Howard is first African-American to win AL MVP
Nov. 7, 1963
New York Yankees catcher Elston Howard didn't have a monster season, though it was quite respectable - .287 with 28 home runs and 75 RBI in 135 games. But what the statistics don't reveal is that the 34-year-old Howard was the Yankees' glue as they won their fourth straight pennant.
He is rewarded for his effort by being voted the American League's MVP, the first African-American to receive the honor. He receives 15 of the 20 first-place votes to easily beat runner-up Al Kaline. It's the fourth consecutive season a Yankee gains the award. (Roger Maris won in 1960 and 1961, Mickey Mantle in 1962).
"There is no denying Ellie was the solid man of our club," says Ralph Houk, the Yankees manager during the season and now their general manager. "There simply would have been no replacing him had he got hurt.
"With both Mantle and Maris out for long stretches, it was Howard who kept us going with his hitting. And when our pitching started to wobble and we had to make changes, it was Ellie's skillful handling of the young pitchers - (Jim) Bouton and (Al) Downing - that again saved the day for us."
