1962 Profile: Bill Skowron

"During a Yankee game last season, the amazingly wild-swinging Bill Skowron swung at a low pitch and the ball got away from the catcher, a base runner advancing. The official was torn between calling it a passed ball or a wild pitch.

'If it hit in front of the plate, it's a wild pitch,' he said, thinking aloud.'But I'm not absolutely sure whether it hit the dirt or not.'

'Of course, it hit the dirt,' a nearby reporter wisecracked. 'Skowron swung at it, didn't he?' "

-Scholastic Coach, Baseball Digest (February 1962)

"Bill Skowron had the poorest of his eight seasons, closing with a low of .267. The burly first baseman had a high of 28 homers but failed to hike his RBI figure (89).

A former footballer at Purdue, Skowron became a Yankee in 1954 after stops at Binghamton, Norfolk and K.C. Prone to injury, he played his highest number of games (150) in '61. Known as Moose, he's one of the game's strongest men. Born in Chicago."

-Don Schiffer, The 1962 Major League Baseball Handbook

"A healthy 'Moose' Skowron generally means pennant insurance for the Yankees. Plagued with various ailments over a period of years, he played full seasons in both 1960 and '61 ... and the Yankees went on to win the pennant in both seasons.

Last year, the popular Skowron set several personal highs ... and, regretfully, a low. In the 'highs' department, he played more games, had more times at bat and more home runs than ever before. In fact, over a two-season period, Moose played 296 games with 1,099 official at-bats. But in 1961, the big first baseman also posted his lowest big league season batting mark, .267. This dropped his lifetime average below the .300 mark for the first time in his career.

In the last two World Series, Skowron has garnered 18 hits in 49 at-bats for a remarkable .367 average, with three homers and eleven RBIs. In five All-Star Games, the native Chicagoan (who now resides in Hillside, N.J.) has hit for a .429 average. Quite a clutch player!

The veteran of the Yankee infield helps to keep the opposition 'honest.' He has power as a left-field pull hitter but can hit the long ball to the opposite field as well. As the Yankees' leading right-handed slugger, Moose is a real threat to clubs that try to 'left-hand' the Yankees."

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

William Joseph Skowron (1B)     #14

Born December 18, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, resides in Hillsdale, N.J. Height: 6-0, weight: 191. Bats right, throws right. 

Married and father of two boys, Gregory (8) and  Steve (5).

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

Played football and baseball at Purdue.

One of only seven players to hit a grand slam in a World Series game, October 10, 1956.

One of only three players to have 12 hits in a seven-game World Series, 1960.

-1962 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"The Yankees' slugging first baseman saw his average take a 42-point dip last season, but Bill Skowron reached a new high by blasting 28 home runs and contributing many key blows as the Bombers won the American League crown.

Skowron, known as Moose, played in 150 of the New Yorkers' regularly scheduled games and had 150 hits, good for 265 bases. His home run output topped by two his previous high, set in 1960, and his 89 runs batted in were just two shy of equalling his previous high, also set in 1960.

A native of Chicago, Bill was signed by the Yankees in 1951. He had been an All-America selection at Purdue University and set a Big Ten record by batting .500 in his senior year. The six-foot, 200-pounder, had also played football for the Boilermakers.

His first stop in Organized Ball was with Binghamton of the Eastern League, where he was converted from a shortstop (his college position) to a third baseman. After 21 games he was sent to Norfolk of the Piedmont League, and he promptly captured the Class B circuit's batting title with a .334 mark.

In 1952 the Yankees elevated their prospect to Triple A company. He won the American Association HR and RBI titles with 31 round-trippers and 134 tallies driven in and compiled a neat .341 average. In '53 he hit .318 for the Kansas City Blues and earned a promotion to the Bronx. During his stay with K.C., Bill played first, third and the outfield.

As a Yankee rookie, he was platooned at first with Joe Collins. During his initial campaign with the Bombers in 1954, he hit .340 in 87 games. In 1955, playing 108 contests, he batted .319 and polled 12 homers.

Skowron became a slugger in '56, with 23 circuit clouts, 21 doubles, six triples, 90 RBIs, and a .308 average. He was a .304 batsman in '57 and slumped below the .300 level for the first time in '58.

Injuries plagued him in '57.'58 and '59. He was limited to a token appearance in the '57 Series and in '59 he broke his wrist making a tag play at first. A torn thigh muscle added to his trouble that summer and he was able to appear in only 74 games.

In 1960 he shook the injury jinx and played in 146 contests. His 34 doubles were second highest in the Junior Circuit and he had a fine World Series, blasting Pirate pitchers for 12 hits, including a pair of homers while batting .375.

The Moose, who now lives in Hillsdale, New Jersey, and is in business in the Garden State, is one of the few Yankees to have an outstanding record in All-Star competition.

Now 30 years old, the muscular veteran has been a member of six championship clubs since joining the Bombers. His eight-year record shows him close to .300 and he has 142 big league homers to his credit.

Although he bats right-handed, Skowron has been known to take advantage of the short right-field fence in New York. He has probably hit more "wrong field" homers than any other player. Bill's 1961 slate showed 22 of his four-baggers coming off right-handed pitchers. He batted .293 facing lefties and versus righties, his mark was .256.

A healthy Skowron will do much to ensure another pennant for Ralph Houk's champs in 1962."

-The 1962 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"Bill Skowron is another Yankee who has played some of his best baseball in World Series competition. He hit .353 in the '61 classic, .375 in 1960. In Series play, Moose has rapped seven homers and has 25 RBIs.

Though this was not his best season, he picked up in his hitting in the closing weeks and hopes to make the 1962 World Series another big one for the Yankees and himself."

-Official Souvenir Program of the 1962 World Series (Yankee Stadium) 

1962 Profile: Elston Howard

1962 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

HAVE THE YANKEES HELD BACK HOWARD?

"His bat was hot, his fielding almost flawless, but still Elston Howard sat out so many games he could not qualify for the batting title. And an old storm thundered anew.

