Last night, the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros played the real life version of that episode of South Park where they didn’t want to play baseball anymore. Ryan Howard hit a home run in the second inning, which gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead until Houston scored a run in the 7th. Then it went scoreless for another eight innings. Howard eventually drove in the winning run — actually beating the shift, truly waking up anyone who fell asleep at the game — in the bottom of the 15th. After winning the game in front of (an estimated) 600 tired fans, Howard did his best Ruben Amaro impression:
“You know, I think you guys forget what I’ve done. You guys look at what’s going on right now. People forget what I’ve done. Ryno has played the game. He knows. He knows the ups and downs of the game and he knows you’re going to have good days and bad days. For me, I’m just going to go out there and grind it out.”
When will Ruben and now Howard realize that we really appreciate what they did in the past, but it’s now six years later and that thankfulness has turned with (at best) impatience.
Chase Utley was intentionally walked to reach Howard, the sixth time this year such a thing has happened. According to Todd Zolecki, “He was 0-for-5 with one hit by pitch in those situations. He once reached on an error.” And speaking of Zolecki, he lays into the Phillies — almost as passive-aggressively as Howard poked writers and fans — in his recap, saying things like:
It was the Phillies’ fifth game of 14 or more innings this season, which tied a franchise record first set in 1958. It also was their sixth game of 13 or more innings, their most in a season since 1980, when they also played six and won the World Series …
Howard hit a home run to left-center field in the second inning against Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel. It was his 17th homer of the season as he tries to recapture some of the power and production that made him a $125 million man.
What Zolecki, fans, other media, other GMs, and basically everyone but Amaro and Howard realize is this: That can never be recaptured, and the time to remember the past is gone. It’s not even the time to think about the now. It’s time to think about the future, and has been for a long time.
30 Responses
This might be the best article ever posted on this site. Keep up the good work Jim.
No Ryan, we haven’t forgotten what you’ve done. Thanks for the World Series.
But we’re fucking tired of what you are currently doing.
Maybe stop leaving runners on base and striking out 3 times a game and we will consider backing off.
You know, I never thought of it that way.
I am glad that you addressed me because i frequent this website and read comments from anonymous people. I know that you would also have the confidence to tell that to my face if you ever saw me, so that makes me respect you.
Thanks
Every two weeks, Ryan Howard has approximately $590k deposited into his TD Bank account. That should be enough of a reminder for Ryan of what he has done in the past and its relevance to his life today.
Do you get $590k direct deposited into your bank account every two weeks? And if you do, it is surely not for something you did six years ago.
Let me make sure that I understand this – Ryan Howard plays freaking baseball for a living, 8 months per year, and makes $590k per fortnight to do it. And he’s complaining that he’s not appreciated? I must be missing something here.
Stop living in the past nose
Ryan is old an he blows Not re mote lee the same player get it i said mote fuck you
Who cares about the Phillies.
Let’s get back to trashing 97.5 and 94.1 on air personalities. That’s always fun!
Heard brace moved out of manayunk
And yet another day of listening to the 97.5 afternoon blowhard with his worthless knowledge questions – every week has a topic of either mafia movies or presidential issues. Same boring garbage every week.
The more Ryan Howard talks, the less I like him.
It’s not the fans’ fault that he has more golden sombreros than I have t-shirts in my closet. It’s not our fault that he can’t hit beat the shift, run the bases, play effective defense, or layoff an outside breaking pitch in the dirt.
This may be difficult for him to believe, but people boo and criticize because they actually care about the team. The flip side to this is total apathy like the Florida Marlins see in their very empty stadium every night.
He is living in the past just like Ruben Amaro.
He’s getting paid $125,000,000 so we don’t need to give a fuck.
It’s not like he did it all as a favor.
I just hate how everyone gives Utley a free walk in the park. The guy had a 0-20 slump and its not even brought up at all.
it’s that guy!
Did they clinch the division last night?
I thought I was watching a replay from 2008. Guys jumping all over each other.
No, they got to 13 games under .500 against a team that is 19 games under .500.
Awesome job fellas: Sat, Sun and Tuesday, 33 innings 2 runs.
Did they announce Howard’s contract extension yet?
I was thinking the same thing.
This team sucks, and they are celebrating at the plate like the just won the World Fucking Series.
I hate this team.
