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CLEARWATER, Fla. — When approached at his locker before the final game of the 2014 season, Ryan Howard was a little surprised people thought there was a chance he wouldn’t be in a Phillies uniform when the baseball schedule resumed.
But then an offseason of trade rumors began; the rebuilding Phillies worked aggressively in their attempts to trade Howard. In December, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a radio interview that the team would be better off without Howard (he later apologized to Howard).
Howard also spent a portion of his offseason settling an ugly lawsuit with his family. It’s difficult to believe he’s on speaking terms with his parents or his twin brother, Corey.
But, really, how was your winter, Ryan?
For the first time since that final Sunday of September, Howard spoke to the media when he went 2-for-2 with two singles and an RBI in the Phillies’Grapefruit League opener against the New York Yankees, which ended in a 5-5 tie.
Howard politely avoided reporters’ requests during his first 8 days in camp. But he said he would be open to talking when there was something to talk about, as in something he did or didn’t do in an actual game.
The games began this week and Howard was ready to talk yesterday — but wanted to keep it to questions strictly pertaining to the game. The upbeat and affable Howard clearly was not interested in delving into any topics that he deemed negative.
“What good does it do?” Howard said. “Where’s the benefit — what’s the benefit of it? Why be negative? You know? It takes a lot more energy to be negative than it does to be positive. Negative, bad. Positive, good. That’s it. When you throw it out there like that, bro, there’s no need to be negative. It doesn’t help.”
Howard makes a fair point. And, to be fair, some questions do not need to be asked.
For example: Did the fact that his parents wanted $10 million to settle a lawsuit and walk away from his finances weigh on his mind during the 2014 season? What do you think?
To his credit, Howard also took the proverbial high road in avoiding Amaro’s comments from the winter, too. And he showed up to camp last week looking like a young player determined to get the most out of his talent on the field, not like a 35-year-old who will make upward of $180 million when his career is over.
Howard changed his dieting in November, cutting out sugars. Yesterday, he guessed that he was down 15 to 20 pounds from his normal playing weight. He’s looked lighter on his feet and more agile both on the basepaths and at first base.
Howard had a bad-hop ball bounce over his head early in yesterday’s game against, but impressed manager Ryne Sandberg with his five innings.
“He showed some good movement on the field, some range on some plays,” Sandberg said. “He did a good job on a high throw over there at first base.”
And, at the plate, where Howard dumped a single to left in the second inning and turned on a pitch for a RBI single to right in the fourth?
“He squared some balls up,” Sandberg said. “I liked him going to leftfield, opening up the field … I thought he had some good swings. He fouled off some balls before one of the base hits. So I see some better bat speed this early in the spring than I did last year this early.”
Howard made some drastic alterations to his batting stance since he was last on a big-league field. He’s standing taller; his feet are closer together. His hands are lower, giving him a quicker path to the ball.
“I’m trying to see about getting them in the zone quicker,” Howard said. “[I] just looked at some old video and stuff. Some in ‘06 I was way down, and then it looked like I suddenly began creeping up over the years. So just video over the years, finding what was comfortable.”
Howard has worked on his approach throughout the winter and has continued this spring, with former manager Charlie Manuel alongside him.
“Charlie comes in with a great attitude, he’s always funny,” Howard said. “Keeps you loose, keeps you lax. The guy knows hitting. It’s always good to be with Charlie.”
Manuel also preaches positivity and eschews negativity. It wasn’t an accident that the two were paired when the Phillies’ front office and coaching staff placed hitters with instructors this spring.
After two hits in two at-bats, it was easy for Howard to continue with his positive mantra and put a happy face on a camp that had a chance to be pretty awkward.
“I think that goes a long way for what he’s trying to do,” Sandberg said of Howard’s productive first day at the plate. “He’ll continue to work with our guys. But to have some early success goes a long way. For him to also have success and lock into something he can stick with.”
Success has been fleeting for Howard in the last 3 years. The fact that his decline has coincided with the Phillies’ fall from grace, reeling off three consecutive non-winning seasons after 5 straight years in the playoffs, is no coincidence. And it has made Howard the face of a flailing franchise.
Howard is still owed a minimum of $60 million on the 5-year, $125 million deal he signed in April 2010. Coupled with his declining production — his OPS has gone down in every year since 2009, from .931 to .690 — Howard is close to untradeable.
But that’s just the kind of stuff Howard isn’t interested in hearing about.
“Like I said before, everything that happened in the past is in the past,” Howard said to wrap up an answer to a question regarding expectations he’s heard from Amaro and Sandberg coming into camp.
“We’re all moving forward,” he continued, clearly trying to end the scrum session with reporters after nearly 8 minutes. “The media is moving forward, we’re moving forward. What’s that saying, S.P., a wise man once said?”
S.P. was Scott Palmer, Phillies director of public affairs, who was in the aforementioned scrum session with reporters.
“In the race, you take the rearview mirror and you rip it off,” Palmer said.
“That’s right,” Howard interjected.
“Because what’s behind me,” Palmer continued, “is no longer a concern to me.”
Howard smiled.
“Y’all got that?” he said.