While the sound and fury of Mantle and Maris' home run pursuit raged in early August, another Yankee was making an all but unnoticed pursuit of the American League batting championship. Weighed against the rare assault on Babe Ruth's record, the batting title meant little, except, you would imagine, to the Yankees' Elston Howard who was battling for it. But on August 15, right in the thick of the battle, Howard said the last thing on his mind was winning the title. 'I haven't thought about it all year.' So he said, anyway.

Despite Elston's easy-going attitude, the batting crown- specifically Howard's involvement in it- raised the question that has hovered around him since 1954, before he played his first game with New York: Are the Yankees holding him back? For by mid-August it became apparent that it was next to impossible for Howard to win the batting championship even if he drove his average to .400. He wouldn't made 502 plate appearances, the league minimum to qualify for it. And the fans' indignation, on behalf of Howard, began to grow.

'Can ya beat that!' a man bellowed in a crowded bar near Yankee Stadium on Saturday, August 5, after New York had beaten Minnesota, 2-1. 'Howard gets three for four, he's hitting .355, yet he ain't gonna win the title no matter what he does. They ain't gonna let 'im play enough. It sure looks fishy to me.'

'Yer damn right it does,' his drinking partner said. 'He's been hittin' like that all year long- when they let 'im play. Which ain't too often. They've always had something against that guy. In '58 he had a chance for the title, too, but Stengel didn't play 'im enough. And when he first came up the Yankees did everythin' they could to keep from playin' him AT ALL.'

On June 6 of this season, Howard had the highest average in the league, .389, yet he had only 90 at-bats. Why hadn't he been up more? After all, sportswriters had reported in the spring (the third one in succession) that Howard had finally emerged from Yogi Berra's shadow as the first-string catcher.

Sitting in the Yankee dugout during an August batting practice, manager Ralph Houk supplied an answer. 'I said I had three No. 1 catchers at the beginning of the year and that I also considered them as my bench,' Ralph said, arms crossed, ankles crossed. 'I told them that the fella who was doing best- the man with the hot bat- would be doing most of the catching.' He let loose with a burst of tobacco.

'Well,' Ralph went on, leaning forward to see a ball off Mantle's bat hit in the left-field seats, 'right in the first month of the season (Hector) Lopez slumped a bit, so I sent Yogi to the outfield and he fitted right in. Before that he'd been alternating with Howard behind the plate. After that the catching sorta molded itself. I caught Howard most of the time. I caught (John) Blanchard against certain pitchers and in certain ballparks and didn't have to catch Howard in doubleheaders. He's only caught doubleheaders against left-handed pitchers. This kept Howard strong and kept Blanchard sharp for pinch-hitting. We started winning that way and that's the thing we're interested in. It's unusual for a manager to have this kind of problem- three fine catchers with good bats- which I consider a nice problem.'

Heavy duty, however, did not seem to tire Howard. After catching Friday, Saturday and Sunday,and the first game of a twi-night doubleheader on Monday, June 5. Ellie sat by his locker-room cubicle between games. Houk walked over to him. It was a warm, humid night and Ralph thought of resting the big (6-2, 195-pound) catcher, but he was also thinking of Chuck Stobbs' left-handed pitching which the Yankees were about to face.

'Are you tired, Ellie?' Houk asked.

'No' said Howard, toweling his face. He grinned. 'Who's tired when you're hitting good?'

'Fine,' Houk said, patting him on the shoulder. 'You,'ll catch this one, too.' He did and went three for four.

Howard's bat stayed hot and he stayed in the lineup. Berra alternated in left field with Lopez and Bob Cerv. Blanchard worked from time to time, too, and suddenly exploded with a rash of homers. Between June 5 and August 6, Blanchard's clutch hits won or tied eight games for the Yankees. They went on to win each of the ties. Five of the hits were pinch homers. As a result, Blanchard played more, Howard, though hot as ever, less.

So you might say the Yankees have held back Howard in 1961, Yankees named Berra and Blanchard. If Elly hadn't been alternating with Berra at catcher for the first month of the season, and if Blanchard hadn't proven so potent a hitter (he doesn't compare with Howard as a receiver), then Howard would have gone to bat more.

There was then no reason to criticize Houk. Howard didn't even dream of it. Pulling off his uniform in the visitor's locker room at Minnesota on June 25, Elston- who had just banged a three-run homer and run-scoring single in an 8-5 Yankee win- discussed his manager. 'He's helped plenty,' Howard said, nodding at Houk lighting a cigar across the room. 'He's a quiet man and he talks things over with you. If he's got something to say he tells you nice and quiet-like, and the next thing you know you're talking it over.'

'Like what?'

'Like he's telling me all the time to hit the ball through the middle. Like that: 'Hit the ball through the middle,' he says. 'He can tell when I'm rolling my wrists too much and trying to kill everything to left field. He notices things like that.'

Down through August, Howard remained hot- fighting with Norm Cash for the league batting lead- and Blanchard cooled off. So Houk said that barring injury Elly would play most of the time from then on. 'Naturally, my first concern is winning the pennant,' Ralph said. 'But I'm going to do everything I can to give Howard every possible chance to take that batting championship. I'd be very happy to see him do it.'

By then, though, Howard appeared out of the batting race. He still had a mathematical chance to qualify, but a slim one. By August 5, for example, he had 262 at-bats, 16 walks and two sacrifices for 280 plate appearances. New York had 56 games left and if Howard batted four times in each of them he would have achieved 504 plate appearances, two over the minimum.

Howard himself thought at the time he could qualify. He was seated on a trunk near his Yankee Stadium cubicle, autographing baseballs and considering his batting title chances. 'I may be able to do it,' he said. Then he smiled. 'But I don't know if I can get enough base hits to win it even if I get  up enough.'

But ten days later, before a night game, Howard said, 'No, I don't think I can qualify.' He was sitting by his cubicle again but he wasn't smiling this time. 'If you look back, not many catchers have won the batting title.' (None in the American League and only two in the National League: Ernie Lombardi with 309 at-bats in 1942 and 489 at-bats in 1938, and Gene Hargrave with 326 at-bats in 1926). They have to rest 'em up for doubleheaders.'

