Ernest DeFazio with Hall of Famer Casey Stengel, left, and former American League MVP Elston Howard, right. (Courtesy photo)
Did you know former New York Yankees catcher Elston Howard is believed to be the creator of the batting donut?
Howard was the first African American to play regularly for the New York Yankees.
He was a Yankee from 1955 through 1967, batting .279 with a .324 on-base percentage, .436 slugging percentage and .760 OPS. He smashed 161 homers and drove in 733 runs in 13 seasons wearing pinstripes.
His best year as a Yankee came in 1963 when he won the American League MVP award by batting .287 with 28 home runs and 85 RBIs. He stroked 140 hits and had a .342 on-base percentage that year.
Howard finished his career with the Boston Red Sox, playing in 113 games for Boston and hitting .207 with six home runs and 29 RBIs during part of 1967 and 1968.
Howard won two Gold Gloves (1963, 1964) as catcher during his career.
Howard is in the video below:
