Former Texas Ranger Frank Howard died on Monday
Frank Howard, the first Texas Rangers player to ever hit a home run at Arlington Stadium, died on Monday.
He was 87. “Hondo” was one of the greatest players in the history of the Washington-Texas franchise. He batted. .279 with 237 home runs and 670 RBIs in 1,077 games in Washington from 1965-71. Then the Senators moved to Texas, he hit the first home run at Arlington Stadium on April 21, 1972.
The Rangers released a press release on Monday, announcing the death of the oldest living player from the Senators. The release, in part, read: “Hondo” was arguably the top player in the history of the expansion Washington Senators and one of Major League Baseball’s top sluggers of the 1960s. From 1965-71, he batted .279 with 237 homers and 670 RBI in 1077 games with Washington.
He is the all-time expansion Senators (1961-71) leader in batting average, runs (516), hits (1071), doubles (146), homers, RBI, walks (533), on-base percentage (.368), and slugging (.513). He was an A.L. All-Star in four consecutive seasons from 1968-71.
Howard batted .244 with 9 homers and 31 RBI for the Rangers in 1972 before he was traded to Detroit. During his 16-year MLB career, he hit 382 home runs and drove in 1,119 runs. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1960.as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He won a World Series ring with the Dodgers in 1963.
He also was a long-time manager (San Diego, 1981; New York Mets, 1983) and coach (seven franchises).
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