Art Houtteman
Encyclopedia
Arthur Joseph Houtteman (August 7, 1927 – May 6, 2003) was an American right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for 12 seasons in the American League
with the Detroit Tigers
, Cleveland Indians
and Baltimore Orioles
. In 325 career games, Houtteman pitched 1,555 innings
and posted a win-loss record
of 87–91, with 78 complete game
s, 14 shutout
s, and a 4.14 earned run average
(ERA).
Known on the sandlot for his pitching motion, Houtteman was signed by scout
Wish Egan
in 1945 at 17 years of age. He was recruited by major league teams, and joined a Tigers pitching staff that had lost players to injuries and World War II
. After moving between the major and minor league
s over the next few years, he was nearly killed in a driving accident just before the 1949 season. Houtteman rebounded from his injuries and went on to win 15 games that season and made his only All-Star
appearance in the following year.
He played three more seasons with the Tigers, then was sold to Cleveland, where he pitched for the pennant
-winning Indians during their 1954 season
. After losing his starting
job, he played two more seasons with the Indians before he was bought by the Orioles, and he finished his final season in Major League Baseball with them. Houtteman ended his baseball career in the minor leagues and became a sales executive in Detroit
. In 2003, Houtteman died at the age of 75.
, Michigan
on August 7, 1927. He was a second-generation American citizen; his grandfather Joseph had emigrated
from Belgium
. The only son born to the Houtteman family, Art's father, also named Arthur, vowed that his son would become a major league player by the time he turned 17.
Houtteman played baseball at Detroit Catholic Central High School
, where his pitching caught the attention of baseball scout Wish Egan
, who praised Houtteman's "perfect pitching motion". Houtteman was signed by the Detroit Tigers late in 1944 and began to practice with the Tigers in spring training
before the 1945 season along with fellow Detroit sandlot player Billy Pierce
. He spent most of the 1945 season playing for Detroit's top minor league
affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons
. However, injuries plagued the Tigers' pitching staff, and the 17-year-old Houtteman was recruited by the major league roster and began his professional career.
was coming to a close (Houtteman was too young for the draft), Houtteman made his debut on April 29. At 17 years old, he debuted as the youngest player in the American League in the 1945 season
. After two months of major league experience, Houtteman was optioned to Buffalo. On June 20, Houtteman threw a no-hitter
through seven innings, facing only 22 batters in the process, but lost the game 2–0 in extra innings
. Over the course of the season, Houtteman appeared in 13 games as a relief pitcher
, he finished with zero wins
, two losses, and an ERA
of 5.33 in just over 25 innings pitched
. He was not on the active roster, and as a result did not pitch during the Tigers' World Series
victory over the Chicago Cubs
.
Houtteman was the youngest player during the 1946 major league season. However, he only played one game for the Tigers in 1946, allowing eight runs
and fifteen hits
in eight innings. He spent most of the 1946 season in the minor leagues, and finished the 1946 minor league season with a 16–13 record and leading the league in strikeouts. At the end of the season, Houtteman was declared by six of the eight International League
managers as the top pitching prospect in the league. He was called the top prospect due to his leading the league in strikeouts, with nearly 150, pitching over 200 innings, finishing second in victories with 16, and finishing the season with an 11–2 road record. Minor league third baseman Johnny Bero liked Houtteman's fielding ability so much that he called him "a fifth infielder."
Despite his newfound top prospect status, Houtteman remained in Buffalo at the beginning of the 1947 season. After spending a few months honing his pitching with Buffalo, he was promoted to the Tigers' roster in July. He occupied the bullpen
for a time, and did not get much action. However, after Hal Newhouser
, Fred Hutchinson
, and Dizzy Trout
were used in a two-day period, Tigers coach Steve O'Neill
decided to give Houtteman the start against the Washington Senators
, the second start of his career. Houtteman tossed a five-hit shutout in a Tigers' victory against the Senators, to which Tigers' general manager
Billy Evans
said, "In 40 years I've never seen a better pitching job by a first year pitcher. We now know that Houtteman is really a big leaguer". Houtteman followed this up with another five-hit victory against the Boston Red Sox
, then pitched a three-hit shutout in September against the St. Louis Browns
. He finished the season with a 7–2 record, a 3.42 ERA, seven complete games, and two shutouts. Houtteman's efforts during the 1947 Detroit Tigers season
caught the attention of New York Yankees
star and future Hall of Famer
Joe DiMaggio
, who said of Houtteman and Bob Lemon
, "They have more stuff and more pitching sense than any other young fellows I've seen come up in a long while".
