Weak Trip Salvaged by Howard Signing
The Phillies return from an extended road trip tonight after going a very average 4-5. An apparently overrated Atlanta Braves team and a fluky win on getaway day against San Francisco salvaged the trip, along with the long-term signing of Ryan Howard. There’s actually plenty to be concerned about with the Phillies, but Howard’s signing certainly isn’t one of them. People complaining about the team locking up a future Hall of Fame player essentially through his career need to have their head examined. Howard is being compared to Babe Ruth by legitimate baseball people. Focusing on his number of strikeouts is moronic. The guy is already one of the all-time Phillie, has shown a willingness to work hard in areas that he once struggled like fielding, and has been nothing but a class act. Averting the nightmare scenario of ever seeing Howard in a Yankee uniform alone makes the deal worthwhile. If people wanted bitch about a lack of productivity at the end of the contract – far from a given –