In progress: Ryan Howard has apparently recovered from the flu, homering twice this afternoon in Clearwater. His second was a three-run, tape-measure shot to right field off left-hander Ron Villone. Aaron Rowand has also homered in this game, and the Phillies lead the Yankees 7-2 after four innings.
Update: Phillies win this one 11-10. Howard finishes 4-4 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs. Flash Gordon made his Phillies debut and could not nail down the save, allowing two runs in the ninth that tied the score. Chris Coste continued his hot hitting, driving in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies improve to 2-0 in Grapefruit League play.
Next up: Split squad action! The Phils host Bobby Abreu and Team Venezuela, my favorite to win the WBC, and also send a squad to nearby Dunedin to take on the retooled Blue Jays.
Television: The Phils make their spring television debut Sunday at 1:05 p.m. on UPN against the Astros.
Photo correspondent: Beerleaguer reader and frequent commentor Billy Mac is sending photos from spring training through March 8, including the shots you see here. Pictured right is Flash Gordon making his Phillies debut. Thank you, Billy Mac. We look forward to seeing more from Clearwater. (Click on the images to see them at a larger size).
I think it is officially time for Ryan to get a nickname deserving of his prowess...yes I know the RyHo or Baby Ortiz moniker is somewhat being used, but this dude is a legit Big Hurt type guy so I think the time has come.
Posted by: That Dude | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 03:18 PM
Last season some of my buddies and I (Phillies Fans) started calling Ryan Howard, "BIG HOWIE"
Met him at the Philly Auto Show too, he's seems like a real down to earth guy too.
Posted by: Double E | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 03:41 PM
Last year my friends and I started calling him King Kong Ding Dong. And don't read anything racial into it because it wasn't meant to be. He's a beast.
Posted by: Fred | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 03:58 PM
Too bad "Godzilla" is already taken. He's gonna be a monster.
How about "King Kong?"
Anyway, too bad he's in for a "softmore slump." Otherwise, he could really do something this year.
Posted by: pawnking | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:00 PM
Darn you, Fred. You stole my line!
Posted by: pawnking | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:01 PM
Dude, don't take this the wrong way, but uh, Big Howie I don't think cuts it.
May I suggest The Big Train or to steal from Sandberg, Ryno
Posted by: That Dude | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:11 PM
or maybe the RyHooooooooo Train lol.
Posted by: that dude | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:13 PM
Cmon J, you know you aren't big time until you get the nickname that can be used in baseball Tonight promose and updates.
Big Papi, Vlad the Impaler...et al
Posted by: that dude | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:14 PM
How about Ryan Howard?
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:15 PM
Hmmmmm, Ryan "Ryan Howard" Howard.
I like it! Catchy! Easy to remember!
Posted by: pawnking | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:18 PM
He's so easy going. How about:
Big easy.
Posted by: longwood | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:52 PM
Great minds think alike. "King Kong, The 8th Wonder of the World"
So maybe we call him the 8th Wonder of the World.
Posted by: Fred | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:52 PM
I've been calling him "Ryan-O" since last season, since physically, that's about what he is, a huge Rhino-like beast capable of destruction at any minute. RSandberg's people might have a problem with that, tho. Don't give hm the Boby Papi/ortiz name, look what it did for Baby Jordan, Harold Miner. Don't know if any of you saw the game, but those two HRs weren't CBP HRs. They would have been way out of any park, including yellowstone (har har).
Posted by: gr | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:57 PM
Hippo
Posted by: Bubba | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:57 PM
Howard:
4 for 4, 5 rbis, 2 dingers,
Posted by: Fred | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 04:57 PM
Ryan's second HR actually left the ball park, clearing the second fence beyond the lawn area in right field. It was a monster shot.
Posted by: Billy Mac | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 05:30 PM
Please, no more JRoll, CWebb, JWill like nicknames. Those are lame.
Posted by: Michael Carboni | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 05:34 PM
King Kong = Dave Kingman, sorry.
How 'bout just "Monster"?
Posted by: Timmeh | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 07:33 PM
For all of Howard's homer hitting prowess, the thing that stands out most in my mind from last year was an on-air interview in which he used the word "radius" in a sentence. I don't think I've ever heard a ballplayer use "radius" in a sentence, except maybe for Tim McCarver trying to impress somebody.
Anyhow, whenever I think of Howard I think Radius. Not much of nickname, I suppose, but it beats those cartoon/comic book things. I do think a good nickname should reflect something of the player's personality and not be just something grabbed out of the back pocket. After he's been around a while longer a good one should emerge.
Posted by: Nat | Friday, March 03, 2006 at 09:15 PM
"Plow" Howard
Posted by: c | Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 02:38 AM
The Phils are down by two runs in the bottom ninth.It's a big game against the Mets and Wagner is in for the save.With two on and two out the Phils sure could use a big "blast" here.Up to the plate steps the Phils best longball weapon,the kid known as the Howardzer."Could it be" yes.http://www.yuma.army.mil/mw/images/01c652.jpg
Posted by: Joe E. | Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 03:04 AM
BTW, That's a picture of the weapon know as a HOWITZER
Posted by: Joe E. | Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 03:23 AM
Better Picture http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/_/viewer.aspx?path=0/03/&name=Howitzer_firing.jpg
Posted by: Joe E. | Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 03:32 AM
When he was in Reading, we called him the "Howitzer."
Posted by: M.D. | Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 10:42 AM
I think "Howitzer" is good.
I'm not too concerned about Flash's outing. The results of hitting is a lot more important than pitching in early spring.
Although, I have to ask this:
How can we have Flash Gordon on the same team as his arch-nemisis, Ming-the-Merciless? (or did Brett shave that pointy thing off?)
Posted by: pawnking | Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 12:31 PM
I heard that second HR he hit ended up landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Posted by: enrico | Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 03:40 PM
Hey M.D. You say "we" called him howitzer in Reading. One question, who is we?
Posted by: Joe E. | Sunday, March 05, 2006 at 10:19 AM