Ryan Howard started 2005 in the Minors, but the St. Louis native was summoned twice to replace an injured Jim Thome.
His amazing efforts kept the Philadelphia Phillies relevant in the National League Wild Card and earned him the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
“It’s just a great honor,” Howard, a Lafayette High School graduate said Monday.
“I was happy to make the most of my opportunity. Unfortunately we didn’t get to the postseason.”
They almost did, and Howard was a big reason why. Half of his 22 homers and 27 of his 63 RBI came after Aug. 31, when the Phillies were keeping the pressure on the Astros.
Howard, who turns 26 next week, garnered 19 of 32 first-place votes from among ballots cast by two writers in each NL city. He received three second-place votes and one third-place vote for a total of 109 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system.
That easily outdistanced Astros outfielder Willy Taveras, who many thought had the edge because he played a full season for a team that made the playoffs. Taveras captured seven first-place votes and totaled 78 points.
Overall, Howard batted .288 and drove in 63 runs in 312 at-bats, and the Phillies went 16-6 in games in which he homered, mostly because of the rookie’s impeccable timing.
On Aug. 10 — the day the Phillies learned that Thome had elected to have season-ending elbow surgery — Howard clubbed a ninth-inning first-pitch grand slam off Yhency Brazoban that reached the blue seats at Dodger Stadium.
Howard’s other game-winning grand slam came against the Braves, in the top of the 10th inning on Sept. 21. It was his first shot off a lefty, and Manuel joked after the game that he instructed the rookie to hit a home run.
Howard has answered the question at least a million times, to the point where’s perfected it. He has two answers, one during the season and one during the offseason.
As for what will happne when – and if – Thome returns next season, Howard said, “I’m on vacation right now, trying to relax,” he said.
“I can’t worry about that. That’s not my call for what happens next year.”