The 1948 Detroit Tigers season
began with Houtteman as a starting pitcher in the Tigers' rotation. Things started off poorly, however, as Houtteman lost his first eight decisions. Two of the first five losses, though, were by one run, and he did not have much help from the Tigers' lineup. The 0–8 start and lack of run support led to the beginning of the media's nickname for him, "Hard Luck Houtteman". His first victory of the season came in a game against the Senators, in which he drove in the winning run. After winning his next start, he defeated the Philadelphia Athletics
in a five-hit affair, and avoided another loss. He then lost eight more games to finish the season at 2–16. His teammates and media declared that it was bad luck rather than bad pitching, and claimed that he was still a touted prospect. Hal Newhouser said, "The kid has had nothing but bad luck since the season opened", while Fred Hutchinson said, "He should not have lost more than three or four games had he gotten an even break". Houtteman finished the season with a 2–16 record and a 4.66 ERA; however, his ERA was only 0.06 higher than the major league average.
As spring training for the 1949 Detroit Tigers season
began, Houtteman was still a part of the roster when he was nearly killed. In Lakeland, Florida
on March 10, 1949, Houtteman was driving home from Florida Southern College
when he crashed into a fruit truck, and fractured his skull. Despite his original critical condition, he made a rapid recovery and was able to talk with his teammates two days after the accident, and told them, "I'll be able to pitch sooner than you". Within two weeks, the Tigers were optimistic that their pitcher would be able to play again by June. As a result of the injuries to Houtteman and Yankees star catcher Yogi Berra
due to car accidents, Cleveland Indians manager Lou Boudreau
banned Indians players from driving, which forced them to ride chartered buses to exhibition games.
on July 23. Over the course of the season, Houtteman beat each American League club at least once and beat the Yankees and Red Sox three times. He finished the season with a 15–10 record, a 3.71 ERA, 13 complete games, and two shutouts. He was placed in most valuable player (MVP) voting, and received three points and finished tied for 22nd with teammate Virgil Trucks
. The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association honored him as the year's "Most Courageous Athlete" because of his injury and comeback.
As the 1950 Detroit Tigers season
started, Houtteman was on a high note, pitching all of spring training without allowing a walk
. He won his tenth game of the season on June 28, 1950, and became the first pitcher to hit the 10-win mark alongside Bob Lemon
. After the game, he told an Associated Press
reporter that he was just about convinced that Lady Luck had decided to give him a break after kicking him around for the past two or three years. Houtteman said, "I've been having a pretty good year and it sure feels good after some of the things that have happened to me". A week into July, Houtteman notched his eleventh victory, and only lost five games, in a 6–1 win against the St. Louis Browns
. Just a few days later, Houtteman was named to the All-Star
roster alongside fellow Tigers including Ted Gray
, George Kell
and Hoot Evers
. In the 1950 All-Star game, Houtteman pitched three innings and batted once. He allowed one earned run
, three hits, and one walk, his one earned run coming in the ninth inning which made the game go to extra innings
.
Houtteman continued his successful season in the second half. On August 19, he faced the Browns and pitched a one-hitter
, and faced the minimum 27 batters in the process. Houtteman ended the season just short of Ted Gray's prediction of 20 victories, and finished the season with a 19–12 record. He led the league in shutouts with four and was second in games started
with 34, second in innings pitched with 274.7, third in wins, and third in complete games with 21. His ERA of 3.54 was good for fifth in the American League. He also earned six points in MVP voting, and finished tied for 24th. On October 2, the day after the 1950 season ended, Houtteman married Shelagh Marie Kelly. They met in New York's Catskill Mountains
at Grossinger's Resort.
. He had originally been classified 4-F, or medically ineligible for the draft, because of a high school knee injury, and he felt that he was drafted only because he was a prominent athlete. He served in the heavy weapons division of the Army, where the roar of the big guns sent pains throbbing through Houtteman's head and gave him severe headaches, which doctors believed was a lingering effect of the skull fracture three years earlier. As a result, the Army reclassified Houtteman as not fully qualified for combat duty. This led to a medical discharge on September 15, 1951. Speaking of his time in the Army, Houtteman said, "I spent most of my time in the Army hospital. I did play a little ball at Camp Pickett
", Virginia.
When he returned to the Tigers for spring training in 1952, Tigers' manager Red Rolfe
noted, "Artie could be our best pitcher. He's the slump-breaking type, a guy who can throw a shutout once in a while". After a poor season without Houtteman in 1951, Rolfe predicted, "We'll be back in the first division this season because Art Houtteman is back. Houtteman makes us at least a dozen games better than[last year's Tigers' team] ". Houtteman worked out in Detroit with pitcher Ted Gray over the winter before the 1952 season. Before the season started, Houtteman said, "It all depends on how I get off. I'm anxious to get into the season. My arm doesn't feel any different than it did in '50. I hope I can do even better than my last year". Houtteman also took number 21 on his uniform, the number he had when he first arrived with the Tigers, because he felt that it had given both him and teammate George Kell, who won a batting title with the number, good luck.
