Elston and Me: The Story of the First Black Yankee (Volume 1) (Sports and American Culture) - Hardcover

Howard, Arlene; Wimbish, Ralph

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0826213588 ISBN 13: 9780826213587

Publisher: University of Missouri, 2001

Synopsis

Of all the great ballplayers to wear Yankee pinstripes, Elston Howard was among the proudest. Remarkable temperament and courage made him the Jackie Robinson of baseball's most storied franchise. No Yankee carried himself with more dignity. No Yankee had greater respect for his teammates or love for his wife and family. And no one loved being a Yankee more than Elston Howard.

In Elston and Me, Howard's widow, Arlene, and coauthor Ralph Wimbish recall the life of the first black to play baseball for the New York Yankees. Howard, who played fourteen major-league seasons, was signed by the Yankees in 1950, but the reluctance of the Yankee organization to break the color barrier held Howard back from the major leagues until 1955 when he was twenty-six years old.

By 1961, the year he batted .348 for the Yankees, Elston had become the everyday catcher. Voted the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1963, Howard was a three-time Gold Glove winner, and his fielding average of the same year remains one of the highest among catchers in major-league history.

In 1967, with the Yankee dynasty in decay, Elston was traded to the Boston Red Sox, although Yankee management had promised him that he would finish his career in pinstripes. After contemplating retirement, he moved to Boston late that season and helped the Red Sox win the "Impossible Dream" pennant. After one more season with the Red Sox, he returned to the Yankees as the first black coach in the American League. Howard died at the age of fifty-one without fulfilling his dream of becoming baseball's first black manager.

Beginning with Howard's early years as a St. Louis teenager, the book relates his encounters with racism and his love of baseball. He began his professional career for the legendary Negro League team the Kansas City Monarchs. His three decades with the New York Yankees include numerous anecdotes about fellow Yankee legends such as Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra. With countless personal moments and never-before- published photographs and clippings from family albums, Elston and Me is the touching story of one of baseball's great players.

About this title

About the Author

Arlene Howard resides in Teaneck, New Jersey, with her daughter Cheryl. She remains active within her community, serving on the board at her church and on the Fresh Air Fund in New York City.

Ralph "Micky" Wimbish is the assistant sports editor for the New York Post. His father, Dr. Ralph Wimbish, was a civil rights leader who helped black ballplayers fight discrimination.

Reviews

Arlene Howard, Elston Howard's widow, details her husband's life from his St. Louis childhood through his untimely death. The book successfully conveys both the respect that Howard commanded from his teammates and his struggles in being the first black member of the Yankees, one of the last teams to integrate because their general manager at the time, George Weiss, "saw no need to integrate a ball club strongly supported by white, upscale fans." Often compared to Jackie Robinson, Howard faced criticism both from racists and from blacks who believed he did not speak out strongly enough against discrimination. The book makes clear that Howard was accepted by his teammates (most notably Yogi Berra), who were apparently not bigoted like Weiss and others in the organization. Surprisingly, and disappointingly, the author focuses primarily on baseball matters and does not really lend much insight into Elston's life off the field. Describing Howard's 1956 "so-so season," she recalls that he was hospitalized "after he broke out in welts. The doctors said they were the result of nerves," but she gives no further explanation. Most of the portraits of Elston as a man come secondhand from players and coaches rather than directly from his wife. The one exception concerns Howard's quest to become the first black manager in the majors; his private thoughts in this endeavor are clearly conveyed. Still, despite its shortcomings, the book is engaging, and Howard's life is interesting enough that it should do well among both Yankee fans and baseball history buffs. 30 b&w photos.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Elston Howard was one of the great Yankee players of the last half-century, a figure whom many fans believe belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He first exhibited his talents for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, but he was disappointed when his hometown team, the St. Louis Cardinals, failed to sign him for professional ball. He was signed instead by the Yankees in 1950, but they used him in a subordinate role for many years. Howard eventually thrived as their starting catcher in the latter half of his career. His wife ably captures here the seesaw drama of his professional career, with many telling anecdotes about his well-known colleagues, and she writes sensitively of the life they built together. Ultimately, Howard became the first African American coach in the American League, but his dream of making manager was never fulfilled. Arlene Howard believes that the racism and intolerance of our society contributed to her husband's early death at 51. This thoughtful, well-told story belongs in most New York-area libraries and libraries with strong sports collections. Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa District Lib., IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The widow of the great Yankee catcher tells his story with an artless directness and a ruthless honesty. Howard was a great player and a class act. She tells of his early life: growing up in St. Louis, the child of a single mother, his early athletic promise soon fulfilled. He was not only the first black Yankee but also the first black to win the American League MVP and the first black coach in that league. His wife recounts the myriad slights, hardships, and insults black players had to endure even through the early '60s, and she's not above indulging in a little gossip. But she also speaks warmly of the friendship and support of many players (both Don Newcombe and Yogi Berra contribute affectionate forewords). Lots of game stats and other lore--Arlene Howard's sister used to baby-sit Chris Chambliss, the Howards' daughter Cheryl has sung the national anthem for the Yankees--make this a nostalgic read for fans as well as an analysis of race and sport in this country. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Missouri
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0826213588
• ISBN 13: 9780826213587
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224