Remember how intimidating Randy Johnson was on the pitching mound? Well, Frank Howard was that mirror image in the batters’ box.
Howard was a 6-7, 225 pound behemoth. He wore glasses and had a long neck and powerful arms. He was quite a sight with a bat in his hands, and he scared the hell out of pitchers.
In 1968 and again in 1970, Howard won the home run crown in the American League while playing for the Senators. His years with the team in RFK Stadium in D.C. have not been forgotten by those who saw him handle the bat like a toothpick. Howard earned the nickname “The Capital Punisher.”
This cute commercial for Nestle’s Quick drink features Howard, circa 1971. It appears to have been filmed in either Florida during spring training, or at a field somewhere in southern California.
