How Ryan Howard ‘Immersed Himself’ in Negro Leagues History
Ryan Howard took a special interest in the local history of black baseball players during his 13-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies. His background of interest in the Negro Leagues, however, stretches back much further.
Ryan Howard & The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The Big Piece slugged 382 career home runs with the Phillies. He astoundingly averaged 44 home runs and 133 RBI in six seasons from 2006-11, and he hit cleanup for the 2008 World Series champions.
However, he might’ve never had the perseverance to succeed at the professional level without a humbling knowledge of history.
Bob Kendrick, the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, shared some stories on Baseball Tonight about his relationship with Howard.
“I think he came here 9the museum) and immersed himself here fully understanding whatever the challenges of spring training might bring him, it wouldn’t even compare to what those who paved the way for him had to endure to play the game that they loved. He never stopped coming.” -Bob Kendrick
Howard grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, which gave him the chance to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City frequently.
His mother’s family grew up in the Birmingham area just a short ride from Rickwood Field, the historic home of the Birmingham Black Barons.
“Ryan Howard… was coming to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum before we ever knew who Ryan Howard was. He wasn’t Ryan Howard home run champion or Ryan Howard MVP. He was just a youngster at that time in the Phillies organization, and he would come here really on an annual basis and walk through this museum. I really believe… that in many ways, it was his rite of passage.” -Bob Kendrick
Howard Speaks On Rich History
Howard emphasized as a guest on MLB Network the need to recognize the hardships that segregation and racism brought to ballplayers in the Negro Leagues.
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These men maintained their love for the game despite notoriously difficult conditions in organizations operating on low budgets. More widespread recognition for their perseverance is overdue.
“We (modern baseball players) had nothing to complain about compared to what these gentlemen had going on back in those days, but truly, they expressed a love for the game of baseball that was just far and beyond.” -Ryan Howard
The former National League MVP also took initiative to visit surviving Negro League players and invite them to Rickwood Field when the San Francisco Giants take on the St. Louis Cardinals on June 20.
MLB, Negro League Initiatives
Major League Baseball has recently taken steps to recognize the rich history of the Negro Leagues more properly. They made the decision in 2020 to recognize seven Negro Leagues in their all-time statistical records.
The initiative could help change the perception of Negro League talent as secondary to American and National League players of the same era. The record book alteration immediately made Josh Gibson the top average hitter in history at .372 when the statistics merged in 2024.
Howard unsurprisingly took home MVP honors in the East-West Game at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in May. The game capped off a weekend celebrating black baseball history and a new Hall of Fame exhibit honoring the Negro Leagues.
Phillies fans who can’t make make the trip to Rickwood Field in Birmingham or the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City have a much closer option to appreciate Howard’s contributions to preserving the historical legacy of black baseball players.
The Philadelphia Stars played from 1933-1952 and won the Negro National League in 1934. Howard participated in an effort to build honorary monuments and an impressive mural at the site of their old ballpark at 44th and Parkside Avenue in West Philly, just a quick ride down Belmont Avenue from 97.5 The Fanatic’s studios.
Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.
History of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Appearances
Ya Gotta' Believe (1980)
The franchise began as the Philadelphia Quakers in 1883, and the first World Series took place 20 years later. However, Phillies fans had to wait until 1980 to celebrate their first World Series.
Mike Schmidt led the team with two home runs and seven RBIs in the series. Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the final out in Game 6 at Veterans Stadium end the drought.
Macho Row Falls to Joe Carter (1993)
The 1993 Phillies became one of the most beloved teams in Philadelphia sports history because of the “Macho Row” mentality that landed so perfectly with the fan base. A colorful mix of personalities like Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra, and John Kruk helped push the Phillies past the Braves in the NLCS.
One of the most infamous moments in franchise history ended the memorable ride. Mitch Williams surrendered a walk-off home run to Joe Carter in the 9th inning of the Game 6 clincher.
Surviving Mother Nature (2008)
The Phillies announced a new era of dominance in 2007 by storming back on the New York Mets for their first playoff appearance in 14 years. However, they left the fan base hungry for more with a quick playoff exit. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels delivered one year later with an unforgettable playoff run.
Shane Victorino’s grand slam helped the Phillies to a commanding lead in the NLDS. Matt Stairs hit an absolute moonshot at Dodger Stadium. Utley made the best heads-up play in MLB history for the third out of the 7th inning in the clincher.
Mother Nature made them wait two extra days, but Brad Lidge eventually threw the final strike to break a 25-year championship drought for major professional sports teams in Philadelphia. Hamels took home the hardware as the World Series MVP at age 24.
Just Short of Back-to-Back World Series (2009)
The defending NL champions sunk the Dodgers again in the NLCS to advance back to the World Series. Cliff Lee dominated a stacked Yankees lineup in Game 1, but the Phillies ultimately ran out of gas just short of the finish line.
Cole Hamels ended his disappointing 2009 season with a Game 3 loss. Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Hideki Matsui overwhelmed a pitching staff that didn’t have enough behind Lee to win consecutive titles.
"Dancing On My Own" To A Miracle Run (2022)
The Phillies backed into the 2022 MLB Playoffs, but their first postseason trip in over a decade made the fan base forget quickly. A 9th inning rally in the postseason opener raised some eyebrows, and the Phillies set themselves up for the triumphant return of Red October at Citizens Bank Park.
The Atlanta Braves didn’t know what hit them in an NLDS stunner, and Bryce Harper capped off the NLCS with the swing of his life against the San Diego Padres.
Only the Houston Astros stood in the way. The Phillies slugged their way to a 2-1 lead in front of a raucous crowd in Philadelphia, but the Astros responded with a combined no-hitter in Game 4 to suck the momentum out of the miracle Red October run. The series ended with another heartbreaker in a Game 6 loss in Houston.
