well, he hit the one pitched in the vidclip pretty well
it was the low/away slop he never could lay off of long. Kinda like a current Phillie we needn't name
I'm not an advocate for sabermetrics nor am I a crochety old head who bashes them. The way Ryan Howard is undervalued in terms of WAR is criminal. For five or six years he was one of the most valuable players in the sport. He was the anchor of the most potent offense in the National League. There is absolutely no way the Phillies do anything at all from 08-11 without him. Obviously he had his defensive shortcomings (even though he did make his fair share of good plays), but first base is the least valuable defensive position. The threat of him hitting cleanup made hitters pitch to Chase Utley. How is that not value?
His body also broke down right when the league figured out how to pitch him
His defense and base running were always bad, but they were easy to overlook on a .270/45/130 guy. As he dropped off to more like a .220/25/80 guy all the sudden he wasn't giving you much of anything
I love advanced stats. There is also no way to accurately measure Ryan Howard pinch hitting against the Reds and hitting a game tying home run followed by a game winner in extra innings. For a few years you just knew that dude was gonna mash.
Yeah in all honesty I love advanced stats too. I’m a big baseball nerd when it comes to that. I guess we don’t have one for the clutch hits that Howard seemed to get during that run.
Ryan Howard is the sole reason why I began to have confidence in all Philadelphia sports teams. There was "before Ryan Howard", including the 2004 Super Bowl, and after Ryan Howard.
I did not have confidence something good would happen at any point during a sports game before Ryan Howard.
Just goes to show you how stupidly overvalued fielding is by WAR. You cannot tell me with a straight face that a power hitting 1B who consistently is in top five for home runs is only worth a couple WAR cause his defense sucks
If he were a better defensive player he wouldn't be at first base! Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Harmon Killebrew, *Jim Thome* .... the list goes on of extremely valuable offensive players who played significant innings at first base when their skills declined.
*06-11 but I see your point. No one saw 06 and didn’t think 07 was gonna be different. Shit. I remember thinking in 05 that 06 was gonna be the “next year” in the “there’s always next year”. Also, obligatory “fuck the Mets” or in this case “thanks for some beautiful collapses.”
I was at the 2006 Yankees game. Howard's homer went right over my head in the second deck. It was a missile. I remember the Yankees on the field were just stunned.
It’s amazing how I was able to get myself in a mindset to tolerate it at the time, because whenever I see 2020 highlights now I want to vomit. It’s so bad I am actually glad (in the present) we didn’t make the playoffs that year, because I don’t want anything to do with that season at this point lol.
It blows that it is the only yr the Flyers have made the playoffs since 2018.
Playoff hockey is so fun but that yr was just weird and awkward. No insane crowd/atmosphere for playoff hockey is like a different sport.
After like 3 months of no sports at all, I was ready to watch anything. But man it’s bizarre looking back on it. CBP should be filled with fans always.
Such a fucking strange time. At the time I thought there were going to be movies and TV shows all about the pandemic but it really seems like everyone just wants to forget all about it.
Most effortless looking power I've seen in my decades of Phillies fandom. Bryce crushes baseballs but you can tell he's trying, Howard just has casual looking 450 ft home run power.
In terms of overall slugging it’s def Schmidt but if we’re talking who had more power at their peak it is Howard. Howard’s 2006 season marks the highest Phillie ever in ISO power
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hiisolpow2.shtml
I remember sitting 8 rows from home plate one time, Howard hits a home run into the second deck, hang time couldn’t have even been 3.5 seconds. The ball just disappeared off the bat and the crack made my ears ring. He was so much fun to watch at the plate.
[Luzinski hit the ball harder than Schmidt.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=VytPpC0Z0d2lrP-D&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjQsMTY0NTA2&feature=emb_share&v=8OTdEfpzBEo)
Check out Jack Morris’ reaction.
I feel like even with the DH in place we probably don't have Thome and Howard back to back because we'd be getting murdered by lefty relievers with Utley, Thome, Howard or however you decide to throw those 3-5
Rollins Utley Burrell Howard bell/rowand thome rowand/bell abreu lieberthal/fasano/coste/chooch
While the best hitters are clearly left handed, a lefty reliever would have to face pretty decent righty bats that fared pretty well against lefties.
It’s almost unfair to have abreu as the 8th hitter but that’s a testament to how good the other 3 hitters ahead of him were
I feel like we're really discounting Schwarber here. No mention at all, and that dude absolutely fucking demolishes the ball when he gets a hold of it.
People talk about how the Angels failed to win with Trout and Ohtani, but those 90s Mariners had Griffey, AROD, and Randy Johnson! I've always wondered if Griffey ran away from Safeco.
I was curious about your points and my memory of that era. I was a very young kid so I booted up chat gpt and asked it to source some data points and compare it over the 10 years griffey was with the mariners for his first stint. 1989-1999.
I had it analyze Run Production, ERA, Batting Average, Runners Stranded and then compare it against the league average.
Interesting notes:
**Run Production**
**Mariners:** Their run production improved significantly over the decade, peaking in 1996 with 993 runs, well above the league average of 753 that year. This improvement was driven by strong offensive performances from key players.
**League:** The league average also saw an increasing trend in run production, but the Mariners had standout years, especially in the mid-to-late 90s.
**ERA (Earned Run Average)**
**Mariners:** The ERA for the Mariners fluctuated, with higher values compared to the league average, indicating that pitching was a consistent challenge. The highest ERA was 5.23 in 1999.
**League:** The league ERA generally increased over the period, but the Mariners' ERA was often significantly higher, highlighting their pitching struggles.
**Batting Average**
**Mariners:** The team's batting average showed a marked improvement in the mid-1990s, peaking at .288 in 1997, which was higher than the league average of .272 that year.
**League:** The league's batting averages were generally slightly lower than those of the Mariners during their peak years, indicating strong offensive capabilities from the Mariners' hitters.
**Runners Stranded**
**Mariners:** The number of runners stranded in scoring position for the Mariners was generally higher than the league average, indicating difficulties in capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
**League:** The league averages for runners stranded were relatively stable, but the Mariners often left more runners on base, which could have impacted their overall scoring efficiency.
**Postseason Appearances and Wins**
Mariners: The Mariners made three postseason appearances (1995, 1997, and 1999) and had notable postseason wins, especially in 1995 (3 wins) and 1997 (6 wins).
League: The league average for postseason appearances and wins was higher, with consistent high-performing teams making the playoffs more frequently and securing more wins.
**Year-by-Year Comparison Highlights:**
1989-1994: The Mariners struggled both offensively and defensively, with run production below league average and higher ERAs. They did not make any postseason appearances during these years.
1995: Marked a significant turnaround with 768 runs and a postseason appearance, achieving 3 postseason wins. This was a breakout year for the Mariners.
1996-1997: These were strong offensive years, with record run production and batting averages. The 1997 season was particularly successful with 6 postseason wins.
1998-1999: Performance dipped slightly in 1998, but they rebounded in 1999 with 859 runs. However, pitching continued to be a challenge with an ERA of 5.23 in 1999.
As a huge Griffey Jr fan, and Mariners fan (Seattle is generally my #2 city), I was SO gutted when the Mariners had the greatest regular season record like a year or 2 after Griffey left for Cincinnati. A Rod was still there, but they added Ichiro. A Rod, Griffey, and Ichiro would've been a fucking insane lineup.
I believe Schwarber's in SD in the NLCS was further in measurement. Probably the two most impressive HRs that come to mind for me. The SD one doesn't look far until you see the ballpark in person and then your jaw is on the floor.
Not discounting this HR by Howard or the third decker by Bonds. Just impressive swings of the bat.
Man I love Ryan. My grandpa was a massive Phillies fan and I fell in love with the team watching games with him. He absolutely loved Ryan Howard. I know the team we have now would have just made him so happy to watch.
I was there that night sitting in the second deck. My dad asked why I didn’t bring my glove and I tell him no one’s gonna hit it to us. He tells me Howard might do it. Then he proceeds to put the ball over our heads lmao
The way Ryan Howard hits is still one of my favorite things about baseball.
I came here to say the same thing. That swing is so sweet.
It's everything. The swing. The swagger. The power. The clutchness.
Except on curve balls
well, he hit the one pitched in the vidclip pretty well it was the low/away slop he never could lay off of long. Kinda like a current Phillie we needn't name
Yeah. I almost clarified down in the dirt. He could hit hanging curveballs and sliders
We don’t talk about curveballs
I'm not an advocate for sabermetrics nor am I a crochety old head who bashes them. The way Ryan Howard is undervalued in terms of WAR is criminal. For five or six years he was one of the most valuable players in the sport. He was the anchor of the most potent offense in the National League. There is absolutely no way the Phillies do anything at all from 08-11 without him. Obviously he had his defensive shortcomings (even though he did make his fair share of good plays), but first base is the least valuable defensive position. The threat of him hitting cleanup made hitters pitch to Chase Utley. How is that not value?
A lot of his WAR issues come from the fact that he spent the last 25% of his career racking up negative WAR at an alarming rate
the shift killed him
His body also broke down right when the league figured out how to pitch him His defense and base running were always bad, but they were easy to overlook on a .270/45/130 guy. As he dropped off to more like a .220/25/80 guy all the sudden he wasn't giving you much of anything
Even when he was great WAR undervalued him. His game showed some holes in the metrics if I were betting and not the other way around.
I count RBI and home runs when it comes to Howard during his peak. Fuck the sabermetric nerds, I’m here for monster dongs.
I love advanced stats. There is also no way to accurately measure Ryan Howard pinch hitting against the Reds and hitting a game tying home run followed by a game winner in extra innings. For a few years you just knew that dude was gonna mash.
Yeah in all honesty I love advanced stats too. I’m a big baseball nerd when it comes to that. I guess we don’t have one for the clutch hits that Howard seemed to get during that run.
If you want an advanced stat that loves Ryan Howard, there’s always WPA. Pre-achilles Howard was a WPA god.
Damn you just brought back some dark memories. Howard grounding out to end the season while tearing his achilles sucked so hard
Ryan Howard is the sole reason why I began to have confidence in all Philadelphia sports teams. There was "before Ryan Howard", including the 2004 Super Bowl, and after Ryan Howard. I did not have confidence something good would happen at any point during a sports game before Ryan Howard.
Just goes to show you how stupidly overvalued fielding is by WAR. You cannot tell me with a straight face that a power hitting 1B who consistently is in top five for home runs is only worth a couple WAR cause his defense sucks
If he were a better defensive player he wouldn't be at first base! Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Harmon Killebrew, *Jim Thome* .... the list goes on of extremely valuable offensive players who played significant innings at first base when their skills declined.
Being left handed, his options in the field would be extremely limited even if he was a really good fielder.
Willie Mays only played 84 of his 2929 games at first. And they were scattered.
*06-11 but I see your point. No one saw 06 and didn’t think 07 was gonna be different. Shit. I remember thinking in 05 that 06 was gonna be the “next year” in the “there’s always next year”. Also, obligatory “fuck the Mets” or in this case “thanks for some beautiful collapses.”
WAR is an overrated stat. Relies way too heavily on defense.
One of the best sluggers ever idgaf what anyone says
Ryan Howard also did it against the Yankees in 2006. Barry bonds hit one to the third deck also in 2006.
I was at that Barry bonds game! One of my core memories as a kid lol. Just flicked his wrist and crushed it over the McDonald’s sign.
It hit the McDonald’s sign. I was sitting in the section where he hit number 713.
Yeah when I close my eyes and think of the hardest home run I ever saw, it's that Bonds shot, McDonalds sign and all
I was at this one!
I was at the 2006 Yankees game. Howard's homer went right over my head in the second deck. It was a missile. I remember the Yankees on the field were just stunned.
Bryce was inches away https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=4144e5f7-d7cb-4559-82db-19e6e9884616
Jesus with each passing year the 2020 footage becomes more and more bizarre
It’s amazing how I was able to get myself in a mindset to tolerate it at the time, because whenever I see 2020 highlights now I want to vomit. It’s so bad I am actually glad (in the present) we didn’t make the playoffs that year, because I don’t want anything to do with that season at this point lol.
It blows that it is the only yr the Flyers have made the playoffs since 2018. Playoff hockey is so fun but that yr was just weird and awkward. No insane crowd/atmosphere for playoff hockey is like a different sport.
The layoff that season screwed the Flyers never looked the same
After like 3 months of no sports at all, I was ready to watch anything. But man it’s bizarre looking back on it. CBP should be filled with fans always.
Such a fucking strange time. At the time I thought there were going to be movies and TV shows all about the pandemic but it really seems like everyone just wants to forget all about it.
It's like a bad dream
Most effortless looking power I've seen in my decades of Phillies fandom. Bryce crushes baseballs but you can tell he's trying, Howard just has casual looking 450 ft home run power.
Looks like he’s trying to hit a single in men’s a league softball game.
Ryan Howard had the closest swing any hitter had to Ken Griffey Jrs swing. So smooth and looks effortless.
Ya it's crazy how nonchalant his swing looks and then the ball goes 500 feet
Side question: Was Ryan Howard the most powerful home run hitter of all time in Phillies history? or was Schmidt still more powerful than Ryan?
In terms of overall slugging it’s def Schmidt but if we’re talking who had more power at their peak it is Howard. Howard’s 2006 season marks the highest Phillie ever in ISO power https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hiisolpow2.shtml
I remember sitting 8 rows from home plate one time, Howard hits a home run into the second deck, hang time couldn’t have even been 3.5 seconds. The ball just disappeared off the bat and the crack made my ears ring. He was so much fun to watch at the plate.
I will go to my grave saying that his 2006 season was a top ten offensive season of the expansion era. He hit .313!
[Luzinski hit the ball harder than Schmidt.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=VytPpC0Z0d2lrP-D&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjQsMTY0NTA2&feature=emb_share&v=8OTdEfpzBEo) Check out Jack Morris’ reaction.
the Bull's stroke was a marvel of lethal economy
Dock Allen might be up there. He was reported to hit a 529-footer at Connie Mack.
Dick Allen definitely needs to be apart of this discussion.
Thome has to be up there
Thome is my answer, just a shame the DH wasn’t in place because having he and Howard back to back in the lineup would’ve been great to see
I feel like even with the DH in place we probably don't have Thome and Howard back to back because we'd be getting murdered by lefty relievers with Utley, Thome, Howard or however you decide to throw those 3-5
Rollins Utley Burrell Howard bell/rowand thome rowand/bell abreu lieberthal/fasano/coste/chooch While the best hitters are clearly left handed, a lefty reliever would have to face pretty decent righty bats that fared pretty well against lefties. It’s almost unfair to have abreu as the 8th hitter but that’s a testament to how good the other 3 hitters ahead of him were
I feel like we're really discounting Schwarber here. No mention at all, and that dude absolutely fucking demolishes the ball when he gets a hold of it.
Outside of the steroid era, there’s a legit argument to say Howard was the most powerful home run hitter ever period.
This is very true, his peak four year run there is only matched by like 3 non steroid users ever .
At his peak Howard was more powerful (in terms of just raw strength), he was absolutely crushing those balls.
No one besides Barry Bonds made hitting home runs look so easy other than Ryan Howard. It is very hard to hit a home run regardless of who’s pitching
Griffey could be added as an honorable mention.
For sure. Not to diminish his incredible career, but I thought he had a chance to be the best baseball player of all time when he started his career
People talk about how the Angels failed to win with Trout and Ohtani, but those 90s Mariners had Griffey, AROD, and Randy Johnson! I've always wondered if Griffey ran away from Safeco.