It appeared that "Hard Luck Houtteman" had returned as the 1952 Detroit Tigers season
began. On April 2, 1952, just before the season started, Art lost his seven-month old daughter in an automobile accident. In an April 26 matchup against the Cleveland Indians, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Houtteman was one out away from a no-hitter when he threw a fastball
that was "supposed to sink" but did not, which Harry hit for a single
. Houtteman said, "This was the only pitch I shook Ginsberg off the whole game", and for years afterwards, catcher Joe Ginsberg
repeatedly said to Houtteman, "If you'd listened to me, I'd have you in the Hall of Fame". Detroit won the game by a score of 13–0. After losing his tenth game on June 22, manager Red Rolfe moved Houtteman out of the starting rotation and into the bullpen. He finished the year with an 8–20 record and a 4.36 ERA. His 20th loss came on September 21 against the Indians, and he became the first Tiger to lose 20 games since Bobo Newsom
in 1941. His disappointing season led to the possibility of a trade, with general manager Charlie Gehringer
acknowledging that Houtteman might be traded if the right offer came along.
Houtteman spent the offseason selling cars and making public appearances for the Detroit Tigers. During the 1953 Detroit Tigers season
there were rumors of possible trades for Houtteman, with the Yankees proposing the possibility of trading Hank Bauer
, an infielder, and Gil McDougald
for Houtteman. Gehringer said of Houtteman's high trading price, "Art has always had good stuff—much too good to be a 20-game loser". That season, he was used as both a starter and reliever during the season. However, he lost six straight decisions, and by the middle of June had a 2–6 record and a 5.90 ERA. This marked the end of his career as a Tiger.
, Joe Ginsberg and Bill Wight
, to the Cleveland Indians for Ray Boone
, Al Aber
, Steve Gromek
and Dick Weik
. In July 1953, he returned to Detroit to pitch against the Tigers. At the time, Houtteman admitted he wanted to be traded. He said, "The fans are down on me and I'd do everybody a lot more good by being traded". He was not content with the Tigers and said there were times when it seemed he "couldn't wait to peel off his uniform after a game". As a result of Indians' pitching coach Mel Harder
doing a "complete" overhaul, Houtteman was moved into the starting rotation, to replace Bob Feller
. Houtteman finished the season in Cleveland with a 7–7 record, six complete games, one shutout, 109 innings pitched, and a 3.80 ERA.
At the start of the 1954 Cleveland Indians season
, Houtteman's second daughter, Hollis Ann, was born on February 22. His pitching continued to improve under Mel Harder, who "got me to quit experimenting and to seek my natural delivery". The Indians used him when they could, especially in extra inning affairs. In the Indians' first six extra inning games, Houtteman was used three times. As a result, Houtteman finished the season with a career-high 11 complete games. The Indians also began to use Houtteman and Feller for doubleheader
s with great success, as they had a 9–1 record after their first five doubleheaders. Houtteman finished the season with a 15–7 record, a 3.35 ERA, and 188 innings pitched. In the 1954 World Series
with the Indians, he pitched two innings in Game 3 against the New York Giants
, allowing one run and striking out one batter.
The 1955 Cleveland Indians season
originally planned to use Houtteman as the number four pitcher on the starting rotation, as he had been the previous year. He saw himself remaining the fourth starter, and said, "Herb Score
won't beat me out of the fourth starting job with the Indians" on April 11. However, he became a spot starter, as he lost his starting position to Score, the "most talked-about rookie in all the major league training camps". He split starting time with Bob Feller and finished the season with a 10–6 record, a 3.98 ERA, and three complete games. On December 29, 1955, Houtteman's first son, Jeff, was born with assistance from National Football League
player Leon Hart
, who was visiting Houtteman and helped deliver the baby.
Houtteman remained a reliever during the 1956 Cleveland Indians season
. He continued to get trade offers in 1956, though, as the Chicago White Sox
were willing to trade outfielder Jim Rivera
for him. A three-team, nine-player deal involving Houtteman again becoming part of the White Sox along with George Strickland was also scrapped at the last second. Houtteman finished the 1956 season having only made 22 appearances on the mound, earning a 2–2 record. However, he had a high ERA of 6.56, his highest since 1946, when he made one appearance.
As the 1957 Cleveland Indians season
neared, tension was running high. There was talk about Houtteman's being "in the doghouse", or out of favor with the team's management, during the 1956 season due to his lack of starts. According to sportswriter Hal Lebovitz
, this was a result of the starting five for the Indians, including spot starter Feller, pitching very well during spring training. Houtteman was again brought up in trade rumors, along with Mike Garcia, since the Indians were loaded with pitching talent. When manager Al Lopez
was replaced by Kerby Farrell
, Houtteman did, in fact, land in Farrell's doghouse. Farrell called him out front of his teammates after a poor performance in spring training. Houtteman pitched only four innings in three games for the Indians in 1957.
, Houtteman made four relief appearances before he was demoted to the Vancouver Mounties
of the Pacific Coast League
. He was brought back up to the major league roster to pitch on September 22, the final start of his major league career. In his final game, he pitched 2⅓ innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and throwing two strikeouts.
Just before the 1958 season began, Houtteman was cut by the Orioles, ending his major league career. Shortly after being cut, he signed on with the Charleston Senators
, a farm club of the Tigers. He had a 3.25 ERA and a 7–9 record for the Senators at the end of the 1958 season. In 1959, the Kansas City Athletics
decided to give him a tryout. However, despite what was described as an "impressive" performance, they cut Houtteman as they were looking for more youthful arms. Houtteman signed with the Portland Beavers
of the Pacific Coast League, and posted a 6–9 record with an ERA of 3.69 for the season. After the season ended, and after a third daughter, Sharon, was born in 1959, Houtteman announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 32.
at his home in Rochester Hills, Michigan
. He was survived by his wife, three children, and six grandchildren.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for 12 seasons in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In 325 career games, Houtteman pitched 1,555 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
and posted a win-loss record
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
of 87–91, with 78 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s, 14 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, and a 4.14 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA).
Known on the sandlot for his pitching motion, Houtteman was signed by scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
Wish Egan
Wish Egan
Aloysius Jerome "Wish" Egan was a Major League Baseball player and scout.-Playing career:Born in Evart, Michigan, Egan played three seasons as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals . He started 3 games for the Tigers in September 1902...
in 1945 at 17 years of age. He was recruited by major league teams, and joined a Tigers pitching staff that had lost players to injuries and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After moving between the major and minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
s over the next few years, he was nearly killed in a driving accident just before the 1949 season. Houtteman rebounded from his injuries and went on to win 15 games that season and made his only All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
appearance in the following year.
He played three more seasons with the Tigers, then was sold to Cleveland, where he pitched for the pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
-winning Indians during their 1954 season
1954 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history...
. After losing his starting
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
job, he played two more seasons with the Indians before he was bought by the Orioles, and he finished his final season in Major League Baseball with them. Houtteman ended his baseball career in the minor leagues and became a sales executive in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. In 2003, Houtteman died at the age of 75.
Early life
Art Houtteman was born in DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on August 7, 1927. He was a second-generation American citizen; his grandfather Joseph had emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The only son born to the Houtteman family, Art's father, also named Arthur, vowed that his son would become a major league player by the time he turned 17.
Houtteman played baseball at Detroit Catholic Central High School
Detroit Catholic Central High School
Detroit Catholic Central High School is a private, Catholic, all-male, college preparatory high school in Novi, Michigan. Founded in 1928 in Detroit, Michigan by the Archdiocese of Detroit, the school is operated by the Congregation of St. Basil...
, where his pitching caught the attention of baseball scout Wish Egan
Wish Egan
Aloysius Jerome "Wish" Egan was a Major League Baseball player and scout.-Playing career:Born in Evart, Michigan, Egan played three seasons as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals . He started 3 games for the Tigers in September 1902...
, who praised Houtteman's "perfect pitching motion". Houtteman was signed by the Detroit Tigers late in 1944 and began to practice with the Tigers in spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
before the 1945 season along with fellow Detroit sandlot player Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce
Walter William Pierce is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher between 1952 and 1961, and was named the American League's top pitcher in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953...
. He spent most of the 1945 season playing for Detroit's top minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
. However, injuries plagued the Tigers' pitching staff, and the 17-year-old Houtteman was recruited by the major league roster and began his professional career.
Hard Luck Houtteman
Due to the Tigers' pitching injuries, and many top players' serving their country as World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was coming to a close (Houtteman was too young for the draft), Houtteman made his debut on April 29. At 17 years old, he debuted as the youngest player in the American League in the 1945 season
1945 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers was the team's 45th since they entered the American League in 1901. The team won the American League pennant, then went on to win the 1945 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3. It was the second World Series championship for the Tigers...
. After two months of major league experience, Houtteman was optioned to Buffalo. On June 20, Houtteman threw a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
through seven innings, facing only 22 batters in the process, but lost the game 2–0 in extra innings
Extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
. Over the course of the season, Houtteman appeared in 13 games as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
, he finished with zero wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, two losses, and an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 5.33 in just over 25 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. He was not on the active roster, and as a result did not pitch during the Tigers' World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
victory over the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Houtteman was the youngest player during the 1946 major league season. However, he only played one game for the Tigers in 1946, allowing eight runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
and fifteen hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in eight innings. He spent most of the 1946 season in the minor leagues, and finished the 1946 minor league season with a 16–13 record and leading the league in strikeouts. At the end of the season, Houtteman was declared by six of the eight International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
managers as the top pitching prospect in the league. He was called the top prospect due to his leading the league in strikeouts, with nearly 150, pitching over 200 innings, finishing second in victories with 16, and finishing the season with an 11–2 road record. Minor league third baseman Johnny Bero liked Houtteman's fielding ability so much that he called him "a fifth infielder."
Despite his newfound top prospect status, Houtteman remained in Buffalo at the beginning of the 1947 season. After spending a few months honing his pitching with Buffalo, he was promoted to the Tigers' roster in July. He occupied the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
for a time, and did not get much action. However, after Hal Newhouser
Hal Newhouser
Harold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was an American pitcher for Major League Baseball who played 17 seasons from 1939 to 1955, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of the American League...
