NEW YORK -- Elston Howard, the former New York Yankees star who helped break racial barriers in the sporting world, died of heart failure. He was 51.
Howard, a star catcher who became the first black man in the American League to be named Most Valuable Player, died early Sunday morning after years of poor health.
He suffered from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, and had entered Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where he died, nearly two weeks ago.
Howard, who broke in with the Yankees in 1955, was the first black Yankees regular and became the first black coach in the AL when he was named to the Yankees' staff in 1969.
'He was such a great man,' said former Yankee star Yogi Berra. 'He was like part of my family.'
Howard, a native of St. Louis, joined the Yankees in 1955, and split catching duties with Berra. He also played first base and outfield and by 1961 he had established himself as one of the team's most valuable players.
The height of Howard's career came in 1963, when he posted a .287 average with 28 homers and 85 RBI and became the first black player in the AL to win the MVP award.
'I just won the Nobel Prize of baseball,' a thrilled Howard said upon receiving the award.
But Howard wasn't prepared for what followed. Hate mail with racial overtones started pouring in and Howard, a sensitive man, had a difficult time comprehending the reaction.
Whitey Ford, one of his former teammates, recalled Howard 'went through a lot' because of his color.
'We used to stop in southern towns and he had to stay in different towns' than the rest of the team, Ford said.
In 1967, he was traded to Boston and one season later he retired. The Yankees hired him as a coach in 1969 and he was in their employ until his death. In 1979 he began working in the Yankee's front office because of his failing health.
A lifetime member of the NAACP, Howard was active in a number of charitable and community organizations, most notably the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the fund for New Horizons.
Howard is survived by his wife, Arlene, and three children -- Elston Jr., 25, Cheryl, 22, and Karen, 21.
Private visitation will be held at the Frank Campbell Funeral Home in New York Monday evening. A funeral mass will be said Tuesday at the Riverside Church and he will be buried at the George Washington Cemetary in Paramus, N.J.
