Frank Howard Remembered In Texas

Frank Howard was one of those players if you ever saw, you never forgot. But if you never saw him you probably only have the vaguest idea who he is.

Howard was one of the most gargantuan baseball players of all time and he had power commensurate with his build of 6-foot-8 and 255 pounds, hitting one ball an estimated 560 feet at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and being credited with other 500-foot blasts. During his years with the Washington Senators, Howard was nicknamed, “The Washington Monument.” He was a very good player, but not a great one, mostly as an outfielder, but sometimes filling in at first base, and those types of guys unfortunately tend to recede into the woodwork with the passage of time. Well, the Texas Rangers are not letting Howard fade away. Thursday night the Rangers are honoring Howard at a banquet.

The occasion is the presentation to Howard of the Mark Holtz Alumni Award, a team award. Although Howard was the biggest name player on the Rangers when they fled from Washington westward in 1972, he only actually played for the Rangers that year. He was a carry-over from the Senators, but the bulk of his career was in the books and most of the highlights of a solid career had already been recorded.

Opposing pitchers did not relish facing Howard. He loomed so large in the batter’s box they feared he would hit a line drive right through them. It was a menacing thought, but more often Howard hit the ball over things. He clouted 382 home runs and twice led the American League in homers, in 1968 and 1970, each time belting 44.

His career best season came in 1969, though, when he smashed 48 dingers. Howard also led the league in RBI’s with 126 in 1970. That year pitchers seemed to get the shakes around him more often than usual–Howard walked 132 times.

Howard, 75, was born in Columbus, Ohio and attended Ohio State in the same city, where he was an All-American in basketball and baseball. The then-Philadelphia Warriors drafted Howard as an NBA prospect, but Howard signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 1958 Howard made his Major League debut by appearing in eight games. The next year he squeezed into nine more so in 1960 Howard was officially still a rookie. That worked out well for him. Howard won the National League rookie of the year award on the strength of his 23 home runs and 77 RBIs.

Washington scooped up Howard for the 1965 season. In the 16 seasons Howard saw action, seven of them were with the Dodgers and eight were with the Senators/Rangers. He concluded his Major League career with the Detroit Tigers in 1973, but played one more season in Japan in 1974. Howard, who seemingly would have been an appropriate experiment at the postition, left the majors one year before the designated hitter role took effect in the American League.

Howard loved playing under Ted Williams during the Hall of Fame slugger’s tenure running the Senators and Rangers. He later coached for several teams and briefly managed the San Diego Padres and New York Mets and worked in player personnel for some franchises, in all making a living from big-league baseball for 50 years.

A four-time All-Star, and a member of the 1963 Dodgers World Series champs, Howard’s height has been variously listed as 6-7 or 6-8. That may be the difference of with basketball shoes or without. But to any pitcher peering in at the plate from 60 feet, 6 inches, he was scary big, looking more than eight feet tall.

Howard told MLB.com he was “humbled” to be recognized with the Rangers’ honor and said he loved every minute he was in baseball.