Career
He made his Major League Baseball debut on May 20, 1985, with the California Angels, and played his final game on July 17, 1999 with the Houston Astros. Howell played for three different MLB teams during his professional career. He started with the California Angels where he from 1987 to 1989 averaged hitting 20 home runs per season until being traded to the San Diego Padres.
On July 29, 1993, Howell hit for the cycle for the Swallows.
He returned to Major League Baseball as a bench player with the California Angels during the 1996 Season. He then signed on as a free agent with the Houston Astros, with whom he ended his career in 1999
Howell was the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He was fired by the Diamondbacks following the 2010 season.