Introduction
Benjamin Richard Howard (born January 15, 1979 in Danville, Illinois) is a Major League Baseball pitcher.
Howard split the 2006 season between the Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Buffalo Bisons, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. He was granted free agency by the Indians' on July 16, 2006. Howard spent all the 2007 season playing for the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Howard signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox in January 2008. After being released in late March, he was signed to a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and was assigned to their Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Howard was released on August 12, 2008, while playing for Double-A Huntsville.
Major league career
Howard spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons with the San Diego Padres and the 2004 season with the Florida Marlins.
In 2002, while at spring training with the Padres, Howard was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by teammate Mike Darr when the vehicle was involved in a single-vehicle crash. Darr and another passenger, friend Duane Johnson, were killed. Howard suffered minor injuries.