Art Howe
The steady-handed manager who guided the Oakland Athletics' 'Moneyball' era from the dugout, turning undervalued players into a playoff machine.
Born 1946 (age 80)·American baseball player and manager·Birthday: December 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Art Howe's baseball story is one of quiet competence, a career defined more by steady leadership than flashy headlines. A reliable, contact-hitting infielder for over a decade, he transitioned seamlessly to coaching and then managing. His tenure with the Houston Astros was solid, but it was his move to the Oakland Athletics in 1996 that placed him at the center of a revolution. As the on-field general for General Manager Billy Beane, Howe was the man tasked with implementing the unorthodox, data-driven 'Moneyball' strategy. With a calm, even-keeled demeanor, he managed the eclectic mix of overlooked veterans and young talent Beane assembled, earning the trust of players who were often told they didn't fit the traditional mold. From 1999 to 2002, Howe's A's won over 90 games each season and made the playoffs four times, including a 20-game winning streak in 2002 that captured the nation's attention. Though the book and film 'Moneyball' famously downplayed his role, those who played for him knew his value: Art Howe was the stabilizing force who turned a front-office theory into tangible, winning baseball.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Art was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Art Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Art's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Managed the Oakland Athletics to four playoff appearances in five seasons (1999-2002) during the 'Moneyball' era.
- Piloted the 2002 Athletics to an American League record 20-game consecutive winning streak.
- Compiled over 1,100 career wins as a Major League manager across 14 seasons with three different teams.
- Had a 12-year playing career as an infielder, primarily with the Houston Astros, posting a .260 lifetime batting average.
Did You Know?
He was a standout multi-sport athlete in college, also playing basketball at the University of Wyoming.
Howe was famously portrayed by actor Philip Seymour Hoffman in the 2011 film 'Moneyball.'
He survived a life-threatening bout with diverticulitis in 1989 while managing the Astros.
Howe was a scout for the Texas Rangers after his managing career ended.
“null”
