[Phils20]

Thanks to two Howard errors, the ninth was a bit scary, but the Phils pulled it off!

ESPN - Phillies vs. Braves - Recap - July 02, 2008

[njpsufan]

He is an adventure in every sense of the word... hitting, fielding, you name it. Dave Kingman Part Deux

[Phils20]

He sure is turning into that???

What is your opinion on why he only seems to homer or strike out these days?

The man was hitting 300 his first season and a half. Now he is just very frustrating.

To be honest, if this is all he can do, bat 210-220, and hit 40-45 homers, I really don't know that he is worth more than he is being paid now.

I would consider letting him walk if his average stays where it is now.

If he can't bat at least 250, and strike out less, I'm ready to let him go, and spend that money on some pitching.

Am I crazy??

[Phils20]

By the way, what happened to your location? Did it used to say somewhere in NJ? Or am I confused!

[njpsufan]

Nope it was NJ but I after deciding I did not like being retired, am I too young but it was a good 2 years, I took a job offer back in Asia so we moved out/back here. We lived for 10 years in Hong Kong from 93-03.. I left right after the 93 WS... cried the whole flight! hahaha. I gave my season tix to my brother so if you are there on a Sunday, stop by Sec 138, Row 34, Seat 15-16 and he may be there... he sometimes gives them to my cousins or his co-workers.
As far as Howard... he just seems to try and kill the ball everytime. Granted, when he is hitting well (like year 1) he drives that outside pitch the opposite way. But it seems that he just tries to over power the ball instead of making solid contact. And would it kill him to lay down a bunt a few times just to shake teams up??? That whole left side is so wide open you could drive a semi thru it! Or even a good chop swing down the line... thats an easy double..even for him. If Ortiz could lay down a bunt agst the shift, so can Howard. I agree if he can not get the avg up, and his fielding remains so bad then he is not worth a multi year deal.

[Phils20]

Those are some pretty good seats!

Now I'm pretty glad the Phils didn't sign that long term deal.

I guess I have to admit the brass can be smarter than the fans at times!

[njpsufan]

Well I think the fans look at the ROY and the MVP and all the HR's and think this is what we need to win. But you look at TB and Anaheim this year and you see teams that win not with the HR but with gd fundementals and solid pitching. There is not one field player on TB who is having a "career year". Crawford is actually having a down year. Plus they lost Kazmir for a month.. yet they are still in 1st with the best record in MLB! I would love to see the Phils try and add more "smallball" to their strategy. Granted we have a stadium built for HR but when our bats go cold... the month of June... you can still win with solid pitching and gd baseball. Howard just does not fit into those plans. Look at Boston without Ortiz... they plug Casey in their.. a guy with no power but who can hit like a machine and they don't miss a beat. Maybe the plan is to move Burrell to 1B, get Werth into LF everyday and see who we have in the farm system to play RF.

[Phils20]

I could live with that. I want the Ryan Howard of his first season and a half. The one that could hit for average.

Heck, just the one that smiles. I think he has been miserable since it became about money.

Can it be that simple? Is he that upset about the money end of it, and it's messing with his play?

If so, just more reason to see him go. If he is that delicate mentally that 10 mil paycheck is an insult, then hit the road.

[njpsufan]

That's a good point abt the money. $10M is a huge chunck of change, yet if he thinks that is an "insult"..well what can you do. If that is the case then trade him because despite all the HR's, Phils fans are going to grow tired of the poor fielding and K's. 1B is not as easy as people think but with hard work you can make yourself better, i.e Pujols. Howard is looking more and more like a DH-type. Trade him to the Yanks or better yet A's (they always seem to have a good farm system) for a couple good prospects. Let them worry about the "insulting" $10M offer.

[Phils20]

I'm really starting to feel the same way.

It's too bad, He hasn't been the same guy. His onterviews aren't fun anymore, when he give em, and he just doesn't seem to be having fun himself.