Time
to finally go ahead and re-do the 1972 Frank Howard Topps card, though
it’s no fault of Topps since they were dealing with The Washington
Senators relocating to Arlington, becoming the Texas rangers. But hey,
all the years later we are graced with photos that can make it all
happen:
Howard would only end up playing a part of the 1972 season with the
Rangers, before finding himself in Detroit, where he’s end up playing
the last season and a half of his Major League career with the Tigers.
An absolute beast at the plate, he would be the last Big League player
until Jay Buhner (1995-97) to hit 40+ homers three years in a row from
1968-1970, with a high of 48 in 1969, though leading the league in 1968
and 1970 with 44.
He was also one of the early players to join the 30-home runs in each
league club, hitting 31 with the Dodgers in 1962 before reaching the
plateau again in 1967 when he slammed 36 taters.
All told, he finished his career with 382 homers over 16 seasons, before
moving on to a coaching and managerial career, making him somewhat of a
baseball lifer.
I loved him when he was with the New York Yankees later in his coaching
career! I mean, how often do you get to appreciate a guy who was so
nasty as a player that he had TWO great nicknames: “The Capital
Punisher”, and “Hondo”!