EX-DODGER GUIDES SON TO VALENCIA TEAM.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Community Sports

VALENCIA - The son of a National League rookie of the year, Brian Howe should expect lots of attention this season.

A promising Valencia High pitcher who recently moved here with his family from Arizona, Brian, a junior, won 13 games over two seasons at Lake Havasu High.

In that regard, he's just like his father, Steve, a fan favorite with the Los Angeles Dodgers early in his troubled career. Steve Howe was the 1980 rookie of the year and eventually earned more than $2 million annually with the Yankees toward the end of his 16-year career.

He's better known, however, for being suspended from the majors for substance abuse a record seven times - including baseball's first-ever lifetime suspension in 1992, which was later rescinded by an arbitrator.

Steve Howe said Monday that he's been clean and sober ``for a very long time.'' Brian said he has a great dad who's taught him everything he knows about pitching and supports him by attending every game he plays.

Brian, 17, was 8 when Howe pitched his final game for the Yankees, and over the past decade the father has launched several successful business ventures, the latest being an energy drink, Dark Dog, that's scheduled for national distribution next month.

Steve Howe has dedicated his life to his family and played a vital role in the athletic development of his two children. His daughter, Chelsi, 21, was a former all-state softball pitcher.

Naturally, Steve Howe says, he has done everything possible to steer his son away from drugs.

``I've talked to my son the same way I talk to kids all across the United States,'' Howe said. ``I told him there's only two guarantees in life: You can't get high if you don't do drugs, and you can't get drunk if you don't drink.''

Brian has seen his father pitch in major-league stadiums - and he wants to do the same thing one day.

``My dad has helped me out a lot,'' he said.

You can see in the son's eyes he's not just talking about how to throw a baseball.

At Valencia High, Howe earned a 3.8 grade-point average this past semester, and he's also looked very sharp during winter baseball scrimmages.

Meanwhile, the father's past hasn't exactly been a family secret over the years. Brian is fully aware of where his father has been - and where he is now.

``Oh, yes, I've kind of picked up things. I don't really know what else to say about that,'' Brian said when asked about his father's drug history.

According to the American Medical Association, drug addiction is a permanent but treatable disease, and Steve Howe proclaims that ``it will always be a part of my life.''

Today, Howe is 46 but in great shape.

``I probably have the body of a 25-year-old. I'm not fat at all,'' he said.

Dr. Howard Samuels, a Los Angeles psychologist who specializes in the treatment of drug addicts and alcoholics, has never met the Howe family. But the doctor believes that if the elder Howe is in recovery, then the son has a wonderful chance in life.

``Basically, a kid who grows up in a 'recovery household' figures to have a very positive experience and a very healthy upbringing,'' Samuels said. ``That's because to stay clean and sober, recovering addicts constantly are working on their emotional and spiritual development, and that gets passed on to the kid. It's a pretty good role model to have.''

As far as baseball is concerned, the first day of practice is Monday, and Brian Howe should make a major impact. As a sophomore last season, he was 7-4 with a 2.25 ERA and 80 strikeouts, earning first-team all-conference recognition and receiving all-state honorable mention. He's just 5 feet 8 inches tall, but hopes to grow a couple of more inches before he graduates.

Valencia baseball coach Jared Snyder said Howe could be the team's ace this season.

``Brian is primarily a fastball pitcher, just like I was, but he's also got a lot of control and he knows how to play the game,'' Steve Howe said. ``Plus, he's very, very competitive, and he just doesn't give in.''

Just like Dad.

Most important, Brian said he's happy to be living in Valencia. And he readily admits the family rented an apartment near campus specifically because of the school's strong baseball program.

``I like it a lot here. We looked into it, and the baseball team is why we chose Valencia,'' he said.

Will all of Brian Howe's important choices be the right ones? That remains to be seen, but the kid certainly appears on the right track.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Brian Howe, son of former Dodger Steve Howe, won 13 games over two seasons at Lake Havasu High in Arizona.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

(2) STEVE HOWE