No we haven’t forgotten…but have you forgotten its 2014.? And I agree with all the mthrfkrs above that talked about his bi monthly direct deposits. You take what comes along with that contract . its called responsibility. Lots of levels to that.
Enough of this freakin’ loser already. All of us common folk out here performed at our job five years ago just like you did, but we still have to perform today as well. If we don’t continue to perform, we get walking papers, which is exactly what you should be given.
this article sucks, and the comments suck. did you fucking idiots think the phillies would be good this year?! Ok I get it they need to build towards the future, but get this assholes, it’s not going to happen if you just get rid of Ryan Howard! You need to get rid of Chooch, Utley, Rollins, basically a big chunk of the team.
I get it howard makes alot of money, but this city treats him like he is a fucking piece of shit. Everyone has forgotten what he has done in the past and what a great player he was. Does that mean hes not playing like a piece of shit now?! fuck no, but have a little fucking class and do the guy a solid for what he has done. Utley is the same fucking situation but no one breaks his balls or treats him like shit? Dont send me his average this year, look at the last 2-3 and then think, why does this city fucking blow him and hate howard?!
Howard is frustrated and struggling and he makes a big paycheck so he should just be dealing with it, but cmon really?
the hawk died when delonte west left. (isn’t that sad)
at least jameer nelson is still on somebody’s bench.
” fuck no, but have a little fucking class and do the guy a solid for what he has done. ”
No. When he retires and comes back to get his name on the Phillies Wall of Fame, then I will cheer him for what he has done.
If you consistently suck at doing your job and your boss calls you into his office to chastise you for your shitty performance, you don’t get to throw your feet up on his desk and say, “Simmer down, Rudy. I was great at this job 10 years ago! Now shut up and keep paying more more money than anyone in the company.”
Lol. You pretty much ruined your entire argument with that last sentence. The anger directed at Ryan comes from the fact that Ruben paid him way past his playing expectations.
I for one, really do appreciate what he did for this city and team since his call up. He is clearly not the same player as far as run production goes, and he strikes out way too much still. And not for nothing, but his attitude sucks. The amount of runners he alone has left on base this year is unreal. And it all could have been solved if he stopped pulling every fucking pitch into the same defensive shift that he’s faced for over 5 years now.
The big difference with Utley is that he doesn’t strike out every fucking at bat and he doesn’t act like an irrational dickhead to the media. He hustles out every play and gave us the “World Fucking Champions” quote that echoed how we felt at the exact moment Chooch caught the final pitch. The guy plays the game to earn his money. Period.
Asshole.
Yes casually waving at balls in the dirt is the same as busting ur ass day in and day out for less money. Your not a Philadelphia fan if you haven’t figured out (effort = everything) especially when our city doesn’t win shit anyway. Utley busts his ass. Howard is a fat lazy slob that has never tried to correct his aging game.
Shit we loved that centerfielder just for putting his face into the fence. Heart and hustle are everything in this town cuz even losers can have those characteristics.
Stfu..
I love how Howard keeps referring to his struggles as “ups and downs” or ” good days and bad days.” Can you still say that when your last “ups” were 3 + years ago?
We remember Ryan. Why do you think it’s so disappointing NOW? Because we remember 58 HR’s and 149 RBI’s and a FUCKING .313 average in 06′. We remember the 45+ HR’s in 07′, 08′, and 09′. Hell even the 30+ HR’s you hit in 10 and 11…We remember all of it so vividly, that to see our corner piece, the BIG piece, not only regress but be relegated to nearly complete ineffectiveness…It’s fucking sad bro. Really, really sad. The fact that you’re making 20 mill a year is irrelevant. You were THE GUY. You were the next Phillie to join the 500 HR club. You were our future. You can’t blame people dude.
I still am a huge Howard fan. I appreciate that the guy shot cortizone into his ankle for the better part of 2 years until it finally snapped and sacrificed his body for the team. That said, because of where he is mentally and physically, I doubt he ever gets back to his old form or even close.
His WAR in 06′ was +5. It’s -0.8 now…
We damn sure remember big guy…
Yeah, and the fucking Flyers won a Cup 40 years ago.
Fuck you, you KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK machine and your whore white wife.
Another out of touch overpaid athlete. Go get fat in your castle already, Nose.
Congratulations Ryan, you’re HIV Positive.
He calls himself Ryno?
um…the time to look back at what you have accomplished is when you retire, ryan. the only thing that matters is what you are accomplishing in the present.
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