Bob Howry has announced his retirement at age 37 after spending 13 seasons as a reliever for the White Sox, Cubs, Red Sox, Indians, Diamondbacks, and Giants.
Howry was drafted by the Giants in 1994 and came to the White Sox in the infamous “white flag” trade in mid-1997. He finally wound up in San Francisco a dozen years later, signing with the Giants as a free agent. That proved to be Howry’s second-to-last season, as he struggled with the Diamondbacks and Cubs last year and has now called it quits.
Among active pitchers (or at least pitchers who were active in 2010), only Trevor Hoffman (1,035) and Billy Wagner (853) have appeared in more career games than Howry (769) without ever making a start. He also ranks fifth among all active relievers in seasons with 50 or more innings and a sub-3.50 ERA with six.
Howry never really got an extended opportunity to close after saving 28 games for the White Sox as a 25-year-old in 1999, but he was one of the best setup men in baseball for a decade and finishes with a 3.84 ERA in 788 career innings.
