1963 Profile: Elston Howard

1963 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

"A batting loss of 69 points didn't make a happy man of Elston Howard in 1962. Although he reached a high of 97 RBIs, the St. Louis-born catcher insists he's a steady .300 hitter. He has crushing power to all fields and is difficult to defense.
Howard had three years in the minors, coming to New York in 1955 as the first Negro Yankee."

-Don Schiffer, 1963 Major League Baseball Handbook

"The number one catching post on the Yankees belongs to Elston Howard ... without a question. But it wasn't acquired easily. Howard was in the shadow of Yogi Berra for many years, but he learned his trade well. In addition, Ellie filled in successfully in left field as well as at first base.
In 1961, Howard challenged for the American League batting title, hitting at a .348 clip. He slipped 69 points to a still strong .279 last year. At the same time he matched his season high home run mark of 21, set in '61, and topped his personal career high in runs batted in at 91. In nine big league seasons (up to 1963), Howard has hit exactly 100 homers, with a career batting mark of .285.
Ellie has been named to the American League All-Star squad the last three seasons and five of the last six years. In the 1960 losing Series with Pittsburgh, he hit a rousing .462, and he won the coveted Babe Ruth Award as the outstanding performer in the 1958 Series. That was the set with Milwaukee in which the Yanks came back from a 1-3 deficit to win, partly on the thrilling defensive work in left field by Elston Howard.
In 1962, Howard knocked in the deciding run in 12 of the Yankees' 96 wins. The converted outfielder led American League catchers in 1962 with a .995 average."

-The New York Yankees Official 1963 Yearbook

Purchased by Yankees from Kansas City Monarchs, July 24, 1950.
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.
Hit two home runs in one game three times, 1962.

-1963 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Beginning his ninth season with the Bombers and his third as the team's first-string catcher, Ellie Howard is determined to get back over the .300 batting mark.
After a fine 1961 season in which he batted .348, Howard slid to .279 last season, though he upped his RBI from 77 to 91.
Last year, Ellie also hit a pair of homers in a single game three times.
The 33-year-old Howard, who also plays the outfield and first base, joined the Yankee organization after being purchased from the Kansas City Monarchs in July 1950.
He became the first Negro to play with the Bombers when he made the club in 1955. After batting .290 that campaign, he climaxed the season by hitting a homer in his first time up in a World Series game, connecting against the Brooklyn Dodgers on September 28.
Rated one of the finest defensive catchers in the game, Ellie's rifle arm has cut down many would-be base thieves.
Besides playing in seven World Series, Howard has represented the A.L. in four All-Star contests.
Ellie was named catcher on The Sporting News American League All-Star team in 1961."

-1963 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"Elston Howard is the all-star reserve catcher [Sports All-Stars 1963 Baseball all-stars], an unusual development since the fine Yankee receiver is customarily a starter. Howard, however, had an ordinary season, dipping 69 points to a .279 mark- which provides some idea of how Elston does when he's hitting. He stayed up in homers and runs batted in, but this time he has to take a back seat to Earl Battey.
Howard is the only man on the team capable of wearing three different gloves- a catcher's mitt, the first baseman's trap and the standard finger glove of the outfielder. He has played all three positions in World Series.
Elston is undoubtedly the highest paid catcher around. He's been around since 1955, when he became the first Negro player in Yankee history. The Yankees have had a long tradition of top catching. Bill Dickey became a Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra won Most Valuable honors three times, and Howard has kept up the pattern. Injuries held him up at times, but Elston, at 34, still shapes up as the Yankee catcher for several seasons, and the pitching staff is not at all unhappy."

-Harold Rosenthal, Sports All-Stars 1963 Baseball