-time starter for four seasons (others in Hall already: Fariss, Gregg Ward, Gore and McDonald). |
Despite many decades having passed since he last coached Terry Howard, former Traveler head coach Bob Ward remembers the player vividly. Only he doesn't have any spectacular stories to tell about one of his best infielders of all time.
"He was just as steady as they come," said Ward. "I don't think he ever had a bad game, and he was a helluva nice kid."
| Traveler Stats | |
| 107 runs scored (5th) 45 stolen bases (7th) 109 hits (12th) One of five players with 100+ hits twice |
A Shattuck native, Terry Howard is one of just five players in the program's long history to be an everyday starter for four consecutive seasons, starting from his 15-year-old season of 1969. The other four have already been placed in the Hall of Fame.
Howard manned second base for the Travelers for 315 total games, and he put up some dazzling numbers along the way. Cracking the single-season 100-plus hit list is tough. Doing it twice -- like Howard did -- is nearly unheard of.
In his final two seasons Terry amassed 214 hits while hitting over .400 both seasons. And consider this...unlike the other four players to collect 100-plus hits twice, Howard did it without the advantage of an aluminum bat, having played in the wood bat era.
Howard was instrumental in helping transform a young Traveler legion program into a regional power. Before his first season of 1969, the Travelers had been around for five seasons and never had a winning percentage higher than .694. Howard's four teams all won district championships over rival Enid and went a combined 241-73 (.768 winning percentage).
After graduating from the Traveler program Howard played two successful seasons at Lamar, CO junior college before heading to a powerhouse at Southeastern Oklahoma State University where he earned All-American honors his senior year.
He currently lives in Denver where he serves as a federal bank examiner.
