Editing Ryan Howard (section)

== Rise to Stardom ==

Ryan James Howard was born on November 19, 1979, in St. Louis, Missouri, attending Missouri State University before the Phillies drafted him in 2001. His minor league development suggested the power that would eventually arrive, though the presence of Jim Thome at first base blocked his path to the majors. When Thome's trade opened the position in 2006, Howard demonstrated that the wait had not diminished his readiness.<ref name="goldman">{{cite book |last=Goldman |first=Steven |title=The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First |year=2012 |publisher=Ballantine Books |location=New York}}</ref>

His 2005 rookie season, which earned Rookie of the Year honors despite only 88 games, previewed the power that full seasons would reveal. The 22 home runs in that abbreviated campaign suggested what a complete season might produce. The answer—58 home runs, an MVP award, and emergence as one of baseball's most marketable stars—exceeded even optimistic projections.<ref name="westcott"/>

His swing, a violent rotation that generated exceptional bat speed, produced home runs that traveled distances few hitters could match. The tape-measure shots that landed in distant reaches of Citizens Bank Park became attractions themselves, fans anticipating the possibility of historic blasts whenever Howard stepped to the plate. This power, combined with his personality and the team's success, made him one of Philadelphia's most popular athletes.<ref name="goldman"/>