Howard, who has played left field, right field, first base and catcher for the Yankees, could have been 'rested' on first base or even in left field. However, as Elly realistically said, 'Ralph's not going to switch me around just to win the batting title. We're interested in winning the pennant. I haven't played any outfield this year. And I've just filled in first to rest Moose (Skowron). He's got a bad back that bothers him every so often.' (Skowron also had a bad bat that bothered him and the Yankees occasionally in July and August, sometimes causing Houk to move Howard to first and Blanchard behind the plate.)

Even if the Yankees clinched the pennant, Howard said, he didn't believe he could play enough to qualify for the title. 'I figured it up- the statisticians figured it up,' he said. He pulled a clean white sock over his knee and rolled it on his thigh. 'Back when we had 50 games left, I needed four times up every game and I didn't think I could get that many.' He rolled up another white sock, then drew on the blue-black Yankee outer socks and rolled the tops of them tightly beneath the white.

It was a hot afternoon and the players were lounging around in shorts, socks and undershirts. Roger Maris was seated, feet propped up on one wall, in his cubicle next to Howard's, reading letters and squeezing a spring-pressured, grip-strengthener with his right hand. Luis Arroyo was blowing cigar smoke over his mail in the lounge, a left turn off Maris' locker.

'Did Ralph talk to you about the title?' Howard was asked.

'He said I didn't think I could qualify because catchers seldom play 120 games a year,' Ellie said. He reached up to a hook and took down a long-john-looking undershirt marked HOWARD in indelible ink. He slipped it over his head. 'But as I said, winning the batting title has been the least thing on my mind. I haven't thought of it all year. I've just been trying to get base hits. I'd like to win it, true enough. It would be a great honor. But if I just have a good year and we win the pennant- that's more important.'

Later that afternoon, Houk said: 'I didn't discuss the batting title with him until I knew he didn't have a chance for it. Then I said, 'Ellie, I want you to know that it's impossible for you to win the battle title. You couldn't catch that many ballgames and stay at top peak.' He said he hadn't given it a thought, but I thought it was best for me to discuss it with him. A man can't catch 50 games in a row and not suffer in the field and at the plate. I'm of the opinion that 502 times at bat is too many anyway. It almost eliminates all catchers from a chance at the title. I'd like to see that rule changed: 450 would be better.'

Quiet, serious and intelligent, Howard accepted his lot stoically. He was particularly careful to weigh every word he spoke on the batting-title subject. Of course, he thought of it, but he kept it in its place, remaining a team man first. Shrugging off the title in his public statements, Ellie was fighting hard to keep a storm from exploding on exactly the same subject as had haunted him in the past. The subject: Howard's skill and the Yankees' reluctance to use it.

Elston Gene Howard, born February 23, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri, has been involved in that controversy most of his professional baseball life. Before he ever tried on his first Pinstripes, an organization of whites and Negroes had picketed Yankee Stadium carrying signs accusing the club of discrimination for not having a Negro player. Howard became the center of controversy during spring training in 1954. The 'Baltimore Afro-American' ran the front page headline VICIOUS CONSPIRACY BEING CONDUCTED, alleging the Yankees were mistreating Howard. The story, by Sam Lacey, also charged the Yankees with cutting down Howard's chances of making the team by shifting him from the outfield to an unfamiliar position (catcher).

'I ought to punch that guy's (Lacey) head off,' said the usually placid Howard after seeing the story. 'There's always someone like that putting words in my mouth misquoting me. A few weeks ago some wrote that I said Vic Power (his Negro teammate in the minors the preceding year) wasn't a hustler and things like that. I never said anything of the sort ... '

Howard won't discuss the incident today. 'I've forgotten that stuff,' he says. 'That's all in the past.'

In retrospect it is naive to think the Yankees planned to give their rivals exclusive rights to a whole race of ballplayers, but at the same time, they appeared to need outfielders more than they needed catchers. They had a teeming roster of catchers, including Berra, Charlie Silvera, Houk, Hal Smith, Lou Berbert and Gus Traindos.

After Bill Dickey taught Howard the basics of catching in 1954 spring training, Elston was sent to Toronto for seasoning. Although he had battted .353 in 1954 exhibition games and .286 in Triple-A ball the year before, Howard is not sorry he didn't stick in 1954. 'I'm just as happy I went down,' he said. 'I never thought I was a great outfielder. I learned everything about catching at Toronto. I couldn't have done that in the major leagues sitting around on the bench.'

He won the International League's most valuable player award in 1954, hitting .331, with 22 home runs and 108 RBIs. After the Cleveland Indians won the pennant that year- breaking a five-season Yankee monopoly- Yankee pitcher Allie Reynolds told a sportswriter: 'With Howard in '54, we would have won six straight pennants.'

The Yankees purchased Ellie's contract that fall and assigned him to a winter-league team as an outfielder because Casey Stengel still hadn't decided where to play him. Casey wasn't even certain he would keep Ellie with the Yankees. 'Howard's a good boy,' Stengel said at training camp in 1955. 'But I can't make up my mind where he's best at, even though I've had him hittin' cleanup, which I don't do except with a real good hitter, which he is. He looks good but I can't say he's made the team.'

That spring sportswriters of Arthur Daley's stature were writing things like: 'He (Howard) seems certain to be the first Negro to make the Yankees. The men  in the Yankee front office have stubbornly refused to be panicked into hiring a Negro just because he was a Negro.' (Jackie Robinson had only played eight years in the majors then.) 'They've waited for one to come along who answers the description of 'the Yankee type.' ' (Whatever that is though obviously fiery Vic Power wasn't while fiery Billy Martin was.) 'Elston is a nice, quiet lad of 25 whose reserved, gentlemanly demeanor has won him complete acceptance from every Yankee.'

Howard stuck with the Yankees in 1955, played in 97 games as on outfielder-catcher and batted .290, with ten home runs, seven triples, eight doubles and 43 RBIs. He's been with them ever since.

Rightfielder-leftfielder-catcher-first baseman-pinch hitter, Elston didn't surpass his rookie year hitting until 1958. 'The switching around hurt me a little,' Howard said. 'You have a tendency to worry about a position you're not used to. I worry at first base a little this year- the position's strange to me. But if it helps the club out I'll do it. I don't mind.'

