Born Feb. 28, 1918, in Denver, Howsam served as a Navy pilot in World War II before leading the Denver Bears of the Class A Western League and Triple-A American Association from 1947-62. Howsam was twice named the Sporting News Minor League Executive of the Year during that time, and in 1959 he helped with a bid to create a third major league with the Continental League.
The Continental League never materialized, but its proposal led to expansion by the American League in 1961 and by the National League in 1962.
By then, Howsam’s family had established the Broncos in the AFL – making them one of the self-proclaimed “Foolish Club” for taking on the established National Football League. The Howsams sold the Broncos in 1961.
As for Howsam, he found work during the 1964 baseball season as the Cardinals’ general manager after St. Louis owner Gussie Busch dismissed Bing Devine in August. The Cardinals caught fire after Howsam took over, and eventually defeated the Yankees in seven games to win the 1964 World Series.
Over the next two seasons, Howsam installed Red Schoendienst as manager and acquired Orlando Cepeda and Roger Maris in trades, setting the stage for the Redbirds to win the 1967 World Series and 1968 NL pennant. But by then, Howsam had become the general manager of the Reds.
Howsam quickly went to work in Cincinnati, and by 1970 – after Howsam hired future Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson – the Reds were back in the World Series. But after losing to the Orioles that fall and failing to make the playoffs in 1971, Howsam decided a change was necessary.
On Nov. 29, 1971, Howsam traded Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart to the Houston Astros for Joe Morgan, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, Denis Menke and Ed Armbrister.
“On the morning of the trade, I told my team I had just given Houston the championship,” Howsam said. “But we were building for the future and needed speed for the AstroTurf (at the Reds’ new Riverfront Stadium). As it turned out, we shocked everybody and won the pennant in 1972.”
The Reds lost the World Series to the A’s in seven games that year, but by 1975 the Big Red Machine was ready to roll. That year, Cincinnati won 108 regular season games and the NL pennant, then defeated the Red Sox in seven games in a thrilling World Series. The next year, Cincinnati won the Fall Classic again – etching the team into the nation’s sporting consciousness.
Morgan, the key in that 1971 trade, won back-to-back NL MVPs in 1975-76 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990.
After retiring in 1978, Howsam returned to the Reds briefly in the early 1980s. He was elected to the team’s Hall of Fame in 2004.
“From what I have seen, the Big Red Machine will always be the greatest team ever in baseball,” Howsam said. “We were so balanced.”
Howsam died on Feb. 19, 2008.
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum