Ryan Howard
Encyclopedia
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball
first baseman
for the Philadelphia Phillies
. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands 6 in 4 in (193.04 cm) and weighs 240 lbs. He bats and throws left-handed
.
Howard was the National League MVP. Howard is the fastest player to reach both the 100 and 200 home run
milestones in Major League Baseball history, passing the marks in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
Due to Howard's reputation as an extreme pull hitter
, opposing managers often utilize an unusual infield shift
with him at the plate, with the third baseman
playing shortstop
, the shortstop playing second base, and the second baseman
playing in shallow right field.
, Howard quickly ascended the Phillies' minor league
system, earning consecutive awards in the Florida State
and Eastern
leagues ( and ), respectively. Howard also set the single-season home run record for the Reading Phillies, with 37 in 102 games. On July 31 he was promoted to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He became just the fifth minor league player since 1956 to hit at least 46 home runs. Howard won the Joe Bauman Home Run Award
in the process. While doing this, he impressed scouts enough that general managers of several teams tried to lure the Phillies' Ed Wade
into trading him, as Jim Thome
was blocking his path to the majors.
in a pinch-hit at-bat (for Vicente Padilla
) in a 7–2 loss to the Atlanta Braves
. On September 6, Howard logged his first Major League hit in a single at-bat in a 3–1 loss to the Braves; on September 8, he recorded his first multi-hit game with a double and a single in a 4–1 win over the Braves. On September 11, Howard hit his first Major League home run
off Bartolome Fortunato
, driving in his first RBI
and scoring his first run in an 11–9 win over the New York Mets
.
Howard had 42 plate appearances in 19 games with the Phillies in 2004. He posted a .282 batting average
with two home runs and five RBI; he also hit five doubles, drew two walks
, and was hit by a pitch. Between playing for the Double-A Reading Phillies
, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
and the Philadelphia Phillies, Howard hit 48 home runs, which was tied for the highest total in organized baseball in 2004 along with Adrián Beltré
of the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
. On July 3, Howard recorded his first three-RBI game against the Atlanta Braves
. On August 23, he recorded his first four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, two singles, three RBI and three runs-scored in a 10–2 win over the San Francisco Giants
. On July 1, Howard became the Phillies' everyday first baseman when slugger Jim Thome
was sidelined for the season with an elbow injury.
Howard was named N.L Rookie of the Month in September. He batted .278 with 10 home runs and 22 runs batted in.
Howard led all major league rookie
s with 22 home runs and posted a .288 average and 63 RBI in just 312 at-bats
and 88 games. He hit 11 home runs and 27 RBI in September and October. Howard finished his rookie season with 17 doubles, two triples, 52 runs scored, and 100 strikeouts and 63 runs batted in as the Phillies battled the Houston Astros
for the National League wild card
until getting eliminated on the last day of the season. Howard was rewarded for his effort by being named NL Rookie of the Year
, the fourth Phillie to win the award. He was also voted the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards
NL Rookie of the Year.
After the season, the Phillies faced a dilemma involving Thome and Howard. Both were very talented and proven power hitters; Thome was the biggest free agent
player the Phillies signed prior to the 2003 season, but Howard was the reigning Rookie of the Year and a promising young player. Before the 2006 season, Thome was traded, along with $22 million cash, to the Chicago White Sox
for outfielder
Aaron Rowand
, and pitchers Gio Gonzalez
, and Daniel Haigwood in order to make room for Howard.
Howard began the 2006 season as the Phillies' starting first baseman. Howard would hit his first home run of the season off of the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter
. On April 23, Howard became the first player to hit a home run into Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park
. The home run traveled 496 feet (151.2 m) and was hit off Sergio Mitre
of the Florida Marlins
. It was the first of two Howard would hit in the game, the first multi-home run game of his career. From May 20 to May 29, Howard had at least a RBI in 9 consecutive games. During that stretch, Howard belted 6 home runs and drove in 17 runs. He also became the first player to hit a home run into the third deck of the park in right field when he connected off Mike Mussina
on June 20, a 437 feet (133.2 m) long-ball that was again his first of two home runs. To honor the home run, the Phillies painted a white H on the seat where the ball was caught. Howard collected seven RBI on the two home runs and a triple in the 9–7 loss, becoming the first Phillies batter to drive in seven runs since pitcher Robert Person
on June 2, .
Howard was named to his first All-Star game
at PNC Park
in Pittsburgh as a reserve first baseman, by the player ballot. He participated in the Century 21
Home Run Derby prior to the game, and won the contest with a total of 23 home runs, defeating the New York Mets
' third baseman
David Wright
in the final round. Howard was the second consecutive Phillie to win the Derby, with Bobby Abreu
hitting a record 41 home runs in 2005. Howard went 0 for 1 with a groundout in the All Star Game. On July 30, against the Florida Marlins
, Howard tied a Major League record by walking 5 times, including an intentional walk in the eight inning.
From August 25 to August 29, Howard hit home runs in four consecutive games; on the 29th, Howard hit his 48th home run
of the season to tie Mike Schmidt
for the Phillies single-season record. Two days later, on August 31, Howard hit a home run into the upper deck of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
to surpass Schmidt as the Philadelphia Phillies single-season home run record holder.
On September 3, Howard went 4-for-4 with three home runs and a single in an 8–7 win over the Atlanta Braves
, to become the first Philadelphia Phillies batter and the 24th player in Major League history to hit 50 home runs
in a season. Howard became the first player to reach 50 home runs in a season since Andruw Jones
who hit 51 home runs the previous year. Reaching 52 home runs in the game, Howard also broke Ralph Kiner
's record for home runs in a sophomore season, becoming just the second batter to hit 50 home runs in a second season. Howard's performance from August 28 to September 3 earned him NL Player of the Week. During that span, Howard batted .571 with 6 home runs and 12 runs batted in. On September 5, Howard was named the NL
Player of the Month
for August. His 41 runs batted in were the most any player had in one month since Frank Howard had 41 in July . With 14 home runs, he also set new franchise records for both statistics in the month of August. On September 22, Howard became the 8th player in history to hit 58 home runs in a season, belting a three-run round-tripper off Florida Marlins
pitcher Ricky Nolasco
. The same day, Howard was awarded the third annual Mike Schmidt Most Valuable Player honor by the Philadelphia Baseball Writers Association of America
On September 22, Howard became the first hitter to drive in 140 runs since David Ortiz
did it in 2005. On September 27, in a game against the Nationals, Howard walked for the 100th time in ninth inning. He would also be walked intentionally in the eleventh and thirteenth inning
. Howard became the first Phillies' batter to walk 100 or more times since Jim Thome did it in 2004.
Howard would finished the 2006 season with a .313 batting average
, 58 home runs, and 149 runs batted in. He also set the Phillies' franchise record with 37 intentional base on balls
. Howard and David Ortiz
were the only hitters to hit 50 or more home runs that season. Howard's 58 home runs was the most be a player in his sophomore season. In the process, Howard became the first Phillies' batter to win the home run title since Thome did it in 2003.
On October 2, Howard was named the NL
Player of the Month
for September. Howard, who also won the award in August, became the first player since Albert Pujols
in May and June 2003, to win the award back-to-back.
2006 Player of the Year
. On October 25, Howard was awarded the 2006 National League
Hank Aaron Award
.
On November 8, Howard was named by his fellow major league players as the Player of the Year and the National League Outstanding Position Player in the 2006 Players Choice Award
s balloting. He succeeded Atlanta Braves
outfielder
Andruw Jones
, the 2005 winner of both awards. On the same day, following a 5–3 win over Nippon Professional Baseball that capped a five-game international sweep by the MLB in the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series
, Howard was named the Series MVP; he hit .558 with eight runs, three doubles, four homers and eight RBI. On November 10, Howard was awarded the National League
Silver Slugger
Award at first base
.
On November 20, he won the National League MVP
award, and became only the second player in baseball history to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in successive seasons, joining Cal Ripken, Jr.
Howard received the Babe Ruth Home Run Award
for leading MLB in home runs. He also received the Pride of Philadelphia Award from the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
On May 9, Howard hit his 4th career grand slam
against Arizona Diamondbacks
pitcher Brandon Medders
when he came into the game as a pinch hitter for Wes Helms
. On May 13, Howard was placed on the disabled list with a left quadriceps strain after missing five straight games. Howard fielded grounders for about 45 minutes before the Phillies game with the Toronto Blue Jays
on May 20. Howard returned to the lineup on May 25, after a rehabilitation assignment with the class A Lakewood team as a designated hitter. He hit a home run in his first at-bat there. On May 27, he hit two home runs in a win that helped the Phillies sweep the Braves.
On June 27, Howard hit a 505 feet (153.9 m) home run, and became the fastest player in Major League Baseball
history to hit 100 home runs. The accomplishment was achieved in only 325 games, 60 games fewer than the 385 games that Ralph Kiner needed to hit his first 100 home runs from to .
Though Howard did not compete in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game, he was chosen to compete in the 2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
for the second straight year in order to defend his title. However Howard only hit 3 home runs in the first round and did not advance.
After coming back from the DL, Howard had a "power surge," as he quickly climbed to second on the home run leaders list in the National League
. On July 25, Howard hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Phillies a victory over the Washington Nationals
.
Howard had his first career stolen base
on August 21, 2007 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
On September 17, Howard hit 2 home runs, which gave him his 39th and 40th home run of the season.
On September 27, he established a new major league record by striking out for his 196th and 197th time, breaking the old record of 195 (he tied it on September 23), set by Adam Dunn
in 2004. He ended the season with 199 strikeouts, striking out an NL-highest 37.6% of the time.
His final 2007 season totals were a .268 average, with 47 home runs and 136 runs batted in, helping the Phillies win the National League East
title on the final day of the season to earn their first postseason berth since the 1993 World Series
. The Phillies were swept by the Colorado Rockies
(who had won a one-game playoff against the San Diego Padres
for the NL Wild Card) in the 2007 National League Division Series
; Howard homered off Jeremy Affeldt
in Game Two, but also struck out seven times in his other 11 at-bats.
On February 21, , Howard won an arbitration case against the Phillies, and was awarded $10 million, the most ever for a victorious player and tied for the most ever awarded. The Phillies had offered $7 million to Howard in salary.
Howard began the 2008 season in a slump, finishing the month of April with a batting average of just .172 and going 2-for-25 to close out the month. He fared better in May, averaging .238 with ten home runs and 30 RBI for the month, and finishing out May just north of the Mendoza Line
with an overall batting average of .205. Howard hit his 15th home run of the season in a 7–3 loss to the Florida Marlins
on May 30, and teammate Chase Utley
hit his 15th homer on May 25. The two became the first pair of Phillies to hit 15 home runs each before June.
On June 13, Howard hit two home runs and had 5 RBIs in a 20–2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals
. This included the second of a first-inning set of back-to-back-to-back Philadelphia home runs. It was the seventh time that the Phillies had hit three consecutive home runs, the first since May 18, , and the fourth occurrence by any team in the 2008 Major League Baseball season
. On June 16, Howard again hit two home runs and drove in four in an 8–2 win over the Boston Red Sox
for his 15th career multi-homer game; the four-day span between multi-homer games was the shortest of his career. In stark contrast, Howard went 0-for-4 the next night with four strike outs in a 3–0 loss for his tenth career golden sombrero
. Howard drove in his 100th run of the 2008 season on August 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking his third consecutive season with at least 100 RBI.
He finished the season with 146 RBIs and a .251 batting average. Historically speaking, this was a statistical aberration, and is by far the lowest batting average ever for any season in major league history in which a player topped 130 runs batted in. On defense, he led all major league first basemen in errors, with 19.
His contributions again helped lead the Phillies to the division title and the post-season. Against Milwaukee in the first round he batted a mere .182 average and only batted in one run. Things picked up as he delivered with a .300 batting average against the Dodgers in the next round although he only delivered 2 RBIs and still remained in his home run drought in the post-season. However as the Phillies advanced to the World Series he finally started delivering significantly with 6 RBIs, .286 batting average, and 3 home runs (which tied Donn Clendenon
's 1969 World Series
record for most home runs in a five-game Series) – two of which came in game 4 (which also drove in 5 RBIs) as the Phillies took a commanding 3–1 series lead. The Phillies eventually won the series in 5 games to bring the Phillies their first World Series championship since 1980, and Philadelphia their first major sports championship since 1983; he finished second in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award, behind Albert Pujols
of the St. Louis Cardinals. Howard won his second Babe Ruth Home Run Award, leading MLB with 48 home runs.
On May 4, Howard hit his second grand slam
of the year, the seventh in his career, against the St. Louis Cardinals
at Busch Stadium
. On May 30, he hit his third grand slam of the season off of Washington Nationals
pitcher Shairon Martis
. The grand slam landed in the third deck in the first row above the Powerade
sign in right field at Citizens Bank Park
, and was estimated at 475 feet (144.8 m). The grand slam put Howard ahead of Mike Schmidt
, who had 7 grand slams in his career, putting him first all-time in Phillies franchise history
.
Howard would be named to the 2009 All Star team and also competed in the Home Run Derby.
On June 20, Howard was checked into the hospital early that morning with a 104 degree fever, but pinch-hit later that day, hitting a home run. A month later, against the Florida Marlins
on July 16, Howard hit his 200th career home run, making him the fastest player ever to that mark. It took Howard 658 games to reach 200 long-balls, beating out the previous titleholder, Ralph Kiner
(706 games).
In August, Howard hit 11 home runs with 33 runs batted in, after just six the month before. On August 24, in a game against the New York Mets
, Howard went 2 for 5 with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in. Howard would also get his 100th runs batted in of the season. This marked the fourth consecutive season that Howard had reached the 100 runs batted in mark. His batting average in the month was .299, raising his overall average to .275. He was named the National League Player of the Month for these achievements. Howard was named NL Player of the Week on August 31. Howard hit 5 home runs, 12 runs batted in, 28 total bases, and a 1,000 slugging percentage during that stretch. On September 18, in a game against the Braves, Howard hit his 39th and 40th home run of the season. This mark the fourth time in his career that he has hit 40 or more home runs in a season. On October 3, Howard hit his 45th home run of the season and became only the fourth player in Major League Baseball history (joining Babe Ruth
from 1926–1931, Ken Griffey Jr. from 1996–1999, and Sammy Sosa
from 1998–2001) to amass at least 135 RBIs and 45 home runs in four consecutive seasons.
Howard ended the season tied with Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder
for the major league lead in RBIs with 141, although he led all major league first basemen in errors, with 14. In Game 4 of the 2009 National League Division Series
against the Colorado Rockies, Howard hit a game-tying double with two outs in the top of the ninth off of closer Huston Street
. Howard scored the winning run on a Jayson Werth
single. After tying Lou Gehrig
's record for the most consecutive postseason games with an RBI, Howard won the NLCS MVP award
on October 21. However, Howard struggled against the New York Yankees during the 2009 World Series
, surpassing Willie Wilson's record by striking out 13 times in the series.
in a National League
ballpark during a regular-season game when the Phillies played as the road team against the Toronto Blue Jays
in Citizens Bank Park on June 25. Major League Baseball moved the interleague series to Philadelphia due to the G-20 Summit taking place near the Rogers Centre
in Toronto.
On August 1, Howard sprained his ankle while returning to second base on a baserunning play, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
On September 8, Howard hit his 250th home run in only 855 games, which made him pass Ralph Kiner
as the quickest player in history to reach that milestone. On September 18, Howard hit his 30th homer of the season, setting a franchise record with five consecutive 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons. He had been tied with Chuck Klein
, who had four consecutive 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons from 1929 to 1932. On defense, he led all major league first basemen in errors for the third year in a row, with 14.
Howard was listed with teammates Chase Utley
, Jamie Moyer
, and Roy Halladay
as one of the few active players that is likely to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
, Alex Rodriguez
, and Ryan Braun
), and ninth in career intentional walks. Howard hit .253 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs. It was his sixth consecutive 30 home run and 100 RBI season, a Phillies franchise record. With 2 outs in the 9th inning of Game 5 of the National League Division Series, Howard grounded out to 2nd base, injuring his Achilles tendon while running out of the batters box.
. He has a son.
Howard graduated from Lafayette High School
(Wildwood, St. Louis County, Mo.) in 1998, where he played trombone
. While attending Missouri State University
he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma
fraternity and his line name was "Blue Hurt".
Howard is a representative for a number of products including Adidas
and for the restaurant Subway
. He also appeared on the cover of MLB 08: The Show
.
Howard appeared alongside teammate Chase Utley
as himself on the 2010 episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
"The Gang Gets Stranded in the Woods". He also appeared as himself during the 7th season of Entourage in the episode "Lose Yourself".
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands 6 in 4 in (193.04 cm) and weighs 240 lbs. He bats and throws left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
Howard was the National League MVP. Howard is the fastest player to reach both the 100 and 200 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
milestones in Major League Baseball history, passing the marks in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
Due to Howard's reputation as an extreme pull hitter
Pull hitter
In baseball, a pull hitter is a batter who usually hits the ball to the side of the field from which he bats. For example, a right-handed pull hitter, who bats from the third-base side of the plate, will usually hit the ball to the third-base side of the field, termed "left field" according to the...
, opposing managers often utilize an unusual infield shift
Infield shift
The infield shift is a generic term used in baseball to describe an extreme defensive realignment from the standard positions to blanket one side of the field or another...
with him at the plate, with the third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
playing shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, the shortstop playing second base, and the second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
playing in shallow right field.
College
Howard played for Missouri State University from 1998–2001. Howard finished his collegiate career with 50 home runs, 183 RBIs and a .335 career average in 172 games. He was the 1999 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Missouri State Retired his number on December 18, 2010.Minor league years
Selected in the 5th round of the 2001 draft2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
, Howard quickly ascended the Phillies' minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
system, earning consecutive awards in the Florida State
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
and Eastern
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
leagues ( and ), respectively. Howard also set the single-season home run record for the Reading Phillies, with 37 in 102 games. On July 31 he was promoted to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He became just the fifth minor league player since 1956 to hit at least 46 home runs. Howard won the Joe Bauman Home Run Award
Joe Bauman Home Run Award
The Joe Bauman Home Run Award is the award given to the minor league baseball player who hit the most regular season home runs that year. The award, first given in 2002, is named after Joe Bauman, who set a then-professional record with 72 home runs in 1954, while playing for the Roswell Rockets of...
in the process. While doing this, he impressed scouts enough that general managers of several teams tried to lure the Phillies' Ed Wade
Ed Wade
Ed Wade is the former General Manager of the Houston Astros.-Early career in baseball:Wade started his baseball career in 1977 as an intern in the Phillies public relations department. In 1977, he was named public relations assistant for the Astros and was promoted to public relations director in...
into trading him, as Jim Thome
Jim Thome
James Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :...
was blocking his path to the majors.
2004 – September call-up
On September 1, Howard made his first Major League plate appearance, striking out against Jaret WrightJaret Wright
Jaret Samuel Wright is an American former Major League Baseball starting pitcher, who played 10 years for five teams. He is the son of former major league pitcher Clyde Wright.-Early life and education:...
in a pinch-hit at-bat (for Vicente Padilla
Vicente Padilla
Vicente de la Cruz Padilla is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is a free agent. Padilla previously pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers...
) in a 7–2 loss to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. On September 6, Howard logged his first Major League hit in a single at-bat in a 3–1 loss to the Braves; on September 8, he recorded his first multi-hit game with a double and a single in a 4–1 win over the Braves. On September 11, Howard hit his first Major League home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off Bartolome Fortunato
Bartolomé Fortunato
Bartolomé Araujo Fortunato is a Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Edmonton Capitals of the North American League....
, driving in his first RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and scoring his first run in an 11–9 win over the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
Howard had 42 plate appearances in 19 games with the Phillies in 2004. He posted a .282 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with two home runs and five RBI; he also hit five doubles, drew two walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, and was hit by a pitch. Between playing for the Double-A Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a professional minor league baseball club located based in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. They currently play in the International League's Northern Division and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club...
and the Philadelphia Phillies, Howard hit 48 home runs, which was tied for the highest total in organized baseball in 2004 along with Adrián Beltré
Adrián Beltré
Adrián Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers.The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Seattle Mariners , the Boston Red Sox , and the Texas Rangers . He bats and...
of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
2005 – Rookie of the Year
On May 15, Howard recorded his first three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, and a run-scored in a 4–3 win over the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. On July 3, Howard recorded his first three-RBI game against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. On August 23, he recorded his first four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, two singles, three RBI and three runs-scored in a 10–2 win over the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. On July 1, Howard became the Phillies' everyday first baseman when slugger Jim Thome
Jim Thome
James Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :...
was sidelined for the season with an elbow injury.
Howard was named N.L Rookie of the Month in September. He batted .278 with 10 home runs and 22 runs batted in.
Howard led all major league rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
s with 22 home runs and posted a .288 average and 63 RBI in just 312 at-bats
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
and 88 games. He hit 11 home runs and 27 RBI in September and October. Howard finished his rookie season with 17 doubles, two triples, 52 runs scored, and 100 strikeouts and 63 runs batted in as the Phillies battled the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for the National League wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
until getting eliminated on the last day of the season. Howard was rewarded for his effort by being named NL Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
, the fourth Phillie to win the award. He was also voted the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards
Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards
The annual Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards are based on fan voting. They started in 1991 with the Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year awards, in each of the two leagues in Major League Baseball. In 1998, an award for Manager of the Year was added in each...
NL Rookie of the Year.
After the season, the Phillies faced a dilemma involving Thome and Howard. Both were very talented and proven power hitters; Thome was the biggest free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
player the Phillies signed prior to the 2003 season, but Howard was the reigning Rookie of the Year and a promising young player. Before the 2006 season, Thome was traded, along with $22 million cash, to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Aaron Rowand
Aaron Rowand
Aaron Ryan Rowand is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who has played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released by the Giants in September 2011.-Early life and college career:...
, and pitchers Gio Gonzalez
Gio Gonzalez
Giovany A. Gonzalez is a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.-Early life:...
, and Daniel Haigwood in order to make room for Howard.
2006 – MVP season
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
. On April 23, Howard became the first player to hit a home run into Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
. The home run traveled 496 feet (151.2 m) and was hit off Sergio Mitre
Sergio Mitre
Sergio Armando Mitre is a American professional baseball pitcher.-Background:Mitre is of Mexican American descent. He grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, where he trained in the arts of kenpo, boxing and wrestling due to frequent street fights.Mitre graduated from Montgomery High School in San Diego,...
of the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. It was the first of two Howard would hit in the game, the first multi-home run game of his career. From May 20 to May 29, Howard had at least a RBI in 9 consecutive games. During that stretch, Howard belted 6 home runs and drove in 17 runs. He also became the first player to hit a home run into the third deck of the park in right field when he connected off Mike Mussina
Mike Mussina
Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....
on June 20, a 437 feet (133.2 m) long-ball that was again his first of two home runs. To honor the home run, the Phillies painted a white H on the seat where the ball was caught. Howard collected seven RBI on the two home runs and a triple in the 9–7 loss, becoming the first Phillies batter to drive in seven runs since pitcher Robert Person
Robert Person
Robert Alan Person is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played 9 seasons in Major League Baseball: two for the New York Mets, two and a half for the Toronto Blue Jays, three and a half for the Philadelphia Phillies, and only 7 games pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the last year of his...
on June 2, .
Howard was named to his first All-Star game
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,...
at PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
in Pittsburgh as a reserve first baseman, by the player ballot. He participated in the Century 21
Century 21 Real Estate
Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a real estate agent franchise company founded in 1971. The Century 21 System consists of over 8,000 independently owned and operated offices. Other examples of such a system are Coldwell Banker, Engel & Völkers, ERA Real Estate, ...Century 21 has offices in more than...
Home Run Derby prior to the game, and won the contest with a total of 23 home runs, defeating the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
David Wright
David Wright (baseball player)
David Wright is an American baseball player, who plays third base for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball.He was drafted by the Mets in 2001, and made his Major League debut in 2004. Wright is a five-time All-Star, and won the Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award in 2007 and 2008...
in the final round. Howard was the second consecutive Phillie to win the Derby, with Bobby Abreu
Bobby Abreu
Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu , nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Luche", is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim....
hitting a record 41 home runs in 2005. Howard went 0 for 1 with a groundout in the All Star Game. On July 30, against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, Howard tied a Major League record by walking 5 times, including an intentional walk in the eight inning.
From August 25 to August 29, Howard hit home runs in four consecutive games; on the 29th, Howard hit his 48th home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
of the season to tie Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
for the Phillies single-season record. Two days later, on August 31, Howard hit a home run into the upper deck of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
to surpass Schmidt as the Philadelphia Phillies single-season home run record holder.
On September 3, Howard went 4-for-4 with three home runs and a single in an 8–7 win over the Atlanta Braves
2006 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2006 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Atlanta Braves attempting to win the NL East.Finishing with a 79–83 record, not only did the Braves miss the playoffs for the first time since 1990 , but also their first losing season and worst record since that...
, to become the first Philadelphia Phillies batter and the 24th player in Major League history to hit 50 home runs
50 home run club
In Major League Baseball, the 50 home run club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 50 or more home runs in a single season. The 50 Home Run Club was "founded" by Babe Ruth in 1920...
in a season. Howard became the first player to reach 50 home runs in a season since Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
who hit 51 home runs the previous year. Reaching 52 home runs in the game, Howard also broke Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner
Ralph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League...
's record for home runs in a sophomore season, becoming just the second batter to hit 50 home runs in a second season. Howard's performance from August 28 to September 3 earned him NL Player of the Week. During that span, Howard batted .571 with 6 home runs and 12 runs batted in. On September 5, Howard was named the NL
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Player of the Month
Player of the Month
The Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
for August. His 41 runs batted in were the most any player had in one month since Frank Howard had 41 in July . With 14 home runs, he also set new franchise records for both statistics in the month of August. On September 22, Howard became the 8th player in history to hit 58 home runs in a season, belting a three-run round-tripper off Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
pitcher Ricky Nolasco
Ricky Nolasco
Carlos Enrique "Ricky" Nolasco is an American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Miami Marlins. He is listed as 6'2" and 220, and made his major league debut on April 5,...
. The same day, Howard was awarded the third annual Mike Schmidt Most Valuable Player honor by the Philadelphia Baseball Writers Association of America
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
On September 22, Howard became the first hitter to drive in 140 runs since David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
did it in 2005. On September 27, in a game against the Nationals, Howard walked for the 100th time in ninth inning. He would also be walked intentionally in the eleventh and thirteenth inning
. Howard became the first Phillies' batter to walk 100 or more times since Jim Thome did it in 2004.
Howard would finished the 2006 season with a .313 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 58 home runs, and 149 runs batted in. He also set the Phillies' franchise record with 37 intentional base on balls
Intentional base on balls
In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball...
. Howard and David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
were the only hitters to hit 50 or more home runs that season. Howard's 58 home runs was the most be a player in his sophomore season. In the process, Howard became the first Phillies' batter to win the home run title since Thome did it in 2003.
On October 2, Howard was named the NL
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Player of the Month
Player of the Month
The Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
for September. Howard, who also won the award in August, became the first player since Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
in May and June 2003, to win the award back-to-back.
2006 season awards
On October 10, Howard was named The Sporting NewsThe Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
2006 Player of the Year
The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
This is a list of the Major League Baseball players chosen by The Sporting News since 1936 as recipients of the TSN Player of the Year Award. Until 1969, it was the only major award given to a single player from MLB, rather than to a player in each league. In 1969, Baseball Digest began its Player...
. On October 25, Howard was awarded the 2006 National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
.
On November 8, Howard was named by his fellow major league players as the Player of the Year and the National League Outstanding Position Player in the 2006 Players Choice Award
Players Choice Award
The Players Choice Awards are annual Major League Baseball awards, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association .The Players Choice Awards are given following a secret ballot by players. Four awards go to a player in each league, while two awards each go to one player in all of Major...
s balloting. He succeeded Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
, the 2005 winner of both awards. On the same day, following a 5–3 win over Nippon Professional Baseball that capped a five-game international sweep by the MLB in the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series
Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series
The Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series is a set of games between All-Star teams from North America's Major League Baseball and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. The series takes place every even numbered year in the Tokyo Dome and other NPB home stadiums...
, Howard was named the Series MVP; he hit .558 with eight runs, three doubles, four homers and eight RBI. On November 10, Howard was awarded the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Silver Slugger
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
Award at first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
.
On November 20, he won the National League MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
award, and became only the second player in baseball history to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in successive seasons, joining Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....
Howard received the Babe Ruth Home Run Award
Babe Ruth Home Run Award
The Babe Ruth Home Run Award is an annual award presented to the previous season's leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball .. The award is named after the legendary Babe Ruth, who led the American League in homers 12 times. It was first awarded to Mark McGwire after his record-setting...
for leading MLB in home runs. He also received the Pride of Philadelphia Award from the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
2007
On March 2, , the Phillies renewed Howard's contract in a one-year deal for $900,000, the highest salary ever offered to a player not eligible for salary arbitration.On May 9, Howard hit his 4th career grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
against Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
pitcher Brandon Medders
Brandon Medders
Brandon Edward Medders is a professional relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He throws a 4-seam fastball, curveball, slider, and a cutter....
when he came into the game as a pinch hitter for Wes Helms
Wes Helms
Wesley Ray Helms is an American professional baseball third baseman, first baseman, and outfielder but is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-Professional career:...
. On May 13, Howard was placed on the disabled list with a left quadriceps strain after missing five straight games. Howard fielded grounders for about 45 minutes before the Phillies game with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
on May 20. Howard returned to the lineup on May 25, after a rehabilitation assignment with the class A Lakewood team as a designated hitter. He hit a home run in his first at-bat there. On May 27, he hit two home runs in a win that helped the Phillies sweep the Braves.
On June 27, Howard hit a 505 feet (153.9 m) home run, and became the fastest player in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
history to hit 100 home runs. The accomplishment was achieved in only 325 games, 60 games fewer than the 385 games that Ralph Kiner needed to hit his first 100 home runs from to .
Though Howard did not compete in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game, he was chosen to compete in the 2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
The 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby was a 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game event. The Home Run Derby was held on July 9 at AT&T Park, the home field of the San Francisco Giants. As usual, the competition had eight competitors, seven of whom were eliminated over three rounds. The Home Run...
for the second straight year in order to defend his title. However Howard only hit 3 home runs in the first round and did not advance.
After coming back from the DL, Howard had a "power surge," as he quickly climbed to second on the home run leaders list in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. On July 25, Howard hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Phillies a victory over the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
Howard had his first career stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
on August 21, 2007 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
On September 17, Howard hit 2 home runs, which gave him his 39th and 40th home run of the season.
On September 27, he established a new major league record by striking out for his 196th and 197th time, breaking the old record of 195 (he tied it on September 23), set by Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn
Adam Troy Dunn , nicknamed "Big Donkey", is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed....
in 2004. He ended the season with 199 strikeouts, striking out an NL-highest 37.6% of the time.
His final 2007 season totals were a .268 average, with 47 home runs and 136 runs batted in, helping the Phillies win the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title on the final day of the season to earn their first postseason berth since the 1993 World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
. The Phillies were swept by the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
(who had won a one-game playoff against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for the NL Wild Card) in the 2007 National League Division Series
2007 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies:-Game 1, October 3:Chase Field in Phoenix, ArizonaEighteen-game winners Carlos Zambrano and Brandon Webb matched each other pitch for pitch in the opening game of the series. Stephen Drew's fourth-inning home run stood as the game's only run until Ryan...
; Howard homered off Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy David Affeldt is an American baseball professional pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He throws and bats left-handed. Previously, he has played for the Kansas City Royals, the Colorado Rockies, and the Cincinnati Reds....
in Game Two, but also struck out seven times in his other 11 at-bats.
2008
Howard began the 2008 season in a slump, finishing the month of April with a batting average of just .172 and going 2-for-25 to close out the month. He fared better in May, averaging .238 with ten home runs and 30 RBI for the month, and finishing out May just north of the Mendoza Line
Mendoza Line
The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball in the United States, deriving from the name of shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose lifetime batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting...
with an overall batting average of .205. Howard hit his 15th home run of the season in a 7–3 loss to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
on May 30, and teammate Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
hit his 15th homer on May 25. The two became the first pair of Phillies to hit 15 home runs each before June.
On June 13, Howard hit two home runs and had 5 RBIs in a 20–2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. This included the second of a first-inning set of back-to-back-to-back Philadelphia home runs. It was the seventh time that the Phillies had hit three consecutive home runs, the first since May 18, , and the fourth occurrence by any team in the 2008 Major League Baseball season
2008 Major League Baseball season
The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the...
. On June 16, Howard again hit two home runs and drove in four in an 8–2 win over the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for his 15th career multi-homer game; the four-day span between multi-homer games was the shortest of his career. In stark contrast, Howard went 0-for-4 the next night with four strike outs in a 3–0 loss for his tenth career golden sombrero
Golden sombrero
In baseball, golden sombrero is a slang term used to describe a player's inglorious feat of striking out four times in a single game.-Origin:The term derives from hat trick, and since four is bigger than three, the rationale was that a four-strikeout performance should be referred to by a bigger...
. Howard drove in his 100th run of the 2008 season on August 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking his third consecutive season with at least 100 RBI.
He finished the season with 146 RBIs and a .251 batting average. Historically speaking, this was a statistical aberration, and is by far the lowest batting average ever for any season in major league history in which a player topped 130 runs batted in. On defense, he led all major league first basemen in errors, with 19.
His contributions again helped lead the Phillies to the division title and the post-season. Against Milwaukee in the first round he batted a mere .182 average and only batted in one run. Things picked up as he delivered with a .300 batting average against the Dodgers in the next round although he only delivered 2 RBIs and still remained in his home run drought in the post-season. However as the Phillies advanced to the World Series he finally started delivering significantly with 6 RBIs, .286 batting average, and 3 home runs (which tied Donn Clendenon
Donn Clendenon
Donn Alvin Clendenon was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He is best remembered as the World Series MVP for the Amazin' Mets.-Early life:...
's 1969 World Series
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
record for most home runs in a five-game Series) – two of which came in game 4 (which also drove in 5 RBIs) as the Phillies took a commanding 3–1 series lead. The Phillies eventually won the series in 5 games to bring the Phillies their first World Series championship since 1980, and Philadelphia their first major sports championship since 1983; he finished second in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award, behind Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
of the St. Louis Cardinals. Howard won his second Babe Ruth Home Run Award, leading MLB with 48 home runs.
2009
On February 8, the Phillies and Howard agreed on a 3-year, $54 million contract that bought out his remaining three years of salary arbitration eligibility. In spring training, Howard led all players in home runs, with 10.On May 4, Howard hit his second grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
of the year, the seventh in his career, against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
. On May 30, he hit his third grand slam of the season off of Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
pitcher Shairon Martis
Shairon Martis
Shairon B. Martis is a Dutch-Antillean professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He pitched for The Netherlands in the 2006 World Baseball Classic...
. The grand slam landed in the third deck in the first row above the Powerade
Powerade
Powerade is a sports drink manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in 1988, its primary competitor is PepsiCo's Gatorade...
sign in right field at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
, and was estimated at 475 feet (144.8 m). The grand slam put Howard ahead of Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
, who had 7 grand slams in his career, putting him first all-time in Phillies franchise history
History of the Philadelphia Phillies
The history of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League is a long and varied one. The Phillies are based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are a member of the National League East division. Since , the team's home has been Citizens Bank Park in the South Philadelphia...
.
Howard would be named to the 2009 All Star team and also competed in the Home Run Derby.
On June 20, Howard was checked into the hospital early that morning with a 104 degree fever, but pinch-hit later that day, hitting a home run. A month later, against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
on July 16, Howard hit his 200th career home run, making him the fastest player ever to that mark. It took Howard 658 games to reach 200 long-balls, beating out the previous titleholder, Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner
Ralph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League...
(706 games).
In August, Howard hit 11 home runs with 33 runs batted in, after just six the month before. On August 24, in a game against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, Howard went 2 for 5 with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in. Howard would also get his 100th runs batted in of the season. This marked the fourth consecutive season that Howard had reached the 100 runs batted in mark. His batting average in the month was .299, raising his overall average to .275. He was named the National League Player of the Month for these achievements. Howard was named NL Player of the Week on August 31. Howard hit 5 home runs, 12 runs batted in, 28 total bases, and a 1,000 slugging percentage during that stretch. On September 18, in a game against the Braves, Howard hit his 39th and 40th home run of the season. This mark the fourth time in his career that he has hit 40 or more home runs in a season. On October 3, Howard hit his 45th home run of the season and became only the fourth player in Major League Baseball history (joining Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
from 1926–1931, Ken Griffey Jr. from 1996–1999, and Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
from 1998–2001) to amass at least 135 RBIs and 45 home runs in four consecutive seasons.
Howard ended the season tied with Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
for the major league lead in RBIs with 141, although he led all major league first basemen in errors, with 14. In Game 4 of the 2009 National League Division Series
2009 National League Division Series
The National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
against the Colorado Rockies, Howard hit a game-tying double with two outs in the top of the ninth off of closer Huston Street
Huston Street
Huston Lowell Street is an American baseball relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. His father is former University of Texas quarterback James Street, and his brother Juston Street is currently a pitcher for the minor league Vancouver Canadians....
. Howard scored the winning run on a Jayson Werth
Jayson Werth
Jayson Richard Gowan Werth is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right-handed.-Background:Werth was born in...
single. After tying Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
's record for the most consecutive postseason games with an RBI, Howard won the NLCS MVP award
League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award
The second round of the Major League Baseball post-season is known as the League Championship Series . This series has a best-of-seven playoff format, and currently follows the Division Series, in which the three division champions and one wild card team from each league play against each other...
on October 21. However, Howard struggled against the New York Yankees during the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
, surpassing Willie Wilson's record by striking out 13 times in the series.
2010
On April 26, Howard signed a 5-year, $125 million extension with a club option to the contract he inked before the 2009 season. He was also the first designated hitterDesignated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
in a National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
ballpark during a regular-season game when the Phillies played as the road team against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in Citizens Bank Park on June 25. Major League Baseball moved the interleague series to Philadelphia due to the G-20 Summit taking place near the Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
in Toronto.
On August 1, Howard sprained his ankle while returning to second base on a baserunning play, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
On September 8, Howard hit his 250th home run in only 855 games, which made him pass Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner
Ralph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League...
as the quickest player in history to reach that milestone. On September 18, Howard hit his 30th homer of the season, setting a franchise record with five consecutive 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons. He had been tied with Chuck Klein
Chuck Klein
Charles Herbert "Chuck" Klein was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates ....
, who had four consecutive 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons from 1929 to 1932. On defense, he led all major league first basemen in errors for the third year in a row, with 14.
Howard was listed with teammates Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
, Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
, and Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
as one of the few active players that is likely to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
2011
Through 2011, Howard was fourth among all active major leaguers in career slugging percentage (.560; behind Albert PujolsAlbert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
, Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
, and Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
), and ninth in career intentional walks. Howard hit .253 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs. It was his sixth consecutive 30 home run and 100 RBI season, a Phillies franchise record. With 2 outs in the 9th inning of Game 5 of the National League Division Series, Howard grounded out to 2nd base, injuring his Achilles tendon while running out of the batters box.
Personal life
Howard has a fraternal twin brother named Corey, as well as an older brother and a sister. He says he is the smallest of the Howard sons. His favorite baseball team growing up was the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. He has a son.
Howard graduated from Lafayette High School
Lafayette High School (Wildwood, Missouri)
Lafayette High School, located in Wildwood, Missouri, United States is a secondary school in the Rockwood School District.Lafayette High School opened September 7, 1960, in one small building in Ellisville. To handle the growing student body, the school moved in 1989 to Wildwood...
(Wildwood, St. Louis County, Mo.) in 1998, where he played trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
. While attending Missouri State University
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
fraternity and his line name was "Blue Hurt".
Howard is a representative for a number of products including Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
and for the restaurant Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
. He also appeared on the cover of MLB 08: The Show
MLB 08: The Show
MLB 08: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by SCE San Diego Studio published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It the longest-running officially licensed Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation...
.
Howard appeared alongside teammate Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
as himself on the 2010 episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
"The Gang Gets Stranded in the Woods". He also appeared as himself during the 7th season of Entourage in the episode "Lose Yourself".
Major league and franchise records
| Record | Total | Season(s) | Surpassing | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walks Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... in a nine-inning game (NL National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional... ) |
5 | tied, numerous others | July 30, 2006 | |
| Home run Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... s by a Phillies batter, single season |
58 | Mike Schmidt Mike Schmidt Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies.... , 48 |
49th on August 31, 2006 | |
| Home runs in a sophomore season | 58 | Ralph Kiner Ralph Kiner Ralph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League... , 51 |
52nd on September 3, 2006 | |
| Intentional walks to a Phillies batter | 37 | Jim Thome Jim Thome James Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :... , 26 |
27th on September 13, 2006 | |
| Fewest games for 100 home runs | 325 | – | Ralph Kiner, 385 (–) | 100th on June 27, 2007 |
| Home runs in first 1,000 career at-bats At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... |
85 | – | Cecil Fielder Cecil Fielder Cecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . He played with the Toronto Blue Jays , Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , Anaheim Angels and Cleveland Indians... , 76 (–) |
77th on September 24, 2007 |
| Fewest games for 150 home runs | 495 | – | Eddie Mathews, 569 (–) | 150th on July 2, 2008 |
| Strikeout Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... s by a Phillies batter |
199 | tied himself | 199th on September 27, 2008 | |
| Career grand slams Grand slam (baseball) In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves... by a Phillies batter |
9 | – | Mike Schmidt, 7 (–) | 8th on May 30, 2009 |
| Fewest games for 200 home runs | 658 | – | Ralph Kiner, 706 (–) | 200th on July 16, 2009 |
| At least one RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI... in consecutive postseason games in the same year |
7 | Iván Rodríguez Iván Rodríguez Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher... Bernie Williams Bernie Williams Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:... (6 all) Carlton Fisk Carlton Fisk Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame... |
October 18, 2009 | |
| At least one RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI... in consecutive postseason games |
8 | tied, Lou Gehrig Lou Gehrig Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams... ( and ) |
October 19, 2009 | |
| Most strikeouts in a World Series | 13 | Willie Wilson, 12 | November 4, 2009 | |
| Fewest games for 250 home runs | 855 | – | Ralph Kiner, 871 (–) | 250th on September 8, 2010 |
See also
- List of Major League Baseball home run records
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- 50 home run club50 home run clubIn Major League Baseball, the 50 home run club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 50 or more home runs in a single season. The 50 Home Run Club was "founded" by Babe Ruth in 1920...
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players with a .900 on-base plus slugging
- List of Major League Baseball players with a .500 slugging percentage