1962 Profile: Elston Howard

1962 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

"It was a long time in the making, but Elston Howard finally arrived in 1961, proving to be the best of all catchers. His .348 was the No. 2 mark in the AL and his arm was second to none.

The first Yankee Negro player in 1955, he's played the outfield and first base. Howard hit the most homers (21) and collected more RBIs (77) last season than in any of his previous six.

Born in St. Louis, he was the most valuable player in the International League in 1954."

-Don Schiffer, The 1962 Major League Baseball Handbook

"Raising his lifetime batting average by 14 points last year, Yankee catcher Elston Howard celebrated his greatest season in the majors with a sparkling .348 mark. This brought his major league lifetime average up to .287. His 1961 performance also resulted in the following personal Howard highs: most games played (129), most at-bats (446), most home runs (21), most runs batted in (77), most runs scored (64) and most hits (155).

Ellie, now at his peak at the age of 33, formally succeeded to the first-string catcher's job so long held with distinction by Yogi Berra. Like Berra, Howard was born in St. Louis but now resides in suburban Teaneck, New Jersey.

The popular veteran hit only .245 in 1960. This caused him to change his batting style, cutting down on his swing and 'going with the pitch.' The change worked to perfection as Howard lined hit after hit up the middle, and, by Mid-June a year ago, the home runs started to come.

Howard, who has helped the Yankees immeasurably over the years as a part-time outfielder and first baseman as well as receiver, won the first-string catching job when Ralph Houk became manager and moved Berra to left field. Now Howard feels more secure and sure of himself and he believes that specializing has improved his work behind the plate and the added concentration on one job has helped his hitting, too.

Elston feels he can improve on his home run and RBI totals in 1962 while concentrating on one position. Houk will settle for the Howard performance of 1961 in '62."

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

Hit home run in first World Series at-bat, September 28, 1955.

Won Babe Ruth Award (top World Series player), 1958.

Led Yankees in hitting (.348), 1961.

-1962 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Elston Howard had his greatest season in 1961 and hopes to continue where he left off last season. The 33-year-old veteran became the Yankees' No. 1 receiver last year and almost won the American League batting title. Only Norm Cash and the fact that he barely missed making the prescribed number of appearances at the plate kept the native of St. Louis from walking off with this laurel.

Howard broke into Organized Ball in 1950 with Muskegon of the Central League. After a two-year hitch in the service, he spent a year with Kansas City (American Association) and Toronto (International League). With the AA Blues, Elly batted .330 and drove in 109 runs; and at Toronto, he was named the league's most valuable player.

In 1955 he became the first Negro to wear a Yankee uniform. He served as Yogi Berra's understudy for six seasons before taking over the first-line catching chores last summer. In addition to wearing the tools of ignorance, Elly also played the outfield and first base.

As the Bombers' top backstop, Elston not only hit .348 but also batted out 21 homers, topping his previous high of 18 in 1959, and drove in 77 runs, four more than he had in '59.

While no speed merchant on the base paths, Howard is a good runner and a fine bet to get a piece of the ball when at the dish. His arm is one of the most accurate in baseball and he cut down many would-be base stealers last summer.

A jammed left hand and a broken finger in 1960 saw him fall to .245 as a batsman, but the healthy Howard upped that mark by over 100 points last season.

Elston lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, with his charming wife and three youngsters, just a short drive from Yankee Stadium.

An American League All-Star selection the past two seasons, Howard is one of the many Yankees who are always "up" for the big game as his World Series record shows.

The Yankees know that Howard is always available for picket duty and can do the job at first base if called upon.

A righty all the way, Elly hit opposing hurlers thus: against lefties his average was .405 (8 HRs and 29 RBIs) and against righties he went .315 (13-48).

There was some talk last season about moving Howard up to the first or second slot in the batting order late in the campaign to give him a chance to get the needed 502 appearances for the batting crown, but Elston's first thoughts were for the team and not personal glory.

One of the class players in the game and certainly a pride of the Yankees is Elston Howard."

-The 1962 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"Ellie had the persistence to shrug off the discouraging factor of having played behind Yogi Berra for most of his career. And now, finally, he has displaced Yogi as the varsity receiver of the Yankees. He offers better defense than the aging Yogi and there's nothing wrong with stick work that can produce 21 homers and a .348 batting average. He can do a lot more than catch."

-Tom Gallery (Director of Sports for NBC), NBC Complete Baseball 1962