Howard's Softball

Howard's Furniture/Howard's Western Steer

Big Cat's Comments:

I can remember when I was just starting out and was first playing softball for Coach Neale. I was playing in the best league in Cleveland in the PD Major. The one thing that you would listen to was stories about Steve Loya and then being told wait till you see Howard's play. So needless to say I was pumped to get a chance to watch the team called Howard's. So in 1975 we (Pesano's Rest.) just missed qualifying to play in the Men's ASA Open event that was going to be played in downtown Cleveland at Rose and Elder Field at Brookside Park. I was so eager to play ball back then I actually did not get to see Howard's play at the ASA Nationals because I went with a bunch of ball players that were young like me and they played in the Maple Heights League. The team was called Ruggles Inn. The team was sponsored by a Tavern. Who would believe that? Lol! So I did not get to see my first World Tournament until the next year when they came to Lakewood, Ohio to play in a tournament that was put together by the ASA people in Cleveland. That was the first time I saw Don Arndt and Stan Harvey.

You thought you were playing on a very good team,at a young age but once you saw Howard's play you knew they were in a league of their own... So you knew you had a lot of work to do... That is just what I did was work hard knowing that someday soon you I would be playing that team... And when you do get the chance to play a team like that you better be ready and bring your A game or it is going to be a long bad ride! Mr. Howard had so many great players come through his softball program.... The story was told that mr. Howard took his team to a World Tourney and they finished last. He made the statement then that we would either get better or we were not coming back to play anymore ball... Well you guessed it! They went on to become the most prolific softball team of all time.... Mr. Howard had a furniture company right there in Denver, North Carolina. He had his house there too... He actually had a softball field built right behind his house.... He had everything right there.. Then throw in the fact that he was one of the Owners of the Charlotte Motor Speedway...

Comments by Robert Brown

Of the many people responsible for the growth and success of men's slo-pitch softball throughout the United States, none had a greater impact or love of the game as Richard Howard, a truly amazing individual in every respect. The former Marine who never left his roots in Denver, North Carolina, Mr. Howard was a true Horatio Alger, building a successful business empire through hard work, loyalty and integrity. As he was building his family and his businesses consisting of furniture, retail food establishments as well as distribution, real estate, bowling establishments, insurance, auto racing and other enterprises, he became interested in slo-pitch through his church team in the 1950's.

As time went on, his team improved and began developing a winning reputation in North Carolina. The players were all from the North Carolina area and among some of the original team members were Don Arndt and Gene Fisher, both destined to become all-time greats. Their first ASA National Tournament was in 1969 and they lost their first two games. Eventually, they picked up players from other North Carolina teams and continued to improve, finishing 4th in the ASA Nationals in Jacksonville in 1972 where Don Arndt was named MVP.

In 1973, Mr. Howard determined to win a title and he did so by recruiting Bert Smith, the MVP of the 1968 and 1991 ASA Nationals with County Sports and Virginia Piledrivers from Virginia Beach, Stan Harvey and David Carroll from Tennessee and H.T. Waller from Florida. He also prevailed upon his neighbor, Tony Cloninger, who had recently retired from Major League Baseball after a very successful 15 year career to come in to play 3rd base. This combination of players,together with Denny Hogan, Randy Ewing, Tommy Maiden and Steve Howard, won their first championship, beating County Sports twice in the Finals. Bert Smith was again MVP.

Howard's repeated that championship in 1974 in York, Pa., defeating Jerry's Catering in the Finals. 1975-77 was an unusual period with no championships but the team returned to form in 1978, winning the USSSA World Series in Petersburg, Va. over arch-rival Dave Carroll Sports after barely losing out to Campbell's in the ASA Championship. Denny Hogan was MVP and among the contributors that year was Rick Scherr who joined Howard's in 1977.

In 1981, Howard's put together its best team and one of if not the best team ever assembled with a combination of defense, hitting, base running, depth and the ability to adapt to all conditions. In addition to stalwarts Arndt, Harvey, Scherr, Tom Beall and Howard, Dick Bartel, Richard Willborn, Buddy Slater and Bill Ferguson came aboard. Additionally, Mike Cellura played for Howard's in the NSPC and was all-tournament there. This team won everything from the Hejaz Classic in Spartanburg to the Smoky Mountain to the NSPC regular season. For Ferguson, Slater and Willborn, it was their third straight Triple Crown. Randy Gorrell and Bob Lutz, Jr. guided the team from the bench and in the Triple Crown Tournaments, Howard's lost a total of 1 game.

Although favored to win in 1982, they came up short but rebounded in 1983 and 1984 with another ASA Super Division crown. In the next 3 years they won the 1984, 1985, and 1986 ISA National Champiosnhips....Until 1989, when he retired from softball, Richard Howard was one of the most respected individuals in the history of the sport. He treated everyone with respect and kindness and did everything he could to better the sport. It is a real tribute that most of the players he brought to his team stayed in North Carolina throughout their careers and raised their families close to the Howards. Among two examples are Stan Harvey, who moved from Tennessee in 1973, stayed the rest of his life with his family, including son Bryan, who became one of the best closer's in the Major Leagues. Similarly, Rich Scherr, whose son grew up in Denver, NC and is one of the top performers in the WWE. Of course, Bob Lutz, Jr. one of the top coaches in college basketball, learned much from his father and uncle and growing up around and coaching Howard's Furniture.

