The 6'8" 275-lb Howard captured NL Rookie of the Year honors in 1960 with the Dodgers, batting .268 with 23 HR and 77 RBI in 117 games. He hit 31 HR in 1962, but was traded to Washington in a December 1964 deal that brought Claude Osteen to Los Angeles. The Senators' behemoth slugger went on a rampage in May 1968, hitting a ML record 10 HR in 20 at-bats over a stretch of six consecutive games. He finished the year with 44 HR, leading the AL. He hit a career-high 48 in 1969, but Harmon Killebrew beat him by one. Howard recaptured the HR crown (44) and added the RBI title (126) in 1970. In 1974 he went to Japan to play for Taiheiyo, but he hurt his back striking out in his first game and never played again.

A warm and upbeat character, Howard coached for the Brewers and was the Padres' manager for the 1981 season. A coach with the Mets, he took over as interim manager for 116 games in 1983 when George Bamberger resigned. He began coaching first base for the Mariners in 1987.

A college All-American at Ohio State in both baseball and basketball, Howard still holds two Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival Tournament rebounding records.