TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

The new baseball season is upon us! I can only imagine you do not want us to write about awards, trades and labor for the next 5 months. I will be highlighting a player every day with as many odds and ins as possible. A Game of the day and several events as always. If there is anything else you would like to read please send me a note, I am all ears so to speak. [email protected]

October 30, 2023. Frank “Hondo” Howard passes away. My Dad said he could feel the ground move when he was running the bases.

Some interesting odds and ends about Howard.

In Los Angeles, despite winning the 1960 ROY, he had to fight for playing time in a crowded outfield, Frank Howard was known as "Hondo" and won a World Series. In Washington he blasted tape-measure home runs for the Senators and stood out like a giant compared to his smaller (and lesser talented) teammates, who called him "The Capital Punisher." A powerful right-handed slugger of Paul Bunyon-like build, Howard won two home run titles and was the best player in Senators' expansion history. He later managed in the big leagues with little success.

Best Season, 1969
Howard led the AL in just one category (total bases), but he was near the top in several others: eighth in batting (.296), sixth in OBP (.402), fourth in slugging (.574) and OPS, fourth in games played, hits (175) and walks (102), second in runs scored (111) and homers (48), and fifth in RBI (111). He excelled at RFK Stadium in Washington, batting .303 with 27 homers, 62 RBI, and a .607 slugging mark in 81 games. He belted 11 homers in July, when he batted .354 with a .707 slugging percentage.

Factoid
Frank Howard tied a major-league record on July 9, 1965, when he struck out seven times in Washington's doubleheader with Boston.

Where He Played: Left field (923), right field (530), first base (334), designated hitter (76). Howard started as a right fielder, joining Wally Moon and Tommy Davis in the LA outfield, then he was switched to left by the Senators. who also used him periodically at first base. In 1973, Howard was the primary DH for the Detroit Tigers.

Milestones
On May 6, 1970, Howard hit his 300th career home run, a solo blast off the Angels' Rudy May in Anaheim Stadium.

Transactions
Before 1958 Season: Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent; December 4, 1964: Traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a player to be named later, Ken McMullen, Phil Ortega, and Pete Richert to the Washington Senators for Claude Osteen, John Kennedy, and $100000 cash. The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Dick Nen (December 15, 1964) to the Washington Senators to complete the trade . . .

On December 4, 1964, the Dodgers traded Howard to the Senators, along with pitchers Pete Richert and Phil Ortega, and infielder Ken McMullen, for pitcher Claude Osteen, John Kennedy and some cash. Most folks probably know that Osteen won 147 games for LA after the trade, helping them to two World Series. Kennedy served as a utility infielder for two years, hit terribly, and was gone. Meanwhile, Howard hit 246 homers for the Senators/Rangers, leading the AL twice in that category. Howard also paced the league in slugging, total bases, RBI and extra-base hits while in his new uniform. Richert was pretty good while he lasted in the Capital: winning 15 and 14 games in his two full seasons before earning a trip to Baltimore where Earl Weaver used him from the bullpen on three straight pennant-winners. McMullen was the sleeper in this deal, the forgotten man. For the last five years of the 1960s he was at the steep incline that followed Brooks Robinson as the second best third baseman in the AL. But a closer look reveals that he wasn't that bad a player, even compared to Brooksie. During those five years (1965-1969), Robinson created approximately 408 runs. McMullen created 341. That's a 14-run advantage per year for Robinson. But McMullen used 140 fewer outs to create his runs. That's about one offensive game per year, and it narrows the gap. How much, I'm not sure, but McMullen was a decent third baseman, easily one of the two best in the league during that era. His contribution to those terrible Senators' teams swings the Osteen-for-Howard deal closer in favor of Washington.

Cup of Saki
Unable to latch on with a team in the majors, in 1974 Howard signed to play in the Japan League for Taiheiyo. In his first time at bat for his Japanese team, Howard swung mightily and struck out. More embarrassing was the fact that he tore something in his back on the swing. He never played another game in Japan.

"Name That Slugger"
If you watch the Game Show network or live somewhere where old game shows still find their way onto broadcast TV, you may catch a glimpse of big Frank Howard on "Name That Tune." The show debuted in 1974 and ran for seven years. Howard's wife was a contestant, and if you see the episode, you'll notice Howard in the front row, calmly encouraging his better half. (We had no luck finding it)

Highest Slugging Pct, MLB (1962-1971)
Aaron... .572
McCovey... .557
Mays... .545
F. Robinson... .543
D. Allen... .543
Killebrew... .533
Stargell... .518
Howard... .511

Most Times Walked Intentionally with No One on Base
This list encompasses the era in which intentional walk data has been recorded (through 2005).

Barry Bonds... 36
Frank Howard... 8
Mark McGwire... 7
Willie McCovey... 5
Harmon Killebrew... 3

Home Run Facts
From Sunday, May 12, through Saturday, May 18, 1968, Howard belted 10 home runs in the span of 20 at-bats, over six games. He hit at least one homer in six straight games, tying a record, and also clubbed two homers in four games, twice in back-to-back games.

