He tore his Achilles while trying to run to first base on a ground out that ended the National League Divisional Series. The image of Howard, crumpled on the ground as the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated their series victory, has often been described as the death knell for the squad that carried the Phillies to the playoffs for five straight years. A broken toe and a torn meniscus plagued him in the seasons that followed.
When he could get on the field, he appeared to be a mere shadow of the three-time All-Star he had been before. Teams employed defensive shifts to rob him of hits when he did manage to make contact. More often than not, though, he was caught flailing helplessly at down-and-away pitches, or struggling to catch up to others that he used to routinely deposit into the outfield stands. It got ugly — never more so than when he and his family became locked in a bitter legal battle over money — but Howard remained an all around stand-up guy on the field and off, deeply committed to doing charity work that benefitted a number of different local causes.
The bar that he set for himself and the accomplishments that he experienced in the early and middle part of his career sort of kept that bar very high. I struggle to think of how many really good players end up going through what Ryan went through and are still able to carry themselves the way he does. Moyer notes how difficult it is for a ballplayer to repeatedly try to overcome injuries and surgeries and regain their old form:. You can only give what you can give as an individual.
Maybe the hardest part for Howard was watching as the group he won a title with was gradually dismantled. The announced attendance of 20, appears to be double the actual number of fans in seats. Saturday afternoon brought a little deja vu. With a man on first in the bottom of the 5th, Howard jumped all over a belt-high pitch that caught too much of the plate.
The ball left his bat like it was running on jet fuel. This time, there was no doubt about it; the ball cleared the right field fence and kept on going. The Big Piece had tied the game at two, and he jumped up from the dugout afterwards for a quick curtain call.
It was a fun reminder of the excitement Howard had routinely provided the city during his long run here. Heartwarming, even. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Many thanks to him. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. The Negro Leagues are Major Leagues. We have dramatically expanded our coverage of the Negro Leagues and historical Black major league players. Read our Announcement.
WAR R Batting Career Batting Postseason Fielding Postseason. Pitchers in non-DH games that appeared on the lineup card but didn't bat will still have a game in this column. Bold season totals indicate player led league. Italic season totals indicate player led all major leagues. Sign up for the free Stathead newsletter and get scores, news and notes in your inbox every day.
View a sample email. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. Sign Up For Free. The two-hit game pushed his average up to. Despite the poor batting average, Howard has been somewhat productive this year with 24 home runs and a.
Furthermore, the first baseman's 56 RBI total is second-most over his last five seasons. In fairness, he only played half a season in and due to injury. Howard's disappointing season can mainly be attributed to his abysmal first-half performance, as he's been significantly better-- and even fantasy-relevant -- since the break.
Howard returned to the starting lineup Thursday after missing a few games with a sore knee. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and his 23rd home run of the season. He's now hit. Howard was held out of the lineup four consecutive games due to some issues with his knee, but it seems the extra days off have gotten the slugger back on track to finish out the season.
Howard will take over at first base and is expected to get a good number of starts there as the Phillies give him a nice sendoff for all the years he spent with the team. Howard knee will be held out of the lineup Wednesday, but is available to pinch hit, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Some reports cropped up that Howard may not be injured anymore, but manager Pete Mackanin seems content with keeping him on the bench for the time being so that the slugger's knee doesn't flare up and spoil his last hurrah in Philadelphia.
Howard could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday when the Phillies face right-hander Seth Lugo and the Mets, but in the meantime, Tommy Joseph will continue to see starts at first base. Howard knee remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox. Howard had told reporters that he was aiming for a Tuesday return, but evidently the knee is still presenting issues as Tommy Joseph is slated to start at first base again for Philadelphia.
Regardless, Howard seems confident that he will be able to return at some point soon as he looks to finish his farewell tour with the club on a high note. Howard , who is day-to-day with a left knee injury, told reporters he could be ready to play by Tuesday, Stephen Gross of the Philadelphia Morning Call reports. Howard was a late scratch from Saturday's lineup and was once again held out in Sunday's series finale.
The team had a day off Monday, and the veteran first baseman is optimistic that will give him enough rest to be ready to return Tuesday.
Until Howard resurfaces, Tommy Joseph should see regular starts at first base. Howard was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to some swelling in his knee, and it seems the inflammation hasn't gone down enough to allow him to play Sunday.
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