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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

When fans of the Philadelphia Phillies think about the World Series, their minds probably flash to 1980 or 2008. The euphoria of the most passionate sports city in the world created memories that will last a lifetime and pass through generations.

The Phillies are one of the oldest franchises in professional sports. You might hear more often about how they were the first to lose 10,000 games, but they've also reached the World Series eight times.

The Fightin’ Phils waited nearly a century of existence and 77 years after the first Fall Classic before winning their first championship ring. The early years included runs from some of the all-time greats, including the renowned “Whiz Kids” in 1950.

The great teams of the 1970s and 1980s captured two more National League pennants. Legends of the game like Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Pete Rose reached the level of franchise allure. One decade later, one of the most beloved teams in Philly sports history took the town by storm.

Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley carried the torch during the 21st century. Bryce Harper has taken over and led the Phillies into a new era.

Baseball cherishes its history more than any other sport. Memories of America’s (former?) Pastime help maintain the love that fans have for the sports and for their teams. When a long summer culminates in a World Series run in October, they get to witness an event for the history books.

Phillies fans have of course suffered through more losses than any other professional sports franchises. The hardships of the past allow them to cherish the memories of success that they’ve hung around long enough to enjoy.

Grover Cleveland Alexander led the Phillies to their first World Series appearance in franchise history in 1915. He went 31-10 in 49 starts for a team that called the Baker Bowl in North Philadelphia their home. The Phillies won Game 1 of the World Series with Alexander on the mound, but the Red Sox rallied for four straight to take the title.

The “Whiz Kids” shocked the world by winning the National League pennant on the backs of stars Del Ennis, Richie Ashburn, and Robin Roberts. The miracle season didn’t have a happy ending, however. Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees swept the underdog Phillies to win their second of five consecutive World Series.

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.

Schmidt led the Phillies to another National League pennant three years later. A 3-1 series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS sent the Phillies back to the World Series for the second time in four tries during the most successful era in franchise history.

The stars of the team didn't appear as ripe as the 1950 Whiz Kids, so the Wheeze Kids moniker fit them a little better.

Future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray helped the Orioles break the dreams of Philadelphia fans. They took down the Phillies in five games, including a 5-0 whimper at Veterans Stadium in the clincher.

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.

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.

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.

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.