Remembering Frank Howard

Perhaps it is all karma, certainly such that could have brought gains, both financial and emotional, as with the Texas Rangers, nee second incarnation of the Washington Senators on the precipice of a title (one never knows, especially in baseball, more so post-season short series baseball and especially this post-season) that their best player in their 11 seasons in Washington D.C, Frank Howard died at the age of 87.

What a hitter and what a presence Frank Howard was.

A truly gentle giant, he was an N.L. Rookie of the Year (1960) and hit over 40 homers in a season three times.

He once hit 10 home runs in 6 games,

Frank started with the Dodgers and the “big man” was a big man in the Dodgers’ 1963 title season.

He had two memorable important hits vs the great Ed “Whitey” Ford in the Dodgers’ 4 game sweep of the Yankees in 1963.

His double in #1 was hit about as hard as any ever hit.

In #4 his homer gave Sandy Koufax a (1-0) lead. As called in the geat movie, “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” the great Mickey Mantle HR’d vs Sandy to tie it before L.A. prevailed (2-1) to complete the sweep. (Check Frank on You Tube talking and marveling about Mickey’s great late in his career day, to which I will add to at some point).

One more as told to me by Schtunk (where is he, anyone?). Some fans were razzing the L.A. club either in one of 3 seasons (’62-’64), and would not stop though Tommy Davis and others came out of the dugout and asked/told them to stop.

Frank Howard needed only to look and the insults stopped.

Go easy Frank, such a good man and a tremendous player.

The great Frank Howard, pictured as an L.A. Dodgers player, above.