The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-07-16
Art Houtteman Says Success
Due To Catholic 'Upbringing'

Arthur Joseph Houtteman of the
Cleveland Indians is a humble
young man. Success in baseball or
in life" he explains, rs strictly a
matter of good fundamentals. These
tell whether you will succeed or
not. ANY success I've had or will
have in the future is due to a good
Catholic upbringing."
The brown-eyed, brown-haired
Artie's upbringing commenced in
Detroit Aug. Z, 1927, when Arthur
and Rosemond (Henry) Houtteman
had their first child. The day little
Art was born, his dad, who was a
top-flight seni-pro pitcher on the
Detroit sandlots, came directly to
the hospital from a game. Still clad
in his baseball uniform, the elder
Houtteman gazed down at his baby
and decided then and there that
Artie would be a big Lacquer.
Arts dad met Wish Egan, head
scout of the Detroit Tigers, a few
days later and told him of his new
boy. i know can't make it, Wish, "
Arts father said, "but some day
the kid will. You'll be signing him
to Tiger contract before he's II"
The prophecy almost came true
Wish did sign Artie, but it was two
weeks after his 18th birthday. dad
was out of town and ] decided to
wait until he returned" explains
Art, "since it was not only my big
moment but his too"
NewhouSer's Roonis
But first came that Catholic back
ground and, with it, the baseball
fundamentals that were eventually
to lead Houtteman to the big
leagues. Il was born and raised in
Assumption Parish" Art recalls
"and went to its grammar school.
Meanwhile, Artie's baseball educa
tion was also started. dad made
me learn the fundamentals of al
the positions before he would lei
me start pitching"
BY the time Araie was ready
10 start learning the tricks of the
nsovndsmsn, he was also ready
TO enter high school. He enrolled
st Detroif's Catholic Central
High, . hofbed Of baseball in fhe
Motor City. Artie gives a lot of
the credit FOR both his Catholic
end his baseball vpbrinsins in
the next few years TO Father
james Martin of the 6asiIiaH Or
der, who was Catholic csntrsl's
baseball coach.
Art also played basketball and
would have gone out for football
only for his fathers insistence that
football was out If he was TO make
the big leagues. But baseball was
Artie's favorite sport and the one
at which he excelled. Like his
predecessor of a few years-Prince
Hal Newhouser, who now is Houtte-
mans roommate when the Indians
60 on the road-Art was generally
accepted as the best scholastic play
er in Detroit.
But at Is he learned a valuable
lesson - the lesson that he wasn't
indispensable. Father Martin
taught me the lesson" Art said
with a chuckle, when he bypassed
me in choosing his pitcher for the
city championship game. had won
nine in a row that year and really
was getting cocky. Father Martin
merely picked a sub to pitch and
he threw a two-hitter that won the
championship for Central without
my valuable services"
TFssedY's Fsvorite Victim
During the summers he pitched
for the Lsrned Post of the Ameri-
can Legion in the same league
where Wish Egan had uncovered
Newhouser several years before.
While Artie was still in his junior
year at Catholic Central, just two
weeks after his 18th birthday, Egan
signed him to a Detroit contract,
Sugaring the pact with a $4,000
bonus. Houtteman was encouraged
TO finish his senior year at Cen
tral and then reported to the Ii
gers in 1945.
For the next three years, Art
shuttled between Detroit and It's
Buffalo farm team, winning seven
and losing five for the Tigers over
that span. In 1948 he became a reg.
ular and has been in the majors ev-
er since, spending his entire career
at Detroit until last June Is when
the Cleveland Indians traded Steve
Gromek AL Aber Raw Boone and