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and on the second stage... ryan howard is here to save baseball · by Rafi Kam
hey america, because you’re not all talking about this… there’s this left-handed masher who could be on the way to breaking roger maris’s 1961 single season record of 61 home runs. you know – the clean record.
he plays first base for the phillies and he goes by the name of ryan howard.
i know… i know…
you’ve already seen that record broken a few times by hormonally suspect mutants with giant heads.
but it’s ok this time. really. ryan howard is so obviously clean. it’s ok to believe what you’re seeing this time. it’s ok to be amazed.
because ryan howard isn’t barry bonds.
howard wasn’t a skinny rookie like bonds.
ryan howard was a big brawny rookie and a big brawny minor leaguer and he’s been hitting home runs at every level.
ryan howard’s major league career began after the steroid era. did i mention howard is new to the majors? he came up in the era of steroid testing. last year he won rookie of the year, playing just over half a season. so this is actually his first full year which makes the accomplishment of 56 home runs (and counting) all the more amazing.
right now baseball has a taint hanging over it but this is a story that can help heal the game. it’s too early to know for sure but howard sure looks like a once in a lifetime kind of player.
just watch the kid hit. or just follow his box scores for the rest of the month. it’s time to get amazed, so why are people barely noticing?
Is it the color of his skin? Is it the fact that the Phillies are way back in the standings from my beloved Mets? Is it the fact that steroid use has cheapened the home run?
Yes, yes and yes. But those are all dumb reasons not to get caught up in the amazing show this athlete is putting on. And I hope he makes it to 62.
Comments for "and on the second stage... ryan howard is here to save baseball"
As a Braves fan who dropped a little bit of coin to watch us have a fairly embarrassing season, I have to say, “Fuck that, I put a lot of money up, I’m hatin.”
— SmoothJimmyApollo Sep 16, 06:49 AM
LOL.
It has got to be a slow week when you guys are starting to post about sports.
I don’t see Buster Olney talking about the new Juggaknots EP…..
— Tariq's Dilemma Sep 16, 11:05 AM
SmoothJimmy,
My condolences. You guys had an amazing run in that division though. Just couldn’t close the deal, huh?
Tariq,
heh. But ESPN.com talks about pop culture all the time on Page 2.
Plus it’s not like I haven’t gone there before .
Howard’s on my team in the previously blogged about fantasy keeper league.
In fact, this post is actually just me trying to keep optimistic about the fact that it looks like I have hardly any shot at doing better than 2nd place this year. But at least my keepers for next year are sick.
— Rafi Sep 16, 11:57 AM
RAFI,
sorry to tell you brother but your mans n ‘em RYAN is on that silky smooth stealth HG hormone called ‘Tropical Fantasy’.
He is that good and the humps in the MLB office don’t wanna recognize a pimp when they see one in the streets.
I blame the wags at ESPN for not fellating him either. Theyr’e still waiting for BLALOCK to show up.
— Dallas Penn Sep 16, 04:39 PM
As an Illadelph resident, I’ve watched Ryan for the last year and a half and here’s what strikes me the most about his ridiculous power: half of his homeruns are to the opposite field. Sammy Sosa and McGwire in all of their HGH rage could never do that. Ryan Howard is a great hitter first who happens to launch balls in the atmosphere every game. The steroid era guys (Brady Anderson, Luis Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro) only had big years on juice, via HR’s and batting average. Ryan Howard has excelled in every level of ball since the minor leagues. He’s the real deal, daddy-o.
— Zilla Rocca Sep 18, 12:11 PM
Am I the only one who thinks that Howard resembles Josh Gibson?
— eauhellzgnaw Sep 18, 01:30 PM
Good catch eau. He definitely does resemble him… although less so in Gibson’s chubbier photos.
— Rafi Sep 18, 04:53 PM