UP-Close with Pittsburgh Sports Report
RYAN HOWARD

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is coming off a monster 2006 season. His 58 homers surpassed the previous franchise record for a single season, set by Mike Schmidt in 1980, and his 149 RBI were the highest total by a Phillie since Chuck Klein's club record of 170 in 1930. Both those totals led the majors. Howard was selected as a reserve for the N.L. All-Star team, and then wowed the PNC Park crowd with an awesome display in the Home Run Derby. He received 37 intentional walks, setting a Phillies record and was twice named NL Player of the Month in 2006, in August and September. PSR's George Von Benko caught up with the Phillies slugger at spring training.

PSR: Some statistical analysts feel that clutch hitting is a random thing. Do you feel there is a knack to hitting with men on base?

Howard: Ask David Ortiz. Did those people ask David Ortiz about clutch hitting? I think he had the most game winning RBI this past year. They call it clutch hitting for a reason - coming up with runners in scoring position with either two outs or less than two outs or a big game situation. There's some pressure that's put on you, or more pressure that you put on yourself, to try and get that run in.

PSR: Do you enjoy hitting in those situations?

RH: Yeah, I think that everybody wants to, or at least you want everybody to be in that situation. To where if it came down to it, they'd want to step up and be in that situation and try to get the job done.

PSR: Your ability to go opposite field - is that a skill you've always possessed or is it something you've developed?

RH: I learned in college. It just kind of happened that way. I just try to hit it hard and some of them land on the other side of the fence.

PSR: Are you anxious to get the season started?

RH: Yeah, somewhat-I'm still trying to get the rest of the kinks out and get right when the season starts, where I want to be.

PSR: Has life been a lot different for you this past off-season after the big season you had?

RH: Slightly. I've taken it all in stride. Just taking it in stride and shutting some things down. But I've just budgeted my time.

PSR: How different is this season-you go from being a guy that people thought could be dangerous to a guy that has proven to be dangerous on a daily basis. Do you see teams pitching you different?

RH: I don't know, they might. Every team will have their own agenda when it comes to me and it's just about making adjustments. Seeing what they try to do and just take what they give me and not try to do too much.

PSR: Have you noticed they are pitching you different in spring training?

RH: It's kind of early to tell. You see a lot of different stuff and guys working on stuff. Maybe guys are trying to pitch a certain way, but it's still a little bit early to tell.

PSR: When you are a slugger and you go through stretches where you strikeout, do you have to have a short memory and forget it?

RH: I don't try to think about it. I try to avoid the strikeout whenever possible. I've never really thought about it like that. It's a part of the game and it happens. Sometimes you hit a lot of groundballs and sometimes you strikeout. It happens that way.

PSR: Manager Charlie Manuel has consistently said if you bat .300 like you did a year ago the power numbers will come. Is that a goal to bat .300 again?

RH: I think everybody wants to hit .300. I just want to go out right now and hit good at bats and carry on the same thing during the season and the numbers just fall where they may. Hopefully it will be over .300. As long as we get to the playoffs and try to get deep in the playoffs, that's what I'm worried about.

PSR: Do you see yourself as a hitter more than a slugger?

RH: I like to because you can't hit home runs all the time. You want to make as much contact and put balls in play as much as possible and try to get as many base hits as possible.

PSR: Given how strongly the Phillies finished, is the expectation nothing less than playoffs this year?

RH: For us, yeah, that's what our thought process is coming in. We've been on the other side of the fence the last two years and in the last two years we missed the playoffs by three games. So for us, we want to be able to make it to the playoffs.