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#1
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Elston Howard
(I'm back again with yet another attempt to showcase one of the significant players in the evolution of integrated major league baseball. Our star of this thread is:
Elston Howard. Catcher for the New York Yankees in 1955-1967. First black player to play for the New York Yankees. 1,471 hits and 167 home runs over 14 seasons. 12-time All-Star. 6-time World Series Champion. 1963 AL MVP. 2-time Gold Glove. New York Yankees #32 Retired. First black player to be AL MVP. Also played for the Kansas City Monarchs and the Boston Red Sox. My plan is to make a daily post including an item from my collection with a portion of Elston's excellent SABR biography written by Cecilia Tan. I hope that you find Tan's treatment of Howard's long career interesting and would love to see any pieces involving him that may be part of your collection. My Elston Howard collection, like his career, is spread out over many years. As a result, it will take us a while to complete the entire biography. As such, I apologize in advance to those readers who may chafe at the slow pace. At any rate, here we go.) Elston Howard was born February 23, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Emmaline Webb and Travis Howard. A schoolteacher in Sikeston, Missouri, Emmaline fled to St. Louis when Howard, her principal, refused to marry her. She worked to become a dietician, and when Elston was 5 years old, she married Wayman “Big Poppy” Hill. Elston attended the Toussaint L’Ouverture school as well as the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The church’s pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah M. Baker, became Elston’s godfather, and the boy was raised to work hard and eat right (thanks to his mother’s dietician’s know-how). |
#2
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This is nice to see and I'm looking forward to more posts. I'm an Elston Howard collector as well. He was the first ballplayer I was able to meet in person. He had opened Elston Howard Travel in my hometown of Nutley, New Jersey. When it opened my best friend and I would walk by daily hoping for a glimpse of a major leaguer. One day a woman waved us into the offices and told us to come by that weekend. Sure enough, Elston was there and he signed pictures for us. The signature has faded quite a bit but I still treasure the photo.
btw...I hope you are okay with me posting in this thread. I'll remove this if you want. IMG_0003 (2).jpg
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People are crazy and times are strange, I used to care but things have changed -Dylan Last edited by commishbob; 04-30-2024 at 07:38 AM. |
#3
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Bob: Thanks very much for the images and the story. I am not only OK with you posting in this thread, but I am trying to encourage it. The more images and remembrances of Elston we can get posted the better. I look forward to your contributions as we work our way through his career.
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#4
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Under different circumstances where Yogi Berra wasn't his teammate, he might have had an even more impressive career from a statistical standpoint. He was stuck in the minors so long fans picketed Yankee Stadium, and never played 100 games as a catcher until he turned 32. While the Hall of Fame's stubborn gatekeepers might cringe, he wouldn't be the worst catcher in Cooperstown.
Of all his cards, I like the 1958 Topps the best. |
#5
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Elston Howard
(Chris: Thanks for the post and the nice 58T of Elston!)
In the summer of 1945, Howard, then 16, was playing baseball in a sandlot when Frank Tetnus “Teannie” Edwards approached him. “The biggest kid on the field was hitting the ball so hard and far that it made Teannie mad,” wrote Arlene Howard in her book Elston and Me. “When he got to the field he found out that the big kid was, in fact, one of the youngest on the lot.” Edwards, a former Negro Leagues player himself, helped run the St. Louis Braves and he wanted Elston. Convincing Emmaline was the hardest part. Edwards had to promise that young Elston would eat properly. On Easter Sunday 1946 (April 21), Howard debuted in the Tandy League, catching in a game against Kinloch. He had two hits and threw out two runners trying to steal second in a 5-4 loss. |
#6
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Quote:
Also, I have surprisingly never seen that 58 Howard and it is one of my new favorites. Has to be the best looking card in the set and probably one of the better looking one of the 50s as a whole. |
#7
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I for one love these threads. Outstanding!
