Sunday, January 20, 2008

1963 Fleer Dick Howser #15


I just purchased a 1963 Fleer Dick Howser #15 on E-bay.
Richard Dalton Howser (May 14, 1936 - June 17, 1987)
Dick was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics, he hit .280, stole 37 bases, scored 108 runs, and led American League shortstops in putouts and errors in his rookie season. For this, he was selected to the 1961 All-Star team and named The Sporting News rookie of the year.
Dick was with K.C. until 1963 then with the Cleveland Indians from 1963-1966 and the New York Yankees from 1967-1968. Following his playing career, he was the third base coach with the Yankees for ten seasons (1969-78).Howser won an AL East title for the Yankees his first full year as manager (1980), but was sacked by George Steinbrenner when the Yankees lost the LCS. He returned to the majors in late 1981 to lead the Royals to the AL West title. He won the division again in 1984 and the WS in 1985. But two days after he managed the AL to an All star Game victory in 1986, it was discovered that he had a brain tumor. He retired during spring training of 1987 and succumbed shortly afterward.
When Howser was Manger of the Royals. He always scared me the way he manged the game but his players would always come through for him.

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