Put Ryan Howard on Wall of Fame This Year!
Yo, Phillies…Put Ryan Howard on the Phillies Wall of Fame this year!
Ryan Howard has begun his last Spring Training with the Philadelphia Phillies. Chances are that his last year in Phillies red will not be a pretty one. That saddens me. Few players in my four decades of Philadelphia sports fandom have been as exciting and productive as Ryan Howard. Iverson, Schmidt, and Lindros come to mind.
Instead of being remembered like this:
I fear he may be remembered like this:
That’s unfortunate.
Yes, he hasn’t lived up to his contract. He makes $25M a year and that angers some people because they can’t get past that kind of money to play a game. Major League Baseball isn’t a game, though, it’s an industry and a business in which the greats are sometimes overpaid at the end of their careers. That’s simply the way it sometimes goes. Don’t hold that against Howard.
Howard is a Rookie of the Year. He’s a league MVP. He’s a 3-time all-star and, in case you forgot, he’s a World Series Champion. Howard’s first six years as a full-time starter weren’t good, they were LEGENDARY. That’s right, his power numbers from 2006-11 are up there with the legends like Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Lou Gehrig. Mike Schmidt’s best RBI year wouldn’t top Howard’s top 4.
Off the field, Howard has been a class act. His house is stupidly ridiculous, but he’s a guy who has stayed out of trouble, usually says the right things (aside from the “my shoes” comment when going through a lawsuit with his family), and has been a solid teammate. He’s never had any run-ins with the law or stupid twitter statements. I would be quite happy if Howard was my twelve and nine year-old nephews role model.
Howard’s last season here could be frustrating and sad. That’s not how Howard should go out as a Phillie. That is why the Phillies should do the right thing and put Howard on the Phillies Wall of Fame THIS SEASON.
Everyone knows Howard will eventually be on the Wall. Why wait for a game that is five or seven years in the future just to boost attendance at a meaningless game? Honor the man while he is here. Give Howard, the organization, and the fans the closure well all deserve. It was one hell of a run, the likes we’ve rarely seen in Philadelphia sports. Let the fans show him the respect he deserves. He should leave town, as a player, feeling good about the Phillies and their fans. The run was magical.
Look at the possible candidates for this year’s Wall induction: Jim Fregosi, Larry Christensen, Gene Garber, Jim Konstanty, Rick Wise, Fred Luderus, Pinky Whitney, Tony Gonzalez, Mike Ryan, Jimmie Wilson, Pete Rose, and Jamie Moyer.
No one on that possible list is as deserving as Ryan Howard and it’s not even close. Pete Rose or Jamie Moyer could be the fan favorites and win the voting. Moyer doesn’t deserve to be on the Phillies Wall. He wasn’t that good while here. He was decent. Rose had three good years here and one World Series Championship, but his greatest years were as a Red.
For me, it’s a no brainer and something that a class organization would do. Put Ryan Howard on the Phillies Wall of Fame this year!