An amazing legacy of an amazing individual who built a championship team on the field he constructed in his back yard.

The pictures down below are of a list of players that played for Mr. Howard. When I was growing up playing with Dave Neale and our local softball team from Cleveland, made you want to play for a team like that. He was the best!

Here is a list of the players that have played for Mr. Howard... This is not everybody. As I find the players I will post them on the wall...


Don Arndt - Pitcher	Gene Fisher - Catch	Rick Scherr - 3rd Base	Stan Harvey - 1st Base


Bert Smith - Outfield	Tom Beall - Outfield	Rooster Bradley - ShortStop	Clyde Guy - Outfield


H.T. Waller - Outfield	Billy Blake - Catcher, Infield	Steve Howard - Shortstop	Dick Bartel - Outfield


Tim White - Shortstop	Ray Fleetwood - Outfield,Infield	Richard Wilborn - Outfield	Curtis Williams - Infield,Outfield


Bill Ferguson - 3rd Base	Bobby Lutz Sr. Manager	Bobby Lutz Jr. - Manager	Gary Lowe - Manager


Tim Reinhardt - Pitcher	Bobby Joe Easter - Outfield	Buck Buchanon - Infield	Buddy Slater - Pitcher


Dennis Punch- Pitcher	Randy Gorell - Manager	Mark Herlmier - Infield	Denny Hogan - Infield


Darrell Meisenheimer - Catcher	Mike Mobley - Infield	Mike Cellura - Outfield	Tony Cloninger - 3rd base

Howard's Furniture Memories

by Bill Plummer III

Here is a piece of material written by Bill Plummer III, National Softball Hall of Fame Manager on the History of Howard's Softball. Back in the golden era of slow pitch softball, if you asked a fan "Who was the most recognized and famous slow pitch team in America?" more often than not that person would reply,"Howard's Furniture of Denver, North Carolina." How did a team from a small hamlet 30 miles northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina reach such noterity?

The talents of Don Arndt, Gene Fisher, Bert Smith and Stan Harvey and others of course helped, but the glue and the driving force behind the team was its sponsor, the late Richard Howard.

Howard had a business acumment second to none and used it in a variety of business interests--furniture stores, restaurants, motor racing, sporting goods, restaurant supplies and equipment, bowling alleys and of course slow pitch softball. His team started as part of a church league, gradually branching out to compete with other church and Open teams throughout North Carolina. Richard pitched on the Mt. Pleasant Church team and on a summer day in 1955, the Mt. Pleasant Mules traveled to an all-day tournament in Richmond, VA.

Despite injuries to two players, the team played eight games in one day to win the tournament. Said Howard,"It didn't mean a lot to anybody but us, but we really loved it." Winning that tournament made Howard want to win more trophies.With money from his discount furniture business, Howard gradually put together a team of some of the best players he could find. From season-to-season the team grew in stature, winning state and regional tournaments.

But it wasn't until 1969 that Howard's Furniture made its first appearance in an ASA National Championship. It wasn't the kind of appearance Howard had expected. His team lost two straight and finished last in a field of 32 teams. This prompted Richard to say,"We got out of the car on one side and got back on the other side." He told his players."We are going back to North Carolina and practice and if we don't get any better, we are going to stay in North Carolina."

As history has shown, Howard's team got better and four years later won their first ASA National Championship in 1973 and repeated in 1974. In 1978, the team was changed to Howard's/Western Steer and three years later the team won the first of its three ASA Super Division Championships. Ironically, Howard's first of three Super Nationals was held in his home state, with Burlington, North Carolina the 1981 host. The remaining two Super Nationals were back-to-back 1983 and 1984.

The 1981 season marked Richard's 25th year of championship softball and the team performed like champions on softball diamonds throughout the United States, winning 160 of 175 games and seven players from that team now members of the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame: They are: Richard Willborn, Dick Bartel, Don Arndt, Gene Fisher, Stan Harvey and Rick (The Cursher) Scherr. By 1989, however, Howard decided to call it quits and didn't sponsor a team for the first time in more than 30 years. Richard said it was time to stop because the players got too greedy, the bills grew too large--topping $200,000 in 1988--and the schedule of 150 plus games becoming a grind. Because of his love for the sport, some thought Howard would never get out. But remember he was a business man first and foremost.

Said Howard in an interview July 16, 1989 in THE ATLANTA JOURNAL. "We felt like if we dropped off and others dropped off, softball would be what it should be, a game, not a salaried job.The players thought I'd never get out, they didn't figure I could live without it." On April 28, 1998, Richard Howard passed away at the age of 73, leaving behind a record of accomplishment that is unmatched.