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James Ingram Successful net54 purchases from/trades with: Tere1071, Bocabirdman, 8thEastVB, GoldenAge50s, IronHorse2130, Kris19, G1911, dacubfan, sflayank, Smanzari, bocca001, eliminator, ejstel, lampertb, rjackson44, Jason19th, Cmvorce, CobbSpikedMe, Harliduck, donmuth, HercDriver, Huck, theshleps Completed 1962 Topps Completed 1969 Topps deckle edge Completed 1953 Bowman color & b/w *** Raw cards only, daddyo! *** |
#8
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Later playing days
Traded to the Red Sox for half the 1967 season and 1968 season. Was on the "Impossible Dream" team and contributed greatly..... only to be on the losing end to the Cards giving him a dubious honor...... tied with Pee Wee Reese for most times on a World Series runner up! PS Thanks to our own Gray Ghost (Scott) for selling me these cool type 1 photos....
Last edited by NiceDocter; 05-01-2024 at 02:15 PM. Reason: . |
#9
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Although he may have been overlooked elsewhere, for those of us growing up in New York, good old #32 remained a continual presence each night you put on Channel 11 to watch the Yanks.
He stood as a visible pillar of the Bronx Bombers' legacy, and seemed to really be a calming influence in what Sparky Lyle eventually deemed 'The Bronx Zoo.' A class act.
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All the cool kids love my YouTube Channel:
Elm's Adventures in Cardboard Land https://www.youtube.com/@TheJollyElm Looking to trade? Here's my bucket: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152396...57685904801706 “I was such a dangerous hitter I even got intentional walks during batting practice.” Casey Stengel Spelling "Yastrzemski" correctly without needing to look it up since the 1980s. Overpaying yesterday is simply underpaying tomorrow. |
#10
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A couple more Ellie Howard things.
elstondorman.jpg DBU-VOzXUAAkaqh.jpg DSC09521.jpg 62ellie.jpg dow.png
__________________
People are crazy and times are strange, I used to care but things have changed -Dylan |
#11
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Elston Howard
The following year, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the Major Leagues. Now 18, Howard was working at Bauer’s grocery store and finishing at all-black Vashon High School. After Robinson’s debut, Vashon hastily formed a baseball team. Elston was already a star athlete at Vashon, playing football, running track, and making all-state in basketball. He was easily the best player in baseball, as well, and after graduating from Vashon, he played another summer with the (St. Louis) Braves.
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#12
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Here's a photo from the 1958 World Series, Gil McDougald and Elston Howard being interviewed after one of the games at the Stadium. I like the old-school camera gear, and both of them just seated on a table.
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James Ingram Successful net54 purchases from/trades with: Tere1071, Bocabirdman, 8thEastVB, GoldenAge50s, IronHorse2130, Kris19, G1911, dacubfan, sflayank, Smanzari, bocca001, eliminator, ejstel, lampertb, rjackson44, Jason19th, Cmvorce, CobbSpikedMe, Harliduck, donmuth, HercDriver, Huck, theshleps Completed 1962 Topps Completed 1969 Topps deckle edge Completed 1953 Bowman color & b/w *** Raw cards only, daddyo! *** |
#13
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Elston Howard
(Great photo, Jim.)
He was urged by Teannie Edwards to attend an open tryout for the St. Louis Cardinals at Sportsman’s Park, but the Cardinals turned a blind eye. (Alas, the Cardinals would not field a black player until 1954 — Tom Alston.) Meanwhile, college beckoned, with three Big Ten schools (Illinois, Michigan and Michigan State) asking for his services in football and several others interested in him for track, basketball, and baseball. Emmaline was hoping her son might grow up to be a doctor. But Edwards called in scouts from the Kansas City Monarchs, the elite Negro Leagues team Jackie Robinson had played for. The Monarchs were so impressed that they went to his mother to negotiate a professional contract. Elston would get $500 a month, mailed directly to her. |
#14
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That’s a sweet’56! And I agree with the others his ‘58 is an outstanding looking card. Glad to see Ellie getting some love!
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#15
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Elston Howard
In Kansas City, Howard, like the rest of the Monarchs, was treated like a king. Player-manager Buck O’Neil and Earl “Mickey” Taborn, the Monarchs catcher and Ellie’s roommate, showed him the ropes. They enjoyed tailored clothes, terrific food, and the best jazz music in the nation in Kansas City. Because Taborn was the regular catcher, Howard played left field, filling in at first base when O’Neil was out of the lineup. Then in 1949, Taborn left to play for the Triple-A Newark Bears. By the time he returned in 1950, Howard’s new roommate was a young fellow named Ernie Banks.
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