In 1958 Howard had his first chance to win an American League batting championship. But he was plagued by the same problems that hurt him in 1961. He wasn't getting to bat often enough to qualify. On August 5, 1958, for example, Howard was hitting .342 and had the best RBI average per time up of anybody on the club. Yet he couldn't pick up 477 appearances, the qualifying minimum then, unless he was moved up to one of the top three spots in the batting order and played all the remaining games. Stengel wouldn't hear of it.

'There's nothin' I'd like to see better, of course, than for him to win it,' Casey said. 'He might get up enough yet.' No, Stengel was told, he couldn't unless he was moved up and played regularly. 'Well, I'm not gonna catch him every day and not have him ready for what I want when I need him. I'm still thinkin' about winnin' ball games and I'm not gonna worry about twistin' everything around everything for one man. I'm not worryin' about that and neither is he.'

Howard didn't feel Stengel lacked confidence in him. 'If he lacked confidence in me I wouldn't have been up here,' Howard said.

Ted Williams won the batting title that season with a .328 average; Ellie finished at .314. Ellie was the fielding star in the World Series against the Braves, contributed several key hits, and received the Babe Ruth Award, given annually by baseball writers to the man they pick as the Series' outstanding player.

'I gotta find a place in the lineup for that fella,' Stengel said after the Series. 'It's only justice. He earned it. He's a good hitter and he has a wonderful spirit. He's gotta lotta talent.' Casey indicated he would continue to shuffle Howard from one position to another, but that Ellie's days as a substitute were over.

Yet on July 28, 1959, Howard had a problem. 'I'm playing even less than I did a year ago, or so it seems, 'he said. 'What disturbs me most is that I feel a hot streak coming on, but Casey sees fit to keep me on the bench. Playing a couple days, then sitting one or two out cools me off.' Howard had hit home runs off Riverboat Smith of the Indians and Don Mossi of the Tigers on Thursday and Friday. 'Yet there I was,' he said, 'sitting on the bench Sunday all because a right-hander (Frank Lary) was pitching for the Tigers. When I'm swinging right I can hit righties as well as lefties.'

Howard conceded that his .263 average was well below the .314 he had hit in 1958. 'But how am I ever going to lift it,' he said, 'if I don't play?'

Howard is philosophical about it today. 'I never knew why he switched me around,' he says. 'I never asked him and he never told me. I've had four or five hits in a game, then sat out the next day. But platooning was Stengel's policy. He platooned a lot of good hitters. Woodling, Bauer, Henrich- they were all good hitters. He was platooning them before I got here. I don't think I could have been the one to change his policy.' He paused. 'Especially since his policy was so successful.'

After finishing 1959 at .273, and reaching his home run peak (18) and RBI peak (73), Ellie slumped in 1960 to .245. 'I tagged Bill Tuttle in a rundown at Kansas City in June (1960) and fell on my wrist,' he said. 'I was hitting about .290 then; I couldn't swing a bat after that. My wrist bothered me all the way to the World Series. Then I was all right until Bob Friend hit me with a pitch that broke a bone in my left hand.' He pointed to the fleshy part of the hand below the pinky.

This year Howard predicted in training he'd have a good season. Until then, he had hit from an open stance. But Yankee coach Wally Moses helped him alter it. 'We decided in the spring that I ought to close my stance,' Ellie says, 'and ease up on my swing. I was swinging my head off the ball. Moses told me to swing with my arms- use my wrists- not my body. I also began using a heavier bat- a 36-inch, 35-ounce one. I used to use a 33-ounce one.'

'Howard's a legitimate .300 hitter now,' Moses says.' He's got a real good swing, real strong.'

When Howard unleashes his strong swing, the bat lashes around in a blurry, wrist-popping arc. There's little body; just eyes fixed, stride, pop, follow-through and most of the time a hard smash toward centerfield. Just how often Howard bangs them back through the middle was shown in the first game of a Yankees-Twins doubleheader at the Stadium August 6. In the second inning he doubled to right-center off Pedro Ramos; in the fourth he singled to left-center; in the fifth he almost amputated a couple of fingers on Ramos' glove with a line-single that swelled the pitcher's hand so badly Pedro left the game after the eighth (it was Howard's sixth hit in his last seven at-bats, eighth in his last 11, and it drove home the game's tying run, 5-5); in the seventh he struck out; in the 10th he grounded out, the shortstop racing several steps left to field the ball; in the 11th he almost ripped off pitcher Ray Moore's glove with a line-single; in the 14th he struck out; in the 15th the Yankees won, 7-6.

When he sets himself up for a pitch- left foot near the plate, right one trailing obliquely, bat carved above his bent back- Howard looks like the hitter his average indicates he is. But apparently some pitchers and managers still minimize his batting ability. In August the Yanks and Indians were tied in the 10th, 2-2. After Billy Gardner doubled, Maris and Mantle were retired and Berra was intentionally passed to get to Howard. Ellie singled to right-center securing Whitey Ford's 21st win. Ellie laughed after the game, saying 'Maybe they don't know I'm hitting the ball this year.'

Howard excels in the field as well as at bat. The saying that runners steal on the pitcher rather than the catcher is generally true. Yet they seldom do even that with Howard back of the plate. On August 15 Luis Aparicio, bidding to become the first player to lead his league in stolen bases six consecutive years, came into Yankee Stadium. He had been thrown out only 11 times, three on pickoffs by pitchers, in 52 stolen-base attempts. Aparicio led off the game with a single and two pitches later dashed toward second. Howard came out of his crouch like a sprung jack-in-the-box and rifled the ball to Bobby Richardson. Luis was out.

The next day Aparicio again singled in the first. On the fourth pitch to the next batter, Luis was almost three-quarters of the way to second when the ball struck Howard's mitt. You didn't see its removal or the snap throw- only the white blur. Then Richardson was tagging and the umpire's thumb was up. Again Aparicio was out.

Not only can Ellie throw the ball and catch it, he can handle pitchers with confidence-inspiring skill. To a man the Yankee pitchers echo Whitey Ford's sentiments on Howard. 'He's probably the best in both leagues,' Ford said.  'He's improved so much in the last year or two by playing regularly. He has more confidence now and has an idea on how to pitch to every batter. You can go through a whole game without shaking him off. And he keeps you on your back out there, doesn't let you get lackadaisical. He makes you bear down when you do- gives you the fist, hollers out, runs out. He keeps you on the ball.'

