Vincent Calls Strike Seven on Yankee Reliever Howe

Commissioner Fay Vincent quickly decided Steve Howe’s fate Monday, suspending the New York Yankee reliever indefinitely after he entered a guilty plea on one of two federal misdemeanor cocaine charges Monday in Missoula, Mont.

It is the seventh time in a major league career that began in 1980 that Howe has been suspended for problems related to drug or alcohol abuse.

The Yankees were surprised Vincent acted so quickly, though they knew what Howe faced.

“We plan to talk to the commissioner and ask his reasons for the quick judgment,” general partner Joe Molloy said at a news conference at Yankee Stadium, where he appeared with General Manager Gene Michael and general counsel David Sussman. “It’s not the club’s responsibility to formulate a complaint. That would be up to Steve.”

The quickness of the suspension also surprised Howe. His agent, Richard Moss of Pacific Palisades, said before it was announced that he didn’t expect Vincent to take action before August.

Howe, reached by the Associated Press at his Whitefish, Mont., home Monday night, said: “I have no comment. I will not violate the agreements and that’s it.”

“I don’t know enough details” to comment about an appeal, said Gene Orza, associate general counsel for the Major League Players Assn. “The timing could not be worse.”

Association officials were at Pepperdine University on Monday for a grievance involving the amateur draft.

“Based on what little I know, the commissioner may have misunderstood what transpired in Montana,” Orza said. “Then again, that could be a function of my own misunderstanding. I don’t want to reach a conclusion on what little I know at this point.”

The commissioner’s office released this brief statement: “New York Yankees pitcher Steve Howe was suspended indefinitely. . . . The commissioner suspended Howe for violating baseball’s drug policy after Howe plead guilty in Montana to a charge of attempted possession of cocaine. The commissioner will ask Howe to meet with him as soon as practicable.”

A source said Vincent notified the Yankees in a letter that he couldn’t meet with them about Howe before June 16. The commissioner will be in New York for three days of owners meetings that begin today.

Howe pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to buy one gram of cocaine. He entered the plea before U.S. Magistrate Bart Erickson, who would not accept the negotiated plea immediately. Saying he wants to study a pre-sentence report on Howe before acting, Erickson scheduled a hearing Aug. 18. The plea bargain calls for a dismissal of a second charge against Howe--cocaine possession. It does not recommend any jail time, though Howe could face a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Howe’s plea was offered under a legal procedure called an Alford plea, by which a defendant can plead guilty to a criminal charge without agreeing to the government’s version of the facts.

“It’s like nolo contendre (no contest),” Sussman said, “whereby you enter a plea of guilty, but you do not admit to committing a crime. Basically, you’re saying you won’t go to trial to contest the charges. That’s why we were surprised by the commissioner’s ruling, but I don’t want to comment on it. That’s how the commissioner interpreted Howe’s plea. It’s fair to say there is a legal distinction.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kris McLean, who is prosecuting the case, did not view it that way. “He pled guilty,” McLean said. “Guilty’s guilty.”

Howe is the second Yankee suspended this year for a drug violation. Pitcher Pascual Perez received a one-year suspension during spring training for testing positive for cocaine. Howe also underwent random drug testing and had no record of violation as a Yankee.

Howe was accompanied at the hearing by his wife, Cindy, and his minister, the Rev. Al Barone of the Valley View Foursquare Church in Whitefish, Mont., where they live in the off-season.

Howe is suspended without pay. His contract calls for a $600,000 salary, with incentives that can increase its value to as much as $2.3 million. To this point, Howe, 34, has earned $207,692 of his salary and a $100,000 bonus for appearing in 11 games.

The left-hander, whose earned-run average was 2.35, made 20 appearances totaling 22 innings and was 3-0 with six saves in seven opportunities. Last season, his first after four years away from the majors, Howe was 3-1 with three saves and a 1.68 ERA.

“Obviously, losing someone who was one of the best left-handed relievers in the league is a detraction to our club,” Manager Buck Showalter said.

“We have overcome injuries this year to people like Danny Tartabull, Mike Gallego and Jesse Barfield. We just have to pick up the slack.”

Catcher Matt Nokes, Howe’s closest friend on the team, said: “Are you ever completely prepared for something like this? It’s like jumping into a cold pool. It’s sad to see anybody close to you have something like this happen.”

Said outfielder Danny Tartabull: “I think (Howe) handled it as well as anybody could. I know I could not have performed on the field the way he did if it had happened to me. In my eyes, Steve is a fine person. There will be an adjustment for all of us--both on a personal level and on a team level.”

Michael, who signed Howe during training camp in 1991, said: “I know I went out on a limb with him. I’m sorry it came down to this.

“We’re interested in having Steve back if he’s not guilty. I have learned to have compassion for people in this situation. Steve is a tough guy. There is no question about him being a fighter, but he has a terrible weakness. He told me he used to think he could have one beer or do one line (of cocaine) but realizes he can’t. I’m not disappointed in giving him a chance. He did a great job for us. We’re not as good a ballclub without him.”