Elston Howard

Elston Gene Howard (February 23, 1929 – December 14, 1980) was an American professional baseball player who served as a catcher and left fielder over a 14-year career spanning the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1968. He played primarily for the New York Yankees, with earlier service for the Kansas City Monarchs and a later stint with the Boston Red Sox. A 12-time All-Star, Howard became the first African American player on the Yankees roster in 1955, eight years after Jackie Robinson broke MLB's color barrier in 1947.

In 1963, Howard was named the American League's Most Valuable Player for the pennant-winning Yankees, finishing third in the league in slugging average and fifth in home runs, and becoming the first black player in AL history to win the award. He won Gold Glove Awards in 1963 and 1964, setting AL records for putouts and total chances in a season during the latter campaign. His lifetime fielding percentage of .993 as a catcher stood as a major league record from 1967 to 1973. He retired among the AL career leaders in putouts (7th, 6,447) and total chances (9th, 6,977). Following his playing days, Howard served on the Yankees' coaching staff from 1969 to 1979.