He helped keep the whole Yankee team churning during the most important series of 1961, when Detroit came into New York September 1 trailing by only one and one-half games. In the first game he raced back to the railing with men on first and third and two out, reached into the seats and caught Norm Cash's foul pop to kill a rally. That was in the eighth of a 0-0 game. There was still no score in the last of the ninth after Maris and Mantle had been eliminated by Don Mossi's great pitching. Then Howard singled sharply to right-center and scored the game's lone run when Berra and Skowron followed with base hits.

Howard was hitless in four times up in the second game, which New York won, 7-2. But his bat made the difference in the series finale. With the scored tied 5-5 in the last of the ninth, two men on and two men out, Ellie took a terrific cut on reliever Ron Kline's first pitch. He missed. He repeated that swing on the next pitch and the ball landed far back in the left-field seats. It was Howard's 15th home run of the year- and his top one.

Elston lives with his pretty wife Arlene and their three children- Elston Jr. (five), Cheryl (three) and Karen (19 months)- in Teaneck, New Jersey. It is an integrated, upper-middle class community just 15 minutes' drive from Yankee Stadium.

Howard, who has been a public relations representative for Ballantine Breweries during the last five off-seasons, has given plenty of thought to his future. He has a partner and they are looking for a business to go into. Of course, this doesn't mean he's thinking of retiring yet. 'I'll be playing as long as I can swing a bat and don't get pushed around,' Howard says. 'Then I wouldn't mind going into coaching.'

According to Ralph Houk, Ellie could be a good coach. 'He's a student of baseball,' Houk says. 'He'll be a valuable man in baseball when he stops playing.' Which Houk hopes isn't too soon.

As the song says, he's come a long way from St. Louis. It hasn't been easy. It never is when you're the first of your race to do anything among white men. As Whitey Ford says, 'It was pretty rough for him for a while. There was a lot of pressure on him, being the first Negro with the Yankees. I think he's lived up to it real well.' He has, and then some. And if the American League rule-makers heed Ralph Houk's suggestion regarding adjustment of the batting title qualifications, perhaps next year Howard will achieve that 'great honor' so many people think he deserves a reasonable chance at."

-Berry Stainback, Sport Magazine, December 1961

"It was a long time in the making, but Elston Howard finally arrived in 1961, proving to be the best of all catchers. His .348 was the No. 2 mark in the AL and his arm was second to none.

The first Yankee Negro player in 1955, he's played the outfield and first base. Howard hit the most homers (21) and collected more RBIs (77) last season than in any of his previous six.

Born in St. Louis, he was the most valuable player in the International League in 1954."

-Don Schiffer, The 1962 Major League Baseball Handbook

"The old saw about hitters being born and not made may seem to apply to some of the gifted, such as Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Hank Aaron. But this is superficial truth. Hitters, natural or otherwise, can improve themselves, as has Elston Howard of the New York Yankees. Last season, Howard hit .348, a gain of 113 points. This year he will probably win the American League's batting championship.

Howard, who never before in the majors had hit as high as .300, has improved himself to the point where he is now one of the few players who can meet most-if not all- of the qualifications demanded of the championship batsman. He knows the strike zone, has enough power to handle the fastball, and yet not so much power that he lunges. He succeeds against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers and can hit through the box to all fields- and with good power. He's outstanding in the clutch.

Moreover, Howard is a superb low-ball hitter, a definite plus since most pitchers are constantly trying to keep everything low, where the danger of the home run is lessened. The knee-to-belt high sinker that is effective against almost everyone else is Howard's delight and pitchers simply don't know what to do with him. If they try him outside, he will go to right and right center; inside, he'll pull to left; a good fast ball, and he'll rifle it right back through the middle.

One of the factors that set the high-average hitter apart is that, unlike the free swingers, he cannot afford the luxury of too many strikeouts. Mickey Mantle, Harmon Killebrew and Jim Gentile, all of whom have more power, disqualify themselves from batting championships and give away as much as 30 points because they are swinging and lunging for the long ball. Mantle struck out 112 times last season, Killebrew 109 and Gentile 106. Howard fanned only 65 times.

Mantle is the league's most exciting hitter, in our opinion, because of his power which borders on the animal. Old timers speak of Babe Ruth and his 500 and 600-foot homers, and even about his prodigious pop flies. They also should observe Mantle's line drives and the ball that he blasts through the infield on one hop. Says first baseman Bob Hale: 'I remember he once hit me one that sizzled. I'm not kidding. I heard it.'

Mantle batted .317 last season and may hike his average this year on the theory that the demands for his power may not be as great with Roger Maris around. There are a dozen other bona fide .300 hitters in the American League. Al Kaline of the Tigers, who struck out only 42 times last season, could run second to Howard for the batting title. Some of the others who should finish high are Norm Cash of Detroit, last year's leader with a .361 average. Jim Landis of the White Sox and Jerry Lumpe of Kansas City are both ready to muscle in among the leaders after good 1961 seasons."

-Baseball 1962, edited by Lee Greene, published by Whitestone Publications, Inc.

"Raising his lifetime batting average by 14 points last year, Yankee catcher Elston Howard celebrated his greatest season in the majors with a sparkling .348 mark. This brought his major league lifetime average up to .287. His 1961 performance also resulted in the following personal Howard highs: most games played (129), most at-bats (446), most home runs (21), most runs batted in (77), most runs scored (64) and most hits (155).

Ellie, now at his peak at the age of 33, formally succeeded to the first-string catcher's job so long held with distinction by Yogi Berra. Like Berra, Howard was born in St. Louis but now resides in suburban Teaneck, New Jersey.

The popular veteran hit only .245 in 1960. This caused him to change his batting style, cutting down on his swing and 'going with the pitch.' The change worked to perfection as Howard lined hit after hit up the middle, and, by mid-June a year ago, the home runs started to come.