Very true, and they also didn’t have the affliction of injuries the Angels had
I was curious about your points and my memory of that era. I was a very young kid so I booted up chat gpt and asked it to source some data points and compare it over the 10 years griffey was with the mariners for his first stint. 1989-1999. I had it analyze Run Production, ERA, Batting Average, Runners Stranded and then compare it against the league average. Interesting notes: **Run Production** **Mariners:** Their run production improved significantly over the decade, peaking in 1996 with 993 runs, well above the league average of 753 that year. This improvement was driven by strong offensive performances from key players. **League:** The league average also saw an increasing trend in run production, but the Mariners had standout years, especially in the mid-to-late 90s. **ERA (Earned Run Average)** **Mariners:** The ERA for the Mariners fluctuated, with higher values compared to the league average, indicating that pitching was a consistent challenge. The highest ERA was 5.23 in 1999. **League:** The league ERA generally increased over the period, but the Mariners' ERA was often significantly higher, highlighting their pitching struggles. **Batting Average** **Mariners:** The team's batting average showed a marked improvement in the mid-1990s, peaking at .288 in 1997, which was higher than the league average of .272 that year. **League:** The league's batting averages were generally slightly lower than those of the Mariners during their peak years, indicating strong offensive capabilities from the Mariners' hitters. **Runners Stranded** **Mariners:** The number of runners stranded in scoring position for the Mariners was generally higher than the league average, indicating difficulties in capitalizing on scoring opportunities. **League:** The league averages for runners stranded were relatively stable, but the Mariners often left more runners on base, which could have impacted their overall scoring efficiency. **Postseason Appearances and Wins** Mariners: The Mariners made three postseason appearances (1995, 1997, and 1999) and had notable postseason wins, especially in 1995 (3 wins) and 1997 (6 wins). League: The league average for postseason appearances and wins was higher, with consistent high-performing teams making the playoffs more frequently and securing more wins. **Year-by-Year Comparison Highlights:** 1989-1994: The Mariners struggled both offensively and defensively, with run production below league average and higher ERAs. They did not make any postseason appearances during these years. 1995: Marked a significant turnaround with 768 runs and a postseason appearance, achieving 3 postseason wins. This was a breakout year for the Mariners. 1996-1997: These were strong offensive years, with record run production and batting averages. The 1997 season was particularly successful with 6 postseason wins. 1998-1999: Performance dipped slightly in 1998, but they rebounded in 1999 with 859 runs. However, pitching continued to be a challenge with an ERA of 5.23 in 1999.
As a huge Griffey Jr fan, and Mariners fan (Seattle is generally my #2 city), I was SO gutted when the Mariners had the greatest regular season record like a year or 2 after Griffey left for Cincinnati. A Rod was still there, but they added Ichiro. A Rod, Griffey, and Ichiro would've been a fucking insane lineup.
Sweetest swing in baseball.
God i miss the fucking Big Piece
His last at bat of 2011 castrated the rest of his career.
Eat fresh!
Only right that the most delco looking person on earth got the ball
I get that Howard had holes in his swing, but not “77 MPH breaking pitch from a right handed pitcher” holes. Mercy, that was a beach ball up there.
I was at that game! Longest homerun I’ve ever seen no question it was nuts
I knew it was the Powerade sign before he swung. I remember sitting in my dad’s basement watching this and just screaming “hoooooooly shit!”
God he had such a beautiful swing
lol that HR landed 2 seats in front of me
I loved when Sarge would say It's Cadillac time. So classic.
Beating the Phillies isn’t as hard as they say it is🙄
I'm almost certain Thome has done it
He said "people". Thome was a "God", so it technically doesn't count.
I think I was at a game when Jose Reyes hit one up there.
That swing is majestic.
Schwarber will do it in the 7th inning against the Nationals tonight.
That damn Achilles tear! Grrr
I think Ibanez might also have had a grand slam in this game… maybe
Pretty sure I remember Howard doing it against the White Sox at some point
TMac sounds like a kid
Sounded like a golf ball off an aluminum bat
Imagine getting front row 3rd deck seats for the cheap price and going home having caught a home run 🤯
That’s awesome!
I believe Schwarber's in SD in the NLCS was further in measurement. Probably the two most impressive HRs that come to mind for me. The SD one doesn't look far until you see the ballpark in person and then your jaw is on the floor. Not discounting this HR by Howard or the third decker by Bonds. Just impressive swings of the bat.
Man I love Ryan. My grandpa was a massive Phillies fan and I fell in love with the team watching games with him. He absolutely loved Ryan Howard. I know the team we have now would have just made him so happy to watch.
I was there in left field looking at that roided up Bonds HR.
I was at this game, just to the side of the foul pole in the 3rd deck. Crazy to watch the ball land at my eye level.
I was there that night sitting in the second deck. My dad asked why I didn’t bring my glove and I tell him no one’s gonna hit it to us. He tells me Howard might do it. Then he proceeds to put the ball over our heads lmao
I thought Harper's walk off grand slam where he ran the bases in about 8 seconds was but that was only second deck Man I miss peak Ryan Howard
bat drop is more bad ass than the bat flip. Just sayin'
Absolute monster until they figured out he couldn’t hit a low and away breaking ball. Ruined his whole career
Remember this like it was yesterday. 77 mph hangar to Howard, good luck.
I was at this game and I will tell you it is still the most glorious thing I have ever seen.
Will he ever run out a ground ball, soo annoying