Hamels Snuggles In Bed

Ryan Howard spent an extended spring training working with new coach Sam Perlozzo to improve his defense. The extra effort has not been wasted. Readers weigh in on Howard and other highlights. "Best thing tonight offensively: the Big Man smoking a 3-2 outside fastball to the opposite field (left CF alley) from De La Rosa in the 3rd to empty the bases and put the Phils up 3-2...

Today is Ryan Howard's arbitration hearing. Arbiters will be deciding whether the big slugger will earn 7 million or 10 million next year. We won't hear the results of today's hearing until sometime tomorrow. My prediction? Given that no player has won his arbitration case this year, the Phillies are 7-0 lifetime, and receiveing 10 million in an arbitration case would...

Brett Myers was good enough to keep the Phillies in the game, and the offense finally came to life as all eight position players registered at least one hit, as the Phillies moved to 2-3, topping the Rockies 8-4. The Good: - Ryan Howard had his first breakout game of the season going 2 for 4 with [...]

Every Sunday, Bat Boy BeeZee, BallparkBob and friends and family like to go down to the old ball yard and take some BP.  We’re never going to attract the kind of BP audience that Manny Ramirez or Ryan Howard does, but we can hold our own with the The problem is, however, that our balls ...

Right now, we are right in the thick of the MLB salary arbitration filing period, which will last until January 15. During this time, players with three to five years of major league experience (there is an exception for certain players with two years experience - "Super Twos") can file with the hope that a panel of arbitrators will grant them a pay raise. Last year,...

Between the NFL Draft and the Flyers game, I'll admit that I didn't plan on spending much time watching the Phillies game today. Luckily, thanks to Ryan Howard finally waking up from his slumber, the Phillies offense put the game away early, scoring 5 runs in the first inning to lead the Phillies to an 8-4 victory over the Pirates. Howard had been mired in a deep funk...

The Phillies once again have come up just short in the individual awards: Albert Pujols has been named the NL MVP.As much as my heart said Ryan Howard should have been MVP, it's hard to argue with Albert Pujols being chosen instead. A While Howard had more home runs and RBI's, Pujols had better numbers across the board. A Howard was a huge part of the Phillies late push to...

The Phillies earned their first win without a magic act, as an opportunistic offense used 15 hits to plate eight, and Brett Myers held the Rockies to four, in a total team effort at Coors Field. With the exception of the pitcher, each starter got a hit, including five multi-hit games. Ryan Howard got it going with a bases-clearing double in the third. In the fifth, Jayson Werth&...

With the Winter Meetings on the horizon and just ahead, I return from a three month hiatus from posting here on Metsmerized. I have not been short of words to say or topics to discuss, but the emotional letdown of yet another September meltdown was too much to overcome until now. My outlook for this offseason is optimistic but yet frighteningly realistic at the same time. I do believe...