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The final day of the regular season has arrived, which means we’re in store for some emotional goodbyes around Major League Baseball.
Sunday will mark the final broadcast of Vin Scully’s Hall of Fame career. He’s set to retire after 67 years in the Dodgers television booth. The Red Sox will also say a formal farewell to David Ortiz, though obviously we’ll see more of him in the postseason. One farewell though that’s been overlooked is that of Ryan Howard in Philadelphia.
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Perhaps that’s in part due to the New York Mets playoff push, which ended Saturday with a wild card berth. Perhaps it’s in part due to the Phillies being way out of the race. Whatever the case, the focus Sunday should be on Howard as he suits up for the Phillies one final time.
We know our focus will be there. The*Mets-Phillies game will be our season finale of the MLB Free Game of the Day on Yahoo Sports. You can stream the game at Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index and video home beginning at 3:05 p.m. ET., and you can do so without missing a second of the action in the other important games.
Ryan Howard says goodbye to Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. (AP) It’s long been known that the Phillies would not be picking up Howard’s $25 million option for 2017. With the team in full rebuild mode, he won’t be coming back on a lesser deal either. This is really it. Howard is moving on, and the team is moving on, but not before honoring him with a pregame ceremony. It’s also expected he’ll be in the lineup.
Howard hasn’t been all that productive in a few years now, which could be traced back to his Achilles injury in the 2011 playoffs. Howard has not topped 25 homers or 100 RBIs in a season since, and he’s not a candidate for a resurgence at age 36.*Of course, that’s not to say there’s no magic left in his bat. His game-tying two-run homer on Saturday was a big moment.*He might help an AL team as a designated hitter, but his days as a regular are over.
Howard’s legacy in Philadelphia is secure though, even if fans have been frustrated with his enormous contract and unproductive finish.*Howard was named MVP in 2006. He was a key part of the Phillies 2008 World Series championship. He brought a lot of joy and excitement during his prime years, and those years are worthy of a grand farewell. We’re hoping that’s exactly what he gets on Sunday, from the organization and the fans.
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Sunday will mark the final broadcast of Vin Scully’s Hall of Fame career. He’s set to retire after 67 years in the Dodgers television booth. The Red Sox will also say a formal farewell to David Ortiz, though obviously we’ll see more of him in the postseason. One farewell though that’s been overlooked is that of Ryan Howard in Philadelphia.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now]
Perhaps that’s in part due to the New York Mets playoff push, which ended Saturday with a wild card berth. Perhaps it’s in part due to the Phillies being way out of the race. Whatever the case, the focus Sunday should be on Howard as he suits up for the Phillies one final time.
We know our focus will be there. The*Mets-Phillies game will be our season finale of the MLB Free Game of the Day on Yahoo Sports. You can stream the game at Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index and video home beginning at 3:05 p.m. ET., and you can do so without missing a second of the action in the other important games.
Howard hasn’t been all that productive in a few years now, which could be traced back to his Achilles injury in the 2011 playoffs. Howard has not topped 25 homers or 100 RBIs in a season since, and he’s not a candidate for a resurgence at age 36.*Of course, that’s not to say there’s no magic left in his bat. His game-tying two-run homer on Saturday was a big moment.*He might help an AL team as a designated hitter, but his days as a regular are over.
Howard’s legacy in Philadelphia is secure though, even if fans have been frustrated with his enormous contract and unproductive finish.*Howard was named MVP in 2006. He was a key part of the Phillies 2008 World Series championship. He brought a lot of joy and excitement during his prime years, and those years are worthy of a grand farewell. We’re hoping that’s exactly what he gets on Sunday, from the organization and the fans.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!Follow @Townie813