Hear Howard for yourself.

Interviewed on Hardball and by Leo Cloutier on Classic Baseball Broadcasts for you to enjoy.

Members can listen anytime at classicbaseballbroadcasts.com.

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Todays Podcast

Brought to you by: This Day In Baseball

This day in baseball has a deeper dive into every event from October 30

October 30, 1927 Joe Adcok was born, Although he was played out of position, platooned, and frequently injured, Adcock retired as the twentieth most prolific home run hitter of all time and seventh among righthanded hitters. A natural first baseman, the 6'4" 220-lb slugger platooned with Ted Kluszewski when he joined the Reds in 1950, then switched to left field to keep both bats in the lineup. Traded to the Braves in 1953, he returned to first base and appeared in a career-high 157 games. On July 31, 1954, he hit four home runs and a double in a game against the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. His 18 total bases still stand as the one-game record. A broken arm in 1955 and broken leg in '57 held him to half-seasons, but in his healthy 1956 he hit .291, with 38 homers and 103 RBI. He was often platooned in later years, but in 1961, when he played in 152 games, he had 35 home runs and a career-high 108 RBI. Traded to the Indians in 1963 and sent on to the Angels the next year, Adcock played through the '66 season as a platoon player and pinch-hitter. In 1967 he became manager of the Indians, but when the team finished eighth he was fired. Ironically, the main criticism of his managing was that he insisted on platooning the team's top sluggers, Leon Wagner and Rocky Colavito.

October 30, 1945, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson and John Wright to minor league contracts with the team’s Triple-A affiliate at Montreal. Robinson will play the entire 1946 season with the Montreal Royals before earning a promotion to Brooklyn and playing in his first game on April 15, 1947. They will be the pioneers of integration.

October 30, 1956 — The sale of the historical but out-of-date Ebbets Field to real estate developer Marvin Kratter becomes one of the first indications the ballpark is nearing its end, and, a harbinger of the Dodgers’ departure from Brooklyn. As part of the deal, club owner Walter O’Malley is given a three-year lease, with an additional two years to be added in January, to stay and play at the Flatbush facility, which means the ‘Bums’ have a potential home in the borough until 1961.

October 30, 1963— Sandy Koufax, who unanimously won the Cy Young Award six days ago, is named the National League’s MVP. The Dodger southpaw, has compiled a 25-5 record along with a 1.88 ERA, and 11 shutouts out points.

October 30, 1973: Tom Seaver wins his second Cy Young Award (19-10, 2.08 ERA, 18 complete games and 251 Ks). Seaver said: “Sandy Koufax won the award three times and I’ve won it twice and have a chance to win it a third time.” Seaver will win his 3rd Cy Young in 1975.

October 30, 1974 — The writers select Oakland A’s hurler Catfish Hunter as the recipient of the American League’s Cy Young Award. He won 25 games and posted a 2.49 ERA, Due to a contract dispute with owner Charlie Finley, will be declared one of baseball’s first free-agents and will become the game’s highest-paid pitcher in baseball at the end of December when he signs a five-year contract with the Yankees for $3.75 million.

October 30, 2001 — George W. Bush becomes the eighth president to attend a World Series game and the first since Dwight D. Eisenhower to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Wearing a New York Fire Department windbreaker in honor of the heroes of the September 11 attacks, the Commander-in-Chief walks to the mound by himself, gives a thumbs up, and throws a perfect strike to the Yankees’ backup catcher, much to the delight of the stadium faithful. In Game 3 of the 2001 World Series, the Yankees win, 2 – 1, over the Diamondbacks, behind strong pitching by Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera.

October 30, 2010 — at the Ballpark in Arlington, In Game 3 of the 2010 World Series, Colby Lewis throws six shutout innings before fading and rookie Mitch Moreland hits a three-run homer as the Rangers beat San Francisco, 4 – 2. It is the first World Series win by a Texas-based team. snapping a Lone Star State losing streak of six games which started in 2005 when the White Sox swept the Astros. Neftali Feliz, at age 22, surpasses Rangers owner Nolan Ryan as the second-youngest man to save a game in the Series – Bob Welch set the record at age 21 in 1978.

October 30, 2013 — Boston captures the World Championship at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918 when they beat the Cardinals, 6-1, in Game 6 of the Fall Classic. The team that had suffered an 86-year drought between World Series titles has now won three crowns in the past ten years.

Shane Victorino hits a three-run double off Michael Wacha as the Sox take a 6-0 lead after four innings. David Ortiz collects four walks – three of them intentional – on his way to winning the Series MVP Award.

 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA ANSWER: GEORGE DAVIS 

- Ans. Davis hit 27 triples for in 133 in games in his 1^st year with the Giants, 1893.

- #1 Davis was the starting SS on the 1906 “Hitless Wonders” White Sox in 133 of the team’s 154 games. He was only 2 off the team lead with his 0 HR total. Somehow, they beat the Cubs in the WS, 4 games to 2.

- #2 Davis’ hitting streak of 33 games set in1893 is still the Giants’ standard.

Thank you Horsehide Trivia

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