27.9.05

Frank Howard

I'm sure Frank Howard was a very fun player to watch. He was a giant (6'7", 255 lbs) with a mighty swing that produced a lot of homers and a lot a spectacular strikeouts. Despite his size and his lack of speed, he spent the vast majority of his career in the outfield. Watching this hulking man chasing fly balls and line drives had to be entertaining.

Howard came up with the Dodgers was the rookie of the year in 1960, batting .268 with 23 homers and 108 strikeouts in 117 games. He continued along these lines for a couple of years. In 1964, he hit a paltry .226 and whiffed 113 times, but he showed better plate discipline by drawing 51 walks. In the offseason, the Dodgers traded him to the Washington Senators.

The big guy really blossomed after that, though he never did curtail his strikeouts. In 1968, the year of the pitcher, he belted 44 homers to lead the American League. He had a monster season in 1969, batting .296 with 48 homers. For the first time in his career, he piled up more walks than strikeouts (102 to 96). His OBP for the year was .402. 1970 was eerie similar. He batted .283 with 44 homers. Once again, he piled up more walks than strikeouts (132 to 125). His OBP for the year was .416.

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