Saturday, February 19, 2011
Posted: 11:06 a.m.
By Jim SalisburyCSNPhilly.com
CLEARWATER, Fla.Ryan Howards left ankle has improved.
So has his stomach.
Howard injured his ankle in a game at Washington on Aug. 1.
He got sick to his stomach on Oct. 23, when he took a called third strike with two men on base and the Phils down a run to end the National League Championship Series.
After that Game 6 loss to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco, the dejected Phillies slugger sat at his locker, in full uniform, for nearly 20 minutes and silently contemplated the end of his teams season and his role in it.
I guess when you make the last out, you probably would be disappointed, Howard said. It took me a little while to let it go. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. It stuck with me for a while.
Replays of Howard watching Brian Wilsons backdoor cutter have been shown in Philadelphia all winter. Howard hasnt seen them. He doesnt need to. He lived the moment.
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I dont really care to see it because you cant go back and change it, he said. Im focused on this year.
Thats what players do in spring training.
They look ahead.
And theres plenty to look ahead to for these Phillies. The pitching rotation is stacked with talent. So much talent that it seems as ifmuch to manager Charlie Manuels chagrinthe countdown to October has already begun.
But to truly look ahead at what could be in store for the 2011 Phillies, one cant just look at the pitching. All those arms are going to need offensive support. Any look at the offense must include Howard, the masher in the middle of the order, and any look at Howard must include a look back at 2010.
Not at his last at-bat of the season which has been ridiculously scrutinized. (He was fooled by a good pitch. It happens all the time in baseball. It just gets magnified in a situation like that.)
Howards 2010 season was mystifying for some because his power numbers took a dip. He hit 31 homers, a healthy output but down from the 45, 48, 47 and 58 he had hit in the previous four seasons.
While Howards homers went down, so did his strikeouts, from one every 3.3 at-bats to one every 3.5 at-bats.
Inquiring minds want to know if this represented a change of philosophy for Howard: Sacrifice some power for more contact.
Howard said there was no dramatic change in philosophy.
Obviously you don't go up there trying to strike out, he said. I didn't really change my approach too much. It was a matter of going up there and being a little more patient. That was it."
The main reason for Howards power drop may simply have been the ankle injury. He was one of 18 Phillies to spend time on the disabled list in 2010. The entire Phillies infield spent time on the DL and that took a toll on the teams offensive consistency.
It's funny to me because everybody talks about my power numbers from last year and how, 'Oh, Ryan, your power numbers were down,Howard said. I think everybody forgot I was out for a month, that I was hurt and down for a month. I was right there on the leader board for home runs and RBIs before I got hurt."
Howard was out from Aug. 2 to Aug. 21. He hit just .231 after he returned. He did have eight homers the rest of the season, but Manuel believes lingering problems with the ankle robbed Howard of some of his power.
Howard ended the season with 108 RBIs, good for fourth in the NL. The postseason was another storyzero RBIs in nine games.
Was the ankle a factor in the playoffs?
That doesn't really matter, Howard said. I'm not going to make any excuses about my ankle or anything like that. Was it 100 percent? No. But that doesn't matter. I just try to go out there and try to do the best I can without making excuses.
Howard believes his home run total was down because he did not get as much backspin on balls at contact. He said hed square up pitches and they would come off the bat like knuckleballs.
That means youre hitting the ball hard, Manuel said.
Howard will make 20 million this season, the final year of a three-year, 54 million contract. His five-year, 125 million extension doesnt kick in until next year.
The first baseman has been in Florida for weeks, working on conditioning, his swing and his defense at first base. Manuel is one again trying to convince Howard to stand closer to the plate. Manuel believes that will allow the slugger better balance as he tries to cover the outside part of the plate on breaking balls. Barry Bonds tried to convince Howard to stand closer to the plate last year. Howard has always been more comfortable standing off the plate, but he seems open to trying to stand closer this year.
Once he does it and gets hot, hell like it, Manuel said.
Despite a down season in 2010, Howard registered his fifth straight 30-homer, 100-RBI season. He leads the majors with 229 homers and 680 RBIs the last five seasons. His ankle has healed. His stomach feels better. He is primed for a big season in 2011.
Everyone is very motivated after the way last year ended, he said. There's been lots of talk about the offense and lack of production. Not to make excuses, but there were lots of injuries. I just think everybody is geared up, ready to go and get a fresh start."
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com
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