, Fred Hutchinson
Fred Hutchinson
Frederick Charles Hutchinson was an American professional baseball player, a major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. He also was a manager for three major league teams...
, and Dizzy Trout
Dizzy Trout
Paul Howard "Dizzy" Trout was a Major League Baseball pitcher primarily for the Detroit Tigers. Born in Sandcut, Indiana, he first played professionally in 1935 with the Terre Haute Tots in the Three-I League before signing with Detroit in 1939.Trout played for the Tigers for fourteen seasons,...
were used in a two-day period, Tigers coach Steve O'Neill
Steve O'Neill
Stephen Francis O'Neill was an American catcher, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.Born to Irish immigrants in Minooka, Pennsylvania , O'Neill was one of six brothers who escaped a life in the coal mines by playing in the major leagues...
decided to give Houtteman the start against the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, the second start of his career. Houtteman tossed a five-hit shutout in a Tigers' victory against the Senators, to which Tigers' general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
Billy Evans
Billy Evans
William George Evans , nicknamed "The Boy Umpire," was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1906 to 1927...
said, "In 40 years I've never seen a better pitching job by a first year pitcher. We now know that Houtteman is really a big leaguer". Houtteman followed this up with another five-hit victory against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, then pitched a three-hit shutout in September against the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. He finished the season with a 7–2 record, a 3.42 ERA, seven complete games, and two shutouts. Houtteman's efforts during the 1947 Detroit Tigers season
1947 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the American League with a record of 85-69, 12 games behind the New York Yankees.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
caught the attention of New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
star and future Hall of Famer
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, who said of Houtteman and Bob Lemon
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....
, "They have more stuff and more pitching sense than any other young fellows I've seen come up in a long while".
The 1948 Detroit Tigers season
1948 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fifth in the American League with a record of 78-76, 18½ games behind the Cleveland Indians.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
began with Houtteman as a starting pitcher in the Tigers' rotation. Things started off poorly, however, as Houtteman lost his first eight decisions. Two of the first five losses, though, were by one run, and he did not have much help from the Tigers' lineup. The 0–8 start and lack of run support led to the beginning of the media's nickname for him, "Hard Luck Houtteman". His first victory of the season came in a game against the Senators, in which he drove in the winning run. After winning his next start, he defeated the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in a five-hit affair, and avoided another loss. He then lost eight more games to finish the season at 2–16. His teammates and media declared that it was bad luck rather than bad pitching, and claimed that he was still a touted prospect. Hal Newhouser said, "The kid has had nothing but bad luck since the season opened", while Fred Hutchinson said, "He should not have lost more than three or four games had he gotten an even break". Houtteman finished the season with a 2–16 record and a 4.66 ERA; however, his ERA was only 0.06 higher than the major league average.
As spring training for the 1949 Detroit Tigers season
1949 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fourth in the American League with a record of 87-67, 10 games behind the New York Yankees.- Offseason :...
began, Houtteman was still a part of the roster when he was nearly killed. In Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
on March 10, 1949, Houtteman was driving home from Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
when he crashed into a fruit truck, and fractured his skull. Despite his original critical condition, he made a rapid recovery and was able to talk with his teammates two days after the accident, and told them, "I'll be able to pitch sooner than you". Within two weeks, the Tigers were optimistic that their pitcher would be able to play again by June. As a result of the injuries to Houtteman and Yankees star catcher Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
due to car accidents, Cleveland Indians manager Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau
Louis "Lou" Boudreau was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
banned Indians players from driving, which forced them to ride chartered buses to exhibition games.
Ace of the staff
Houtteman marked his return to the Tigers' rotation on May 21, 1949, but he lost his first three decisions. His performance improved, however, as he began to earn more victories in the 1949 season. These wins included a five-hit 2–1 victory over the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on July 23. Over the course of the season, Houtteman beat each American League club at least once and beat the Yankees and Red Sox three times. He finished the season with a 15–10 record, a 3.71 ERA, 13 complete games, and two shutouts. He was placed in most valuable player (MVP) voting, and received three points and finished tied for 22nd with teammate Virgil Trucks
Virgil Trucks
Virgil Oliver Trucks is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1941 through 1958, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Browns , Chicago White Sox , Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees . He batted and threw right-handed...
. The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association honored him as the year's "Most Courageous Athlete" because of his injury and comeback.
As the 1950 Detroit Tigers season
1950 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers had a record of 95-59 , the seventh-best winning percentage in the Tigers' 107-year history. After a tight back-and-forth pennant race, they finished in second place, three games behind a Yankees team that swept the Phillies in the 1950 World Series.- Regular season :The 1950...
started, Houtteman was on a high note, pitching all of spring training without allowing a walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. He won his tenth game of the season on June 28, 1950, and became the first pitcher to hit the 10-win mark alongside Bob Lemon
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....
