Howard turning heads
PHILADELPHIA – The ball soared off Ryan Howard’s bat and kept going until it finally landed in the third deck in right field, leaving teammates, opponents and fans in awe.
No player had hit a ball that far in the three-year history of Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park – not even in batting practice, when pitchers routinely serve up long shots. One day later, a white “H” was painted where Howard’s mammoth 461-foot homer reached: Section 304, Row 1, Seat 8.
They ought to keep those paint brushes handy, because Howard is just getting started.
With one prodigious blast after another, Howard already has established himself as one of the premier sluggers in the majors. And he’s only in his second full season with the Phillies.
“He’ll get better,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “He’s improved every year I’ve been around him. He’s a good hitter now, but he has a chance to be very special.”
In an era when the use of performance-enhancing drugs has cast a shadow over the sport, the hulking Howard is a throwback to the days when players relied on natural strength to hit homers. At 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds, Howard looks more like a football player – and he pulverizes balls the way middle linebackers flatten ball carriers.
A year ago at this time, Howard was playing at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He had just 28 at-bats in his first stint with the Phillies before he was recalled July 1 to replace the injured Jim Thome.
Despite playing just 88 games, Howard finished the season with a .288 batting average, 22 homers and 63 RBIs to win the N.L. Rookie of the Year Award. He hit nine of those homers in September, setting a major league record for rookies in that month and proving he can thrive under the pressure of a pennant race.
But Howard wasn’t guaranteed the job as the everyday first baseman until Philadelphia traded Thome to the Chicago White Sox in the off-season. The Phillies thought so highly of Howard they agreed to give the White Sox $22 million as part of the deal for Thome.
Howard quickly made fans forget the popular Thome, who hit 89 homers in his first two seasons with the Phillies before injuries forced him out of the lineup most of last year.
Entering Saturday’s game at Boston, the left-handed hitting Howard was batting .290 with 25 homers and 66 RBIs. He was tied with Albert Pujols for the major-league lead in RBIs and trails Pujols by one home run for tops in the majors.
So much for a sophomore slump.
“It’s about playing your game and not worrying about people talking about a sophomore jinx,” Howard said.
Instead of slumps, they’re talking about Howard deserving a spot in the All-Star game and mentioning his name among some of the game’s best power hitters.
“This kid is pretty special,” New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said after Howard had two homers, including the one into the upper deck, and seven RBIs in a 9-7 loss to New York on Tuesday night.
“He moves pretty good for a big guy. I think he’s got tremendous upside. He reminded us of David Ortiz.”
Howard has incredible power to the opposite field – 15 of his homers this season have been to left field. His ability to make adjustments at the plate and hit lefties is equally impressive.
“You want to be a complete hitter,” Howard said. “You want to be one of those guys who can make adjustments. It’s not just about power. You want to be able to be one of those guys who puts balls in play.”
The 26-year-old Howard hasn’t let his quick success affect his ego. He’s a coachable player who listens to advice and tries to carry it out in the batting cage.
“You can tell him something here in the dugout and he’ll go out there and try it,” Manuel said. “That’s a very good part about him.”
Howard is earning respect so quickly teams soon might start pitching around him the way they do Barry Bonds.
“He can hit, man,” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. “He’s strong. He pulls the ball. He hits the ball the other way. He has a great idea at the plate. He’s fun to watch when he’s not playing us.”
Howard was a fifth-round pick in 2001, but emerged as the Phillies’ top hitting prospect after clubbing 23 homers at Single-A Clearwater in 2003. He hit 48 homers the following year, including 37 in 102 games at Double-A Reading, nine at Scranton and two with the Phillies.
With Thome blocking his path to the majors, Howard often was the first name mentioned in trade rumors when the Phillies sought pitching. But then-general manager Ed Wade never found the right deal and couldn’t part with Howard once Thome got hurt. Keeping Howard turned out to be Wade’s best move.
“What a treat for baseball to see that guy just swinging the bat,” Yankees center fielder Johnny Damon said. “That kid’s special. He’s so special, they got rid of Jim Thome.”
The soft-spoken Howard is humbled by all the praise.
“When you hear comments like that, it’s great,” he said.
Howard should get used to it.