Nice-guy Howard comes through for Phillies

PHILADELPHIA – Ryan Howard was leaving the field after batting practice before a game in early May when he spotted a group of young fans standing near the Phillies dugout trying to get his attention.

The slugger went over to the kids, chatted for several minutes and signed an assortment of caps, balls and cards.

Considering all the boos Howard heard after striking out three times in a win over San Francisco a night earlier, no one could’ve blamed the reigning N.L. MVP if he’d headed straight into the clubhouse.

But that isn’t Howard. He doesn’t hold grudges.

The humble big man with the mighty swing understands Philadelphia fans are fickle. He never lashed out, even though some of the knuckleheads, including radio talk-show hosts, wanted him benched or traded when he was batting under .200 in mid-May.

Howard stayed confident, worked through his struggles and put up mind-boggling numbers again. He finished with a major league-leading 48 homers and 146 RBIs, and raised his average to .251.

“Those numbers speak for themselves,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “Who’s close to him? You can say whatever you want to say, he’s the best run producer in the league.”

When the Phillies needed a clutch hit down the stretch, Howard delivered. He batted .352 with 11 homers and a club-record 32 RBIs in September, helping Philadelphia win its second straight N.L. East title.

As for the boos, well, they turned into “M-V-P!” chants.

“You want to come through when your team needs it and provide a lift,” Howard said.

Closer Brad Lidge, who was 41-for-41 in save opportunities, was chosen the Phillies’ most valuable player by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Howard, though, could win the N.L. MVP award for a second time in three years.

Howard is heavily criticized for striking out too much – he fanned 199 times for the second straight year. But few players have ever posted similar power numbers.

The 28-year-old first baseman has three straight seasons with 45 homers and 135 RBIs. Only three players – Babe Ruth (8), Lou Gehrig (4) and Sammy Sosa (4) – did it more times in their careers. That’s quite an impressive feat, especially considering Hank Aaron never did it and Barry Bonds did it once.

“He’s our carrier,” Manuel said. “He’s the guy who puts up the big numbers. He’s the guy that knocks in the 130 to 160 RBIs. He’s the guy who’s big in the moment. He bears down. He wants to be up there. He strives to drive runs in.”

“I don’t know what it is,” Howard said. “I just try to finish strong. I haven’t thought about it. I’m just going out there and playing.”