. After the game, he told an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reporter that he was just about convinced that Lady Luck had decided to give him a break after kicking him around for the past two or three years. Houtteman said, "I've been having a pretty good year and it sure feels good after some of the things that have happened to me". A week into July, Houtteman notched his eleventh victory, and only lost five games, in a 6–1 win against the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. Just a few days later, Houtteman was named to the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
roster alongside fellow Tigers including Ted Gray
Ted Gray
Ted Glenn Gray was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played eight seasons with the Detroit Tigers , and then had short stints during the season with the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles.A native Detroiter, Gray was a star pitcher at Highland Park...
, George Kell
George Kell
George Clyde Kell was an American baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Baltimore Orioles in the American League, who went on to become a baseball broadcaster for 40 years.-Playing career:In college, Kell...
and Hoot Evers
Hoot Evers
Walter Arthur "Hoot" Evers was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played twelve seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , New York Giants , Baltimore Orioles , and Cleveland Indians ....
. In the 1950 All-Star game, Houtteman pitched three innings and batted once. He allowed one earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
, three hits, and one walk, his one earned run coming in the ninth inning which made the game go to extra innings
Extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
.
Houtteman continued his successful season in the second half. On August 19, he faced the Browns and pitched a one-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
, and faced the minimum 27 batters in the process. Houtteman ended the season just short of Ted Gray's prediction of 20 victories, and finished the season with a 19–12 record. He led the league in shutouts with four and was second in games started
Games started
In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
with 34, second in innings pitched with 274.7, third in wins, and third in complete games with 21. His ERA of 3.54 was good for fifth in the American League. He also earned six points in MVP voting, and finished tied for 24th. On October 2, the day after the 1950 season ended, Houtteman married Shelagh Marie Kelly. They met in New York's Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
at Grossinger's Resort.
Military and return to Tigers
Before the start of the 1951 season, Houtteman was drafted into the ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He had originally been classified 4-F, or medically ineligible for the draft, because of a high school knee injury, and he felt that he was drafted only because he was a prominent athlete. He served in the heavy weapons division of the Army, where the roar of the big guns sent pains throbbing through Houtteman's head and gave him severe headaches, which doctors believed was a lingering effect of the skull fracture three years earlier. As a result, the Army reclassified Houtteman as not fully qualified for combat duty. This led to a medical discharge on September 15, 1951. Speaking of his time in the Army, Houtteman said, "I spent most of my time in the Army hospital. I did play a little ball at Camp Pickett
Fort Pickett
Fort Pickett, Virginia, is a Virginia Army National Guard installation, located near the town of Blackstone, Virginia. It is named for the United States Army officer and Confederate General George Pickett.- Beginnings :...
", Virginia.
When he returned to the Tigers for spring training in 1952, Tigers' manager Red Rolfe
Red Rolfe
Robert Abial "Red" Rolfe was an American third baseman, manager and front-office executive in Major League Baseball. A native of Penacook, New Hampshire, he is one of the most prominent players to come from the Granite State...
noted, "Artie could be our best pitcher. He's the slump-breaking type, a guy who can throw a shutout once in a while". After a poor season without Houtteman in 1951, Rolfe predicted, "We'll be back in the first division this season because Art Houtteman is back. Houtteman makes us at least a dozen games better than
It appeared that "Hard Luck Houtteman" had returned as the 1952 Detroit Tigers season
1952 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers had a record of 50–104 — the worst record in Tigers' history until the 2003 Tigers lost 119 games. Virgil Trucks became the third pitcher in major league history to throw two no-hitters in one season.- Regular season :...
began. On April 2, 1952, just before the season started, Art lost his seven-month old daughter in an automobile accident. In an April 26 matchup against the Cleveland Indians, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Houtteman was one out away from a no-hitter when he threw a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that was "supposed to sink" but did not, which Harry hit for a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. Houtteman said, "This was the only pitch I shook Ginsberg off the whole game", and for years afterwards, catcher Joe Ginsberg
Joe Ginsberg
Myron Nathan "Joe" Ginsberg was a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , and New York Mets...
repeatedly said to Houtteman, "If you'd listened to me, I'd have you in the Hall of Fame". Detroit won the game by a score of 13–0. After losing his tenth game on June 22, manager Red Rolfe moved Houtteman out of the starting rotation and into the bullpen. He finished the year with an 8–20 record and a 4.36 ERA. His 20th loss came on September 21 against the Indians, and he became the first Tiger to lose 20 games since Bobo Newsom
Bobo Newsom
Louis Norman Newsom was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Also known as "Buck", Newsom played for a number of teams from 1929 through 1953...
in 1941. His disappointing season led to the possibility of a trade, with general manager Charlie Gehringer
Charlie Gehringer
Charles Leonard Gehringer , nicknamed “The Mechanical Man,” was a German-American Major League Baseball second baseman who played 19 seasons for the Detroit Tigers...
acknowledging that Houtteman might be traded if the right offer came along.
