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RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

G-Fafif Oct 30 2023 03:35 PM

Our manager for the pivotal final four months of the 1983 season has died at 87. https://www.mlb.com/news/frank-howard-dies

Edgy MD Oct 30 2023 03:42 PM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

Craig Swan's terror and Ron Darling's nude nightmare. Also famously known as the most enthusiastic participant in the Run the Bases events. Immortalized in motion in bronze at Nationals Park. https://live.staticflickr.com/8589/28701809470_e1a2362c06_b.jpg>

MFS62 Oct 30 2023 03:48 PM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

Two immediate memories: When he played against us for LA at the Polo Grounds, he hit a home run that cleared not only the roof of the upper deck but the light tower on top of the roof. When I saw a game at RFK stadium, I asked the usher why two far upper deck seats were painted blue and why the grass in one area of left field was worn out. His answer to both was "Frank Howard". The seats were where he hit wo monstrous home runs and the field was where he stood when playing the outfield. RIP Later

Edgy MD Oct 30 2023 03:59 PM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

Drank the good stuff and smelled good doing it. [YOUTUBE]8KPd6gjBIME[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]D2mgiPSDcSc[/YOUTUBE]

metirish Oct 30 2023 04:00 PM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

From the NY Times A humble muscleman well liked by teammates and friendly to fans, Howard could laugh at his failings. He once told how the great hitter Ted Williams, who became the Senators' manager in 1969, helped him show more patience at the plate. Still, Williams couldn't contain his frustration. “Somebody was explaining to a visitor that some of the outfield seats in R.F.K. Stadium had been painted white to mark where some of my long home runs had landed,” Howard told The New York Times in 1981. “Ted turned to the guy and said, ‘All the green seats are for the times he struck out.'” Great stuff Frank Howard, Towering Slugger Whose Homers Were, Too, Dies at 87 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/sports/baseball/frank-howard-dead.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Frayed Knot Oct 30 2023 08:51 PM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

First HR in Texas Ranger history after the second version of the Washington Senators moved to the D/FW area acc to the FOX folks.

Edgy MD Oct 30 2023 09:40 PM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

I like that first-homer-for-the-Rangers factoid. Frank was coming off of four straight All-Star seasons in Washington, and there was a lot of speculation that he wasn't going to report to Texas. Despite carrying more weight at the end of his career, he reported and had two more decent seasons, mostly with Detroit. [YOUTUBE]oV3s3JXjcYI[/YOUTUBE] Obviously players didn't stay in the same kind of shape back then, but he's kind of an interesting comp to use for Aaron Judge.

roger_that Oct 31 2023 05:10 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

I enjoyed him on the 1962 Dodgers, who could field not one, but two outstanding outfields: RF: Howard, Fairly CF: W. Davis, Snider LF: T Davis, Moon And they were all pretty good in 1962. Each of the six made multiple All-Star teams. Gotta be a record of some sort.

metirish Oct 31 2023 06:00 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/BobbyValentine/status/1719142695229424044[/TWEET]

DocTee Oct 31 2023 06:03 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

Didnt he participate in a CPF chat several years ago? Or am I conflating him with someone else?

ashie62 Oct 31 2023 06:23 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

Frank Thomas I believe Frank Howard a Washington Senators Icon

MFS62 Oct 31 2023 06:46 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

=roger_that post_id=140252 time=1698750618 user_id=128] I enjoyed him on the 1962 Dodgers, who could field not one, but two outstanding outfields:

That brings back another memory. In a game at YS-1 during that series, he hit a ball that passed the baserunner at second (Tommy Davis?) waist high, and hit the left center field fence near the 402' sign on a fly. A ball going that far with very little height is another testimony to how strong he was.



Later

Marshmallowmilkshake Oct 31 2023 07:31 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

I met Frank Howard, and he was so nice. The local minor league team is a Tigers affiliate and it brings former Tigers in, usually with a bobble head and autograph night. The bobblehead is really cool, but I wanted Frank to sign my Mets book. I asked him how he liked coaching with the Mets, and he looked up and said, "Best years of my life!" By contrast, Richie Hebner said, "Hated it." He looked a little frail. Usually the former Tiger throws out the ceremonial first pitch. Howard went out to the mound with a kid and had the kid throw it. I work with some of the people in the front office, and they said Howard was extraordinarily gracious the whole night.

Edgy MD Oct 31 2023 08:00 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

Frank appears at the 2019 World Series and takes a brief moment to catch up with Nationals coach and former Mets protegé Tim Bogar. [TWEET]https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1188245190525407233[/TWEET]

G-Fafif Oct 31 2023 08:33 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

First George Bamberger Spring Training's intrasquad game was the Jumbo Franks vs the Small Freys. Frank Howard's squad bowed to Jim Frey's, meaning Hondo's staff paid for a coaches' dinner prepared by player-coach Rusty Staub (who later acknowledged he never did much formal coaching the one year he carried the title).

Edgy MD Oct 31 2023 08:40 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

Played one game in 1974 for the Taheiyo Club Lions. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/4a/67/dc/4a67dc9420301f5179abcebf0e14a3bd.jpg>

G-Fafif Oct 31 2023 10:54 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

The more we talk about him, the more he's Bill Brasky, who may have been inspired by Frank Howard.

G-Fafif Nov 06 2023 10:35 AM Re: RIP Frank Howard, 1936-2023

An appreciation of Howard's Mets days and other days here.