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J.P. Howell

 J.P. Howell

Reflecting back on J.P. Howell’s senior season at Jesuit, Coach Joe Poltuny said: “I will never coach another player that will dominate the way J.P. did in 2001.” He was a free spirit on campus, and he kept his teammates loose, while racking up every honor available. Leading the Marauders to a Section Championship, J.P. was 10 and 0, with 155 strikeouts over 155 innings. He was 3 and 0 in the playoffs with a record 19 strikeouts against Del Campo. His ERA for the 2001 season was 0.09. Cal-Hi Sports named him player of the year, and that magical summer continued when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round. Coach Joe continued: “I may have helped him with his fast ball, but that curve ball was a gift from God.”


 Choosing the college route, J.P. was a two-year All American at The University of Texas winning 25 games against only 4 defeats. He led the Longhorns to two College World Series appearances and was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in 2004. Selected in the first round of the 2004 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, he shot through the Royals developmental pipeline and made his debut in Arizona on June 11, 2005. J.P. pitched 6 strong innings holding the Diamondbacks to one run and four hits, notching his first career win. He would go on to a long and successful 12-year MLB career with indelible tenures in Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and Toronto. In 2008, the starter became a reliever, and J.P. found great success in that role, going 6-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 64 appearances as Tampa Bay made their improbable World Series run.

J.P. pitched in 547 contests with a 36 and 30 record, tallying 566 strikeouts, and saving 22 games. Like so many quirky lefthanded pitchers, J.P. has a personality to match his talent, and he is remembered fondly as one of the greatest pitchers to ever come out of Sacramento.

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