Elston Howard

Looking at the guy behind home plate always intrigues me. Squatting in shin guards, chest protector, face mask, while holding up a catcher's mitt as a target for the pitcher, I like it. Even the guy in the black suit peeking over the catcher's shoulder wearing a face mask is cool.

There are many outstanding baseball catchers in the major league. Names that come to my mind are: Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees; Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Red Legs; Yandier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals; and Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants. But the one that fascinates me the most is Elston Howard of the New York Yankees.

Most catchers range in height from short to medium. But Elston Howard is tall for a catcher and was often used as a back up by manager Casey Stengel. While most catchers fit comfortably behind the plate, I recall Elston Howard extending his right leg out parallel to the first base foul line to accomodate his unusually tall height as a catcher. And I loved watching every minute of it with the other fans.

And they say baseball is full of surprises.    


 

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http://cornerlotsbaseball.blogspot.com/2012/11/shorty.html

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