Howard, who has helped the Yankees immeasurably over the years as a part-time outfielder and first baseman as well as receiver, won the first-string catching job when Ralph Houk became manager and moved Berra to left field. Now Howard feels more secure and sure of himself and he believes that specializing has improved his work behind the plate and the added concentration on one job has helped his hitting, too.

Elston feels he can improve on his home run and RBI totals in 1962 while concentrating on one position. Houk will settle for the Howard performance of 1961 in '62."

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

Elston Gene Howard (C)     #32

Born February 23, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri, resides in Teaneck, N.J. Height: 6-2, weight: 204. Bats right, throws right. 

Married and father of two daughters, Cheryl (3) and Karen (2), and one son, Elston Jr. (6).

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

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.

-1962 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"Elston Howard had his greatest season in 1961 and hopes to continue where he left off last season. The 33-year-old veteran became the Yankees' No. 1 receiver last year and almost won the American League batting title. Only Norm Cash and the fact that he barely missed making the prescribed number of appearances at the plate kept the native of St. Louis from walking off with this laurel.

Howard broke into Organized Ball in 1950 with Muskegon of the Central League. After a two-year hitch of military service, he spent a year with Kansas City (American Association) and Toronto (International League). With the AA Blues, Elly batted .330 and drove in 109 runs; and at Toronto, he was named the league's most valuable player.

In 1955 he became the first Negro to wear a Yankee uniform. He served as Yogi Berra's understudy for six seasons before taking over the first-line catching chores last summer. In addition to wearing the tools of ignorance, Elly also played the outfield and first base.

As the Bombers' top backstop, Elston not only hit .348 but also batted out 21 homers, topping his previous high of 18 in 1959, and drove in 77 runs, four more than he had in '59.

While no speed merchant on the base paths, Howard is a good runner and a fine bet to get a piece of the ball when at the dish. His arm is one of the most accurate in baseball and he cut down many would-be base stealers last summer.

A jammed left hand and a broken finger in 1960 saw him fall to .245 as a batsman, but the healthy Howard upped that mark by over 100 points last season.

Elston lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, with his charming wife and three youngsters, just a short drive from Yankee Stadium.

An American League All-Star selection the past two seasons, Howard is one of the many Yankees who are always "up" for the big game as his World Series record shows. The Yankees know that Howard is always available for picket duty and can do the job at first base if called upon.

A righty all the way, Elly hit opposing hurlers thus: against lefties his average was .405 (8 HRs and 29 RBIs) and against righties he went .315 (13-48).

There was some talk last season about moving Howard up to the first or second slot in the batting order late in the campaign to give him a chance to get the needed 502 appearances for the batting crown, but Elston's first thoughts were for the team and not personal glory.

One of the class players in the game and certainly a pride of the Yankees is Elston Howard."

-The 1962 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

"Ellie had the persistence to shrug off the discouraging factor of having played behind Yogi Berra for most of his career. And now, finally, he has displaced Yogi as the varsity receiver of the Yankees. He offers better defense than the aging Yogi and there's nothing wrong with stick work that can produce 21 homers and a .348 batting average. He can do a lot more than catch."

-Tom Gallery (Director of Sports for NBC), NBC Complete Baseball 1962

"This was NOT Elston Howard's greatest year ... but the hard-hitting backstop continued to win All-Star selection and perform as an outstanding receiver on an All-Star club should. After his great 1961 hitting accomplishments, Ellie hit .279 but continued to swing an effective home run (21) and RBI (91) bat."

-Official Souvenir Program of the 1962 World Series (Yankee Stadium) 

1962 Profile: Yogi Berra

1962 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR

"Top personality among all players is Yogi Berra, the Yankee dean in service who begins his 17th campaign and his second as a full-time outfielder. One of the game's most efficient catchers, he moved to the garden with his usual good humor and team spirit. His .271 in 1961 was the third-lowest average of his career.

Born in St. Louis, Yogi holds just about all the World Series standards, having played in the most games (73) and driven in the most runs (39). He's one of the few in business to acquire more than 2,000 hits."

-Don Schiffer, The 1962 Major League Baseball Handbook

"The Hall of Fame will be beckoning to the Yankees' Larry 'Yogi' Berra before too many more years pass. The three-time Most Valuable Player in the American League and one of the all-time great catchers has abandoned the mask and shin guards to become the club's regular left-fielder. And at 37, Yogi is still one the game's most feared 'clutch' hitters. As a rival player recently said, ' ... he's the best catcher baseball has ever seen and he breaks up more games in the late innings than anyone I know.'

Now that he's a full-time outfielder for Manager Ralph Houk, the venerable veteran hopes to lengthen his career. He already owns a host of records. He has played the most games and has the most hits of any World Series performer; he has hit a record 300 of his 340 home runs as a catcher; has the most chances accepted lifetime by a catcher (9,045); has the most hits for a career by a catcher and the most RBIs in World Series play ... among many [other records].

Berra, one of the most popular and one the ablest Yankees, needed only 34 more games this season to reach the 2,000 mark. He has played more full seasons with the Yankees than any other player in the club's history and isn't far behind Gehrig and Ruth in total games played.

From his start on the 'Hill' in St. Louis, Berra has come a long way. He is and has been a Yankee in the truest tradition of the name."

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

Lawrence Peter Berra (OF-C)     #8

Born May 12, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri, resides in Montclair, N.J. Height: 5-8, weight: 193. Bats left, throws right. 

Married and father of three boys, Larry (12), Timmy (10) and Dale (5).

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

Named American League's Most Valuable Player, 1951.

Tied with Gus Triandos, most home runs in one season by American League catcher (30), 1952 and 1956.

Named American League's Most Valuable Player, 1954.

Named American League's Most Valuable Player, 1955.

One of seven players, six of whom are Yankees, to hit a grand slam in a World Series game, October 5, 1956, against Brooklyn.

Has hit more home runs than any major league catcher in history (300) while hitting 40 as an outfielder.

Holds record for most hits by a catcher, lifetime (2,053).

Holds record for most chances, catcher (9,045)

Has played in most World Series games, lifetime (72).

Has most hits in World Series, lifetime (71).

Has most RBIs in World Series, lifetime (39).

Has most chances, catcher, World Series,lifetime.

Has most putouts, catcher, World Series, lifetime.

