Elston Howard
date: label: Date made
content: 1955
name: label: maker
content: Topps Company, Inc.
label: thru person
content: Rinsland, George
label: maker
content: Bowman Gum Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: 1955 Bowman baseball card featuring New York Yankee catcher Elston Howard.
label: Description
content: Elston Howard played Nego League baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs from 1948-1950. He signed with the New York Yankees in 1950, joining their minor league system after spending two years in Korea with the U.S. Army.
label: Description
content: In 1955, Howard made the Yankees' roster, becoming the team's first African American player. Given the depth of New York's lineup, he found himself playing numerous positions, such as outfield, catcher and third base, rotating with other players. Eventually Howard secured the team's permanent catcher position.
label: Description
content: With the Yankees, Howard was a 12 time All-Star, winning four World Series titles and two gold gloves. In 1963 he became the first African American to be named as the American League's Most Valuable Player. In 1967 Howard finished his career with the Boston Red Sox, where he played for two seasons.
label: Description
content: After retirement, Howard rejoined the Yankees, serving as the team's first base coach for ten years (1969-1979) and winning two more World Series with New York. His number 34 was retired by the Yankees in 1984.
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: Associated Place
content: United States: New York, Brooklyn
topic: label: name of sport or game
content: Baseball
label: level of sport
content: Professional
label: Subject
content: African American
label: Subject
content: negro leagues
label: web subject
content: Sports
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CL.310547.032.854
label: catalog number
content: 310547.32.854
label: accession number
content: 310547
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Card, Baseball
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/2 in x 3 3/4 in; 6.35 cm x 9.525 cm