Howard Forever to Be a Minor-League Legend
Phillies slugger to have his number retired, but not in Philly (yet).
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Ryan Howard will forever be part of Lakewood BlueClaws history.
Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will have his number officially retired this season -- but not in Philadelphia.
Howard’s No. 29 (guess he didn't wear No. 6 back then) will be hung up forever by the Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League.
Howard played with the Phillies' Single-A affiliate in 2002. The Big Fella crushed 19 homers and 87 RBI while batting .280 in 135 Games with the BlueClaws -- a far cry from the 40-plus homers a season he has made the norm in the Majors.
Likely the 22-year-old Howard was still finding himself in Lakewood. He proved that he had arrived when he was sent back to Lakewood during a 2007 rehab assignment. In eight plate appearances he posted a .500 on-base percentage, one homer and four RBI.
Howard has fond memories for the Jersey town.
“It is a tremendous honor for me to have my number retired by the BlueClaws,” Howard told the AP. “I'm excited to return to Lakewood this summer to participate in the ceremony.”
Howard’s number will be retired on at a pregame ceremony on Sept. 2. (an off-day for the Phillies).
Howard will be the first former BlueClaws player to have his number retired by the team. The only other numbers not up for grabs are Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, which is retired by all minor and major league teams, and John Moss’ No. 50 (Moss was SAL President for 50 years).
“Ryan has gone from a great BlueClaws player to one of the best players in all of baseball,” Lakewood General Manager Geoff Brown said.
The Ry-Guy has made a huge impact with the Phils in only a few seasons. He was voted NL Rookie of the Year in 2005, NL MVP in 2006, NLCS MVP last season, and an anchor of two Phillies World Series teams. This past season, the two-time All-Star became the fastest player ever to hit 200 career home runs, surpassing Ralph Kiner's record.
Maybe the Lakewood number retirement is just the beginning -- a space out on Ashburn Ally could be in his future.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia
Posted Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010 - 5:39 PM EST
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