[Rarebooks] FS: The First African-American New York Yankee: "I finally get a black guy and they give me the only one who can't run."

[Charles Agvent]

HOWARD, Elston. SIGNED PERSONAL ADDRESS BOOK of New York Yankee catcher 
with many names including Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, etc. . Small 
(2-3/4" x 3-3/4") pocket-sized otherwise unremarkable flexible cloth 
address book but for the fact that it belonged to great New York Yankee 
catcher Elston Howard who has SIGNED it with his address at the 
beginning along with another smaller partial signature on the front 
pastedown. It contains numerous names, phone numbers, and addresses 
written by Howard including Jackie Robinson, Harry Belafonte, Carmine 
Basilio, Rocky Colavito, Roy Campanella, Eddie Fisher, Lefty Gomez, Yogi 
Berra, Ralph Houk, Minnie Minoso, Pee Wee Reese, Bill Skowron, etc., 
even Yankee Stadium itself. Elston Howard was the first African-American 
to play for the Yankees, one of the last major league clubs to become 
integrated. Due to the presence of Yogi Berra behind the plate, Howard 
played several different positions before he earned a regular job with 
the Yankees and still managed to be a member of four American League 
All-Star teams in that time. In 1963 Howard hit a career-high 28 
homeruns and was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player-- the 
first black player to win the honor. An excellent fielder and hitter, 
the nine-time All Star seemed to have only one weakness: speed. His 
manager Casey Stengel reportedly said of Howard: "I finally get a black 
guy and they give me the only one who can't run." Howard died in 1980 at 
the ago of 50. A few loose or detached pages. Backstrip lacking, shaken, 
but all there and quite scarce. (#012763)        $750.00 postpaid

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