Houtteman spent the offseason selling cars and making public appearances for the Detroit Tigers. During the 1953 Detroit Tigers season
1953 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the American League with a record of 60-94, 40½ games behind the New York Yankees.-Offseason:...
there were rumors of possible trades for Houtteman, with the Yankees proposing the possibility of trading Hank Bauer
Hank Bauer
Henry Albert "Hank" Bauer was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics ; he batted and threw right-handed...
, an infielder, and Gil McDougald
Gil McDougald
Gilbert James McDougald was an American infielder who spent all ten seasons of his Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1960. He was a member of eight American League pennant winners and five World Series Champions. He was also the AL Rookie of the Year in 1951 and...
for Houtteman. Gehringer said of Houtteman's high trading price, "Art has always had good stuff—much too good to be a 20-game loser". That season, he was used as both a starter and reliever during the season. However, he lost six straight decisions, and by the middle of June had a 2–6 record and a 5.90 ERA. This marked the end of his career as a Tiger.
Cleveland Indians
On June 15, 1953, Houtteman was traded by the Tigers, along with Owen FriendOwen Friend
Owen Lacey Friend was a Major League Baseball second baseman for five different teams between 1949 and 1956. Listed at 6'1, 180 lb., Friend batted and threw right-handed. Nicknamed "Red," he was born in Granite City, Illinois.Strictly a line drive hitter, Friend entered the majors with the St...
, Joe Ginsberg and Bill Wight
Bill Wight
William Robert Wight was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals . Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb...
, to the Cleveland Indians for Ray Boone
Ray Boone
Raymond Otis Boone was an American Major League Baseball player. He batted and threw right-handed.Boone was born in San Diego, California. An infielder, he broke into the major leagues on September 3, , with the Cleveland Indians...
, Al Aber
Al Aber
Albert Julius Aber , nicknamed Lefty, was a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played six years in the Major Leagues with the Cleveland Indians , Detroit Tigers , and Kansas City Athletics ....
, Steve Gromek
Steve Gromek
Stephen Joseph Gromek was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played seventeen seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers . He was a native of Hamtramck, Michigan.An All-Star in 1945, Gromek posted a 19-9 won-loss record with a 3.26 ERA...
and Dick Weik
Dick Weik
Richard Henry Weik was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. A , right-hander, he played for the Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , and Detroit Tigers ....
. In July 1953, he returned to Detroit to pitch against the Tigers. At the time, Houtteman admitted he wanted to be traded. He said, "The fans are down on me and I'd do everybody a lot more good by being traded". He was not content with the Tigers and said there were times when it seemed he "couldn't wait to peel off his uniform after a game". As a result of Indians' pitching coach Mel Harder
Mel Harder
Melvin Leroy Harder , nicknamed "Chief", was an American, right-handed, starting pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball, who played his entire career with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 36 seasons overall with the Indians, as a player from 1928 to 1947 and as one of the game's most highly...
doing a "complete" overhaul, Houtteman was moved into the starting rotation, to replace Bob Feller
Bob Feller
On December 8, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy, volunteering immediately for combat service, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to do so following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Feller served as Gun Captain aboard the USS Alabama, and missed four seasons during his service...
. Houtteman finished the season in Cleveland with a 7–7 record, six complete games, one shutout, 109 innings pitched, and a 3.80 ERA.
At the start of the 1954 Cleveland Indians season
1954 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history...
, Houtteman's second daughter, Hollis Ann, was born on February 22. His pitching continued to improve under Mel Harder, who "got me to quit experimenting and to seek my natural delivery". The Indians used him when they could, especially in extra inning affairs. In the Indians' first six extra inning games, Houtteman was used three times. As a result, Houtteman finished the season with a career-high 11 complete games. The Indians also began to use Houtteman and Feller for doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
s with great success, as they had a 9–1 record after their first five doubleheaders. Houtteman finished the season with a 15–7 record, a 3.35 ERA, and 188 innings pitched. In the 1954 World Series
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
with the Indians, he pitched two innings in Game 3 against the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, allowing one run and striking out one batter.
The 1955 Cleveland Indians season
1955 Cleveland Indians season
- Offseason :* October 14, 1954: Owen Friend was purchased from the Indians by the Boston Red Sox.* November 16, 1954: Ralph Kiner was acquired by the Indians from the Chicago Cubs for $60,000 as part of an earlier deal made on September 30, 1954...
originally planned to use Houtteman as the number four pitcher on the starting rotation, as he had been the previous year. He saw himself remaining the fourth starter, and said, "Herb Score
Herb Score
Herbert Jude Score was a Major League Baseball pitcher and announcer.-Athletic career:Score came up as a rookie in with the Cleveland Indians...
won't beat me out of the fourth starting job with the Indians" on April 11. However, he became a spot starter, as he lost his starting position to Score, the "most talked-about rookie in all the major league training camps". He split starting time with Bob Feller and finished the season with a 10–6 record, a 3.98 ERA, and three complete games. On December 29, 1955, Houtteman's first son, Jeff, was born with assistance from National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player Leon Hart
Leon Hart
Leon Joseph Hart was an American football tight end and defensive end. He was raised in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh....
