MLB
Ryan Howard Retires After 13 Seasons
Former Philadelphia Phillies star Ryan Howard announces retirement after 13 MLB seasons at the age of 38. He was the 2005 N.L. Rookie of the Year and 2006 N.L. MVP, in a season where he hit 58 home runs, along with 2008 World Series champion. He was a key part of the 2008 team in which he played in all 162 games that season. The Phillies 1st baseman has racked up 382 career home runs, 1194 career RBI’s, and 1475 hits. Oh, and don’t forget about the 21 triples and 12 stolen bases. Okay, that may have been a joke, but this guy has been a monster in his career as the Phillies 1st baseman. He averaged 39 home runs a season. However, spending the last two years in the minors and not being an MLB player ultimately led to his retirement.
The 2006 MVP Season
Let’s highlight is the 2006 season, the year Ryan Howard won the MVP. One stat glares out at me. He had 704 plate appearances but only 581 at-bats. This means he was walked 123 times that year. So since he played 159 games that year, he was walked 0.77 times a game. Pitchers knew he was running through the league like Usain Bolt in the Olympics. So, they pitched around him, which makes these next stats even more impressive. He had a stellar .313 average, but here is where the real stats kick in. He had a league leading 58 home runs and also a league leading 149 RBIs. That all came with being walked about once every game.
If Ryan Howard wasn’t walked as much as he was, we could be looking at 60 or even 70 home runs that season. The fact he could do this along with a .313 average is just mind boggling. This is a season that we should never forget. Oh, and he also won the 2006 home run derby.
Cooperstown?
The only question the remains is whether or not Ryan Howard end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame. If you are curious, he will be eligible to be entered in 2023. If you ask me, he deserves it. He carried the Phillies with Chase Utley for years, and that should not be overshadowed. With Utley also retiring at the end of this year, it would be really cool to see these two be in the same hall of fame class. Ryan Howard was consistent, hard working, and an all around a great ball player.
Photo credit to Christopher Young via Flickr
