Getting paid

Ryan Howard is really the media darling for the national press that covers Major league Baseball. Aside from the big N.Y. Times story in their sports tab that appeared late last week, Howard has been described as the “anti-Bonds,” who along with Albert Pujols, is expected to rescue baseball from the plague of supposed drug cheats.

That’s a pretty big task for a guy with just a bit more Major League service time than Cole Hamels.

So when the Phillies handed Howard a one-year deal worth a cool $900,000, it touched off a tiny wave of chatter around these parts. After all, Howard smacked 58 homers, drove in 149 runs, hit .313 and posted gaudy numbers all over the stat sheet to win the MVP Award in his very first full season in the Major Leagues.

Let’s repeat that part… his very first full season in the Major Leagues.

Based on the sentiment from certain segments, the Phillies should have run out with their wallet open, a blank check and a contract ready for Howard to fill out the way he saw fit. Better yet, folks are reacting the way they do when stores open at 3 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and they just have to run out there and beat the crap out of each other and trample over human carcasses just to get a superficial piece of crap Cabbage Patch Doll…

You know, because it’s going to be a collector’s item one day. Oh no, it’s not an impulse buy or one of those keeping-up-with-everyone else moves. Consumers are looking long term when they buy Cabbage Patch or Tickle Me Elmo.

Now we aren’t comparing Howard to trendy plastic dolls or superficial silliness. Not at all. But we will compare him to a player with just one full Major League season under his belt who cannot become a free agent until 2011. In that regard, Howard got what he deserved… and then some. Just once in the history of the game has a player with Howard’s experience been paid as much as Howard and that was Albert Pujols.

Just as an aside and for fun, let’s throw this out there: Knowing what we know now, who would you rather have Howard or Pujols? Go ahead… think about it. While you’re thinking, how’s this fact – Howard is two months older than Pujols.

From all reports – published or not – Howard seems to understand the baseball salary structure and knows he has to wait in line in order to get the grotesque salary he apparently covets.

Here’s another aside… I always loved it when guys like Jimmy Rollins teased Howard about not really “getting paid” yet.

Meanwhile, the Phillies apparently talked about a long-term deal with Howard’s people before they came to an impasse and Howard only received his $900,000. Based on that it seems as if the Phillies will continue talks with Howard’s camp, but in the meantime the slugger has to go out there and try not to be Joe Charboneau. In that regard, I still can’t get over the synopsis from the Baseball Prospectus guide that came out late last week:

Historically, players like Howard, big-bodied guys with limited defensive skills such as Mo Vaughn and Boog Powell, tended to have high but brief peak periods. Their legs just couldn’t carry that much mass for very long, and around 30 their defense plummeted, their playing time dropped due to nagging injuries, and their singles dried up and disappeared. The Phillies should have a three-year window in which they can expect this kind of production from Howard, but should not plan beyond that.

Here’s one more question: just what did Howard lose in being stuck behind Jim Thome for two seasons?