, who was visiting Houtteman and helped deliver the baby.
Houtteman remained a reliever during the 1956 Cleveland Indians season
1956 Cleveland Indians season
-Offseason:* October 24, 1955: Ralph Kiner was released by the Indians.* October 25, 1955: Larry Doby was traded by the Indians to the Chicago White Sox for Chico Carrasquel and Jim Busby.-Roster:-Game log:- Starters by position:...
. He continued to get trade offers in 1956, though, as the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
were willing to trade outfielder Jim Rivera
Jim Rivera
Manuel Joseph "Jim" Rivera is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and left-handed batter who played for the St. Louis Browns , Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Athletics...
for him. A three-team, nine-player deal involving Houtteman again becoming part of the White Sox along with George Strickland was also scrapped at the last second. Houtteman finished the 1956 season having only made 22 appearances on the mound, earning a 2–2 record. However, he had a high ERA of 6.56, his highest since 1946, when he made one appearance.
As the 1957 Cleveland Indians season
1957 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the American League with a record of 76-77, 21½ games behind the New York Yankees- Regular season :The Indians season was marked by change...
neared, tension was running high. There was talk about Houtteman's being "in the doghouse", or out of favor with the team's management, during the 1956 season due to his lack of starts. According to sportswriter Hal Lebovitz
Hal Lebovitz
Hal Lebovitz was a longtime sportswriter and award-winning columnist. He was a fixture on Cleveland, Ohio's sports scene for more than six decades...
, this was a result of the starting five for the Indians, including spot starter Feller, pitching very well during spring training. Houtteman was again brought up in trade rumors, along with Mike Garcia, since the Indians were loaded with pitching talent. When manager Al Lopez
Al Lopez
Alfonso Ramon "Al" Lopez was an American catcher and manager in Major League Baseball, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977....
was replaced by Kerby Farrell
Kerby Farrell
Major Kerby Farrell was a longtime minor league baseball manager who spent but a single season — 1957 — as a manager in American Major League Baseball...
, Houtteman did, in fact, land in Farrell's doghouse. Farrell called him out front of his teammates after a poor performance in spring training. Houtteman pitched only four innings in three games for the Indians in 1957.
Baltimore Orioles and minor leagues
Houtteman was put on the trading block before the 1957 season, but he drew no serious offers because Cleveland seemed desperate to trade him. On May 20, after playing three games for the Indians, Houtteman was sold to the Baltimore Orioles for an undisclosed amount. Hal Lebovitz called Houtteman "a pitcher of considerable promise but who somehow has yet to cash in on it", despite the fact that he was in his 12th and final major league season. During the 1957 Baltimore Orioles season1957 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1957 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 76 losses.-Offseason:* February 8, 1957: Jim Brideweser was purchased by the Orioles from the Detroit Tigers.- Notable transactions :...
, Houtteman made four relief appearances before he was demoted to the Vancouver Mounties
Vancouver Mounties
The Vancouver Mounties were a high-level minor league baseball club based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Mounties played in the Pacific Coast League from 1956 through 1962 as the relocated Oakland Oaks franchise, and from 1965 through 1969 when the Dallas Rangers moved back to Canada.The...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. He was brought back up to the major league roster to pitch on September 22, the final start of his major league career. In his final game, he pitched 2⅓ innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and throwing two strikeouts.
Just before the 1958 season began, Houtteman was cut by the Orioles, ending his major league career. Shortly after being cut, he signed on with the Charleston Senators
Charleston Senators
The Charleston Senators were an American minor league baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They were the first professional baseball team to play in Charleston, beginning play in 1910. The team was inactive during a few periods, playing their last game in 1960....
, a farm club of the Tigers. He had a 3.25 ERA and a 7–9 record for the Senators at the end of the 1958 season. In 1959, the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
decided to give him a tryout. However, despite what was described as an "impressive" performance, they cut Houtteman as they were looking for more youthful arms. Houtteman signed with the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Pacific Coast League, and posted a 6–9 record with an ERA of 3.69 for the season. After the season ended, and after a third daughter, Sharon, was born in 1959, Houtteman announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 32.
Later life
After retiring from professional baseball, Houtteman kept baseball a part of his life and became a sports reporter for a television station in Detroit for a time. He later became a sales executive with Paragon Steel in Detroit, where he served until reaching the age of retirement. He was in attendance for the last game at Tiger Stadium in 1999. Houtteman died on May 6, 2003, at the age of 75, of an apparent heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his home in Rochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills is an affluent city in northeast Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 70,995. The city of Rochester is bounded on the north, south, and west by Rochester Hills...
. He was survived by his wife, three children, and six grandchildren.