Howard, Frank O.
Baseball
b. Aug. 8, 1936, Columbus, OH
Variously known as "Hondo," the "Capital Punisher," and the "Gentle Giant," Howard played baseball and basketball at Ohio State University before entering professional baseball in 1956. He had brief stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958 and 1959 before joining the team full-time in 1960, when he was named the NL's rookie of the year. He had a .268 average with 23 home runs and 77 RBI in 117 games that season.
The 6-foot-7, 255-pound Howard was traded to the Washington Senators before the 1965 season. He led the AL in home runs twice, with 44 in both 1968 and 1970, and he was also the league leader in slugging percentage at .552 in 1968 and in RBI with 126 in 1970.
Howard went with the team when it moved to Texas and became known as the Rangers in 1972, but was traded to the Detroit Tigers near the end of that season. He finished his playing career with Detroit in 1973.
In 1981, Howard managed the San Diego Padres to a 41-69 record. He took over the New York Mets during the 1983 season and had a 52-64 record with them. Howard has also served as a coach with several major league teams.