Has most assists, catcher, World Series, lifetime.

-1962 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"One of the game's best bad ball hitters and an All-Star catcher for 12 seasons, Yogi Berra is now the Yankees' regular left fielder. The 37-year-old native of St. Louis made the switch when the Bombers needed him and did the job in style.

Berra joined New York late in the 1946 season and promptly tied a major league record by belting a home run in his first trip to the plate. He's hit a whole flock of four-baggers since that one, including 22 last season, and has 340 to his credit since reaching the big time.

A small but powerful man (5'8", 191 pounds), Yogi broke into Organized Ball with the Yankees' Norfolk farm club in 1943. He spent the next two seasons in military service and played for Newark of the International League in 1946. A .314 batting average earned him a shot with the Bombers and his .364 mark at the close of the '46 campaign solidified his position there.

Berra split the 1947 season between the outfield and catching and was the Yankees' regular backstop from '48 through '60. Under the tutelage of Bill Dickey, he developed into a first-class receiver.

His bat spoke for itself and Yogi was named Most Valuable Player in the American League three times (1951-54-55). In addition to his 340 homers, Berra has 307 doubles and 49 triples since coming to New York, and he's sent 1,367 runs across the plate.

Yogi's best year was 1950 when he batted .322, hit 28 homers and drove in 124 runs. He had 30 HRs twice, 1952 and 1956, and reached a personal high with 125 RBIs in 1954.

Berra has been a member of the American League's All-Star team in each of the past 13 campaigns and smacked a homer during one of the 1959 mid-season meetings against the National League.

The lefty slugger holds many World Series records, including most games played and most hits during the postseason classic. His pinch homer against the Dodgers in '47 was the first such blow in World Series competition.

Yogi's best Series was in 1956 when he slugged three circuit clouts and drove in 10 runs while posting a .360 average. He batted better than .400 in both the 1953 and 1955 Classics.

Berra now makes his home in Montclair, New Jersey, and is the proud father of three boys. His interests include a 40-lane bowling alley (he's partners with former Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto in this enterprise) and a soft drink firm in the Garden State. Yogi's autobiography was placed before the public during the 1960-61 winter and he is in constant demand at banquets.

Berra loves all sports and is a better-than-fair golfer. He is a regular at basketball and hockey games during the off-season.

When Ralph Houk needed a left fielder last year, Mr. Berra was his man; in fact, Yogi has also seen service at first and third base during his glorious career with the Yankees. While he's no gazelle in the field, Yogi makes the plays and his arm is one of the best in the game.

In his 17th season with the World Champs, Yogi hopes to repeat his 1961 totals. He batted a respectable .271 and drove in 61 tallies. His 107 hits were good for 184 bases and he pilfered two bases and hit five sacrifice flies.

Few players have contributed as much over the years, both to his team and the game, as Yogi Berra."

-The 1962 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook

THAT YOGI AGAIN

"Joe Gariagola was once sitting around with Yogi Berra and the conversation drifted to the attendance problem in Kansas City. 'The Athletics can't seem to draw at home,' observed Garagiola.

Yogi nodded his head sagely. 'Yeah, but if the fans don't want to come out, nobody can stop them.' "

-Herbert L. Masin in The Scholastic Coach (Baseball Digest, July 1962)

YOGI, 37, 'NOT THINKING OF RETIRING'

Expects to Play Just as Long as N.Y. Needs Him

'I've Still Got Things I'd Like to Do in Baseball,' Veteran Star Announces

"There is a reluctant air about Yogi Berra when he is asked to recall some of the golden moments of a major league career that stretches back over 16 eventful years, including his appearance in 15 All-Star Games and 72 World Series contests.

'When you look back, you're looking ahead,' the bard of the dugout said. 'I've got things I'd like to do in baseball.'

This was at the outset of a friendly inquisition to find out how much baseball, if any, there was going to be in Yogi's future.

It didn't take long to discover that the most colorful of all Yankees in the post-Babe Ruth era was not getting ready to clean out his locker at Yankee Stadium to retire to a life of clipping coupons as lord of the manor at his palatial estate in Montclair, N.J.

Briefly, Yogi wanted to make it known- 'once and for all'- at 37 years years of age he was still a competitive asset and not a sentimental liability already well traveled on the other side of the hill.

Future Wrapped up in the Present

Yogi's future is wrapped up in the present. That's the way he looks at, and despite the many verbal malaprops that flavor Yogi's everyday speech, no one- but no one- is any more clear or straight-ahead in his thinking than the estimable Lawrence Peter Berra.

That helps explain why Yogi has scrapped- for the time being, anyway- any plans to quit as an active player at the end of this season.

'Now don't go saying I'm not ever going to retire,' Yogi said. 'But if you want the truth, I'm not thinking about it now. And I'm not going to think about it until I feel in my heart I can't help the club anymore.'

'Maybe,' the veteran added, 'I'll change my mind, but how do I know now? The way I feel now, I'm going to keep on playing as long as they want me. You can bet nobody will ever have to tell me to get lost. I'll get lost all by myself. When I don't have it anymore, I'll be the first guy to admit it. But I ain't admitting that now because I figure I still got enough to help the Yanks win another pennant.'

There was no mistaking Yogi's enthusiasm.

'I may be 37 years old, but so what?' he said. 'Did you ever hear about Stan Musial? Anything wrong with Stan? You'd take him on your club, wouldn't you?'

The answer was 'Yes.'

'So there you go,' Yogi said. 'You don't get old by just getting more years on your back. You think old as a ball player and you get old.

'I don't mean I can play every day. But here and there I can help.'

Yogi poked a finger into my chest, then grinned.

'Remember that morning at that hotel in Detroit?

'Ah, c'mon now, you remember,' he said poking his finger with more authority.

At this point, I told Yogi that if I had his memory, I would have no mortgage and a swimming pool in the back yard.

'Don't change the subject,' he said. 'You gotta admit I saved you some money by not betting with you.'

It was all clear now. In the clubhouse after Yogi caught every inning of the Yankees' historic 22-inning victory over the Tigers, it was mentioned he'd pay for it the next day.

