Elston Howard, baseball player, 168 home runs, 1955-1968

Elston Howard

Born: 2/23/1929 in St. Louis, MO, USA

Died: 12/14/1980 in New York, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1955-04-14 | Final Game: 1968-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 196 lbs

Full name: Elston Gene Howard

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Biography

Elston Howard was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1955 to 1968. Born in 1929, he established himself as a versatile position player, primarily known for his time with the New York Yankees. Over the course of 1,605 games, Howard recorded 1,471 hits, 167 home runs, and 762 RBIs, culminating in a career batting average of .274. His contributions to the game were recognized through eleven All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the premier players of his era. Howard played during a transformative period in baseball history, marked by the integration of African American players into the major leagues. As the first Black player to don the Yankee pinstripes, he not only broke barriers but also became a key figure in a franchise that dominated the sport during the 1950s and 1960s. Known for his strong defensive skills and powerful hitting, Howard's legacy extends beyond statistics; he was a beloved teammate and a role model, playing a crucial role in the Yankees' success. His impact on the game and influence on future generations of players remain significant in the annals of baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
377.0 352.0 55.0 108.0 24.0 7.0 8.0 68.0 23.0 2.0 4.0 0.307 0.353 0.483 0.836

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1948 122.0 119.0 22.0 32.0 6.0 3.0 3.0 20.0 2.0 0 1.0 0.269 0.287 0.445 0.732
1949 255.0 233.0 33.0 76.0 18.0 4.0 5.0 48.0 21.0 2.0 3.0 0.326 0.384 0.502 0.886

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1948 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1625 5443 635 1491 223 53 168 775 10 376 786 0.274 0.321 0.427 0.748 5873.4

Career AVG .274 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — +8.6% above league average.

Career OBP .321 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .427 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — +12.3% above league average.

Career OPS 0.748 vs. league average 0.700 across their career seasons — +6.9% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1948 KCM NAL 20 80 16 20 5 3 1 13 1 3 0 0.250 .263 (-5%) .340 (-16%) .379 (+12%) .719 (-1%) -68.4
1955 NYY AL 97 279 33 81 8 7 10 43 0 20 36 0.290 .258 (+12%) .332 (+1%) .393 (+21%) .726 (+12%) 502.7
1956 NYY AL 98 290 35 76 8 3 5 34 0 21 30 0.262 .258 (+1%) .331 (-6%) .397 (-9%) .728 (-7%) -441.6
1957 NYY AL 110 356 33 90 13 4 8 44 2 16 43 0.253 .257 (-2%) .323 (-13%) .391 (-3%) .715 (-7%) -610.6
1958 NYY AL 103 376 45 118 19 5 11 66 1 22 60 0.314 .257 (+22%) .324 (+7%) .394 (+21%) .719 (+15%) 944.5
1959 NYY AL 125 443 59 121 24 6 18 73 0 20 57 0.273 .256 (+6%) .323 (-5%) .392 (+21%) .715 (+9%) 567.5
1960 NYY AL 107 323 29 79 11 3 6 39 3 28 43 0.245 .255 (-4%) .323 (-8%) .387 (-9%) .711 (-9%) -612.0
1961 NYY AL 129 446 64 155 17 5 21 77 0 28 65 0.348 .258 (+35%) .328 (+18%) .399 (+38%) .727 (+29%) 2430.4
1962 NYY AL 136 494 63 138 23 5 21 91 1 31 76 0.279 .257 (+8%) .326 (-3%) .393 (+20%) .719 (+10%) 721.4
1963 NYY AL 135 487 75 140 21 6 28 85 0 35 68 0.287 .246 (+17%) .308 (+11%) .371 (+42%) .680 (+28%) 2390.9
1964 NYY AL 150 550 63 172 27 3 15 84 1 48 73 0.313 .250 (+25%) .312 (+19%) .377 (+20%) .690 (+20%) 2155.8
1965 NYY AL 110 391 38 91 15 1 9 45 0 24 65 0.233 .245 (-5%) .310 (-11%) .371 (-7%) .682 (-9%) -665.0
1966 NYY AL 126 410 38 105 19 2 6 35 0 37 65 0.256 .248 (+3%) .309 (+2%) .376 (-5%) .685 (-2%) -108.9
1967 NYY AL 66 199 13 39 6 0 3 17 0 12 36 0.196 .242 (-19%) .306 (-20%) .357 (-24%) .663 (-22%) -740.3
1967 BOS AL 42 116 9 17 3 0 1 11 0 9 24 0.147 .242 (-40%) .306 (-31%) .357 (-45%) .663 (-38%) -740.3
1968 BOS AL 71 203 22 49 4 0 5 18 1 22 45 0.241 .236 (+2%) .298 (+6%) .340 (-2%) .638 (+2%) 125.7

