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Manuel On Howard: I Think I'll Keep Him

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 24, 2008

Updated: 10/24/2008 01:48 am

ST. PETERSBURG - Manager Charlie Manuel issued a warning before Thursday's game to anyone who might underestimate 1B Ryan Howard because he was having a quiet postseason.

"Take him for granted, start throwing to him, and see what happens," Manuel said.

Howard hit 48 home runs and drove in 146 runs - both NL highs - and he finished the regular season on a tear, hitting .352 with 11 home runs and a Phillies-record 32 RBIs in September.

But entering Thursday's game, he was batting only .229 without a home run during this postseason. He went 0-for-4 with a walk and struck out three times with runners in scoring position in Philly's 3-2 Game 1 victory Wednesday night.

The Rays even intentionally walked Chase Utley to pitch to him in the ninth inning of Game 1, and Trever Miller struck him out.

Howard, who has hit 152 home runs during the last three regular seasons, may have started to break out of his postseason malaise Thursday. In his first at-bat, he sent a James Shields curveball over CF B.J. Upton's head for a double. In his second, he drilled a single through a Rays infield shift.

He was stranded at third base in both innings.

Manuel said Howard wasn't following the ball well and might have been pressing in Game 1 but pointed out he's been a consistent clutch producer. While he struck out 199 times this year, Howard led the NL in go-ahead RBIs (35) and was NL Player of the Month for September when the Phillies were battling for the NL East pennant.

"Check his batting averages and his run production from the seventh inning on or later in the game and see what you come up with," Manuel said. "He will stay on my team, probably, as long as I manage it. I like him that much."

BENCH STAR GETS DH NOD

Manuel tabbed left-handed hitting Greg Dobbs, the major-league leader in pinch hits this year, as the Phillies' DH for Game 2. Dobbs batted in the No. 7 spot, ahead of Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz.

Through his first two at-bats, Dobbs had struck out twice with runners in scoring position.

Manuel chose Dobbs over veteran Matt Stairs but considered using both lefties against right-hander James Shields and sitting 3B Feliz. Dobbs hit .301 during the regular season, and Stairs, who came from Toronto on Aug. 30, hit .294 in 16 games.

"I went back to the fact that at this ballpark, with the quick surface, I like Feliz's defense at third base, and I like the fact he made some good plays on it Wednesday night in Game 1," Manuel said. "Feliz is a tremendous defensive third baseman."

A POSTSEASON TO REMEMBER

No matter what ace LHP Cole Hamels does the rest of the World Series, the World Series Game 1 winner has already made history.

Hamels, the MVP of the NLCS, became the first Phillies pitcher to win four games in one postseason and just the fourth pitcher in major-league history to win Game 1 of the Division Series, NLCS and World Series.

The 24-year-old has the second-most innings pitched (29) and second-most strikeouts (27) in Phillies postseason history. Curt Schilling pitched 311/3 innings with 28 strikeouts in '93.

Hamels has been so good in the postseason (4-0, 1.55 ERA), Manuel is worried the Phillies might lose their sense of urgency to score when he's pitching.

"I hope it doesn't affect our offensive production, because I thought we should have scored five or six runs in Game 1," Manuel said. "At the same time, any time Cole pitches, I feel like we're going to win."

Tony Fabrizio

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