'Don't Bet,' Yogi Advised

'You'll need the trainer and a derrick to get you out of bed. I'll bet you five bucks you don't make it down to breakfast,' Yogi was told.

'Save your money,' Yogi advised at the time. 'I ain't that old.'

Just as he predicted, the next morning found Yogi as spry and as hungry as a rookie.

'I was sore a little, but not lame,' he said in recalling what he considers to be 'one of the high points' in his career.

More than anything else that has happened this season, that 22-inning stretch behind the plate proved to the veteran that if old Yogi isn't what he used to be, he still isn't ready for the old men's home.

'Don't forget,' Yogi said with justifiable pride, 'Up to the day I caught those 22 innings, I hadn't been doing much catching.'

In fact, Yogi's 22-inning marathon was only the third game he had caught in more than a year. Since the start of the 1961 season, Yogi's talents had been almost exclusively as a left fielder, right fielder and pinch hitter.

Yogi's interrogator then tried to slide the interview into another area. For instance, was he interested in managing once his active playing days were ended- whenever that might be?

Yogi, though, wasn't ready to shift his gears.

'Boy,' he said. 'Those 22 innings were long- seven hours- getting up and down behind the plate.'

It must have been a pleasant recollection.

Yogi sat there, his face wreathed in a big smile.

'Slept Like a Baby'

'Funny thing about that,' he said, 'not only did I feel good getting up the next day, I felt real good after the game. You know what I did? A bunch of us had been invited over to my cousin's house for a big Italian feed and we all showed up, late as it was. I wasn't tired at all. I ate up everything they put in front of me, then I went back to the hotel and slept like a baby.'

Yogi paused a few seconds.

'Did you say something about managing?' he queried.

'Yes. Would you like to be a big league manager?'

'Ummm,' Yogi said, deep in thought. 'Well ... yeah, I guess I would.'

'Have you got anything in mind?' I asked.

'Wait a minute,' he shot back. 'We're just talking here about when I'm through as a ballplayer. We're not talking about next week, or next month or even next year ... there is nothing definite. Right?'

'Right!'

'Okay then, yeah, I'd like to manage, but that doesn't mean I'd jump at any job they offered me.'

'That sounds like you've already eliminated some teams,' Yogi was told.

'No,' he answered in simple logic. 'How can I do that If I don't even have any team in mind I'd like to manage?

'But I don't want anybody to come to me without giving me the whole story.'

'What's that?'

'If I manage anywhere, I've got to have things understood. I don't want anybody giving me the starting lineup- and things like that. You know what I mean. I've got to have some pretty good players, too. You know I wouldn't jump into a job like that without talking it over good- real good.'

'Would you like to coach?'

'Maybe,' he said. 'It would have to be the right spot.'

'Have you ever thought about a business career of some kind?'

Return on Investment

'Not too much,' he said. 'I got money invested that's bringing me in a little.

'But about going down to an office and stuff like that ... I haven't thought about it much.

'You know, baseball's been my life. I've been with the Yankees all my life ... It seems like that, anyway. I came up here in 1946.

'Only once in all that time did I have trouble getting the money I wanted. But we weren't apart long. Every year, though, they've been great. I got no kicks. I got only thanks.'

'How did you feel the day you first walked into the Yankee clubhouse as a player?'

'I wasn't sure I'd stay long,' he said. 'I came over from Newark where I hit pretty good (.314, 15 homers).

'I figured I'd do all right with the bat, but I wasn't sure.'

Yogi picked up some confidence in the first game he played.

'We were playing the Athletics over in Philly and I got a home run off Phil Marchildon,' he recalled. 'The next day I got another homer. This time off Jesse Flores. It made me feel the first day wasn't a mistake.'

Yogi has made precious few mistakes. It's a cinch he'll be voted into the Hall of Fame.

And who in the Cooperstown shrine will be more qualified to be there than Yogi Berra?

Yogi has hit more homers than any catcher in history.

He has played in more games and has more hits in World's Series competition than any performer in history.

Copped Three MVP Awards

He was the Most Valuable Player in 1951-54-55.

He has more hits to his credit than any catcher in history.

He has accepted more chances than any catcher in history.

As everybody knows, Yogi is also a capable outfielder, author of a couple of books, raconteur par excellence, conversationalist without peer, dugout philosopher of the first magnitude and clutch hitter among the very best.

He is also an exceptional husband, father and provider to his pretty wife, Carmen, and the Berra brood- Larry (12), Timmy (10) and Dale (5).

Lawrence Peter Berra, Esq., is a bowling impresario and vice-president of the Yoohoo Chocolate Drink Company.

Mister Berra has excelled in everything he's ever tried. He'll do the same the day he manages his first ball club.

As Red Schoendienst once said, 'Put Yogi on horseback and he'll be a polo player.'"

-Til Ferdenzi, The Sporting News (August 18, 1962)

BEST EVER? '49-53 YANKEES

"Yogi Berra's best-ever Yankee list includes what he calls 'the best I ever played on.'

'I'll pick the teams of 1949, '50, '51, '52 and '53,' he said. 'How can you rate any team better than the five who won five straight world championships. They had balance- power, defense and great pitching. Don't forget, we had Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi, Ed Lopat and Whitey Ford as starters.'"

-The Sporting News (August 18, 1962)

CATCHING LARSEN'S PERFECTO ONE OF BERRA'S TOP THRILLS

"Yogi Berra has had many thrills in baseball, but he ranks two of them 'right up near the top.'

'Every time I was elected the Most Valuable Player was a top thrill, and I got it three times,' Yogi said.

'And how about catching Don Larsen's perfect game? That's something a catcher will do once in a lifetime,' he said."

-The Sporting News (August 18, 1962)

"Every time Yogi Berra appears in a World Series game, he sets at least one record. He has played in the most Series, the most games, he has the most hits, most RBIs, most singles, most total bases ... and so on an so on. If he should hit .300 in this Series, he would equal Babe Ruth's record of having hit .300 or over in six Fall Classics.

The great Yankee veteran has played more games as a Yankee than anyone other than Ruth and Gehrig. He has more homers than any catcher in history- by far. You might say, 'Yogi is the MOST.' "

-Official Souvenir Program of the 1962 World Series (Yankee Stadium)