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
61 197 29 48 8 1 6 21 13 37 0.244

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1967 WS BOS 7 18 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 0.111
1964 WS NYA 7 24 5 7 1 0 0 2 4 6 0.292
1963 WS NYA 4 15 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 3 0.333
1962 WS NYA 6 21 1 3 1 0 0 1 1 4 0.143
1961 WS NYA 5 20 5 5 3 0 1 1 2 3 0.250
1960 WS NYA 5 13 4 6 1 1 1 4 1 4 0.462
1958 WS NYA 6 18 4 4 0 0 0 2 1 4 0.222
1957 WS NYA 6 11 2 3 0 0 1 3 1 3 0.273
1956 WS NYA 1 5 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0.400
1955 WS NYA 7 26 3 5 0 0 1 3 1 8 0.192
1948 ALC KCM 7 26 4 6 1 0 1 2 1 0 0.231

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 85 79 734 44 8 70
C 1138 1066 6447 479 51 87
OF 285 249 415 18 12 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1948 KCM OF 20 20 24 0 3 0
1955 NYA C 9 4 23 3 0 2
1955 NYA OF 75 65 124 10 3 3
1956 NYA C 26 19 108 14 0 5
1956 NYA OF 65 51 97 2 1 0
1957 NYA 1B 2 1 20 3 0 1
1957 NYA C 32 26 178 11 3 4
1957 NYA OF 71 66 68 5 3 0
1958 NYA 1B 5 5 38 2 0 5
1958 NYA C 67 64 355 26 1 8
1958 NYA OF 24 23 54 1 1 0
1959 NYA 1B 50 48 444 26 7 39
1959 NYA C 43 41 221 23 2 2
1959 NYA OF 28 23 47 0 1 0
1960 NYA C 91 80 410 40 6 9
1960 NYA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1961 NYA 1B 9 9 90 4 1 12
1961 NYA C 111 106 635 43 5 4
1962 NYA C 129 124 713 44 4 12
1963 NYA C 132 128 786 51 5 8
1964 NYA C 146 141 939 67 2 9
1965 NYA 1B 5 3 29 1 0 2
1965 NYA C 95 93 614 43 6 6
1965 NYA OF 1 1 1 0 0 0
1966 NYA 1B 13 13 112 8 0 11
1966 NYA C 100 98 553 44 9 6
1967 NYA 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1967 NYA C 48 47 289 26 5 4
1967 BOS C 41 33 246 14 1 5
1968 BOS C 68 62 377 30 2 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1138
First Base 85
Left Field 247
Right Field 42

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1964 Gold Glove C
1964 TSN All-Star C
1963 Gold Glove C
1963 Most Valuable Player
1963 TSN All-Star C
1961 TSN All-Star C
1958 Babe Ruth Award C

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1967 Most Valuable Player AL 17th 7.0 280 0
1964 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 124.0 280 0
1963 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 248.0 280 15
1961 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 30.0 280 0
1958 Most Valuable Player AL 17th 9.0 336 0