Ryan Howard breaks toe; season over
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Ryan Howard breaks toe; season over
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
MIAMI — No one moment can better characterize this cursed Phillies season than Ryan Howard breaking his right big toe while standing in the on-deck circle. He did it Thursday by dropping a lead pipe he uses for practice swings.
The $125 million slugger's season, the most trying of his career, is over. "It was a learning process," Howard said.
What was the No. 1 lesson?
"Don't get hurt."
The broken toe, believed to be a hairline fracture after Friday X-rays, will not affect his winter training program. He can walk down the aisle at his December wedding without a boot.
It will rob him five final games in 2012, a year made difficult on the final swing of 2011. His ruptured Achilles cost him the first 84 games and sapped him of strength at the plate.
Howard finished with career lows in batting average (.219), on-base percentage (.295) and slugging percentage (.423).
"I know I'm a better hitter than that," Howard said.
"His best years are ahead of him," Charlie Manuel said.
The Phillies sure hope so. They will pay Howard $105 million in the next four seasons.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
His toe is the only thing he has hit hard lately.— mwcnabb- Maybe NOW we'll get to see our future with Darin Ruf playing first base.— ocpizza
- swinging a heavy pipe or heavy club for baseball or golf does not work.When will people get it— joeski
- "He did Thursday it by dropping a lead pipe he uses for practice swings."
Duh, duh, duh - Philly-speak I guess.
— howie_sf - Vick and Howard are season killers. The Eagles are smarter than the Phillies because Vick's contract can be voided after 2012 so we can be spared another season on a thread. Not so with Howard . it doesn't matter if his back leg does heal because every team in the MLB knows how to pitch to this mental basket case. He's another Donnie Moore who failed in the playoffs and was never the same. I hate seeing this guy coming to the plate. It's over and done with. Give him more lead weights so he never has a bat in his hand for the rest of his life.— fafink
- Donnie Moore killed himself after blowing that game in the 1986 playoffs. His story is more tragic than anything else. Don't use him as an example of anything except tragedy.
— TexColorado - Who cares? Pay me Howard's salary and you can break all my toes.— smcoh326
- Will Howard become another Wally Pipp now that Baby Ruf is at 1st base?— GusM
- Not as long as the bubble-blowing, squirrel-hunting bobble head is the manager. — coloradoeagle
- This comment has been deleted. — VOMIT MAN
- ... howard was 26 years and 11 months with his 1st full season...
— LivePhilly_DiePhilly - ... howard was 26 years and 11 months with his 1st full season... (HTML deleted) — LivePhilly_DiePhilly
- I hope he has a pre-nup in place. Phils were stupid with their money lets see if kward learned anything from it.
Does anyone care about what Manuel says anymore? Should have dumped Kward on LA before they took on A "where has my power gone" Gonzalez.— lazyboy - How can you watch a guy drive in more runs than anybody in your league for his entire career, and say he is a waste? Howard has had one bad season, due primarily to a severe injury? You guys are truly FRONTRUNNERS. People like you give the Philadelphia fan it's bad name. Please go root for the Mets or something, because you deserve each other!— Paul SoTX
- Howard has had bad seasons in 2010, 2011, and 2012. — fmMD
