But back to basics:  Howard has three straight 45-135 seasons.  It’s not always fair to compare across eras, but only three players in history have done that:  Ruth, Griffey, and the steroids-tainted Sosa.  If you expand the list to include players who have had three such seasons at any point in their careers, the list (as far as I can tell in my quick check on things) only expands by two more steroids-tainted players, ARod and Manny.   If Howard is clean (and there is no reason to think he isn’t, given that the bulk of his career has taken place with strict[er] testing), his accomplishments are truly notable and rare, standing with the best untainted player of his generation (Griffey).

As for Howard’s “oblitera[tive]” recent campaigns (’06-’08), keep in mind, they’ve also included 45 spirit-depletive errors along with 579
drooping Ks in drive to achieve team goals.

Criticism for his HR & RBI production is fair within the framework of post-season play, where ‘big money’ players ostensibly earn their money.  76 PA/64 AB/4 HR/10 RBI/.266/23 K/32 TB.
Mr. October, he’s not.

Howard summation:  He ain’t bad but he ain’t great.  And he’s lucky he plays in the bangball era, w/smaller strike zone, facing ”temperate” pitchers.    
             

     

And your statement that “Most everyday clean-up hitters in this era approach 35 & 110″ is even less in line with the facts.  Now, you gave yourself an out by saying “approach,” but I think it’s fair to say that if you think an “average” clean-up hitter “approaches” 35-110, then a “good” clean-up hitter consistently reaches 35-110?  Well, in the 2006-2008 time period (Howard’s years as a full-time player), a 35-110 season has been done 26 times.  Only 5 players have done it twice out of three years: Pujols, Howard, Delgado, and the steroids-clouded ARod and Ortiz.  Only one player has done it all three years:  Howard.  And Howard didn’t just surpass those standards, he obliterated them (45-135 each year).   But even if we lower those standards to the more pedestrian 35-110, Howard stands alone.  If you want to criticize Howard, HR-RBI production is not the way to do it.

From my point of view, Howard is only overpaid in the sense that every baseball player is overpaid …

In their honor, let’s rename the mound “Rocking Chair Mountain”.  All well past primes.  Their “best stuff” at Howard? – hardly.  Today’s Howard vs. above pitchers in their primes:  his .297 average would very likely sink.  My basic point – premier pitcher, present tense, eats him alive, 3 times out of 4 (and that’s being generous to Howard).

As for his always being near top in HRs & RBIs – no doubt about that, but he bats 4th, swings from his heels without diminished playing time consequence of Ks, is favored with scads of baserunners and plays in the cushy confines of CBP.  Most everyday clean-up hitters in this era approach 35 & 110, or they’re not holding up their end. 

Also, his ’09 1st baseman fielding pct. of .990 is under the league avg. of .994 – even in this, his trimmed-down, oft-mentioned ‘glove renaissance’ season.

Ryan Howard:  ” The Big Overpaid Man” … as more than chicks dig the long ball, evidence bears out.  

But I think Howard is an even more frustrating star.

Didn’t mean to be come across quite so curt.  Nice work by you.

I actually double checked because I thought that Howard must have had some ABs against Halladay.  Surprisingly, he does not, but I ended up coming across his record against Johnson in the process. 

Pete: funny, Howard succeeded another feast-or-famine type player in Thome, but Howard is even more extreme (more strikeouts and more homers).  I go back and forth when discussing with fellow Phillie fans whether someone like Youkilis would be just as effective in Howard’s spot (higher average and better eye, but lower power).  Then again, Youkilis is himself an all-star, and there really aren’t that many first basemen around baseball that you could argue would be better than Howard in the Phillies’ lineup  (fellow MVPs Pujols and Morneau, maybe Teixeira, maybe Youkilis — it’s a short list).